Hinata and Naruto both rushed to their feet as an intense boom caught both of them off guard. What the hell was that? They watched as a large pillar of sand rose high above the campsite, and at the top was just who you'd expect to see.
"Gaara! What the fuck is wrong with you? You scared the shit out of us!" Temari yelled from below. Normally, this kind of behavior toward one of the five Kage would not be acceptable, but Temari was Gaara's sister, and well known for being a hothead. She got a pass.
Gaara laughed louder than Naruto had ever heard him before. "Sorry sister, I had to make sure I got your attention!"
Every Shinobi present currently had their attention set on Gaara, wondering why in the world he would cause such a racket. Gaara's smile left and his face returned to its normal seriousness.
"As Regimental Commander of the Allied Shinobi Forces, I have a message from Lord Raikage regarding our departure of this land! At first light, all Shinobi will assemble in travel formation, posting at those five pillars accordingly!" Gaara's voice boomed as he pointed across the crater. There were five pillars of sand, each about 10 feet tall. They were each about a hundred feet apart, and every pillar was marked with a symbol from one of each of the five great nations.
Gaara continued, "At approximately 07:00 hours, all regiments will begin traveling back to their respective villages! Upon departure, all further orders will be given by your respective Kage!"
The Shinobi below appeared to nod in understanding. Home sounded nice... this giant hole in the ground got old pretty quick.
"I have one final message for you all. Though this war lasted merely a couple days, it has been a great honor to be your commander, and I'm glad to finally see all nations in allegiance. Let us all mourn the loved ones we lost, and continue to move forward, together!"
As Gaara descended back toward the ground, every Shinobi in the entire area began to cheer loudly. One thing was for sure, they were all prepared to fight and die for their comrades, even if they were from different territories. All conflict was in the past, all that mattered now was that they had fought together for something greater than themselves, and would honorably do so again.
Naruto turned to Hinata, who look just as flustered as he did. His own heart was racing, however, he wasn't certain if it was from the sudden burst of sand, or from the fact that he was pretty sure him and Hinata were about to kiss. He was appalled at how bold Hinata had acted toward him, but to tell the truth, he really liked her like this. As he looked at her now, he could tell she was shaken up from everything that had just happened. If they were going to try that again, it would have to be later.
"You okay, Hinata?"
"Y-yes, Naruto, just got scared real badly..."
Slowly, Hinata had appeared to calm down, but Naruto could tell there was something on her mind. Did he do something wrong? Was he too touchy with her?
"Did I... I mean, what we were doing -"
Hinata interrupted, "Really, I'm okay Naruto, you didn't do anything wrong. It's not you."
"Well then, what is it? You look upset, you know you can talk to me, right?" Naruto was genuinely concerned about her. What was she thinking about?
Hinata nodded as she met his gaze with tears forming in her eyes.
"It's just... Neji. I've been holding it together so far because I didn't want to ruin our time together. But when Gaara talked about mourning our loved ones that we lost... I just..."
She couldn't hold it in anymore. Tears slowly began to fall from her face, and Naruto did the only thing that seemed right. He embraced her, and pulled her tightly against him. Hinata finally gave in and wrapped her arms around him as well, sobbing into his chest.
Naruto hadn't forgotten Neji's sacrifice, and honestly, how could he? He had almost given up and lost all hope after Neji gave his life to save his and Hinata's. He would have succumbed to his own guilt right then and there if Hinata hadn't been there to bring him back.
This happened only yesterday, and Naruto knew Hinata would be in mourning, as anyone would over a loved one. He wanted to express his condolences, but had decided it would best not to, for he truly didn't know if it was better to leave her be or to immediately give her comfort. Unfortunately, Naruto didn't have much experience with helping people grieve. Throughout his life, he had typically been the one in mourning, and there was usually nobody around to comfort him. When Jiraiya died, Naruto had isolated himself before he accepted that he had to move on.
