Sparks Fly

by Lynns

It's been three years since Electricians Naruto and Hinata have seen each other. Will sparks fly between them as they endure the cold up north at the Konoha Energy Oilfield Site? Or will the obstacles they face be too much for them to take? Based on the Characters of the series Naruto and Naruto Shippuden in an Alternate Universe

2. Chapter 1

Series: Naruto

Pairing: NaruHina

Author: Lynns

Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Kishimoto Masashi

Type: Alternate Universe/Romance

Sparks Fly

Chapter 1

Hinata couldn't remember the last time she didn't have to wear makeup or spend five minutes deciding on the most sophisticated outfit for a morning meeting.

Up in this neck of the woods, what you wore was something most people didn't care about. There were, of course, rules for the camp staff who mostly wore the same colour of clothing, and obviously, when you were working out in the field, you had to wear the appropriate fire retardant coveralls, hard hat, and PPE (Personal Protection Equipment). She missed being in the Industrial environment and wearing comfortable clothes while working twelve-hour days. However, as a female worker, Hinata also knew she had to choose her clothes wisely. Wearing something too tight or too low cut was bound to bring unwanted attention, and while the men around her would not say anything about it, it was pretty evident what they were thinking.

Slipping on a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt, Hinata made sure her small personal room was courteously tidy so the housekeepers could move around quickly. The room wasn't vast but cozy enough to call your home for the next 9 days, which contained a twin bed to sleep on, a desk in front of the window for your computer, a tall closet, sink, and your private bathroom. Although some rooms had jack and jill bathrooms.

After putting her long hair up in a high ponytail, she peeked out into the hallway. There was no one to be seen, but at 4:30am, that was the norm, and most people wouldn't be waking up until 5am. However, if you wanted to grab the best fresh food for your lunches, getting up early was absolutely worth it. Slippered feet padded softly down the long hallway, her violet eyes glancing at the odd door sign indicating if someone was sick or working the night shift.

Just as she was nearing the end, the door suddenly opened on the very first room to her right. Instead of another female stepping out, which was expected since it was the women's wing, a tall man with black hair almost bumped into her as he walked quickly out of the room. They swiftly danced around each other to avoid a collision; however, Hinata couldn't help but gasp when she immediately recognized the male intruder. His dark eyes narrowed slightly when he looked at her, but before either of them could say a word, the door opened again.

"Sasuke, what's the rush? No one is even . . ."

This time a woman did come out of the room, but she stopped whispering when she noticed Hinata. Her pink hair was wet from just having a shower, and now that Hinata was looking more closely, it was hard not to see that the male companion's hair was also damp. The couple's cheeks were red, and they were staring at her in disbelief.

Hinata felt a blush spread across her face but tried to defuse the embarrassing predicament by saying, "G-Good morning Sasuke and Sakura. Heading off to breakfast too?"

Sasuke Uchiha. He had been the class heartthrob during their time at electrical school. He was very quiet, but anything he touched was done perfectly with no mistakes. However, he was also a hard worker. Hinata had never seen him slack off, which showed since he was usually one of the students with the highest grades. She was not blind as to why other girls found him attractive, but personally, he was not her type. It was not a rare occurrence to see a swoon of women following him.

Then there was Sakura Haruno. She had also been in her class and had a crush on Sasuke since she could remember. Hinata mentally congratulated the pink-haired woman for getting the man of her dreams . . . or so she hoped. Up here in the camp life, sometimes a situation like this could be seen as a booty call.

"Oh my god, Hinata!" Sakura stepped forward and pulled her in for a hug, "What are you doing here?! Gaara never said anything about you being here!"

Hinata was surprised by the hug but returned it nonetheless, "I'm here to clean up the field administrator's mess. Apparently, I've got my work cut out for me with how badly the paperwork is."

Sakura nodded, and still keeping her voice down, she whispered, "You don't even know the half of it. I thought Gaara was going to kill Karin when they found out what she was doing in her office all day, practically nothing! So, Sasuke, what's the matter with you? You can at least say hello! You do remember her, right?"

Sasuke's embarrassment was kind of cute and a side Hinata had never seen before. He whispered a soft good morning, but his eyes kept darting up and down the hall. It didn't take a genius to figure out why he was nervous; it was, after all, frowned upon to have any males in the female wing.

"Why don't we head for the cafeteria and have breakfast together?" Suggested Hinata.

The three co-workers walked together down the main hallway, taking them to the lunchroom and cafeteria. Konoha Energy was also known for its exquisite camp that ranked far beyond the rest. Not only did it have delicious food and excellent camp staff at your service, but the other perks made it feel like you were staying at a hotel. There was a full gym at the other end, along with a court to play basketball, hockey, and any other team sport you could think of. A theatre room that was primarily used for movie night and big sports games. There was a poker game room and a board room for mostly meetings, but every Tuesday, they had Bingo Night in there. Needless to say, camp life here was never dull.

"Usually, they don't approve of dating in the same company. However, Gaara made an exception. I was actually the Safety Coordinator for another company, but when it got busy here, Gaara gave me a call and asked if I would come back to Hyuuga Electric. I did warn him that Sasuke and I were dating, but he said that would be fine, so long as we didn't cause any unwanted drama."

