Hinata of the White Lotus

Date

The streets of Konoha were more lively than Hinata had seen them in a long time.

It would seem the village was in full festival mode now, as the stalls and vendors began ramping up their displays, eager to draw in the throngs of foreign customers here for the exams. And in the middle of it, Hinata found herself stuck close to Naruto, the two of them navigating the unusually dense crowds.

Things like this were obvious to her, but she couldn't help but wonder what things had been like for all predecessors. The idea of a hidden village itself was rather new, after all. Things like being able to walk together through the village together with the boy you liked might have been something in which she was the first of Kali's reincarnations to be capable of doing.

In a way, it was like a dream come true for her, and she liked to think the two of them looked like they were on a date.

"So do you think this means I've gotten stronger?" Naruto asked, his mind very far from the thoughts currently occupying Hinata's headspace. He was always like this, constantly concerned about his own growth. It was one such trait which Hinata found so endearing about him.

"I'm sure it does." Hinata agreed, happy to encourage him. In truth, she had some idea about why his clones had suddenly started turning to wood, but the exact specifics of it eluded her. She only knew it had to do with Asura, somehow.

"Right!?" Naruto giggled happily to himself, practically jumping in the air as they walked. "I can't wait to show up Sasuke with this new move! He's not even gonna know what hit him!" A moment after he said that and his stomach growled again. "...Although, it seems like the new clones leave me pretty hungry." His elated giggle turned into more of an awkward chuckle. He probably wasn't far off the mark, however. Techniques that used a lot of chakra did tend to also consume a proportionate amount of calories.

"Me too." Hinata admitted, rubbing her own empty stomach. She had been so nervous about going to meet him this morning, that she completely forgot to grab anything to eat on the way out. And her appetite as of late had also grown exponentially, possibly due to her own new abilities.

"Good thing too, we're here!" Naruto proclaimed. He jogged slightly ahead of her, closing the remaining distance to his favorite ramen stand. Hinata didn't mind, following behind him. As she pushed back the curtain he was already ordering.

"Welcome!" The young woman behind the counter greeted. "What will you have?" She appeared to have already taken down Naruto's order, likely having it memorized by this point. Hinata, however, had never actually been here before. In fact, she usually didn't eat out at all, preferring to make her own handmade lunches.

"Ummm…" She mumbled, eyes darting over the plethora of options, completely unsure how to proceed. "I'll just have the same thing as Naruto-kun." She decided in the end. If only because that seemed to be the easiest.

"You sure, Hinata?" Naruto laughed, as if her order just now was funny. "The bowl I order is huge, y'know? Sakura-chan wouldn't even be able to eat half of it." He declared this like it was some kind of grand accomplishment, clearly proud of his innate ability to consume large quantities of food. Hinata nodded meekly, slightly losing confidence in her order, but not being brave enough to change it either.

"The two of you are together?" The woman, Ayame, asked. She passed the order to her father, but her attention was completely on the two of them, who now sat side-by-side.

"Yeah, we're both fighting in the tournament." Naruto answered, gesturing between himself and Hinata. "She's crazy strong too, so we've been training together." At those words, Ayame immediately looked Hinata up and down again, as if trying to reassess her. Hinata's cheeks tinted red and she averted her gaze to the counter, unable to maintain any kind of eye contact.

"If you say so…" Ayame replied, clearly not convinced. Hinata didn't respond, instead listening intently as Ayame and Naruto chatted briefly while waiting for their order to finish. The two of them seemed close, almost like family in a way. It was a side of Naruto that Hinata hadn't seen before, and she was secretly pleased to get a glimpse at this previously unknown side of him.

"Order up!" The stall owner called, placing two bowls filled to the brim down in front of both Naruto and Hinata. The smell alone made Hinata's mouth water and her stomach growl, she hoped not loud enough for anyone else to hear. She took her chopsticks, perhaps a little too eagerly and prepared to dig in.

