Chapter 2!
People i allready had this stored in my DD Profile so im just copying and pasting what i already wrote XD
Hyuuga Hinata had not slept well that night. Yesterday had been the last day she?d likely see Naruto in a long time. She passed her Genin Exam, but he would be staying at the academy for remedial classes until he could pass. He tried so hard that it broke her heart to see him fail. For once, his smiling mask had slipped and he?d walked outside like a broken down old man.
And still she failed to say anything to the boy who inspired her so much with his attitude and ever-present smile. Her father was right ? she was a useless coward. Not brave enough to do more than hide and watch him like some pathetic stalker.
She?d always been a little embarrassed for the sillier kunoichis who chased Uchiha Sasuke around like a miniature fan club. But in the end, was she any better? She was just as hare-brained and silly, and even more cowardly. Those girls at least had the courage to let Sasuke know that they liked him. Not even the prospect of not seeing Naruto anymore could make her act, and she despised herself for it.
She?d been too upset at herself to even think of eating breakfast, and her steps faltered as she slowly walked to the Konoha Ninja Academy for the last time. Her only consolation was the possibility that she might see Naruto there again today. It was fairly common for students who failed the Genin Exam to stay home the following day ? it was painful and embarrassing to see your classmates who were leaving to become full-fledged shinobi, even if they were only reporting to a different room for team assignments. But then again, Naruto seldom did the usual thing. The prospect of seeing him again, even if it would be the last time in a long while, buoyed her spirit. Maybe today she would find the courage to actually speak to him.
Her steps quickened as hope slowly leaked into her heart. She soon made her way into the academy building and found the classroom where the new genins were assembled.
Her classmates were spread out in their usual disarray, but Naruto was there as well, with his head down on a desk. She froze in shock as she walked in the door, but then her feet automatically led her to one of her usual seats; high up and near the door in the back ? everyone ahead of her and no one behind. She stared at the boy, wondering if someone would come in and tell him to leave. Finally, Nara Shikamaru ambled into the room and stopped by Naruto?s table. When he asked Naruto why he was there, the blond boy sat up and said he?d passed, showing off his new hitai-ite. ?Naruto-kun graduated too,? she whispered to herself.
Then Ino and Sakura burst into the room, arguing about who arrived first. Naruto stared in her direction, his face lighting up, and Hinata felt her heart skip a beat. But then the pink-haired kunoichi walked by her and she realized Naruto was looking at her instead.
?Ohayo, Sakura-chan!? Naruto greeted her with a smile as she approached.
?Out of my way!? Sakura snarled as she elbowed him to the floor so she could sit next to Uchiha Sasuke.
An unpleasant voice in Hinata?s head said it was glad that the girl Naruto seemed to like did not return his affections. But for the most part, she was dismayed to see him treated so cavalierly. Then Ino contested Sakura?s right to sit in the chair she?d just thrown poor Naruto out of. In moments, most of the girls in the room were arguing over the evicted seat while Naruto was still sprawled at their feet.
Naruto climbed up on the desk and glared at Sasuke, again attracting the ire of Sasuke?s fan club. Even worse, an inattentive boy at the table in front of them bumped into Naruto, making his and Sasuke?s faces meet. It was hard to tell from where she sat, but from the screams of outrage that followed immediately afterward, it seems the two boys had inadvertently kissed. Hinata thought it was somewhat funny, especially the way the two boys carried on afterwards, spitting and gagging like they?d been poisoned.
The Sasuke Fan Club ? on the other hand, was incensed at Naruto?s forward behavior ? not to mention quite jealous. The beating they gave Naruto was well out of proportion to his actual offense. Hinata grew worried as they showed no signs of stopping. She pushed back her chair and was about to intervene when Iruka-sensei entered the room and broke it up. Poor Naruto looked like he?d been run over by a farmer?s wagon.
When Iruka-sensei announced that the teams had been chosen, Hinata began pressing her index fingers together as her thoughts raced. I might be on a team with Naruto-kun. I might not be on a team with Naruto-kun. Those two thoughts kept repeating as the instructor worked his way down the list.