"When did you change your career from an electrician to safety coordinator?"

Sakura opened her mouth to answer but was cut off by Sasuke when they reached their destination, "I'm just going to grab my lunch and head out early. Naruto and I took unit 1999 back last night so we could gas it up and change the oil this morning."

"Alright, see you at the Safety Meeting?"

"Of course, try to not bicker too much with Ino today."

Sakura lightly smacked his shoulder before they shared a light kiss. Sasuke then headed towards the lunchroom to their right while she and Sakura headed straight into the cafeteria.

The cafeteria was enormous. Small TVs hung from the ceiling to show what today's specials were and the hourly times when each food station was open during the day. During breakfast, only one station was open, which is where the two of them headed towards. A lineup of bacon, pancakes, french toast, scrambled eggs, and much more overwhelmed Hinata's senses. It all smelled so good. There was even a cook at a grill taking orders for preparing different styled eggs to the way you liked it.

Filling up their plates, both girls headed off to the far tables along the walls, which were set up like booths at a restaurant, and were much more comfortable than the other chairs. Sakura answered Hinata's earlier question as they sat down, "I switched over to Safety because of Sasuke."

"Because of Sasuke?" Hinata asked, placing a napkin on her lap.

"I know that sounds like a terrible reason to change your career, but after seeing what I saw . . ." A fearful expression crossed Sakura's face, and her skin paled almost to the colour of her white napkin, "I'm sure you've heard about it, but two years ago, Hyuuga Electric almost lost an electrician when he touched a 240V live cable. How the right authority said the breaker was turned off and the cable was not live. We always heard it in class how we need to test a cable before touching it . . . I never thought to take it seriously, especially when your boss tells you the cable is dead. But then again, when you see an Arc Flash in person, it changes you. The sound that explosion made, the burning smell, and seeing Sasuke just drop to the floor. It's a sight I will never forget. I was the one helping Sasuke that day, and I was just so excited to be working with him that I forgot to remind him to use the meter to test the cable. I thought he was dead for a whole minute, but I finally got him to breathe again after doing CPR. Thank god he had the appropriate protective gear on when he stuck his hands inside" She was crying now, and Sakura ducked her head to wipe her tears away with the back of her wrist.

"Sorry, Hinata. It's been over two years since then, and I still cry like a baby when I think of it." Shaking her head, she took a deep breath before continuing, "So, I changed over to being a Safety Coordinator, and I've been making sure it doesn't happen to anyone else. The only good thing that happened from all of this was that Sasuke asked me out, and we've been going steady ever since."

Hinata smiled and squeezed her friend's hand, "I read about that incident, but I didn't know it had been Sasuke. I tried asking my Uncle for more information, but he said the electrician involved wished to remain anonymous."

"Only a few people know that it was him, and he wants to keep it that way. Making a crucial mistake like that it's something he's not very proud of. I wasn't surprised when he told Naruto, though they're best friends after all, and I figured he would just tease Sasuke about it. However, he did something so unpredictably it didn't just shock me, but Sasuke too. Then again, when you get punched in the face so hard you're knocked off your feet, I'm sure anyone would be surprised."

Water almost squirted out of Hinata's nose, her hand coming up to cover her mouth as she coughed, trying to regain her breath.

"Yeah, not only that, he gave me quite the tongue lashing too. I've never seen him that angry before, but after that, he gave us both a hug and told us to be careful next time. I have only ever seen him as the class clown, but after that day and seeing him up here . . . he is a leader. A fantastic one, I might add. Did you know that he's been offered to be a Field Foreman? And even Konoha Energy has offered him positions. However, he loves working out in the field and guiding the other apprentices. So that's why he is still just a lead hand for now.

"Ah! Sorry, I'm kind of blabbering right now! Enough about me, what about you? I haven't seen you since we finished school! I heard from Neji a few months back that you were working at the head office for your father and that you got your masters! That's amazing, Hinata!"

"T-thank you. So has much changed up here since I left?" Hinata asked.

As they continued to munch on their breakfast and catch up, Hinata resisted the urge to ask more about Naruto. Seeing and hearing that Sakura was in a committed relationship with Sasuke, she couldn't help but wonder if her past crush was currently seeing someone. Hearing that he was currently a Lead Hand did not surprise her. When they were all finishing up their fourth year, many of the younger apprentices always went to him for help or advice. It was a position that Naruto was perfect for.

After finishing their breakfast, Hinata ran into another familiar face in the lunchroom. Ino squealed with delight so loudly that it had caused everyone there to look at them. Hinata was red with embarrassment while Ino hugged her while jumping up and down.

"Please tell me you're not here just for the day! It would be so great to be working with you again!"

I-I-I'm here for a few shifts at least."

"Oh my god, that's so awe . . "

Sakura slapped her hand over the blonde's mouth, "That's enough, Ino-pig! We don't need everyone staring at us like we're crazy!"

