I don't own Naruto or any of its characters, I'm just a fan I enjoyed the anime but I love the fanfics even more, they made me fall for the whole franchise.
Chapter 36
"I can't wait for the Chunin exams I'm so excited!" Ino squealed in delight, looking ready to jump to the future. Hinata who was facing in her direction giggled at the blonde's enthusiasm yet Sakura was very quiet trying to make herself as small as possible.
The three girls were located at the bathhouse, they were the only ones so they had the establishment to themselves. The reason for Sakura's sudden mute nature was because of the other two females around. Ino usually spoke about diets and yet the girl looked unrecognizable to Sakura her thighs alone were the envy of both her and Amy.
'We're the same age, how come her body looks so mature.' Sakura wondered looking at the girl's visible chest and seeing even that was already growing nicely while hers still stayed flat. She didn't even want to see Hinata, the Hyūga heiress was probably doing all the girls in the academy a favor by wearing jackets and baggy clothes back in the academy because Damn.
"Shit!" Sakura swore when her eyes even with her protest still looked at the Hyūga heiress, she was glad her mouth was under the warm waters and instead of sounds, she made bubbles. Hinata if not for her height would pass off as a teenage heartthrob the curves the girl carried had Sakura's eyes widen when the girl went full nude in the changing room, Sakura had gaped openly glad Hinata couldn't see.
Ino had come around and patted her shoulders giving her an understanding look, helping close her mouth in the process whispering she had the same reaction that's why she stopped dieting and instead ate balanced meals and worked out.
"Yes, I wish to be Chunin too, but then my team could break up and that would make me sad." Hinata said with a cute little frown on her face thinking of how lonely and strange it would feel without Naruto around.
"I wish my team broke up, I'm the only motivated person there and I'm including my sensei." Ino huffs causing Hinata to lose her frown and giggle. Sakura noticed the girl's chest coming out of the water and floating before she placed her hands on top blushing in embarrassment.
"Why are you so quiet Sakura, thinking about Sasuke-Kun?" Ino teased and Sakura blushed the shade of her namesake abruptly standing up to protest.
"W-what…. Who me? Nooo.. uhm I was thinking about things, yes many things…." Sakura ranted hands waving around animatedly not noticing the bathhouse had become eerily quiet a second later Ino teased.
"Nco Sakura-Chan you have such a cute lithe chest." Sakura blushed once more ascending her hair color and reaching a state called Rosay. Sakura eeped so much like Hinata usually did before diving into the hot waters below hoping to drown to death.
"Ino don't tease Sakura-San." Hinata reprimanded the Yamanaka heiress not knowing she was just pointing a target at herself.
"Ohhh, tststst where is your boyfriend Hinata-Chan that good looking older Hyūga guy your always walking with holding hands." Hinata gapped at Ino looking horrified at the thought.
"Kō-Kun is not my boyfriend, he is assigned by my father to help me when I'm moving around the village due to my condition." Hinata explained as best as she could to eliminate all the thoughts going around in Ino's head which she might just go and spread to Naruto who almost had a breakdown thinking she and Sasuke were an item.
"Didn't Naruto usually help you with those? He is around you more than he is around his girlfriend." Sakura seeing the opportunity to get the attention of her nonexistent chest jumped at the chance to redirect the conversation.
Hinata was now in the center of a spotlight with two very curious eyes looking at her waiting for details she definitely would not share and yet the nerves came to her like a tank. She began poking her fingers together pulling off that cute look only she could pull.
"N-naruto-Kun is busy Ino, d-did he no-not tell you?" Hinata stammered so unlike her new personality, only Naruto could bring out her shy nature these days and make her blush like a schoolgirl. he was also a very good first kiss Hinata's mind provided. Hinata blushed at that moment so red she could set a leaf on fire completely outdoing Sakura and turning crimson.
"Ah ha! I knew it!" Sakura exclaimed very loudly pointing a finger at Hinata, who looked ready to faint at the thought of being caught, how that could have even crossed her mind only she knew.