?Team Seven: Inuzuka Kiba, Haruno Sakura, and Uchiha Sasuke.?
Sakura looked ecstatic as Ino?s face fell. Naruto also seemed horribly disappointed, and Hinata couldn?t help but feel sorry for him, even though her own hopes were rising.
?Team Eight: Hyuuga Hinata, Uzumaki Naruto, and Aburame Shino.?
Naruto?s expression didn?t change, but Hinata thought her heart would explode out of her chest. She knew her racing pulse was making her cheeks flush, but she couldn?t help it. Not only had Naruto passed, but they would be together on the same team. This was rapidly becoming one of the happiest days of her life, definitely the happiest since her mother died.
When the team assignments were completed, they were given a long lunch break, as their jonin instructors would be meeting with them that afternoon. Sasuke immediately got up and stalked out of the room, Sakura trailing behind him. Kiba grunted as he stood up, frowning at already being left behind by his team.
Naruto stared after Sakura, and sat in silence after she left. Hinata felt ashamed that she?d been happy he was on her team instead of Sakura?s. She was an awful person if she took joy from the sadness of someone she admired. She looked down at her hands and began pressing her fingers again. She was too ashamed to look up as Naruto left the room.
After a while she got up and went outside. She saw Aburame Shino sitting on a bench near the playground. Determined to get to know her other teammate, Hinata sat down on the other end of the bench from the silent boy.
?Ano? I understand we are to be teammates,? she said in a quiet voice.
The Aburame genius turned toward her, his face expressionless ? what little of it she could see behind the high collar and the dark glasses he wore. ?Hai,? he said in little more than a whisper. He then turned back and Hinata realized he was studying an ant hill that had been constructed in front of the bench.
Hinata blinked and began unpacking her lunch. She thought of offering some to her teammate. She tended to bring more than she needed, on the off chance that one day Naruto would forget to bring his usual cup ramen. Alas, she never had the chance to share her food with him? not that she would?ve had the courage to approach him, she reproached herself bitterly.
Shino, however, had also brought food. It was a little disconcerting to see his kikai bugs swarming onto the dish as they consumed a portion of his rice and fish. They confined themselves to one corner of the square container as Shino?s chopsticks fed their host.
Hinata bit into a rice ball and wondered what she could do. She?d never been in this position before, trying to converse with someone who was even quieter than she was. ?Ano? which jonin do you think we will be assigned to??
Shino turned toward her again. He seemed to stare at her for a long moment, making her fingers fidget even faster. ?Given our abilities, I would think one of the scouting specialists. Uzumaki?s presence is troubling though.?
Hinata took a deep breath. ?I?m sure he will work very hard to make us successful,? she said in as firm a voice as she could muster.
Shino simply regarded her for several heartbeats before answering. ?Perhaps. But he doesn?t possess a bloodline or sensory abilities. I question what role he could perform, or if he was simply placed here to keep him out of the way.?
Hinata felt her stomach contract into a small, hard ball. She always questioned whether she would actually be useful as a ninja or not. Was Team 8 just a place for throwaway ninjas? Had she and Naruto been placed here to keep them out of the way? But what about Shino? He was supposed to be the pride of the Aburame clan, the best bug user they?d produced in over a generation. ?Ano? I don?t think we?re a team for shinobi that no one wants. Naruto works very hard when he trains by himself, and he still received a hitai-ite. ?
Shino turned back toward his lunch. ?That may have been done to remove him from the academy. There is something about him that the adults do not like. My clan will not speak of it, but they do not hold him in high regard.?
While Hinata was glad that Shino was speaking more, his words disturbed her. She remembered the way her father?s face twisted when one of Naruto?s pranks was mentioned at dinner. The branch family retainer blanched under Otousan?s furious glare, and for an instant Hinata thought his cursed seal had been activated. Hinata may not have been the ideal Hyuuga warrior, but even without her Byakugan active, she was still intelligent and above all, observant. As such, the looks some of the adults gave the object of her affections did not escape her notice. ?Surely they don?t hate him for pulling a few pranks? Naruto-kun never hurt anyone, not even by accident.?