With their lunches put together, Hinata was about to head back to her room and wait until the busses came to pick them up for work, but Sakura suddenly stopped her.

"Take the bus? Aren't you going to ride in with Neji?" asked Sakura.

Hinata shook her head. "He's not coming in till later. Besides, I wanted to get a head start on this mess I need to clean up. The sooner I start it, the better. So I'll just take the bus."

Sakura looked mortified. "Oh no no no! You can catch a ride with us every morning, and we'll take you back at the end of the day. We Safety Coordinators get our own truck!"

Not that Hinata minded riding the bus to site, but not having to wait out in the cold and your own personal seat in a vehicle was definitely more appealing. It was pitch black outside still, and with it being the winter season, sunrise wouldn't be until 9am. Daylight was short here, and sunset would come all too soon at 4:30pm.

The drive to work was full of old stories, laughter, and catching up among the three girls. She could not remember the last time she felt this relaxed and talkative; it felt so easy to open up with them. Yet, Hinata felt sad for a moment when she reminded herself that this was only temporary.

I'll just make sure that we don't lose contact this time and keep in touch with them all.

Snow-covered winding roads led towards the plant, which was where the central heart of the Konoha Energy's oil field site. The lights that illuminated off some of the towers and tanks almost made them look like giant Christmas trees. Stopping at one of the many stop signs, Ino took a right turn that took them away from the plant and where they would arrive in Tin Town.

Tin Town was the name given to the small town of trailers that took up the area where all the offices were far away from the plant and pads. Depending on the company's size meant how many trailers you had for your workers. For example, Hyuuga Electric had three trailers with the company logos on the front of them. Trailer 1 was where the Project Managers, Lead Foremans, and Field administrators were. Trailer 2 was Safety and QA/QC. Finally, trailer 3 was the biggest out of them all and was technically three trailers welded together to make one. It was the lunch/break room for the plant crew and where they held their safety meetings once a week.

Walking into the first trailer had almost been overwhelming. Everyone in there had stood up and came forward to greet her the moment she stepped inside. Kakashi had pulled her in for a hug while thanking her repeatedly. Meanwhile, Gaara simply shook her hand, thanked her more calmly, and then apologized for his partner's inappropriateness.

Iruka and Itachi greeted her with a smile and a pat on the back. While the two of them were a few years older than her, they had always been great mentors back when she had been an apprentice. Hinata even dared say that she also saw them like older brothers.

"Well, Hinata, as much as I would like for you to catch up with everyone, we need to get down to business."

Hinata agreed and followed Gaara into the small office that was the cause of such massive problems. On the outside, the office looked tidy and well organized. Her natural assumption would be that everything was in order.

"If you start opening file folders and trying to find the documents you want, that is where the problem begins. Karin admitted that she filed papers where she felt like putting them, and the same goes with any documents on the computer. It's just a huge mess. Meanwhile, I need you to keep up with the current paperwork while trying to organize this hell hole. If there are times you need to stay later to work on this, I understand entirely. Just let me know, and either I or someone else can hang back to give you a ride back to camp.

"Now, you will have to go through a few orientations with Konoha Energy this afternoon, but that won't be till after our safety meeting. So for now, you can get started here, and then after lunch, you can sit back and relax for the rest of the day."

Rolling up her sleeves, Hinata looked Gaara in the eye and promised him she would have this mess cleaned up before the end of the year. Grabbing a blank piece of paper, she scribbled the words' Knock First Or Enter At Your Own Risk' and began to put a plan into place. Emptying one of the cabinets entirely, she basically started from scratch. She filled it with empty folders and titles as if it were the start of a new year. Once all the files were labelled, Hinata began the long slow process of going through each document and finding a home for it. Granted, there were four substantial filing cabinets to go through, so it would not be a fast or easy task.

About an hour later, Neji poked his head in to greet her with a cheerful good morning and a cup of coffee, "I figured you would already be in here working hard. Try not to lose track of time, though; you need to be at the safety meeting in a few hours."

Hinata nodded and waved him out of the room so she could concentrate on her work. Her cousin was not offended by her wordless gesture but simply smiled and exited the room. For the next two hours, her mind was only on the task at hand. The small office looked like a hurricane had come in and blown all the paper around, but for Hinata, it was a filing system that she regularly used at the head office.

For her, it had seemed like only minutes since she had last seen her cousin, but since she had been so focused, the time had just flown by, and he was telling her it was time for the Safety Meeting. So, putting her paperwork aside, she joined the rest of the crew as they walked over to Trailer 3 for the meeting. White trucks were parked all over the place from the rest of the electricians, and the only way to tell the difference between them was the unit number printed along the side and back.

Hinata could feel her body tensing up. She was about to walk into a trailer full of mostly new faces she had never seen before. While there would be familiar ones, it outweighed the number of new ones she would soon meet. She could feel herself becoming self-conscious in the clothing she was currently wearing. Jeans and a sweatshirt certainly weren't revealing or sexy, but it would be enough for these men. The way their eyes would look and follow her, it was moments like this she wished she was wearing coveralls.

