Author’s note: I hand originally intended for this to be a 500 words or less drabble for practice. Unfortunatly it didn't come out as planned. This fic just continued to grow longer no matter how hard I tried to shorten it. I hope you enjoy this.
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Chapter 1
Hinata gazed at the moon, silently waiting for the snow to stop. She had waited for the last moment, and it was nobodies fault but hers to blame.
She had dreaded this day for many reasons. But the main reason left her with fear and a flutter in her stomach. She had gone over it in her head constantly that it gave her sleepless nights for months.
She wondered if it was the right thing to do. It seemed useless, considering it would have no effect on him, rather leaving her in the pain of rejection. Maybe that was what she needed, having Naruto reject her so that she can move on and leave. But a part of her wanted this, she needed him to know. That in her eyes, he never had to prove anything because she believed him. And yet... it would leave things awkward between them and she didn't want that to be her last memory.
In the end, she believed that if she deserved something at all, it would be this. Perhaps it is her being selfish for wanting it. Perhaps not. But what she did know, that if she didn't do it today, it would be on the list of things she has regretted in life.
With a sigh, she left the Hyuuga compound and started grudgingly walking in the snow.
She hated the snow; it only seemed to damper her spirit. Whether it was because she couldn't train properly (making her look like a bigger fool) or that her worse memories always seem to happen when it snowed.
Or maybe it was because it had caused her to just miss Naruto.
She sat down dejectedly at the Ichiraku bar. Hinata huddled her coat closer to try to gain more warmth. She always and easily got cold, even when it was in the middle of summer.
"What can I get you Miss?"
Hinata squeaked in surprised. She wasn't used to people noticing her.
"Ano... a miso ramen." She finally replied once she found her composure. It was embarrassing to be caught off guard so easily even though she was a ninja.
When her food arrived, Hinata suddenly couldn't find the strength to eat it. As she sat there, the harsh wind blowing and her already frozen fingers feeling numb, she couldn't help but wish that Naruto would appear and make all her problems disappear. She sighed contently just fantasizing and having her mind forget.
"Hey! Hinata, I didn't know you ate here too?!" A slightly deep voiced boomed, causing Hinata to be surprised the second time this day. Naruto blinked, hoping he hadn't scared off the shy girl. "You okay?" He asked nervously, when Hinata didn't answer him.
Out of habit, Hinata started to play with her thumbs, a flush look appeared on her face and she didn’t dare look at Naruto. Her heart started beating insistently, she was sure that Naruto could hear it.
"I-I'm fine." She said hoarsely.
Naruto grinned, satisfied with the answer. He always believed he somehow offended her. Naruto was not really good at noticing the obvious, but what he did know about Hinata was that she never looked at him in the eye. If he had gotten too close, Hinata always took a step back, putting distance between them. He believed that was because Hinata didn't like him. So Naruto tried his best to (somewhat) be polite to her.
Naruto happily started munching on his ramen, already forgetting the girl next to him.
Hinata stared at him in awe fascination.
A whole horde of emotions started to bubble up in chest, just waiting to explode. Now was her only chance. Gathering the little courage she had, she tried to get Naruto's attention.
"N-Naruto..."
But he just continued to eat, getting more excited as he reached his fourth bowl.
"Ano... N-Naruto..." She said meekly, having what little courage crushed.
By now, bits and pieces of ramen starting flying as Naruto ate. A small chunk of ramen splashed in Hinata's bowl. It was now or never.
"Naruto, could you look over here?" Hinata whispered as her hand almost touched his cheek.
Naruto blinked in surprise, mostly because it was the first time he had heard Hinata not stutter. Of course the next thing that happened might have contributed a little bit too.
Awkwardly Hinata brushed her lips against Naruto's.
Unfortunately she leaned against him too hard, causing him to fall off his chair with his ramen flying in the air and landing on his head. Naruto sat there dumbfounded, dripping wet in soup.
"So... interesting girlfriend you have." The restaurant owner said, amused at what just happened.
Hinata was no where in sight.
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Confusing subjects was not something Naruto was good at. Already freezing because his clothes were wet, he decided to just call it a day. Naruto did best when faced with things unknown, he ignored it. Of course they just ended up biting him in the ass.
But tonight it seemed no matter how hard he had trained in the morning, or how tired he was, he couldn't sleep. Even though he was in his favorite penguin pajamas. This bothered him alot.
Sighing, he started to pour himself a glass of two weeks expired milk that he failed to notice.
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The next morning, Hinata was to be dressed in a very gorgeous and expensive kimono.
It didn’t flatter her at all.
So she settled for something more practical.
Hinata was glad that Neji was by her side, she feared that if he wasn't there, she would crumble. He was the only thing that stopped her from running.
Running from this arranged marriage.
Now days, to patch things over with another village, political marriages were a sure thing. And here she was, being sent to the Sound village because it was part of a peace negotiation between the Sound and Leaf.
Orochimaru was defeated and no longer held any influence on the Sound, but it didn't mean he still wasn't a threat.