"Hey, why don't we make this interesting." Naruto cut her off, a huge grin splitting his face. "Since we didn't finish our practice match earlier, let's settle it here." She tilted her head at him, not understanding immediately what he was proposing. "The person that eats the most ramen is the winner!" He declared, clearly quite proud of the idea.

"O-okay." Hinata shrugged, accepting readily enough. She had no reason to refuse, as it wasn't a blow to her pride if she couldn't eat as much as him. Besides, she liked seeing him happy and if out-eating her would be enough to achieve that, then she would play along.

"Alright!" Naruto cheered, turning back to his ramen and digging in without delay. Hinata smiled, going into her own bowl now and simply enjoying the flavor. It was completely unlike anything she had eaten before, and without realizing it she matched pace with Naruto. Before either one of them knew it, both bowls were finished.

"Next one!" Naruto called, and two more bowls were brought forward. Ayame quirked an eyebrow as Hinata dug into that bowl as well, not the slightest bit deterred by the quantity placed before her. The surprises didn't end there, Naruto calling for a third bowl. Then a fourth.

Hinata quit keeping count herself. It was just so good that the quantity she consumed didn't even register. All she knew was that it wasn't yet enough. And every time she finished a bowl, another one was placed in front of her. It was like a never ending course and she couldn't get enough.

Finally, she felt herself hit her limit and she leaned back in her chair.

"That was delicious…" She half-muttered, barely believing she could talk. As the glutton-induced fog began to fade, the world around her seemed to come back into focus. The first thing she noticed was the shocked, disbelieving face of Ayame. Then the approving nod of the stall owner. She turned to Naruto to see his jaw was unhinged, staring at her like she had grown a second head. Placed in front of him was a stack of four bowls. Then she looked at the stack in front of herself.

Seven.

Before she had realized it, she had downed seven bowls of ramen without stopping. She knew that she had been hungry lately, but this… even she was beyond excuse.

"I think this is your loss, Naruto." The stall owner laughed, placing a piece of paper down in front of him. "The bill." There hadn't been a verbal agreement that the loser had to pay, but it seemed to be some kind of unspoken rule.

"Umm…" Naruto was at a loss for words now, looking down at the bill and then back at the stack of bowls they had both eaten.

"I can pay for my own." Hinata tried to protest, but Ayame waved her off.

"Naruto can pay us back anytime. It's not like he isn't here every day." The older girl said. "So don't worry about it." The way she was looking at Hinata now was different, as if she had changed her opinion. "If you fight anything like how you eat, then I'm really looking forward to your match."

"Thank you." Hinata didn't know what else to say, settling for that simple platitude. She stood up from her seat and bowed. Naruto wordlessly followed after her, but he didn't get far before Ayame shouted a reminder that they were adding the total to his bill.

Just like that and the two of them were walking down the street again. This time with more of an uncomfortable silence, one which Hinata had no idea how to break. She worried that perhaps she had wounded Naruto's pride. It really wasn't her intention to show him up at his favorite food stall, it had just been too good.

"You're uh… really something else, huh?" Naruto suddenly broke the silence. Hinata didn't know how to respond, instead pressing her index fingers together, eyes dancing everywhere except in his direction. "I mean, you're nothing like what I thought you were." He explained, but after that appeared at a loss for words.

Hinata had some idea what he was talking about, however. He had said it himself earlier. At the academy she had been dark, gloomy, and weird. She never talked to anyone and she did her utmost not to stand out. Now it seemed like every move she made drew her into the limelight. Her fight against Neji had only been the beginning.

"I'm just… trying to change myself." Hinata mumbled, but she wasn't sure if she was saying that to him or for her own benefit.

"Heh!" Naruto laughed. He reached over, bumping her shoulder with his fist in a friendly manner. "I don't know what you're going through, but as you are now… You're not bad at all, y'know!" The deep sincerity in his words gave Hinata pause. Her heartbeat increased and she felt her cheeks heat up.