But, she wasn't the same person she had been three years ago. While she wasn't as confident as Naruto, she had gained self-confidence over the last few years with all of her accomplishments.

I am a master electrician and a transformer technician! I probably know more than all of these boys combined! This isn't your first rollercoaster ride here. I've been through this before and survived. So chin up, smile and relax.

Smiling to herself, Hinata followed Gaara inside. The smell of sweat and dirt met her senses, and there was also the overwhelming heat of all the bodies cramped in the trailer. Mostly everyone was sitting down, but some were also standing along the walls. All the electricians wore Hyuuga Electric blue coveralls and steel-toed work boots, but their hard hats had either been left in the truck or back at the pad they were working on. As she walked down the aisle of tables, Hinata could feel their eyes on her from the moment she walked in, but she held her head high and tried to smile. Reaching the end of the trailer, she took a spot between her cousin and Gaara, then turned around to look at the faces now in front of her.

It seemed like most of the eyes in the room were looking at her. She was, after all, the newest member of the family. Granted, there were more people than usual here because both Front Shift and Back Shift were together. However, when 1pm hit today, Back Shift would be heading home for their days off, and only Front Shift would remain for the next six days.

While Sakura was preparing the computer for the safety meeting slide show, she took a moment to scan for familiar faces. Near the back, she caught sight of Rock Lee and Might Guy, who were also looking at her. Lee gave her a big wave while Guy winked and gave a thumbs up. Near the middle of the room, she saw two more familiar faces, Kiba and Shino, who were like brothers to her. Unfortunately, Hinata hadn't had time to let them know she was coming here. Both men were looking at her confused, and she silently mouthed to them they would talk later.

Leaning forward slightly, she tried to see who else was lined up along the front wall with her. To her right, Chouji and Shikamaru were in the far corner talking to each other but did not seem to notice her. She made a mental note to say hello to them at the end of the meeting. Beside them was Asuma, another old mentor of hers, who was currently talking to Kakashi. The rest of the people she had already been re-introduced to. She then looked over her left shoulder to see three men standing beside her cousin, but she couldn't make out their faces, although one did look eerily like Sasuke.

Hinata quickly did another scan of the room, and her heart slightly sank when she didn't see Naruto. He certainly would have been easy to spot with his bright blonde hair and blue eyes, but perhaps he was doing something important and would be missing the meeting.

"Alright! Alright! That's enough, everybody! Quiet down, and please pay attention! We should get this weekly safety meeting underway!"

Sakura's booming voice carried across the room, and almost instantly, the men became quiet; Hinata almost expected a tumbleweed to blow across the floor.

Gaara then stepped forward. "Good Morning, everyone! Welcome to this snowy Home Day Wednesday! Back Shift, I know you are all anxious to go home today. So I only ask that you drive safely and enjoy your days at home. Front Shift, we, unfortunately, get to work in this beautiful winter wonderland, so I hope all of you have your winter gear here.

"First things first, you all recognize Neji Hyuuga, who is here to talk about the upcoming projects in the New Year. Also, I'm sure you have noticed we have a new face among us. Some of us know who she is, but most of you don't. So could you please step forward, Hinata?"

Following Gaara's request, Hinata took two steps forward. She kept her head held high and a smile on her lips.

"This is Hinata Hyuuga. She works at the head office for both Hyuuga Electric and Hyuuga Power, and she's here to help us clear up the paperwork mess in the field administrator's office. Hinata will be with us for the remainder of the year, so if you see her around, don't be afraid to say hello and introduce yourself. She may be only here to help with paperwork, but also keep in mind that she is a Master Electrician."

When Gaara finished, Hinata quickly spoke up before being told to step back against the wall, "It's very nice to meet you all, and it will be a pleasure working with you."

As she stepped back, everyone gave her a small round of applause before turning their attention to their leader, "Thank you, Hinata. Now I'm going to turn everything over to Neji, who, like I said, has made a special trip up here to talk to us. So, Neji, the stage is yours."

Gaara stepped back, and Neji came forward, leaving the space to her left empty as he began his speech. While her cousin was talking, Hinata's mind had started to wander, and when a hand suddenly clasped her shoulder, she nearly jumped off the ground. And then, an all too familiar voice whispered into her ear, "Welcome back, Hinata. It's so good to see you."

Her body completely froze.

She knew that voice.

Slowly she turned her head.

His face had matured over the past three years, but she could still make out the scarred whiskered marks on his cheeks. His eyes were blue as ever, and as he smiled down at her, she couldn't help but smile back. She could just make out his blonde hair underneath the black Hyuuga Electric ball cap he wore, but she could tell his hair had been cut, almost like a buzz cut. His coveralls were covered in dirt and were very worn out, meaning he wasn't just a lead hand that helped guide the apprentices but also worked beside them.

Hinata could tell her face was starting to get red, and her heart was beating so loudly she was sure the entire room could hear it. She hadn't been expecting him to be standing right beside her! The plan had been to spot him from a distance, think of what she was going to say, and then gather her courage to go talk to him. Not have him standing so close to her that she could feel his breath on her ear!