"I'm so sorry, Hinata... it's not your fault. If only I hadn't let my guard down, maybe he wouldn't have-"
"Stop it, Naruto." She interrupted again. "This is another reason I d-didn't want to bring it up, I knew y-you would feel guilty. It's not your fault either." She said in between sobs.
Naruto himself started to let the tears flow. Deep down, he knew he hadn't caused Neji's death, but the fact that he was alive and Neji wasn't had been crushing him. The guilt was almost too much for him to carry.
Hinata pulled her head away from his chest. "Look at me, Naruto." She said softly.
Naruto looked down at her, blinking tears from his eyes. Hinata managed a small smile and gently caressed Naruto's back with her hands in an attempt to comfort him.
"It's not your fault, Naruto. I believe... that Neji died exactly how he wanted to. He died a hero, and that's how we'll remember him. H-He would want us to remember him that w-way..." Hinata said as her words became shakier again. She buried her face back into his chest and cried some more.
She was right, Neji was a hero. Naruto would honor his memory, and he would honor his dying wish.
"Look at me, Hinata." Naruto said, just as she had said to him only seconds ago.
She pulled away once more and looked up to meet his deep blue eyes, tears still streaming down her cheeks.
"Neji said something to me right before he died. He told me to take care of you. That was his dying wish, and I intend to honor it. So, know this, Hinata. Even if I'm the one who lost an arm, even if I'm the one who had to promise you that I would be careful not to get hurt, in the end, I'll always be the one to take care of you, and I'll always be here for you."
Hinata's eyes widened as she heard his declaration. She started crying even harder, but these new tears were not entirely in grievance. Naruto had truly touched her heart with what he just told her.
"Naruto... do you really mean that?" She said, still sobbing, but now with a faint smile across her lips.
"What do I always say? I never go back on my word." He said, smiling brightly at her.
Hinata dug her face into what was left of his shirt and cried harder than before, her body shivering from the emotional distress. It pained Naruto to see her like this, but he knew he had to be strong for her. And, for Neji.
Even if Hinata didn't feel the way Naruto hoped about him, he meant what he said about taking care of her. She said she had always cared for him when they sat around their campfire the other night, and now he was determined to always do the same for her. He owed her that, and he owed it to Neji.
"Don't let me go, Naruto. Just hold me a little longer." Hinata said as her sobs turned into sniffles. Slowly, she was calming back down.
Naruto pulled her closer and rested his chin on her head, and as he felt her soft hair against his skin, he fought the urge to run his hand through it. "Take all the time you need, Hinata. I'm not going anywhere."
She sniffled again. "Promise?"
Naruto chuckled at this. "I promise."
A few minutes went by, and Hinata had finally calmed down and pulled away from Naruto. She looked into his eyes with pure adoration. She thought back to what he told her, that he would always take care of her. It made her happy, even with Neji still on her mind. She knew Neji's death would be a huge mountain to climb, but she also knew that Naruto would be there for her every step of the way. Knowing this comforted her and made her smile brightly at him.
"Hinata? Naruto? Where did you two run off to?" Someone said from a distance. That was their cue to show their faces again.
"We should probably get heading back..." Hinata said with disappointment in her voice as her smile lessened.
"Yeah, I guess so, but, one more thing." Naruto replied.
"What is it?"
"Hinata, throughout most of my life, I bottled everything up. I didn't think anyone would care to hear about my problems. Now that I realize you were there for me the whole time, I don't want you to go through the same mistake. If you ever feel alone like I did, or just want somebody to keep you company, remember that I'm here for you. Promise me you'll remember, Hinata."
"I promise, Naruto." Hinata replied, her smiling face brightening again as she wiped away her tears.
"Good, and you better keep that promise." Naruto said with a suggestive tone.
Hinata smirked at him. "And if I don't, what are you gonna do about it?" She said as she turned away and slowly began to walk back toward the campsite. Hinata figured Naruto couldn't be as bold as her. Surely, he was still too shaken up from her sudden change of behavior earlier. Hinata herself hadn't gotten over it yet.