Not bad. She knew it wasn't something an ordinary girl would be happy to hear, but somehow hearing it from Naruto… that made her really, incredibly happy. She couldn't help but smile bashfully, and the silence that settled between them didn't feel quite so awkward anymore.

As they continued on their way, they neared the hospital and Hinata was once again reminded of Neji. She knew he had long been discharged, released before even she had been. However… his teammate hadn't been.

"Should we stop to see Lee-san?" Hinata asked before the thought had even fully formed.

"Huh?" Naruto asked, looking at her before turning to see the hospital in the distance. His jovial grin turned rarely serious. "I guess you're also fighting the same guy Bushy Brow went up against." He reached a different conclusion than what she had been considering, but his line of thinking was far from illogical. Hinata hadn't yet seen Lee, but his injuries were the direct result of what she would be facing.

If anything, preparing for that should have been her bigger priority. So she didn't correct Naruto and instead the two of them slightly changed direction, heading to the hospital now. Upon entering, they asked for Lee's room and were given directions. The quiet of the hallways gave Hinata a moment to reflect on what she wanted to say on the off chance she did meet Neji. Would her words even reach him? She didn't know, but at the very least she had resolved herself to try. That was why she was here, after all.

As they walked down the halls, they heard a shout from up ahead. It took them both a second to realize it was Lee's very room the shout came from. As if sharing one mind, the two broke into a run, barging into the room at break-neck speeds, prepared for anything.

"Bushy brow!?" Naruto called, but there was no answer from Lee. No, the one that had shouted, calling for help was Nara Shikamaru. Like them, he was a participant in the upcoming exams. Yet it looked like he might be getting a head start on those battles.

"Oh shit, someone actually heard me." Shikamaru sighed in relief. He was standing perfectly still, his hands locked in a hand sign signaling he had just cast his shadow manipulation technique. And trapped in his very shadow…

Gaara of the Sand.

Hinata's opponent in the upcoming fight stood over the sleeping Lee, his sand having spread out across the bed. No matter how you looked at this scene, it was very clear that he had come here to finish the job.

"The hell do you think you're doing!?" Naruto yelled, the only one seemingly not able to read the room.

"I'm here to kill him." Gaara answered, his voice monotone. There was no emotion in the way he said those words. It was more like an impulse, than some actual desire.

"But why?" Hinata asked. She couldn't understand what Gaara's aim was. How could her opponent have so little disregard for human life? What's more, how could she be expected to face someone like that?

"Stand in my way, and I'll kill you all too." Gaara didn't answer her question, instead promising swift death to them all. There was no doubt in his mind that he could wipe them out easily. Without even so much as breaking a sweat. For him, it really would be as easy as lifting his hand. Hinata knew this because she had seen him do it in the Forest of Death.

"There's no reasoning with this guy." Shikamaru warned. "He's saying some crazy shit like that he has a sand demon inside of him. He's only interested in killing."

"W-what!?" Naruto yelled, Shikamaru's warning appearing to have shaken him. Hinata had never seen a single sentence ever get him so shaken up, but something about what was said just now had done the trick.

As if reacting to Naruto's fear, the sand around Gaara's feat shot up. It rose like a wall behind him and all around them. There was too much and it was too quick. Hinata would never activate her eyes in time. Shikamaru was still trying to maintain his own jutsu and Naruto had yet to snap out of whatever it was hanging him up. The sand came down on them.

"That's enough." A powerful voice from the door called, causing the sand to stop mere centimeters above their heads. Might Gai, Lee and Neji's Jonin instructor, stood at the door. "You'll get your chance to fight in a couple days. No need to throw down now." His voice was stern, but it was more than that. Gaara wouldn't survive if he went any further.

Gaara seemed to realize this. The sand all around them slunk back into the gourd like a wounded puppy. At the same time, Shikamaru finally released his jutsu, giving the redhead back his freedom of movement. He ambled towards the door, his gait itself unstable, like he might topple over at any moment.