"You were thinking of that Hyūga just now." Sakura revealed in a more subdued voice and Hinata sighed in relief shaking her head in the negative.
Ino however got suspicious, Hinata hadn't blushed when they spoke of the Hyūga escort she had been seen around with but she blushed when Naruto was mentioned. Looking like she was lost in thought and remembered something. The Yamanaka heiress decided to try something.
"Maybe it's Sasuke-Kun?" Ino suggest immediately receiving a glare from Sakura she paid it no mind and concentrated on Hinata. Hinata only blinked at the suggestion before verbally replying.
"I do not have feelings for Sasuke-Kun." She stated matter of factly. Ino's heartfelt insecure and Hinata picked up on the emotion. Sakura's heart sang with relief and Hinata felt that too.
'Was that a good answer?' She thought looking at Sakura who was all smiles. 'Or was it a bad one?' She wondered looking over at Ino who was frowning in thought.
"I think that was enough gossiping for one day." Ino said standing up, Hinata agreed and stood up as well both girls butt naked.
"Do you mind helping me out Ino-Chan?" Hinata asked with a small smile, Ino, of course, was quick to realize said girl's condition and took her hand in her's emotions still in turmoil.
Sakura who stayed behind a little got a nice view of the two girls' bare backs, Ino's nice legs that went up to her hips and expanded giving her that hourglass curve most died for. Hinata had a bigger backside that jiggled as she walked with her hourglass figure. Sakura was just glad she couldn't see the front.
Sakura felt insecure she didn't feel comfortable in her skin with those two around she knew she was pretty but if Sasuke could walk into the bathhouse and see all of them like that, the thought made her blush, would he even notice her?
'I'll find a way to make him see me in the Chunin exams.' Sakura declared with conviction she didn't even notice as her legs stood on the surface of the water and glided to the other side.
Sakura stepped onto the wooden floor of the bathhouse and balled her fist.
"I'll win this battle I swear it!" Sakura shouted out loud, so loud even Ino peeked a head out of the changing room.
"What are you shouting for?" The not-so-pleasant Ino shouted at her pink-haired best friend, with said girl blushing in embarrassment before meekly apologizing. Ino only huffed and returned her head to the room.
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"Hinata-Chan there you are!" Naruto called out with a big smile on his face as he stood across the road from the bathhouse, he had been looking for the Hyūga heiress the whole day, and only heard in passing from some boys loitering the streets that some genin babes had gone into the bathhouse.
Hinata who by nature was a sensor felt Naruto's presence long before he called her out, that was the reason she was the first to get dressed and walk out of the establishment before her companions. It didn't matter how many signatures were around she would always find him, don't even get her started on how impossible it would be to miss him with her dojutsu active.
She really did miss him, she felt his hand wrap around her waist and lift her before she knew it she didn't remember him being so fast. Hinata smiled nonetheless and giggled as Naruto turned her around in the air once before setting her down, his emotions once again smacking her in the face before his words followed.
"I missed you, Hime, where have you been hiding? Oh and you smell nice too. How was your week? I haven't seen you since our last team meeting last week. Did I say I miss you? I think I did. I have so much to tell you, you won't believe what I'm learning it's so cool. Are you busy, can we hang out please pretty please? I really missed you, you know." Hinata had swirls in her eyes, Naruto spoke so fast and so quickly that her brain short-circuited and rebooted but when it did reboot she registered all his words and she blushed with a beautiful smile she couldn't hold down blossoming in her face at the many I miss you. Naruto even added his verbal tic at the end just showing her how excited he was at simply seeing her after a week.
"I missed you too Naruto-Kun." Hinata told him meekly, not seeing his smile widen even more before he moved forward and kissed her on the cheek.
"Just as I promised." he whispered in her ear making the Hyūga heiress smile sadly. Naruto noticed the smile and placed a hand on her cheek wondering what was wrong.
"What's wrong Hime?" Naruto asked and Hinata felt him get sad just at the fact she was sad. It made her so happy she wished she could just hug him and never let go but she simply brought her forehead against his and whispered her feelings.
