Categories > Anime/Manga > Naruto > Helping Out
Author's Note: This story is set in the future, a few years (no real date, but it's after Orochimaru and most of the genin are now chunin) I hope y'all like it, and I tried to get everyone as in character as possible. There are pairings, of course. Naruto and Hinata (YES!), Neji and TenTen, slight Sasuke and Sakura & Ino and Shikamaru. I also apologize for any misspellings, although I'm typing all of the names and words straight from my own manga volumes.
And I sincerely hope that some of the stuff in this fiction doesn't happen in the manga. Except the pairings.
---------------------
Helping Out
---------------------
"Will you accept this mission?"
"Of course!"
"Y-yes..."
"Good. I will expect you back within three weeks or assume both of your deaths."
"Don't worry. Of course we'll both make it back! We're the best team ever!"
---------------------
"See anything, Hinata?"
"No..."
"Good. So far, everything's going perfect!" Naruto grinned, glancing at his partner. Hinata blushed slightly, but kept staring straight ahead like she didn't see him looking at her. But of course, with her Byaakugan, she saw everything he did.
"And it's going to keep staying perfect!" The blonde boy grinned at her again, making her blush harder. (Of course, he didn't notice. He never did.)
"Naruto-kun...keep it down...someone might hear..."
---------------------
"That took four weeks. Four weeks! Why were you two gone so long?!" Tsunade demanded, pacing back and forth. "Do you know how worried everyone was? Neji kept insisting that he go out to look for you two, and I had to turn him down every time..."
"He-he was worried...?" Hinata asked, blinking.
"Of course he was." Tsunade rolled her eyes, then noticed the look on the girl's face. "I don't think you realize how protective he's become of you since..." The Hokage let her voice trail off.
"Well, of course you're missed when we're gone, Hinata." Naruto announced, breaking the awkward silence. "Sasuke only wants me alive so I can ask Sakura things that he's too embarrassed to ask her herself."
Hinata giggled in spite of their current situation.
---------------------
"You know, we're the best team ever." The blonde ninja announced from his perch in the tree.
"Why do you say that, Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked quietly, leaning against the trunk. He had taken to saying that at least once a day now, usually twice when they were on missions. In response to her question, he usually went on and on about her Byaakugan, his inhuman amount of chakra, her "awesome chakra-blocking-attack-thing", his "awesome ninjutsu skills", and once in awhile he'd mention that he could take down almost any male ninja with his Ninja Harem.
"Because we work so good together." That was a new one.
"Why do you say that...?"
"Because it's true."
"Alright, Naruto-kun..."
She continued working on her report and Naruto continued watching the clouds float by.
"Hinata?"
"Yes...?" She still smiled every time he said her name. Inside, she was so happy that they were a team, and that he even acknowledged her presence.
"Um..."
Hinata looked up at him with her ashen eyes. He was almost never at a loss for what to say, unless it was something really embarrassing in his eyes. "...Yes, N-Naruto-kun...?"
"Uh...Sasuke once told me...well, Sakura told him, Ino told her, Shikamaru told her, and Kiba told him...but...well, he said that you like me."
"Oh..." Hinata immediately looked at her feet, pretending that there was something interesting down there.
"Is...that true?" Naruto asked cautiously, peering down at her from atop the tree branch.
This was awkward. Hinata wondered vaguely how Kiba found out, or if it was really that obvious. Unless Akamaru told him, because she talked to the little dog about her problems occasionally...Hinata took a deep breath, trying to calm down her heart, which was thumping rapidly against her ribs. It was now or never, and probably better now. But what if he didn't want to be on her team if he found out it's true, she wondered, letting the breath out in a low hiss.
"Hinata? Is it true?" Naruto repeated, nearly hanging off the branch to hear her.
"Y-yes..." She breathed, almost hoping he wouldn't hear her.
"Oh..." Was all he said. There was a long silence, before he spoke up again. "So I guess I can trust my sources, eh?"
"I-I guess so..." Hinata whispered, refusing to make eye contact with him.
"So then Sasuke does like Sakura. Ooh, I can't wait to rub that in his face."
She blinked in surprise. This was just some sort of test so he could trust his gossip sources? She didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"I th-thought you liked Sakura, though..." She cursed herself mentally for the stutter that reappeared in her voice.