"I will kill you all." Gaara promised, stopping at the door and looking back at them. His gaze settled on Hinata last, as if recognizing her as his first target. More than ever, she felt the need to withdraw from the tournament completely. Then he was gone, leaving just the Konoha Shinobi behind.

"Whew…" Shikamaru let out a sigh of relief. "Seriously Hinata, you should just surrender. I wouldn't fight that guy." Another vote of no-confidence. Even Naruto was shaken up, and if he was like this; what chance did she have?

"Thank you all for defending Lee." Gai stepped into the room, placing a comforting hand on Hinata's shoulder. "I owe you a debt I'm not sure can be repaid."

"Eh… don't mention it." Shikamaru shrugged. "I just happened to be passing by. Not my style to get involved normally, but not like I could turn a blind eye either. I'm just glad these two showed up to buy a little more time." Despite his words of gratitude, Naruto still didn't respond. He was still staring off where Gaara had gone.

Hinata had other things on her mind. She felt a little bad about taking advantage of this man's gratitude, but she needed to do this. Anything to not think more about Gaara was also a good thing in her book.

"Excuse me," Hinata forced her voice to work. "I was hoping you could tell me if you've seen Neji-nii-san." If her cousin hadn't come back to the clan compound this whole time, it made some sense to think that maybe he was staying with his team. She could only hope.

"Yeah." Gai nodded, giving Hinata a small bit of hope. That hope immediately turned into the jitters as the Jonin turned to the door and called out. "Neji! Quit dawdling in the hallway and get in here!" For several seconds there was no movement. Then there was a tired sigh, and Neji appeared in the doorway. However, he didn't set a single foot into the room.

"Neji-nii-san." Hinata took a step towards him instead. Her mind was racing, trying quickly to find the words she had been practicing until now. She thought she had been prepared for this. Yet the moment he was in front of her and she forgot everything she had rehearsed, leaving her mind blank.

"You're the same as always." Neji sneered, grinding her thoughts to a halt. "Even when you unlock great power, you still can't change yourself."

"T-That's not true!" Hinata rebutted, taking another step closer. "I've changed… I'm doing my best to change." She held up her hands, pressing them against her chest in an effort to steady her breathing. She took one last deep breath. Her resolve hardened, she gave him a look of steel. "I'll prove that I can change. That way you will be able to see that you can change too."

"Heh," Neji scoffed, turning away from her. "Just defeating me in the arena proves nothing. After all, you're from the main family and I'm from the branch. Your victory was inevitable, I should have known that." He paused, turning once again to look at her with an almost arrogant smirk. "Beat Gaara at the tournament. Then I'll listen to whatever it is you want to say to me."

"Oi, Neji!" Gai snapped, turning to his student. He couldn't scold him any further, because Hinata held up a quivering hand that drew his attention back towards her. She felt her whole body shake, and she knew that at any moment her composure might break. Nevertheless she fought against that, trying to look strong.

"I'll win." She stated simply, earnestly. The effect around her was immediate. Shikamaru let out a low whistle. Gai smiled brightly, the light in the room twinkling off his teeth. Neji glared at her, but it wasn't just anger. Simmering beneath the surface was… hope. Deep down, he also wanted her to win. To prove him wrong. He wanted to be set free. That was the true source of his bravado, but he himself didn't even seem to realize it.

Finally, Naruto also seemed to be snapped out of his funk. He stared at the back of Hinata's head with wide eyes and mouth agape. Then he smiled, as if he seemed to remember who he was. That was because Hinata's small, fierce declaration was something she had learned from him to begin with. Even if he didn't know that.

After that, the several groups went their separate ways. Gai and Neji remained behind to stay with Lee for a while. Shikamaru went back to check up on his own teammate. Naruto and Hinata, meanwhile, finally made it to the academy where the library was located.

