A Hospital Visit-Hyuuga Hinata-Theme 2
Title: A Hospital Visit
Author/Artist: mtakuja
Claim: Hyuuga Hinata
Theme: 02-deep fried vegetables.
Word Count: 4858
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, the story and characters belong solely to Masashi Kishimoto.
Author's notes: The story takes place right after the Sasuke retrieval arc, and it sort of disegards the beginning of the fillers.
A Hospital Visit
Hinata hummed quietly to herself, her face relaxed and content as she skillfully chopped up several different vegetables on a platter. She took great care not to chop off her own fingers as she did so, depositing the chopped pieces into a pan filled with oil a few centimeters away.
When all the vegetables laid secured in the pan, Hinata took the time to clean up her area a bit, cleansing the platter and knife under some warm water and placing it in the dish rack--before she moved to start the stove. She was initially startled as the food began to sizzle loudly and instinctively she reached for a spatula, ready to tame the beast on the stove if it chose to become to rowdy.
She simply stood there for several minutes letting one side get a decent amount of heat before reaching over and turning the food. This process continued for some time, Hinata showing no signs of impatience or fatigue as the boiling came to an abrupt calm, signaling that is was done and ready to be eaten.
The young girl took a few small steps closer using the spatula to take the newly fried vegetables from the pan, trying very hard not to drop any pieces. She placed a portion of them into two different containers, closing the lid securely over them to preserve their heat and freshness. It was only when the kitchen was thoroughly cleaned and the plastic containers were held safely in her arms did Hinata allow herself to smile, a tint of a blush coming to her face as she imagined one of the people she would be giving her home-cooked fried vegetables to.
The image of sun-kissed blonde hair, bright blue eyes and a foxy grin was what wavered in Hinata’s mind for a second, nearly causing her to faint at the sheer beauty that was her beloved Naruto. The boy was currently resting in the hospital, Hinata hadn’t a clue about his condition, but rumors told her that he had come back better off then the others--with the exception of Shikamaru, but that said little about his emotional state.
Losing a team mate must have been incredible painful, but the word ’painful’ didn’t do that since of lost any justice. Hinata did not wish to even begin to think about losing either Kiba or Shino. The two had been a constant source of comfort and encouragement for her, and she knew she would not have gotten this far in her ninja career without their protection and guidance.
That was why she could never fully relate to Naruto on that subject, and it did sadden her quite a bit knowing she could not do very much for him. But Hinata was mature enough to know and admit that Sakura was the only person that could help Naruto during his dire need of encouragement.
The pink haired girl was also suffering from the lost of Uchiha Sasuke, and perhaps by being with Naruto now was in a sense a way of knowing that their team wasn’t completely broken. And Hinata had made the decision that she would help out as best she could, even if her efforts only brought him happiness for a second, that second would mean more to Hinata then anything else.
However, as she stood there in the kitchen, Hinata couldn’t help but begin to doubt herself. A small pessimistic voice in the back of her head began to question her own decision. What if Naruto didn’t like her present? What if he thought her sudden appearance in hospital room was nothing but an annoyance? All this thoughts clouded Hinata’s view on the situation and were almost enough to make her re-check herself.
But somewhere deep down inside her chest she knew if she didn’t at least attempt to make an effort and try, then her outrageous (in her case) decision would be for nothing. She would have been approaching the situation like her old self: shy, timid and nervous, but if she was serious about what she was doing then she was slowly changing herself.
The fear and the anxiety would never truly leave her, that much was pretty much prominent. And she couldn’t help but let her thoughts drift to the possible outcome of her visit, but whatever the effect, she would be happy because she had finally did something out of her comfort zone.
With her resolve intact, Hinata gave herself a firm nod and then turned to exit the kitchen. However, before she could step one foot into the door way the sudden appearance of her father startled her, nearly causing her to fall over from the shock.
“G-Good morning father,” Hinata quickly spoke, inclining her head respectively under the hard gaze he directed at her. Hiashi’s left eyebrow was raised, founding it quite odd that his daughter was up so early, the sun had only been present in the sky for about an hour. The young girl gulped and looked up momentarily to see her father’s eyes now resting on the containers in her arms, she unconsciously tried to cover them with her coat sleeve.