She tilted her head down for a minute and tried to regain some self-control over her panicking mind.

Take deep breaths! We're friends! We're old classmates! We're co-workers. Everything is going to be just fine! It's not like he was leaning down to try and kiss you or anything! He just wanted to get your attention and not interrupt the meeting! Even though his hand is still touching my shoulder . . .

After taking a few more deep breaths, she gathered any remaining courage that was left over, and Hinata took a small step closer to her old-time crush, so she could talk to him without interrupting her cousin.

"I-It's good to see you too, Naruto. Working hard out there?"

Naruto chuckled softly, his hand leaving her shoulder, "But of course. This morning we did a high voltage cable pull. If I had known you were here, I would have requested you to join us and show these rookies how it's done."

Hinata tried not to giggle, "As I recall, those cables are 100 pounds every 5ft. So I doubt I could have helped much. Although, granted, when we did those pulls years ago, I wasn't holding as much weight as you boys were."

"That's not true at all. You still pulled your weight out there every day. I recall one cable pull where you lost your boots in the mud, but you kept walking on in your sock feet."

She smiled at the memory but was more surprised that he had even remembered that day. "I didn't want to hold up the crew. Besides, that's nothing compared to the time you slipped in the ditch during that rainstorm. You were covered from head to toe in mud and forcefully sent back to camp. You and Iruka argued for over ten minutes that you were fine to keep working for the rest of the day, even though it was cold and you were sneezing"

He snickered, and it looked like he was about to say more, but his eyes shifted to look at someone behind her. Naruto's face fell a bit, and when she looked over her right shoulder, Kakakshi was giving them a stern look.

Naruto quietly cleared his throat. "Ahem. Yeah, those were good times. But, listen, I know we should be listening to Neji here; however, give me a shout sometime tonight after work, okay? Then, I'll treat you to dinner. Your number is still the same, right?"

Hinata smiled at the inside joke, "In that case, I'll order the most expensive thing on the menu. I believe tonight is Taco Tuesday? And yes, my number is still the same."

Naruto chuckled again and gave her a light nudge before turning his full attention back on Neji. He probably couldn't see, but her cheeks were a flaming red right now. It felt so wonderful to see and talk to him just now. Her heart fluttered, and for a brief moment, she wondered if perhaps this was a second chance for her to try her confession again. However, that train of thought soon came to a startling halt. What if he had a girlfriend? What if he had changed into someone completely different over the past three years?

She discreetly glanced at him again. At first, she thought coming here would be the step to burying her feelings for the man standing next to her. Hinata had tried telling herself that it was over and she needed to move on. But, after talking to him just now, hope bloomed in her chest that maybe, just maybe, she stood a fighting chance.

We can have supper together with everyone else, and then I can catch up with him more. I'm sure he hasn't changed over the last three years. He's the same old Naruto that I fell in love with.

000000000000

When the meeting came to a close, everyone stood up and started making their way out of the trailer. The wind had picked up in the last hour, and now heavy snowflakes were falling from the sky. Everyone was either walking towards their designated trucks to head back to work or off to the smoke pit for a quick puff. Hinata had unfortunately lost sight of Naruto in the vast crowd, but her disappointment only lasted for a moment after seeing two familiar faces walking toward her.

"Kiba! Shino!" In a group hug, Hinata opened her arms and enveloped her two friends, "I missed you guys! Haven't seen you for a few months!"

"It is good to see you too, Hinata. Although I am a bit disappointed you didn't contact us sooner that you were coming here."

Hinata pulled away and smiled apologetically at Shino, "I know, and I do apologize. It was a last-minute decision, and I only had enough time to gather my things before hitting the road with Neji. The reception up here is terrible! I completely forgot how bad it was, but I still tried to text you two this morning."

"Don't worry about it. It's just good to see you too. Shino and I talked about all of us getting together for dinner on our next days off. However, this is even better. Are you just working in the office? No fieldwork?"

She turned her head towards Kiba, "No, just in the office this time around. I did bring my tools just in case, but I left them back in my camp room."

"Well, Hinata, we will have to catch up later. I have to take some of my boys back to Pad #12, but I'm sure I will see you around soon. Kiba, I assume you're taking the rest of them back in unit #1212?"

"Yeah, I'll meet you there. I just need to ask Kakashi something before he leaves for days off. So I won't be able to talk to you until probably Monday, Hinata. I'm on the backshift right now."

Hinata frowned, "Oh, that's too bad. Well then, safe travels home, and I'll see you when you get back."

Kiba nodded, but when she turned around to head back to her office, Hinata found herself suddenly being pulled in for another hug by Kiba. Her eyes widened. He was holding onto her very tightly, and his nose was brushing against the side of her neck. Then, before she could say a word, he released her and walked away. Hinata was frozen to the spot for a moment. What the heck had that been all about? Kiba had never done that before; was it something she said? She watched his retreating back as he headed into Trailer #1 to talk to Kakashi, her eyes narrowing slightly in confusion. Hinata almost wanted to walk after him and discuss what had just happened, but Sakura interrupted her plans.