"Well, I did. I guess I don't anymore, since she'll never like me. She's always cooing over Sasuke, anyway. They'd make a cute couple, and I'd get to laugh because that moron would be blushing every time she said his name!" Naruto laughed. Hinata smiled slightly at the fact that he was so immature. (And that he didn't like Sakura anymore, so there was a small chance for her...) "Still, she was hot. And smart, and brave, and strong..."
Hinata's heart sank again. She couldn't compete with Sakura. Ino was the only girl who could, but then again, almost every other girl besides her sister had either a boyfriend or strong friendship with a guy.
"Hey, Hinata?" Naruto's voice broke through her thoughts. "Um...how is Neji these days...?"
"He's..." She wanted to say fine so badly, but that would be lying. Sure, he acted fine, he said he was fine, and most others thought he was fine, but he wasn't. He was always lost in thought, he'd disappear in the early morning to just go out walking, and he seemed more...unattached. "He's doing better." That, at least, wasn't a lie.
"That's good. Do you know anytime I could...talk to him...? I'd like to try to cheer him up or something..." Why did Naruto's voice sound strained? Was he lying or something?
"He'd like that...We could go find him right now, if you'd like..." Hinata struggled slightly with her voice and the fact that Naruto still said he pretty much liked Sakura...
"No, I'll go find him." Naruto jumped down from the tree, landing right in front of Hinata. "You have to finish that report. I don't want you to get in any trouble with the old hag because of me."
"Oh...alright...He should be walking around the forest, Naruto-k-kun..." She felt him nod, then depart, leaving her to her report. Instead, she sniffled loudly and rested her chin on her knees, thinking. The fact that Naruto said he didn't like Sakura, but then said how smart and cute and brave she was was almost worse than him liking her to begin with.
Still, she should at least be happy for her cousin. Naruto could cheer anyone up, and Neji needed it the most.
It was just about a year ago that TenTen died. Hinata didn't know all the details, but it was on the first night of a mission. She was accompanied by Lee, since Neji was on his own mission in the land of the mist. All Hinata heard was that the pair were ambushed by a few rogue ninja. Lee was only saved by Tsunade's healing power, as she was the first to arrive there, but it was too late for TenTen.
Neji took it pretty badly when he came back from his mission. He disappeared for about a week, and finally turned up miles west of Konoha. Lee said that he was probably on his way to the ambush site.
---------------------
"Uzumaki." Naruto looked up to find just the chunin he was looking for. "What are you doing here?"
"Well, I was looking for you." Naruto grinned, rubbing the back of his head. Neji jumped down from the branch and stood up, only raising an eyebrow.
"Why?"
"Because..."
"You told my cousin you wanted to cheer me up. Why did you lie?"
"Always right to the point, aren't you?" Naruto was clearly stalling for time. "Hey, were you spying on us?"
"Answer my question, Uzumaki."
"You answer mine."
Neji stared hard at him. "I wasn't. I was passing by. I was going to check in on her."
"Oh." Naruto cast about for a new topic to stall with.
"Now answer my question."
"Oh, alright..."
There was a pause before Neji sighed. "Now, Uzumaki."
"Um...you know that Hinata likes me, right...?" the blonde boy asked, avoiding eye contact and twiddling his thumbs.
"I think you were the only one thick enough not to notice." Neji sighed. "I also think I know where this conversation is going."
"You...do...?"
The Hyuga looked up at him. "I'm not as stupid as you."
Naruto snorted, resisting the urge to stick his tongue out at him. "Then say something to indicate that you know." He said, trying to sound smart.
"If you do anything to hurt my cousin, you will regret it."
---------------------
Her father ignored her as Hinata stepped inside, slipping off her boots. Hanabi, however, smiled at her (but then quickly returned her attention to their father). Neji stepped inside after his cousin, coolly ignoring his other family members.
"Neji." He stiffened at the sound of his uncle's voice, but turned to look at him. "Where have you been?"
Hinata departed from the scene with a quick glance at her father, retreating to her bedroom.
"I have been out walking." Neji replied briskly, indicating that he wanted to leave as well.
"Where?"
"In the forest."
"Why?"
Hanabi looked down at her feet, knowing that this wouldn't end in a nice way. Neji and her father, however, kept staring at each other.
"Because."
"Neji, you are a...respectable young man. I don't want you to give others the wrong idea with your constant wanderings and daydreams." The man stated simply.
"I do not daydream." With that, Neji turned on his heel and left the room. He knew he would probably pay for it later, but he didn't want to listen to his cousin's father reprimand him for missing someone close to him. It was almost as bad as listening to him talk about Hinata's supposed shortcomings.