It had taken them several detours and most of the day, but they were here. Standing in front of the familiar gates that was part of their weekday morning for so many years. It was nostalgic, and also a bit of a painful reminder of how far they had come. They entered the grounds and Hinata noticed that Naruto's gaze was lingering on a single tree. One with a lonely swing attached to it.

"Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked. They both stopped walking. It took Naruto several seconds to respond. It would seem he was composing himself, sorting all of his own emotions and memories.

"For the longest time… it always felt like I was alone." Naruto mumbled, as if he was talking to himself. "No one was ever looking at me and I thought no one would ever care about anything it was that I did." This was something Hinata knew all too well. She had been afraid of the same thing. Whereas Naruto started doing pranks for attention, however, she had retreated into herself.

"That's what I thought, but…" Naruto turned to her. "Hinata." He said her name, strong and with purpose. It was enough to make her straighten her back on instinct. "I've always been a little slow, so I didn't realize it until now when you were facing Neji in the hospital… but back when you fought him in the prelims too, you said something to him."

Hinata's eyes widened and her cheeks flushed. Yes. She knew exactly what it was Naruto was talking about. Despite the fact that she had said several things to her cousin throughout the course of the match, there could only be one thing he was referring to at this moment.

"I never go back on my word." Naruto repeated. "That's my ninja way." He stared at her, waiting for a reaction. When none came, he pressed on. "Those were my words, yet you used them for yourself. Why? Why would you copy something that someone like me said? When no one else before ever cared about anything I said, why did you?"

"I…" Hinata started to answer, her words dying on her tongue. She had an answer to his question. She had always had the answer. It was the same answer that had been on her mind as she pressed on against Neji. However, she could never say those words.

No, the old her could never say those words. She was different now. She had changed.

"I was always watching you." Hinata said, her voice almost too soft to hear. "Everything you did… It was special to me. Because it also made me feel like I could change myself. And when you were the one finally watching me, I did begin to change. That's all thanks to you."

"...I see." Naruto said, his voice a confusing mix of emotions. That only lasted for a moment, before he broke out into a huge grin. "I see!" He said again, this time his voice overflowing with joy. "So someone was actually watching me that whole time! Jeez, if you had been watching, say something earlier, would you?" He laughed, his voice not in the slightest bit accusing.

"I-I didn't mean to-" Nevertheless, Hinata tried to quickly utter some kind of excuse.

"Don't worry about it!" Naruto cut her off, waving away whatever excuse it was she could have thought of. "I get it, y'know. If you were the type of person that would have come forward, you wouldn't be the type of person that wanted to change. Which means you wouldn't have been watching me in the first place. So while it might be weird to say, I'm glad you are the way that you are."

"...Naruto-kun." Hinata didn't know what to say. No one had ever told her that they were happy for her just being who she was. Not even she could think that way about herself. So to hear him say that…

"Besides, you've also inspired me, y'know?" Naruto asked, but Hinata could only shake her head. She couldn't believe it. She was the one inspiring him? "I wasn't myself back there when we were facing down that Gaara guy. But the way you declared your victory so confidently… It reminded me that I've got nothing to be scared of. I'm gonna win against Sasuke. And then…

"I'm going to beat you in the next round." He held out a fist, waiting for her response.

Hinata hadn't even thought that far ahead. If she beat Gaara, then her next opponent would be either Naruto or Sasuke, who were fighting in the match before hers. For Naruto, their matches were already a forgone conclusion. He believed she could beat Gaara. For the first time, someone gave her a vote of confidence. What's more, he was declaring her a rival.

He wanted to fight her and he wanted to win, because she was a worthy challenge for him to overcome. This was his way of acknowledging her.

Hinata wondered why it was, but she also felt the fire of competition light up inside her as well. The thought of fighting against Naruto before now… it had been unthinkable. Yet it was also thrilling. She wanted to prove herself against him. And she knew that no matter which one of them won, they would still be rivals after… more than that, they were friends now.

She smiled back, the most genuine, confident one she had ever been capable of making. And she bumped her fist with his, accepting the challenge.

"I won't lose."