"Come on, Hinata! Time for orientation!"

Oh, that's right, I have orientation for the rest of the afternoon.

Hinata let out a sigh before brushing the snow that had gathered on her shoulders and hair. She quickly jogged back to Trailer #1 to get her things before making her way over to Sakura's truck and climbing in. The engine roared to life, and after letting the windshield wipers brush away the newly fallen snow, Sakura put the truck into drive, and they were off. Leaving Tin Town, they headed back towards the camp where the main Konoha Energy office was and where she would be for the rest of the day attending orientation.

"Ino and I will either be here to pick you up at the end of the day or someone in a Hyuuga Electric truck. Um . . . Hinata, are you okay? You look a little pale. Did Naruto say something to you during the meeting? I saw you two talking a bit! I swear if he said something inappropriate, I'm going to kick his ass."

Hinata shook her head, "Oh no no no! I ah . . . it wasn't Naruto at all. It was just something Kiba said, or rather did . . ."

"Kiba? Hmmm." Sakura turned her attention back on the road, "You two still really close friends? I know during school, you, Kiba, and Shino were always having lunch together."

When Hinata nodded, Sakura continued.

"Well, I can't say this for certain, Hinata, because in all honesty, I don't know Kiba that well. However, you hear the guys talking shit sometimes and well . . . what I've heard is that he's been sleeping around quite a bit with some of the female welders and even the housekeepers. And don't give me that look, Hinata. You and I both know it's the lifestyle up here for some people, especially the single ones. Like I said, though, it's only a rumour I've heard and granted, I have seen him flirting the odd time with the other ladies. I know you won't tell me what he did or said to you; however, I just wanted to give you a heads up of what I know at least."

Pulling up to the main office, Hinata thanked Sakura for the ride and headed inside. Giving the receptionist her name, she was escorted to an enormous boardroom where she would be for the rest of the day. Ten more people joined her moments later, and soon the orientation was underway. Hinata knew how most of these orientations went off by heart; they would go over the company policies, rules, where muster points were, and what happened during an emergency. While on the outside, it seemed she was paying attention and writing down notes for the open book quiz at the end of the day. However, her mind was on a completely different matter regarding both Kiba and Naruto.

What Sakura had said in the truck didn't exactly surprise her. On the contrary, it was something that honestly made a lot of sense. Kiba, Shino, and her had been friends since High School, before they had even entered the apprenticeship program to be electricians.

While Kiba had never made a move on her before, he had flirted a few times with Ino and the other lady electricians at school. However, during their 3rd-year apprenticeship, a rumour had started that she and Kiba had been sleeping together. But that was only because they were seen together a lot, both in the field and back at camp. Anytime anyone brought it up, they both denied the rumours, especially Kiba.
To the point that he almost seemed angry when anyone tried to talk about it.

Being in camp could be lonely, and if anyone offered to keep you company, especially at night, you had to think twice before refusing them. Someone lay beside you, make your skin tingle, your breath hitch and have a pleasurable time between the sheets. Personally, Hinata had never played into that game, but with that said, she could understand why some people did it. Heck, even the married men and women lost to temptation from time to time.

The walls between each camp room were not soundproof. On a trip to another industrial site, she could hear her neighbour talking to their family on skype, but half an hour later, moans of pleasure were coming through with another woman's voice.

But when it came to Kiba, though, did that hug mean he wanted to invite her to play the game? But why now? Or was she reading way too deep into the matter? Today was Kiba's home day, and she wouldn't be seeing him until next week. Perhaps he was going through a hard time and just needed a hug. He had done something like this before, back when his mom and dad had split when they were in Junior High, but he had at least asked her first.

In reality, what bothered her the most was wondering if Naruto was a participant in the temptation game? As long as she had known him, he had always been chasing Sakura. Ignoring any other girl around him and only focusing on wooing the beauty with the pink hair. Hinata had never felt ill towards Sakura, though.

Her friend had always been honest with Naruto, telling him she wasn't interested and only wanted to be friends. She never played with his heart or betrayed him or ran him in circles; truthfully, Naruto was just stubborn and perhaps only continued to pester Sakura until she finally gave him a chance. But what had happened once Sakura and Sasuke had gotten together? Had he turned to another? Given into the temptation and found someone to share a bed with at night?

Hinata's heart clenched at the thought of him doing that with another woman. While it wasn't any of her business, she still found herself feeling disappointed if Naruto was, in fact, doing such acts. She had always seen him as the committed type and not someone who slept around with just any woman.

Or at least, that's how he had been three years ago. There was a chance that he had changed in that regard. Was this possible scenario a game changer to how she saw him? If he had multiple partners, would she still have a crush on him? He had been so nice to her during the Safety Meeting, but now doubts were starting to plague her head.

Was he only being nice to me because he wanted to sleep with me? Or was it because we're old friends? I want to think it's the latter, but I just don't know. I knew coming back up here would be a little messy regarding Naruto, but now I'm not so sure I want to know what he's been doing over the last three years.