"Thank you, I love you so much." Hinata felt all of Naruto's worries wash away and happiness consume him like a forest fire at her words. She slowly backed away a few steps from her source of warmth confusing said source, but a few seconds later Ino and Sakura walked out of the establishment.
"Ino look, Naruto-Kun is here." Sakura pointed out and Ino's head whipped around so fast she might have broken her neck if a little more force was applied.
Ino spotted Naruto standing a few distances away from Hinata looking at the girl with such affection in his eyes Ino felt a pang in her chest. He looked like he wasn't even in this world anymore, then he blinked and looked up at her and smiled waving. She wondered what kind of greeting had Hinata gotten.
"Hey, Ino-Chan." Naruto greeted and Ino smiled, she didn't want her insecurities to make her mistrust her boyfriend so she walked down the stairs and hugged him tightly.
"Good morning Goldie-Kun." She greeted back but Naruto who was facing Hinata while in the hug had his eyes widen when he saw her smile sweetly at him and rub her glossing eyes. Naruto ended the hug as fast as he could.
'I'm hurting Hime the same way I was hurting back in Wave country.' The realization hit Naruto like an atomic bomb. 'How could I have been so selfish?' Naruto berated himself, he looked over Ino's shoulder back at Hinata whose eyes had widened as well not knowing she could sense his emotions.
"Sorry, Ino-Chan but I need to talk to Hinata-Hime about something very urgent we can talk later okay." Naruto didn't wait for her reply. He simply moved passed her and picked up Hinata bridal style. The blind girl tried to protest when she felt Ino's emotions become negative but Hinata felt Sakura and Ino's signature go further and further away by the second before they were so far she could barely feel them.
"Did Naruto just do a Shuushine?" Sakura asked in awe but Ino didn't stay around. The Yamanaka heiress ran as fast as she could towards the Yamanaka compound which wasn't far from where they were her heart was in turmoil about what could be happening.
"Wait for me Ino!" Sakura screamed out to her friend and ran after her not understanding what was wrong, Naruto and Hinata were always close and would sometimes disappear somewhere together.
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"I'm so, so sorry Hime I'm such a Baka such a big Baka." Naruto begged, hugging Hinata tightly, once they arrived at his place on his balcony.
"It's okay Naruto-Kun I-I understand." Hinata reasoned with the blonde enigma in her life who shook his head no vigorously, releasing Hinata from his hold.
"No it's not okay, I'm so selfish." Naruto revealed to the blind Hyūga. "I'm hurting you, Hime." Naruto was wide-eyed when he said that sentence out loud. The one person he never wanted to hurt was Hinata, he promised himself he wouldn't do so again and yet here he was doing it again.
"N-naruto-Kun." Hinata came closer hearing the blonde hyperventilating his emotions telling her he felt like the scum of the world that he didn't deserve her, that he was worse than trash.
"Is that why you've been so distant?" Naruto asked voice trembling. He didn't give Hinata the chance to reply before he answered his question.
"Of course, it is, one moment I'm proclaiming I love you and the next I'm kissing Ino, of course, you would keep your distance to not hurt further I'm such a loser." Naruto finally broke down going down on his knees and dropping tears at the thought of all the times he sat around doing things with Ino while Hinata watched.
"I-I was so hurt when I thought you were with Sasuke, it had me doing stupid things that hurt you in the process. Now I'm putting you in the same situation I was in not realizing the hypocrisy of my feelings while I hurt you again." Naruto sobbed and Hinata felt a pang in her chest at her best friend's state, a minute ago he was happy.
Hinata went over and got on her knees and hugged her knight in shining armor's form. Comforting him as he cried. Hinata didn't know it but just like how Naruto was her first friend, she was his. He treasured her like no other in the world he had no parents or relatives. The day she came to him asking for help no matter how calm and collected he seemed he was happy.