"You shouldn't have done that..." Hinata whispered, standing in the doorway to her room.
"I don't care at the moment." Neji replied, glancing at her. "You should be careful, though."
"I'm always careful around father."
"I didn't mean around him."
And I sincerely hope that some of the stuff in this fiction doesn't happen in the manga. Except the pairings.
---------------------
Helping Out
---------------------
"Will you accept this mission?"
"Of course!"
"Y-yes..."
"Good. I will expect you back within three weeks or assume both of your deaths."
"Don't worry. Of course we'll both make it back! We're the best team ever!"
---------------------
"See anything, Hinata?"
"No..."
"Good. So far, everything's going perfect!" Naruto grinned, glancing at his partner. Hinata blushed slightly, but kept staring straight ahead like she didn't see him looking at her. But of course, with her Byaakugan, she saw everything he did.
"And it's going to keep staying perfect!" The blonde boy grinned at her again, making her blush harder. (Of course, he didn't notice. He never did.)
"Naruto-kun...keep it down...someone might hear..."
---------------------
"That took four weeks. Four weeks! Why were you two gone so long?!" Tsunade demanded, pacing back and forth. "Do you know how worried everyone was? Neji kept insisting that he go out to look for you two, and I had to turn him down every time..."
"He-he was worried...?" Hinata asked, blinking.
"Of course he was." Tsunade rolled her eyes, then noticed the look on the girl's face. "I don't think you realize how protective he's become of you since..." The Hokage let her voice trail off.
"Well, of course you're missed when we're gone, Hinata." Naruto announced, breaking the awkward silence. "Sasuke only wants me alive so I can ask Sakura things that he's too embarrassed to ask her herself."
Hinata giggled in spite of their current situation.
---------------------
"You know, we're the best team ever." The blonde ninja announced from his perch in the tree.
"Why do you say that, Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked quietly, leaning against the trunk. He had taken to saying that at least once a day now, usually twice when they were on missions. In response to her question, he usually went on and on about her Byaakugan, his inhuman amount of chakra, her "awesome chakra-blocking-attack-thing", his "awesome ninjutsu skills", and once in awhile he'd mention that he could take down almost any male ninja with his Ninja Harem.
"Because we work so good together." That was a new one.
"Why do you say that...?"
"Because it's true."
"Alright, Naruto-kun..."
She continued working on her report and Naruto continued watching the clouds float by.
"Hinata?"
"Yes...?" She still smiled every time he said her name. Inside, she was so happy that they were a team, and that he even acknowledged her presence.
"Um..."
Hinata looked up at him with her ashen eyes. He was almost never at a loss for what to say, unless it was something really embarrassing in his eyes. "...Yes, N-Naruto-kun...?"
"Uh...Sasuke once told me...well, Sakura told him, Ino told her, Shikamaru told her, and Kiba told him...but...well, he said that you like me."
"Oh..." Hinata immediately looked at her feet, pretending that there was something interesting down there.
"Is...that true?" Naruto asked cautiously, peering down at her from atop the tree branch.
This was awkward. Hinata wondered vaguely how Kiba found out, or if it was really that obvious. Unless Akamaru told him, because she talked to the little dog about her problems occasionally...Hinata took a deep breath, trying to calm down her heart, which was thumping rapidly against her ribs. It was now or never, and probably better now. But what if he didn't want to be on her team if he found out it's true, she wondered, letting the breath out in a low hiss.
"Hinata? Is it true?" Naruto repeated, nearly hanging off the branch to hear her.
"Y-yes..." She breathed, almost hoping he wouldn't hear her.
"Oh..." Was all he said. There was a long silence, before he spoke up again. "So I guess I can trust my sources, eh?"
"I-I guess so..." Hinata whispered, refusing to make eye contact with him.
"So then Sasuke does like Sakura. Ooh, I can't wait to rub that in his face."
She blinked in surprise. This was just some sort of test so he could trust his gossip sources? She didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"I th-thought you liked Sakura, though..." She cursed herself mentally for the stutter that reappeared in her voice.
"Well, I did. I guess I don't anymore, since she'll never like me. She's always cooing over Sasuke, anyway. They'd make a cute couple, and I'd get to laugh because that moron would be blushing every time she said his name!" Naruto laughed. Hinata smiled slightly at the fact that he was so immature. (And that he didn't like Sakura anymore, so there was a small chance for her...) "Still, she was hot. And smart, and brave, and strong..."