Just then, the orientation took a fifteen-minute break for them to stretch their legs, grab a cup of coffee or go have a quick smoke. Hinata immediately got up from her seat and headed straight to the women's bathroom. She was the only female present for the orientation, so she had the entire washroom to herself. After turning on the cold water, she started to splash it on her face in an attempt to bring her back to reality and not get lost in only speculation.

It was entirely unfair for her to judge Naruto when she hadn't even talked to the poor guy yet. He had only said hello and invited her to perhaps get dinner with him after work. With that in mind, she quickly checked her phone to see if she had received any messages during orientation. A couple were from her sister, father and Uncle, but the one that caught her attention was a text from Naruto. In disbelief, Hinata almost dropped her phone and suddenly felt giddy like a teenage girl.

She gently tapped on his name with shaking fingers and waited for the message to pop up.

Hey Hinata. Hope orientation is going alright for you. The cable pull we started this morning is taking more time than we initially thought. I hope that we're done before the end of the day, but I will let you know if we have to put in some overtime. I'll keep you posted.

Her heart fluttered.

It looked like a standard text message to most people, but Naruto had gone out of his way to message her on his coffee break to let her know that they might not be able to have supper tonight. And for her, that meant a lot. If this had been anyone else, they might not have messaged her at all and left her hanging.

I shouldn't read into this too deeply though. If anything, this just shows me that he's still the sweet and caring guy that I remember. I'm nervous to see him again tonight, but at the same time, I'm excited as well.

Feeling that she was in a better mood, Hinata put her phone away and headed back to finish her orientation.

00000000000

After another painful hour, Hinata finally left the orientation room. She almost felt like skipping when she walked outside now that she was free, but thought against it since, knowing her luck, she would slip on some ice and then have to fill out a hazard assessment report.

The sun had set a while ago, and it felt much later in the evening than it really was. As she walked into the parking lot, she spotted the Hyuuga Electric truck, and Hinata made her way toward it. The wind had picked up since she was last outside, and it was snowing heavier than before. Placing her hand on the door handle, she was about to pull it open but paused. The unit number, #1212, was different than Sakura and Ino's truck, meaning that the person driving her back was someone else. With tinted windows, she couldn't make the person out; however, her gut was telling her that this situation was about to get uncomfortable.

She opened the door.

His eyes were forward, but she recognized that troubled expression he wore after knowing him for many years. Hinata was more baffled that he was still here and not miles away on his way home.

Kiba didn't look at her, nor did he say a word when she climbed into the passenger seat. Silence remained while she put on her seat belt, and then he put the vehicle in drive, heading back to camp.

Her eyes continuously shifted from staring ahead at the road to glancing over at him.

Kiba, however, kept his gaze locked forward but was now biting his bottom lip as if he was holding himself back from saying something. Granted, her body position clearly showed she was uncomfortable right now; her legs crossed tightly, her hands locked together, and her back was so straight that a stick could have been strapped around her spine. Taking a deep breath, she relaxed into the seat and laid her arms on the armrests.

"Was there a change of plans? Are you working an extra-long shift?" Hinata asked softly.

Trying to break the silence didn't make him look at her, but at least he stopped biting his lip, "No. After I drop you off at camp, I'm heading out. Unfortunately, this unit has to go back to head office, and I'm the one taking it in, but it wasn't free until the end of the day. The only plus side is getting overtime for staying later than everyone else."

Hinata rested her head back, "Well, I hope you have a safe drive home and a good time on your days off. Try not to work too hard at the Veterinarian clinic with your mom and sister. I'll treat you to dinner when you get back."

Kiba didn't smile at that. Instead, his frown deepened, but that expression only lasted a moment before turning apologetic and regretful. Only then did he look at her, but it was just briefly before turning his eyes back on the road, "I want to apologize, Hinata. I shouldn't have suddenly hugged you like that today."

She sat up a little straighter to look at him better, "It's okay. Is everything alright at home? I hope it's not Akamaru. I know he wasn't doing great a few months ago. Is he alright?"

"Heh. No, Akamaru is doing great, especially for a dog his age. I got caught up when I saw you today. Things that I've kept hidden just sort of came out."

Hinata froze. She wasn't sure what he meant by that, but something told her things were about to get uncomfortable between them.

"I'm not sure when it started. Second-year electrical, I think. That's when I at least remember starting to see you differently. I had no problem flirting and talking with other women, but when it came to you . . . I always froze." Kiba said softly.

Thought of me differently? What is he talking about? We've always been just friends.

Confused didn't even begin to describe how she felt right now, but before she could ask him anything, Kiba continued. "I wish I could blame you for not noticing, but how on earth would you have ever known? I only spoke to you and treated you as a friend when I really wanted to do more. I wanted your smile. I wanted to hold your hand. I wanted to kiss you. I wanted to make . . ." he cut himself off and then gritted his teeth.

A season of emotions passed through Hinata, and she wasn't even entirely sure she understood what he was saying.

If what I just heard is correct . . . then Kiba likes me more than a friend? No. No! That's impossible! We've always just been friends! Always! Ever since I first met Kiba and Shino, they've always been my friends! How could this . . .?