For the first time, someone came to ask Naruto Uzumaki for help, not his crime lord's alter ego but him. He cherished the first time he had someone eat a meal he prepared, and how she opened up to him without an ounce of fear. How he finally had someone at his home for the day and shared with that person the beautiful sight of the sunset he got from his apartment, he loved that day. It made his first day at the academy so much worth it to end it on such a note and every day from that day on became a pleasure.
"I don't deserve you Hinata, I don't deserve your love." Naruto whispered but his words didn't hurt Hinata as his feelings did, it was the fact his feelings believed those words that made her hurt.
"If you ever say that again I will never forgive you." Hinata replied quickly and sternly glaring at Naruto and subconsciously activating her dojutsu.
"If you ever say something like that again I-I will never ever forgive you, do you hear me never? I dare you to say those words again Naruto Uzumaki I dare you." Naruto looked into Hinata's glaring dojutsu that ran tears down her face and tried to repeat his words but he couldn't, he opened his mouth and closed them a few times before giving up.
"I'm so useless." At Naruto's words, he received a hard smack across his face that had him seeing stars and he blinked before her lips crashed into his own beginning a battle of lips he came to at a disadvantage, so he lost badly.
"Why do you always do this to me?" Hinata asked after breaking from the kiss but she didn't wait for him to respond before she dove back in for another one dropping Naruto on his back while she sat on his stomach, kissing him madly going so far as dipping her tongue in his mouth.
"It is not your fault we are like this Naruto-Kun, it is my own. I kept my feelings hidden for many years. Ino-Chan was the brave one to confess to you. I am the one who doesn't deserve your feelings." Hinata Told the blonde below her after breaking the kiss, she smiled lovingly at him mushing his cheeks and wishing so much she could see his bright beautiful eyes or see his smile at least one more time.
"And yet I only want you." Naruto said from the ground looking away from Hinata he still had a tinge of pink on his cheeks from the very rough kiss Hinata handed him like he was a little school girl getting manhandled by her teenage boyfriend.
"I know Naruto-kun." Hinata got off her warm blonde 'friend' and sat next to his downed form. "I wish I wasn't so afraid to say my feelings before." Hinata admitted sadly and Naruto sat up as well placing his back on the wall like Hinata.
"Why didn't you say anything before?" Naruto asked softly finally building up the courage to face the girl who had her dojutsu deactivated again.
"I felt I wouldn't be able to be a proper wife in the future." Hinata blushed at the thought but she felt Naruto's sadness and confusion at her words so she felt entitled to explain herself.
"I'm blind Naruto-Kun, what kind of a wife would I be if I couldn't cook for my husband, or even see him grow old and handsome beside me? See him dressed in a nice orange kimono for our wedding day or even see our firstborn taking a part of both of us." Hinata asked bringing her legs closer to her chest and looking forward. She felt Naruto wrap an arm around her shoulders bringing her closer to his chest.
"I didn't want to be a bother I would have been happy seeing you happy." Hinata admitted with silent tears dropping from her eyes.
"When I think of all the things I can't see anymore like your eyes, your smile, and your cute whisker marks I feel sad. The thought of not knowing how you look now makes me angry at myself, Naruto-Kun it makes me feel unworthy of your time and affection." Hinata sobbed again this time looking up at Naruto only to see darkness still as though to prove her point and Naruto understood holding on to her even tighter.
"I still love you." Naruto simply said and her emotions told Hinata he wasn't about to change his mind.
"I'm gonna make you a promise today Hinata." Naruto pulled out a Kunai and cut open his palm, he then took Hinata's hand and nicked her index finger taking the girl's finger and placing it on his open bloody palm mixing their blood.
"I swear in all that I am and plan on becoming that one day I will restore your sight and when that day comes I will ask you to marry me." Naruto looked into Hinata's wide eyes and smiled at the girl he loved. Using his bloody hand without thought he held her chin and kissed her on her forehead.
"That is the promise of a lifetime." Hinata's heart rate increased in her chest at the promise and the feelings behind it. She cried even harder and hugged her long-time friend and love interest feeling hope for the first time that she might get her sight back because if Uzumaki Naruto made a promise he kept it.