“Where are you heading off to so early?” He finally asked, arms crossed over his chest as he walked passed her towards the refrigerator. Hinata’s gaze lowered to the floor as she spoke in a quiet, meek voice.
“I’m planning on going to the hospital to visit Kiba-kun today.” She failed to mention Naruto, partly because she believed her father wouldn’t think to highly of her visiting him. Despite the recent acknowledgement Naruto was receiving from the village, it just wasn’t enough in her father’s eyes, much like she wasn’t. At least with her team mate being injured and everything she had a logical reason to visit him.
Hiashi didn’t look entirely convinced that she was telling him the whole truth, but decided to drop it, not wishing to waste any more time on his daughter. “You may go,” he finally said in that monotone voice of his, and Hinata didn’t hesitate to leave such an intimidating man’s side, feeling a great deal of relief as she stepped through the kitchen’s door.
**
Once outside the near suffocating room, Hinata paused and leaned against the adjacent wall, trying her best to calm down and gain her wits. Hinata just couldn’t grasp the reason why whenever her father was near her she would falter. It seemed that the past few months of steadily building up her confidence was for nothing. The hyuuga girl eased her away off the wall, shacking her head to get rid of the melancholy feeling tugging at her heart. With one last quick glance at the kitchen door, Hinata turned and scurried out of the house, eyes narrowed in fixed determination.
No, she wouldn’t give up, there would be a day when her father took notice of her. And until then she needed to just approve herself one step at a time.
Once outside of the compound, Hinata began the search for her un-injured team mate. It had been a while since she saw Shino, or any of the rest of team 8 for that matter. While Kiba was locked up in the hospital, Kurenai had been busy with several different missions, some requiring her to be away from the village for a long period of time. It was quite lonely not have the older women around because in a sense Kurenai had became a sort of surrogated mother for her.
Hinata often times went to her whenever she needed advice or comfort. Now that her sensei was gone, there wasn’t really anyone she could talk to, it was almost like losing her mother all over again.
Shino, however, had returned fairly recently from a mission with his father and seemed more withdrawn (if that was possible) then before. He had yet to speak to Hinata, and the young girl was almost to the point of feeling like she was being ignored, a feeling she was knew quite well.
There would be days like this when she would try to seek out the bug-user, but it seemed like she was just wasting her time. Shino for the most part was perhaps the hardest person to track down when you wanted to find him, and when you could care less he would pop up behind you like some ghostly specter.
It was indeed frustrating, but Hinata knew she needed to found Shino. She didn’t think she would have the courage to face Naruto without him, and having someone with her would be comforting.
With that thought in mind, Hinata let her mind drift, sorting out all the most logical places Shino would be. It was very early in the morning, and Shino if he hadn’t had any plans already would most likely be training. The older boy had a fondness of getting up quite early and collecting the night bugs, so this was the perfect chance to catch him before he disappeared begin.
Hinata cautiously approached her team’s training grounds, her byukagon activated as she searched for any human specimen in the area. The temperature was several degrees lower then it would have been during the day, so it helped distinguish living things more easily. Her eyes looked straight ahead, adjusting when more chakra was sent to her veins in an attempt to see further.
Just as she thought, Shino was indeed there, leaning up against a tree. From her position she couldn’t tell what kind of condition he was in, but she figured that didn’t really matter right now.
When she entered the clearing, she saw Shino look up to regard her, one hand held out in front of him as the bugs ran rapid on his palm. He looked quite stiff, rigid and there were several specs of dirt on his clothing, the boy looked like he had put himself through the work out of his life.
“Hello Shino-kun,” Hinata greeted, making her way towards her team mate. There was a small smile plastered on her face, but it did nothing to hide the anticipation in her eyes.
Shino gave her a firm nod, standing up as he dusted himself off. “What are you doing here Hinata?” He asked, not seeming to care if he sounded rude or not. Hinata came to an abrupt halt several feet away from the boy, her feet unconsciously turning inwards as she gazed down at them.