Kiba abruptly started talking again. "I wanted to say something to you. So many, many times, I wanted to tell you, but I just couldn't get the words out. You were my friend; how could I tell you that I wanted more? That I wanted you to be mine? I couldn't. I was just being a coward. So I kept silent and tried to keep things the same between us.

"But then what about you? You didn't do that at all. Things could have stayed the same between you and Naruto, but you wanted to take a chance. I know you were heartbroken after what happened, but at least you took a chance, Hinata! That took courage to approach him and tell him how you felt. You were so brave, and . . . and I wanted to be brave like you.

"Even though he never noticed you, at least you tried! You brought him lunch and helped him with the modules and tests. Heck, if it hadn't been for you, I doubt he would have found those practice exams to pass the final TQ exam each year. Hell, you even confessed to him! Why you did that while he was drunk was certainly a bad choice, but hey, at least you tried!"

She couldn't remember when she stopped breathing or when she had wrapped her arms around herself protectively.

"You were always so shy, Hinata and un-confident. I think that's one of the things that held me back the most. I've always been attracted to confident women. At times I wanted to help you with that, but I never did . . . I never fucking did!" Now he was yelling, and she jumped when his hand punched the steering wheel, "Today, however, your confidence shined through the room whether you realized it or not. Heck, the moment you walked into that safety meeting, Naruto kept staring at you. It was like no one else was in that trailer; he only had eyes for you. Then seeing you two talk and laugh like that just pissed me off even more. I'm not mad at you or at him, only at myself. For not taking the chance when it was there, and instead, I was a fucking coward! I'm mad with some of the things I've done in my life, especially up here.

"You've probably heard the rumours already from Sakura or Ino . . . some of them are true. I don't see it as a problem. Is it so wrong not wanting to be lonely up here? Not wanting to sleep in a cold bed and just feel wanted once in a while? I've made mistakes, and I can see that you're not exactly thrilled with what I'm confessing here. I mean, just look at me . . . pathetic, huh? I suppose what's even more pathetic is sleeping with that brunette last Shift, and it was your name I was crying out what I fucked her!"

He slammed on the breaks, and it was then Hinata realized they were back at camp. However, she dared not get out of the vehicle, not right now.

Hinata tried to take deep breaths while taking in all he had just confessed. Kiba had said so much that her brain was still trying to process it all.

"Kiba, I'm sor . . ." her voice trembled when she finally tried to speak.

"No! Sorry, I mean no. Don't apologize and don't say anything, please. I wasn't looking to get an answer from you; I just wanted you to know. I promised myself that the next time I saw you, I would be sincere. Now that I've told you everything, I don't expect you to do or say anything. Naruto is the one you like, have always liked, and I know that You have a really good chance with him. I don't think he's dating anyone, or he hasn't mentioned anything to me about it. But if you show him that confidence, he would be a fool not to ask you out. However, knowing how stupid he is, he probably won't."

Hinata's eyes widened.

"But it's not what you think, though!" Kiba said quickly, "There are so many guys up here and so few girls that you have to see it from our point of view. So many men for a woman to choose from. Why should I bother taking a chance? That's what every stupid man in that camp is thinking. I know this . . . trust me. Granted, you haven't seen him in three years, and if after getting to know him again, he's still the same idiot you liked back in school . . . then ask him out. I know it's not how usually things go, but hell, when have you ever done anything like anybody else.

"So get in there and make that idiot finally notice the girl he ignored all those years ago. And if he feels bad about it, be sure to rub it in his face. If anything, you could at least do that for me."

Somehow she managed to smile softly and gestured to give him a hug. Kiba took the opportunity without hesitation, and she didn't protest when he held her tighter than usual. After a moment, she patted his shoulder, released him, and started to push the door open to exit the vehicle.

"Hinata, wait a minute."

She paused and turned her head, thinking that Kiba was just going to say something else. But she couldn't have been more wrong. He was suddenly an inch in front of her face, and before she could react or say anything, he cupped her cheek with his hand and kissed her on the lips.

The contact was so quick that it didn't fully compute in Hinata's mind what was going on until he had already pulled away. Perhaps more shocking than the kiss itself was the look of longing in his eyes right now as he stared at her.

"If . . . if he doesn't . . . if things don't go how you would like them to and he isn't interested in you, then just know there is a stupid man out there who would like to have a chance with you, okay?"

Her cheeks reddened, and she never had a chance to respond. It was almost like she was on autopilot while climbing out of the vehicle and then taking a few steps back. She didn't know what to do or how to respond. Kiba didn't say anything more and only leaned over to pull the door close before driving off again. She watched as the truck left, slowly disappearing into the snowy night. It wasn't until he was gone did she realize she was crying. Hinata stared at her tears in the window's reflection she was standing by. She didn't fully know why she was crying. Was it because she felt sad for him? Was it regret for not ever knowing how he really felt about her? Or was it because she had her very first kiss with him and not her crush?

After standing there for what felt like hours, she finally wiped the tears away with the back of her sleeve, opened the door and then stepped into the warm boot room.

To Be Continued . . .