She gasped as Naruto grabbed her by the waist from behind and pulled her back to him, pressing his body against her backside.
"I have a few ideas..." he whispered in her ear, mimicking her from earlier.
Hinata shuddered at the feel of his breath on her neck and turned beet red. Even though the sleeves of her hoodie were hiding her arms, she was sure she had goosebumps. She could barely manage to be bold towards him, but when he did it back to her, she was completely helpless. Naruto saw this reaction and chuckled to himself as he released her.
"Come on, Hinata, we don't have much daylight left, and tomorrow is going to be a long day." Naruto said as he lead the way.
"O-Okay..." Hinata said as she snapped back to reality. She had to follow behind him on their walk back to prevent herself from getting more worked up. What he just did to her... "enticing" was a huge understatement. She knew she'd never be able to walk in front of him without hoping he would take her like that again.
As they approached their friends once more, they saw that the group had taken the time to set up a campfire large enough for everyone to sit around. It was getting darker outside, and nightfall would arrive soon. Everyone appeared to just be quietly chatting... no fights, no races, no competitions. Just peace.
"Mind if we join you?" Naruto said.
"Of course not, have a seat you two." Shikamaru responded.
"Ah, there he is! Where did you disappear to earlier?" Naruto said as him and Hinata sat down next to him.
"I could ask you the same thing." Shikamaru replied as he glanced between him and Hinata. Before they had sat down, he had noticed that Hinata was blushing furiously, and Naruto seemed to be worked up over something.
"Hey, don't change the subject. Because you flaked, I had to fight Kakashi!"
"And I heard you did pretty good. I also heard that Hinata handed your ass to you on a silver platter." Shikamaru said smoothly.
Naruto couldn't help but laugh at this. That guy was always so laid back, but he was fun to be around. Shikamaru had been one of the few people that wasn't hateful to Naruto. There was a time when Naruto truly had nobody, but when he did start to make friends, Shikamaru was among the first of them.
"I'd love to see you do better, Shikamaru."
"No thanks, that's not a question I need answered." Shikamaru said while chuckling. "Seriously though, you let a girl beat you, savior of the world?"
"She's a hell of a lot stronger than she looks, ya know." Naruto said as he looked to Hinata, and as he saw her face in the firelight, he thought about how she looked by their campfire last night, when they watched the late night sky together. She had looked more beautiful than any of the stars above, the moon itself merely a black hole when compared to her shining eyes.
They sat there for some time, just talking about anything and everything. Shikamaru was an exceptionally intelligent person and could tell that the chemistry between Naruto and Hinata was changing, but he respectfully chose not to bring it up. He didn't care to meddle in other people's business anyway.
Eventually, night came upon them, and everyone slowly accepted that they needed to get to bed, for tomorrow morning would be the beginning of a whole new era for them all.
"Alright guys, I'm gonna hit the sack. I recommend you two do the same." Shikamaru said as he stood up and stretched.
"We're right behind you." Naruto responded as he stood up. He was tired, even though most of the day had been spent relaxing with his friends. Or of course, being tortured by Hinata, one way or another.
"Ugh, I really don't want to run all the way home tomorrow." Hinata said as they walked back to her tent. Naruto had promised to walk her back to her tent tonight.
"Look on the bright side, it should only take a day. If we leave at 07:00, we should be back sometime in the evening. The Leaf isn't too far from here. We've made longer trips."
Hinata groaned again, "Only a day."
"Just think about the future, Hinata. The nations are at peace with each other. I figure, with Yamato Sensei's wood style jutsu, and the other villages sending in help, we should have Konoha rebuilt good as new in no time! I just hope I can get a better apartment."
This was true. The village had been attacked before, and it always bounced back fast. Maybe things wouldn't be so bad...
"And when all has settled back down to normal, you and I can go on that camping trip you promised me." Naruto said.
Hinata giggled at this. "We sure have made a lot of promises lately."
"And we know to keep those promises, don't we, Hinata?" Naruto said with a deeper tone. He knew damn well what he was doing to her, and he wouldn't deny it if she asked.