“I just thought that perhaps you would like to accompany me to the hospital to visit Kiba-kun.” She bit her lower lip as she awaited his answer, somehow fearing for the worst. The silence that commenced did not seem to help her nerves in the least. Hinata felt Shino’s eyes on her, his intense scrutiny sort of frightening, but she told herself to stand her ground. This was after all Shino, her team mate that she trusted above all else, there was no need to feel intimidated by him.
“Kiba isn’t the only one your visiting right?” Hinata’s eyes widened briefly at the question, feeling stupid for thinking she could not give Shino the entire truth, he was just as perceptive as her cousin.
She nodded her head solemnly. “I was also planning on visiting Naruto-kun…” Hinata trailed off, eyes taking a vast interest in her wiggling toes. Shino sighed, not knowing why Hinata would feel the need to lie to him, he as her team mate had not once lied to her.
“I thought that perhaps you wouldn’t want to waste your time if it was for anyone else but Kiba-kun.” Hinata felt quilt tug at her heart, and had to resist the urge to flinch when she felt Shino brush past her. He was probably angry with her, he had every right to be.
“Lets go, Hinata.” The hyuuga found her eyes widening once again in shock, Shino seemed to be surprising her a lot lately. She quickly spun around and watched the back of the older boy as he slowly walked off, hands jammed into his coat pockets.
“If you need me to be there with you, then what kind of team mate would I be if I refused.” That was all the reasoning he gave her as he left the clearing, not once turning back to see if she was following him or not. Hinata’s eyes filled with tears of gratitude and just as they were threatening to streak down her face she wiped them away, determination once again settling over her as she followed the taller form of her team mate.
**
Hinata’s pale eyes darted across the small room, feeling a slight head ache come on from concentrating so hard on the endless white walls. She was currently sitting in the waiting room, eyes looking at anything else but her quiet companion. Shino sat stoic beside her, not having uttered a word since their arrival. That stiffness in his form had returned once again, and Hinata vaguely wondered what was causing Shino to react in such a way. Perhaps he didn’t like hospitals? Even if he didn’t, that did nothing to explain his behavior earlier.
The women at the front desk, after searching of what rooms they desired, left her post at the desk and called them over. Hinata nodded and stood, balancing the two containers in her hand as she moved to the clerk’s side. Shino eyed Hinata warily as he followed behind her, ready to sprint and catch her if she fainted or something.
The clerk led them up a flight of stairs, and then rounded a corner. “We’ll be visiting Naruto-kun first, “ she told them as she paused before a room. Hinata felt heat rush to her head at the thought of Naruto being just beyond the door before her. Her breathing was beginning to grow lapsed just as Shino tapped her shoulder and spoke.
“Are you going to be alright?” Hinata turned and gave him a hesitant nod, and Shino was starting to think that perhaps visiting Naruto was the last thing she should do. He carefully took one of the containers from the girl and stepped back, giving Hinata enough space to enter the room.
“Aren’t you coming with me Shino-kun?” She asked, seeing that Shino had casually leaned himself against the wall. The genin shook his head, feeling quite guilty that he couldn’t support Hinata fully on this. Shino felt that it wasn’t his place to enter the room, he had been the only male that hadn’t gone on that mission, and because of that felt he had let the others down. In reality it wasn’t exactly his fault, the mission given to him and his father was quite urgent, but still he couldn’t help but feel things could have turned out better if he had gone.
“No, I will stay out here, give Naruto my best regards.” He watched as Hinata averted her gaze and nod her head at his request, just as the door opened and she was led inside. The door was closed swiftly behind her and Shino looked away, fist clenching at his side.
Inside the room, Hinata’s white eyes was met with a beautiful scene. Naruto was awake and looking quite well, his face was turned towards the window as the sunlight streamed in and engulfed him in a bright light. At that moment, Hinata believed that she had never seen Naruto look so alluring, despite the fact that he was half covered in bandages like some kind of mummy.
“Naruto-kun you have a very pretty visitor here to see you.” Hinata blushed at the ‘pretty visitor’ compliment and even more so when Naruto turned to look at her. His blue eyes were widened, looking like he didn’t quite believe she was there. It was a mystery that he hadn’t sensed them right at the door, he must have been to indulged in his own thoughts.