?I believe it?s something deeper than that. I?ve heard his name mentioned in passing even before the first time he defaced the Hokage Monument,? Shino replied.
Hinata was too involved in their conversation to wonder at how her teammate seemed to have finally discovered that he had a voice. Later, she would wonder if it was the teasing apart of a mystery that finally engaged him, or if it was simply the fact that someone was actively seeking to speak with him. Hinata wasn?t especially fond of insects, but they didn?t creep her out like they did some girls. ?What else could he have done to become so unpopular?? she asked, frowning.
?It may not be anything he did,? Shino replied. ?I don?t know of another Uzumaki in the village, so he may have come from a family that disgraced themselves in some fashion. Hokage-sama wouldn?t execute a child for the crimes of the parents, no matter how heinous. The villagers may not be so forgiving.?
Hinata sat there, her mind racing as a half-eaten rice ball fell back into her bentou. As far as she knew, Naruto-kun had no parents, and was forced to live alone as there was no one who would take him in. To think that he would still be blamed for the actions of people he?d never met made her feel very strangely. It was similar to the tight feeling she got when Otousan told her Hanabi would make a better heir and how she at least could make him proud? but the emotion gripping her right now was much stronger.
Hyuuga Hinata was angry. These people deliberately hurt her Naruto-kun with their cold eyes. The boy with the big dreams who always smiled and tried again no matter what ? he deserved better than that. She?d seen his smile slip a few times, the most recently after the Genin Exam, and even if she was too cowardly to say anything to him, his sorrow still stabbed her heart like a kunai. After a moment she was able to master her new emotions and don the sterile mask she was taught a Hyuuga must always present to others. ?That is very foolish of them,? she said coldly, ?since he is going to be Hokage some day.?
Shino didn?t say anything, but turned back to his lunch. While he didn?t necessarily sound like he agreed with her, Hinata would settle for a lack of overt disagreement. They finished their meal in silence and returned to the academy to await their sensei.
_____________________
Till Chapter 3!!!
People i allready had this stored in my DD Profile so im just copying and pasting what i already wrote XD
Hyuuga Hinata had not slept well that night. Yesterday had been the last day she?d likely see Naruto in a long time. She passed her Genin Exam, but he would be staying at the academy for remedial classes until he could pass. He tried so hard that it broke her heart to see him fail. For once, his smiling mask had slipped and he?d walked outside like a broken down old man.
And still she failed to say anything to the boy who inspired her so much with his attitude and ever-present smile. Her father was right ? she was a useless coward. Not brave enough to do more than hide and watch him like some pathetic stalker.
She?d always been a little embarrassed for the sillier kunoichis who chased Uchiha Sasuke around like a miniature fan club. But in the end, was she any better? She was just as hare-brained and silly, and even more cowardly. Those girls at least had the courage to let Sasuke know that they liked him. Not even the prospect of not seeing Naruto anymore could make her act, and she despised herself for it.
She?d been too upset at herself to even think of eating breakfast, and her steps faltered as she slowly walked to the Konoha Ninja Academy for the last time. Her only consolation was the possibility that she might see Naruto there again today. It was fairly common for students who failed the Genin Exam to stay home the following day ? it was painful and embarrassing to see your classmates who were leaving to become full-fledged shinobi, even if they were only reporting to a different room for team assignments. But then again, Naruto seldom did the usual thing. The prospect of seeing him again, even if it would be the last time in a long while, buoyed her spirit. Maybe today she would find the courage to actually speak to him.
Her steps quickened as hope slowly leaked into her heart. She soon made her way into the academy building and found the classroom where the new genins were assembled.
Her classmates were spread out in their usual disarray, but Naruto was there as well, with his head down on a desk. She froze in shock as she walked in the door, but then her feet automatically led her to one of her usual seats; high up and near the door in the back ? everyone ahead of her and no one behind. She stared at the boy, wondering if someone would come in and tell him to leave. Finally, Nara Shikamaru ambled into the room and stopped by Naruto?s table. When he asked Naruto why he was there, the blond boy sat up and said he?d passed, showing off his new hitai-ite. ?Naruto-kun graduated too,? she whispered to herself.