"Hinata-sama," Neji said, breaking Hinata from her thoughts. "Are you ready?" Hinata forced a smile and started walking out of the gates of Konoha. Her fingers clenched against the metal plate of her headband that was hidden in her kimono. She was supposed to leave it, since she was no longer a shinobi of Konoha, but now a soon to be wife.
She felt that was asking too much of her.
As Konoha slowly drifted away behind her, she felt relieved.
Relieved that Naruto did not appear, last night did not go as she planned. She wanted to tell Naruto that she idolized him and he gave her courage to do things no one believed she could. Her plan was NOT to kiss him. Hinata could feel a blush coming on her face, as she relieved last night's event in her mind.
But this was reality, she need to forget about Konoha.
Especially Naruto.
That was easier said than done.
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Naruto had intended to visit Hinata at the crack of dawn and demand an explanation of the joke she played last night.
Right.
Nothing was going to wake Naruto earlier than noon on a Saturday. Though he still intended to visit Hinata, he never thought Hinata would sink so low and play such a dirty trick on him.
Right after waking up, his mind was set on confronting her. It made Naruto sad to think that Hinata disliked him so much; he didn't think Hinata was capable of doing such cruel thing.
Unfortunately his stomach was set on other things. Half way to the Hyuuga house, his stomach started grumbling and not in a good way. Naruto started running like crazy, trampling those in his way to get to the nearest bathroom.
There he spent a good chunk of his afternoon.
After his business was done (much to the annoyance of the people who had to wait for hours) Naruto finally made it to Hinata's house. It wasn't to hard finding it, even thought he didn't know the Hyuuga girl personally, he just followed the line of people with white eyes. Pretty soon he ended up here.
"Oi! Open up! I need to speak with Hinata!" Naruto yelled through the gate, pounding against the wall. It became apparent that nobody in the Hyuuga clan intended to neither attend nor interact with the demon vessel.
This pissed Naruto off.
He started yelling more, hoping to annoy the hell out of them so much that they'll be forced to commit suicide. It seemed now his mission changed from wanting to talk to Hinata, to annoying the Hyuugas.
Evidently Hanabi came out to see what was causing a big fuss. She was not happy.
"What do you want?" She replied tersely, angry and annoyed that she couldn't train with this imbecile creating such a raucous.
Naruto stopped pounding, (and good thing he did, for the walls had already started to crack) and turned to face Hanabi. He shivered slightly at the hollow stone face of Hinata's sister. Vaguely, Naruto saw that they resembled each other slightly.
"I'm looking for Hinata." Interest peaked in Hanabi as she got a good look at Naruto. So this was the boy that Hinata was head over heels?
Hanabi was not impressed.
"She's not here."
"Where is she then?"
"Gone." A cruel smiled form on her face. Hanabi was glad her sister had left; it meant she now holds the Hyuuga title as the heir of the clan. She no longer has to fear having the cursed seal on her forehead.
Instinctively she touched her forehead.
Hanabi also didn't feel any pity for her sister.
"Whadda ya mean gone?" Naruto asked confused. He wondered if it was worth the effort coming over here, it seems these Hyuugas are always messing with his head.
"Hinata no longer resides in Konoha." She said curtly.
Now Naruto was sure that these white eyed freaks were doing this on purpose, getting him all confused so that they could point their fingers at him and laugh. He's blood was boiling at the idea of them making him look like a fool. He turned and started to leave before he'd jump over the wall and start kicking some Hyuuga ass.
"You are Naruto?" Naruto stopped and nodded slowly, not sure where this was going. Didn't everybody know who he was? "You are the boy Hinata always watches." Hanabi smirked at the idiot's shocked face. Hinata was always so pitiful.
With that last statement, the younger Hyuuga went back inside knowing full well that Naruto would no longer be an annoyance for the remainder of the day.
Naruto stared, jaw slacked in totally shock. What the hell did that brat mean by Hinata always watched him? Naruto was now perplexed over this new tidbit of information. Hinata watches him?
Naruto shuddered at the thought. How weird was it to have someone stalk you? He always knew Hinata was such a weirdo, but he didn't think it went that far. And what was up with that kiss? He pushed that thought away from his head, perhaps is was a fluke, a mistake. Yeah. Of course, Hinata was somewhat clumsy, she must of tripped and fell on him.
"Of course!" Naruto said with fake cheeriness, startling a few people with his sudden outburst.
Though inside, he had wished it wasn't. (Especially when hes feeling lonley at night, he would remeber that kiss and how wonderful it made him feel.)
Heading to the Hokage’s office, he hoped that there would be a mission lying around for him to take. It would keep his mind off the weird events that happened the past couple of days.
Naruto was partially glad that Hinata wasn't around; he didn't have to worry whether or not he'd bump in to her and no more of her stalking either.
Yup.
Everything was A-Okay.
But as the upcoming months passed, he felt a sudden void. It was indescribable, this feeling and no matter how hard he tried, and he didn't know how to stop it. He spent sleepless nights wonder what was missing but to no avail.
It wasn't until a year later when Hinata and her husband came back to Konoha for a visit that Naruto slowly started to understand what he had come to lost.
TBC...
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