“H-Hello Naruto-kun,” Hinata greeted softly, moving past the clerk who decided that she would leave the two alone.
Naruto got over his initial shock and let his face melt into a warm smile. “Hinata, I hadn’t expected you to visit.” The girl didn’t know if she should feel offended or not at the comment, but she chose to ignore it, pulling up a seat next to the bed.
“How are you feeling Naruto-kun?” Hinata asked, eyeing the severity of his injuries and wondering how the boy could sit up so easily. Naruto, at this question, clenched and unclenched his fist as if testing himself, then he rotated his left shoulder blade.
“I’m feeling better, but the nurses won’t let me walk around just yet.” That was understandable, no matter how strong Naruto was, he still had his limits. Hinata was just grateful the boy wasn’t pushing himself and seemed to be heading towards a good recovery. Naruto suddenly huffed and crossed his arms, eyes closing in a way that looked much like a cunning fox.
“Well, it wasn’t like I haven’t tried to escape here and visit the others.” Hinata sweat dropped, feeling that she should have known Naruto wouldn’t cooperate so easily. The boy was as stubborn as a bull, a trait she greatly admired, even if it did get him in a whole bunch of trouble. Hinata smiled as she watched Naruto muttered under his breath about evil nurses and the like, and found herself with a very heated blush on her face.
“N-Naruto-kun, the nurses only have in mind what is best for you. So please don’t push yourself.” The boy snapped his eyes open and looked at her, blinking in confusion. He un-crossed his arms and once again gave her genuine smile.
“Thank you Hinata for caring, but there is no need to worry about me. I am the strongest ninja in this village after all.” His smile turned into a foxy grin at his own words, giving her a clear view of all his pearly white teeth. Hinata tried to stifle her giggles, removing her hand away from the container in her lap in order to clasp it over her mouth. It was then that Naruto noticed the thing in her lap and eyed it in confusion.
“What is that Hinata?” He pointed a bandaged finger at it, and Hinata jumped as she looked down at it as well. For a moment she simply gazed at the container, feeling the waves of anxiety run its course through her stomach. With trembling fingers she grasped the container and held it out to Naruto, her head lowered.
“It’s for y-you.” The young girl said, gulping down a rather large lump. Naruto cocked his to the side, clear perplexity on his face as he steadily took it from her and set it on his lap. Hinata placed her hands back on her lap and fiddled with them, giving quick glances at the blonde haired boy as he opened up the container. Her heart beat was growing quite erratic.
“Wow, fried vegetables, thank you Hinata!” He said, excitedly, as his mouth began to literally water as the stem rose from the vegetables and filled his nose with a delicious aroma. Hinata looked up, face lighting up just when Naruto decided to dig in, using his hands.
“Wait, Naruto-kun you need a fork.” Hinata realized that she hadn’t been smart enough to bring one. Naruto smiled, and pointed over to the bed’s side table where a fork and other eating utensils laid. Hinata reached for it and hesitated as she sudden thought entered her mind
“Are you sure you can eat by yourself.” The dark haired girl wasn’t willing to admit that the idea of feeding Naruto was quite appealing to her. Naruto, however, was quick to shack his head, reaching over and taking the fork from her. He would feel quite wrong in asking Hinata to feed him, she had gone through the trouble of bringing him delicious food, he wouldn’t hassle her more by forcing her to feed him.
He had tried that once with Sakura and it landed him with more injuries then he began with.
Naruto said a silent pray and began to dig in, chewing everything thoroughly with a satisfied look on his face. “Is it to your liking, Naruto-kun?” Hinata simply had to know, feeling that if Naruto didn’t like it she would have to drown herself in the nearest lake. The boy gulped down a rather large load, grinning from ear to ear.
“It’s delicious Hinata, I can’t thank you enough.” A blush was the result of this compliment and the girl once again returned to fiddling her fingers out of habit. She remained absolutely still, feeling fully content in just watching Naruto eat. Hinata felt like she was in some type of trance, just sitting there with the person she admired most was quite an experience for her. Never before had she ever felt so relaxed and happy.