Then Ino and Sakura burst into the room, arguing about who arrived first. Naruto stared in her direction, his face lighting up, and Hinata felt her heart skip a beat. But then the pink-haired kunoichi walked by her and she realized Naruto was looking at her instead.
?Ohayo, Sakura-chan!? Naruto greeted her with a smile as she approached.
?Out of my way!? Sakura snarled as she elbowed him to the floor so she could sit next to Uchiha Sasuke.
An unpleasant voice in Hinata?s head said it was glad that the girl Naruto seemed to like did not return his affections. But for the most part, she was dismayed to see him treated so cavalierly. Then Ino contested Sakura?s right to sit in the chair she?d just thrown poor Naruto out of. In moments, most of the girls in the room were arguing over the evicted seat while Naruto was still sprawled at their feet.
Naruto climbed up on the desk and glared at Sasuke, again attracting the ire of Sasuke?s fan club. Even worse, an inattentive boy at the table in front of them bumped into Naruto, making his and Sasuke?s faces meet. It was hard to tell from where she sat, but from the screams of outrage that followed immediately afterward, it seems the two boys had inadvertently kissed. Hinata thought it was somewhat funny, especially the way the two boys carried on afterwards, spitting and gagging like they?d been poisoned.
The Sasuke Fan Club ? on the other hand, was incensed at Naruto?s forward behavior ? not to mention quite jealous. The beating they gave Naruto was well out of proportion to his actual offense. Hinata grew worried as they showed no signs of stopping. She pushed back her chair and was about to intervene when Iruka-sensei entered the room and broke it up. Poor Naruto looked like he?d been run over by a farmer?s wagon.
When Iruka-sensei announced that the teams had been chosen, Hinata began pressing her index fingers together as her thoughts raced. I might be on a team with Naruto-kun. I might not be on a team with Naruto-kun. Those two thoughts kept repeating as the instructor worked his way down the list.
?Team Seven: Inuzuka Kiba, Haruno Sakura, and Uchiha Sasuke.?
Sakura looked ecstatic as Ino?s face fell. Naruto also seemed horribly disappointed, and Hinata couldn?t help but feel sorry for him, even though her own hopes were rising.
?Team Eight: Hyuuga Hinata, Uzumaki Naruto, and Aburame Shino.?
Naruto?s expression didn?t change, but Hinata thought her heart would explode out of her chest. She knew her racing pulse was making her cheeks flush, but she couldn?t help it. Not only had Naruto passed, but they would be together on the same team. This was rapidly becoming one of the happiest days of her life, definitely the happiest since her mother died.
When the team assignments were completed, they were given a long lunch break, as their jonin instructors would be meeting with them that afternoon. Sasuke immediately got up and stalked out of the room, Sakura trailing behind him. Kiba grunted as he stood up, frowning at already being left behind by his team.
Naruto stared after Sakura, and sat in silence after she left. Hinata felt ashamed that she?d been happy he was on her team instead of Sakura?s. She was an awful person if she took joy from the sadness of someone she admired. She looked down at her hands and began pressing her fingers again. She was too ashamed to look up as Naruto left the room.
After a while she got up and went outside. She saw Aburame Shino sitting on a bench near the playground. Determined to get to know her other teammate, Hinata sat down on the other end of the bench from the silent boy.
?Ano? I understand we are to be teammates,? she said in a quiet voice.
The Aburame genius turned toward her, his face expressionless ? what little of it she could see behind the high collar and the dark glasses he wore. ?Hai,? he said in little more than a whisper. He then turned back and Hinata realized he was studying an ant hill that had been constructed in front of the bench.
Hinata blinked and began unpacking her lunch. She thought of offering some to her teammate. She tended to bring more than she needed, on the off chance that one day Naruto would forget to bring his usual cup ramen. Alas, she never had the chance to share her food with him? not that she would?ve had the courage to approach him, she reproached herself bitterly.