"You're my hero Naruto-Kun." Hinata said ready to move in for another kiss only for her sensory ability to pick up on two approaching signatures she recognized.
"Itachi-Sensei is approaching with Shisui-San." Hinata informed Naruto and they both stood up but Naruto was adamant about not letting go of her hand while they moved inside the house.
"Go clean yourself up hime, take your time I'll stall them until you are ready." Naruto instructed raising her hand and giving it a chastened kiss. Hinata nodded coming closer to place her forehead on his only able to do that by standing on her toes.
"I won't be long." She told him before she made her way to the bathroom with the house already mapped into her brain a long time ago.
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"Are you sure you want to register them for the exams?" Shisui asked his best friend while they traveled towards Naruto's apartment in the distance.
"You read the report Shisui, Hinata took on a B-rank missing-nin alone and neutralized him in seconds, Sasuke took on a Hyoton user coming out the victor and Naruto took on Aoi Rokushō who had a legendary blade at his disposal," Itachi explained for him the choice was a simple one he didn't even mention their potential as a team.
"I understand but shouldn't we let them decide they might still want to stick together for a little while longer." Shisui made his argument and Itachi nodded in agreement because he had already thought about it.
"That is why I am only telling them I signed them up, if they do not want to enter they just shouldn't show up." Itachi said closing the argument as they arrived in front of the blonde genin's apartment where he stood at the front door waiting for them with a serious look on his face.
"Yoh Gaki." Shisui greeted first he had gotten the chance to speak to the blonde a day after their failed mission. Naruto told him he didn't blame him and that in his books they were as cool as ice cubes.
"Sup." Naruto greeted though his voice was a little forced.
"Good morning Naruto-Kun." Itachi greeted as politely as ever with Naruto nodding back at the man.
"Good morning Itachi-Sensei." The boy replied smoothly without missing a beat.
"I am here to inform you, I have enrolled team 7 in the Chunin exams starting tomorrow. It is not mandatory to participate but I find team 7 ready for the next ranking so if you are interested go to the ninja academy at 7 sharp." Itachi handed Naruto a pamphlet with a big fat leaf insignia in front.
"Do we need these things to enter?" Naruto asked and Itachi nodded at the blonde, if not for those pieces of paper random wannabe Shinobi would walk into the exams and get themselves killed.
"Can I have Hinata's, she's inside resting." Itachi nodded at that and handed the blonde an extra pamphlet before nodding and jumping off to the next roof Shisui saluted the blonde with a grin before following Itachi.
Naruto sighed and entered his house finding Hinata wearing his orange jumpsuit top and her ankle-length pants.
"Do you mind if I slept away the day here?" Hinata asked standing by the doorway leading to Naruto's bedroom.
"Only if you are staying the night." Naruto joked and Hinata nodded with a smile surprising him.
"I would like that Naruto-Kun." Hinata told the blonde and headed inside the room but before closing the sliding door she looked back at him and smile.
"If you don't wash up your sleeping on the couch though." Hinata heard a door band close on the other side before she heard the water running.
"Ssss ouo cold, sss ouo cold cold." Hinata smiled at her friend's behavior wishing he would never change for anything in the words.
'I love him just the way he is.' Hinata thought with so much affection she wished she could share her ability and have him feel her feelings for him like she does his.
AN
YEAH YEAH YEAH I KNOW WHAT I SAID ABOUT NECT CHAPTER BEING THE CHUNIN EXAMS BUT IF AN IDEA STARTS RINGING I HAVE TO WRITE IT AND DROP IT IN YOUR METAPHORICAL ASS's
IT STARTED OFF AS SIMPLE GOSSIP I DONT KNOW WHAT HAPPENED AFTER THAT BUT YOH ITS ONE MONTH ANIVERSERY EVERYBODY SAY YEAH!!!
No seriously if I don't get 5 yeahs I'm posting Christmas Eve.!!!!!
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Immh only time will tell...