Hinata's heart sank again. She couldn't compete with Sakura. Ino was the only girl who could, but then again, almost every other girl besides her sister had either a boyfriend or strong friendship with a guy.
"Hey, Hinata?" Naruto's voice broke through her thoughts. "Um...how is Neji these days...?"
"He's..." She wanted to say fine so badly, but that would be lying. Sure, he acted fine, he said he was fine, and most others thought he was fine, but he wasn't. He was always lost in thought, he'd disappear in the early morning to just go out walking, and he seemed more...unattached. "He's doing better." That, at least, wasn't a lie.
"That's good. Do you know anytime I could...talk to him...? I'd like to try to cheer him up or something..." Why did Naruto's voice sound strained? Was he lying or something?
"He'd like that...We could go find him right now, if you'd like..." Hinata struggled slightly with her voice and the fact that Naruto still said he pretty much liked Sakura...
"No, I'll go find him." Naruto jumped down from the tree, landing right in front of Hinata. "You have to finish that report. I don't want you to get in any trouble with the old hag because of me."
"Oh...alright...He should be walking around the forest, Naruto-k-kun..." She felt him nod, then depart, leaving her to her report. Instead, she sniffled loudly and rested her chin on her knees, thinking. The fact that Naruto said he didn't like Sakura, but then said how smart and cute and brave she was was almost worse than him liking her to begin with.
Still, she should at least be happy for her cousin. Naruto could cheer anyone up, and Neji needed it the most.
It was just about a year ago that TenTen died. Hinata didn't know all the details, but it was on the first night of a mission. She was accompanied by Lee, since Neji was on his own mission in the land of the mist. All Hinata heard was that the pair were ambushed by a few rogue ninja. Lee was only saved by Tsunade's healing power, as she was the first to arrive there, but it was too late for TenTen.
Neji took it pretty badly when he came back from his mission. He disappeared for about a week, and finally turned up miles west of Konoha. Lee said that he was probably on his way to the ambush site.
---------------------
"Uzumaki." Naruto looked up to find just the chunin he was looking for. "What are you doing here?"
"Well, I was looking for you." Naruto grinned, rubbing the back of his head. Neji jumped down from the branch and stood up, only raising an eyebrow.
"Why?"
"Because..."
"You told my cousin you wanted to cheer me up. Why did you lie?"
"Always right to the point, aren't you?" Naruto was clearly stalling for time. "Hey, were you spying on us?"
"Answer my question, Uzumaki."
"You answer mine."
Neji stared hard at him. "I wasn't. I was passing by. I was going to check in on her."
"Oh." Naruto cast about for a new topic to stall with.
"Now answer my question."
"Oh, alright..."
There was a pause before Neji sighed. "Now, Uzumaki."
"Um...you know that Hinata likes me, right...?" the blonde boy asked, avoiding eye contact and twiddling his thumbs.
"I think you were the only one thick enough not to notice." Neji sighed. "I also think I know where this conversation is going."
"You...do...?"
The Hyuga looked up at him. "I'm not as stupid as you."
Naruto snorted, resisting the urge to stick his tongue out at him. "Then say something to indicate that you know." He said, trying to sound smart.
"If you do anything to hurt my cousin, you will regret it."
---------------------
Her father ignored her as Hinata stepped inside, slipping off her boots. Hanabi, however, smiled at her (but then quickly returned her attention to their father). Neji stepped inside after his cousin, coolly ignoring his other family members.
"Neji." He stiffened at the sound of his uncle's voice, but turned to look at him. "Where have you been?"
Hinata departed from the scene with a quick glance at her father, retreating to her bedroom.
"I have been out walking." Neji replied briskly, indicating that he wanted to leave as well.
"Where?"
"In the forest."
"Why?"
Hanabi looked down at her feet, knowing that this wouldn't end in a nice way. Neji and her father, however, kept staring at each other.
"Because."
"Neji, you are a...respectable young man. I don't want you to give others the wrong idea with your constant wanderings and daydreams." The man stated simply.
"I do not daydream." With that, Neji turned on his heel and left the room. He knew he would probably pay for it later, but he didn't want to listen to his cousin's father reprimand him for missing someone close to him. It was almost as bad as listening to him talk about Hinata's supposed shortcomings.
"You shouldn't have done that..." Hinata whispered, standing in the doorway to her room.
"I don't care at the moment." Neji replied, glancing at her. "You should be careful, though."
"I'm always careful around father."
"I didn't mean around him."
Sign up to rate and review this story