Hinata observed their surroundings as they approached her tent. There were still several people up and about. She couldn't get too risky with him, not for now. Too bad, she would have loved to pull Naruto into her tent and keep the campsite up all night long. Not that she could actually do it, she was still only learning to be more straightforward with him. It sounded fun, but she knew she'd probably faint before she brought herself to do such a thing.
"For now, yes..." she said as she turned around. She stepped closer to him and looked him straight in the eyes, the smallest bit of red still on her cheeks. "But later, I don't know... you broke a promise to me, who's to say I won't do the same?" Hinata asked as she smiled innocently at him.
"Hey! I thought we were past that! I learned my lesson, after all. Am I gonna have to do the same to you?"
Hinata could only imagine what Naruto would do to her. Unfortunately, she didn't quite know how far he would actually want to go with her. They were both old enough to know that their actions earlier didn't normally happen between "just friends". But, Hinata still couldn't say for certain that Naruto had feelings for her, especially in the way that she did for him. This was okay, though, because she knew that Naruto had never experienced love, and it would take time for him to understand what it meant. It didn't matter, she would wait for him until the universe itself ceased to exist if necessary.
Hinata simply giggled at him. She would have loved to dare him to try it, or give him a reason to play rough with her, but she knew she really needed to get to bed. If she kept playing along, they'd be up all night.
"I have to get to bed, Naruto. You should do the same. If I don't see you tomorrow, I'll see you soon. Just don't forget about me, okay?"
"How could I ever?"
With this, Hinata embraced him, and he gladly returned her gesture. Even with minimal clothing and with the night sky overhead, he still felt so warm. She imagined what it would be like, for him to keep her warm at night as they laid together. One day.
"I'm sorry I got so emotional earlier, Naruto. I can't promise that it won't happen again." She said with her head still pressed against his chest.
"You don't have to apologize, and you don't have to promise me anything else. You've got enough on your promise plate." Naruto said with a chuckle.
Hinata reluctantly pulled away. "Thank you Naruto, for everything."
As Naruto met her gaze, for a moment, time itself seemed to disappear, and they saw only each other. There was no war. There was no home. There was no yesterday, tomorrow, or even today. There was only them.
Hinata finally broke the intense silence. "Goodnight, Naruto." She said softly, still staring straight through his blue eyes.
"Goodnight, Hinata." With that, she turned and went into her tent, and Naruto instantly felt the crushing weight of loneliness.
He knew he would see her again, but it couldn't be soon enough. As he walked back to his own tent, he thought about the events of today. Hinata had completely flipped the script on him, and he had played right along. He kept wondering what it was like, to be in love. He wondered if he would ever feel it, and more so, he wondered if he'd ever feel it for Hinata. And of course, he wondered if she felt it for him. Maybe he was overthinking this whole thing, and she really was just a friend. He cursed himself and wished he was better at understanding this kind of stuff.
As he laid in his bed, slowly dozing off inside his lonely tent, he pondered the possibilities of different girls having feelings for him. In the end, Hinata was the only one that made any sense. It had to be her. He wanted it to be her. And at the same time, the thought of her loving him was terrifying, because he feared that if he came to love her too, he would fuck it all up somehow.
He knew only two things for absolute certain. One, that time would tell all, sooner or later, whether he liked the outcome or not. And two, no matter what the outcome was, she still meant a lot to him, now more than ever, and he would keep his promises to her.
Hello again. I wanted to apologize for not including Neji earlier. Truthfully, I HAD thought about him since the beginning but just couldn't think of a way to implement his death into the plot, and that's my fault. This chapter was partially written as a tribute to him, and I hope it will make up for his previous absence in this story.
As I mentioned in the fic intro, this is my first time writing anything, unless you count my high school essays. I'm not one to make excuses, but I feel mistakes are a big part of becoming better at anything, and that's how I'll choose to view this.
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and are excited for the next one, cause it's coming. See ya!