Shino, however, had also brought food. It was a little disconcerting to see his kikai bugs swarming onto the dish as they consumed a portion of his rice and fish. They confined themselves to one corner of the square container as Shino?s chopsticks fed their host.
Hinata bit into a rice ball and wondered what she could do. She?d never been in this position before, trying to converse with someone who was even quieter than she was. ?Ano? which jonin do you think we will be assigned to??
Shino turned toward her again. He seemed to stare at her for a long moment, making her fingers fidget even faster. ?Given our abilities, I would think one of the scouting specialists. Uzumaki?s presence is troubling though.?
Hinata took a deep breath. ?I?m sure he will work very hard to make us successful,? she said in as firm a voice as she could muster.
Shino simply regarded her for several heartbeats before answering. ?Perhaps. But he doesn?t possess a bloodline or sensory abilities. I question what role he could perform, or if he was simply placed here to keep him out of the way.?
Hinata felt her stomach contract into a small, hard ball. She always questioned whether she would actually be useful as a ninja or not. Was Team 8 just a place for throwaway ninjas? Had she and Naruto been placed here to keep them out of the way? But what about Shino? He was supposed to be the pride of the Aburame clan, the best bug user they?d produced in over a generation. ?Ano? I don?t think we?re a team for shinobi that no one wants. Naruto works very hard when he trains by himself, and he still received a hitai-ite. ?
Shino turned back toward his lunch. ?That may have been done to remove him from the academy. There is something about him that the adults do not like. My clan will not speak of it, but they do not hold him in high regard.?
While Hinata was glad that Shino was speaking more, his words disturbed her. She remembered the way her father?s face twisted when one of Naruto?s pranks was mentioned at dinner. The branch family retainer blanched under Otousan?s furious glare, and for an instant Hinata thought his cursed seal had been activated. Hinata may not have been the ideal Hyuuga warrior, but even without her Byakugan active, she was still intelligent and above all, observant. As such, the looks some of the adults gave the object of her affections did not escape her notice. ?Surely they don?t hate him for pulling a few pranks? Naruto-kun never hurt anyone, not even by accident.?
?I believe it?s something deeper than that. I?ve heard his name mentioned in passing even before the first time he defaced the Hokage Monument,? Shino replied.
Hinata was too involved in their conversation to wonder at how her teammate seemed to have finally discovered that he had a voice. Later, she would wonder if it was the teasing apart of a mystery that finally engaged him, or if it was simply the fact that someone was actively seeking to speak with him. Hinata wasn?t especially fond of insects, but they didn?t creep her out like they did some girls. ?What else could he have done to become so unpopular?? she asked, frowning.
?It may not be anything he did,? Shino replied. ?I don?t know of another Uzumaki in the village, so he may have come from a family that disgraced themselves in some fashion. Hokage-sama wouldn?t execute a child for the crimes of the parents, no matter how heinous. The villagers may not be so forgiving.?
Hinata sat there, her mind racing as a half-eaten rice ball fell back into her bentou. As far as she knew, Naruto-kun had no parents, and was forced to live alone as there was no one who would take him in. To think that he would still be blamed for the actions of people he?d never met made her feel very strangely. It was similar to the tight feeling she got when Otousan told her Hanabi would make a better heir and how she at least could make him proud? but the emotion gripping her right now was much stronger.
Hyuuga Hinata was angry. These people deliberately hurt her Naruto-kun with their cold eyes. The boy with the big dreams who always smiled and tried again no matter what ? he deserved better than that. She?d seen his smile slip a few times, the most recently after the Genin Exam, and even if she was too cowardly to say anything to him, his sorrow still stabbed her heart like a kunai. After a moment she was able to master her new emotions and don the sterile mask she was taught a Hyuuga must always present to others. ?That is very foolish of them,? she said coldly, ?since he is going to be Hokage some day.?
Shino didn?t say anything, but turned back to his lunch. While he didn?t necessarily sound like he agreed with her, Hinata would settle for a lack of overt disagreement. They finished their meal in silence and returned to the academy to await their sensei.
_____________________
Till Chapter 3!!!