“So..” Naruto began between bites. “How are the others doings? I’ve only seen Shikamaru and Sakura since my stay in the hospital.” Hinata shook her head out of her trance, face contorting back to its default somber expression.
“I don’t know much, I’ve only seen Neji-Nissan so far, he seems to be recovering quite well. His injuries were very life threatening.” Her eyebrows scrunched together in thought, remembering when she had visited her older cousin a few days ago. Surprisingly, her father and sister had came along with her to see the fate of their clan’s genius.
Her father had talked to Neji privately for some time, while Hanabi hung back with her, looking quite unsure about what to say to her cousin she barely knew. After everything was all said in done, Hinata found herself in the room with Neji alone. They talked about seemingly trivial things, Hinata found to her amusement that Neji’s team had been coming and pestering him ever since he been allowed visitors. It was relatively much easier talking to him then she would have anticipated.
Neji was quite humble towards her, a giant contrast to his pre-chuunin exam self. And just before she made her exit, she had offered him some dumplings, but Neji had quietly declined, saying that he hadn’t the stomach right now for such things. When he had said this he had pointed somewhat boldly at his stomach where a punctured hole lay. Hinata had blushed, wondering if her cousin was being serious or making a blatant joke at his own injuries.
When he gave her a half smile her question had been answered and she found herself sharing a good laugh with her cousin, something that had not happened in years.
During her trip into the past, Naruto had paused in his eating and smiled in relief. Hinata focused her gaze on him when the boy turned towards her, eyes half-lidded with an unforeseen pain that she couldn’t understand.
“That’s good to hear, thanks for informing me Hinata.” His gaze shifted to the sheets, and for the first time Hinata realized that a scared head band laid there. She wondered who it was, but she didn’t have the time to analyze it any further for a firm sudden knock came to the door.
Both occupants of the room blinked, shooting each other curious looks just as the person on the other side yelled out. “It’s me Naruto, Sakura open the door!”
Hinata caught the bright grin that instantly come to Naruto’s face, and she couldn’t help but look away. Naruto had never directed such a look towards her. She silently stood up, clasping her hands together as she bowed to the blonde haired boy.
“It was nice seeing you Naruto-kun, I hope you recovery goes well for you. Shino gives his best regards for you as well.” Hinata carefully avoided his gaze, stepping away from the bed. “You can keep the container if you want.”
Naruto closed his eyes for a brief moment and then smiled at Hinata’s turned back. “Thank you again, Hinata, your visit means a lot to me.” He completely missed the abrupt tension in Hinata‘s shoulders, but it wasn’t like he would think anything of it if he did see it. “Do your best, Hinata!”
The girl did even bother to wonder what Naruto meant by ’do your best’, but it did bring her a great sense of joy. She turned her head towards him and gave him a giant smile, a blushing coloring her cheeks a bright red. “You too Naruto-kun!” She gave him a small wave, and then move towards the door and opened it, revealing Sakura on the other side.
The pink haired girl’s right hand was raised and balled into a fist as if she was ready to break the door down, Hinata couldn’t help but feel slightly nervous when those blazing green eyes landed on her.
“Oh, Hinata-san I didn’t expect to see you!” Well, a lot people hadn’t expected to see her today, Sakura was no different.
“N-Nice seeing you to Sakura-san,” Hinata said, moving aside to allow the other girl in. She paused at the door, seeing Sakura moving towards Naruto’s side and speaking quietly to him. Hinata observed them silently, and then gave them a small smile, knowing that along as Sakura was there with Naruto, the blonde would be okay. So there wasn’t anymore need for her to worry.
Hinata walked out the door, spotting Shino waiting there patiently against the wall. She gave him a small smile of apology, since she had made the boy wait for some time, but Shino just shrugged her off.
“I see you didn’t faint," Shino observed, inwardly quite proud of his shy team mate.
Hinata gave a firm nod, her fist balled in front of her chest as she followed Shino down the hall to go and found Kiba’s room. It didn’t necessarily take them that long to found, since they already knew the room number. When they entered the small room, Kiba was laid up on his bed, eyeing a fragile looking Akamaru in his sister’s arms. Hana was taking great care not to move him much as he laid lifeless in her arms.
After the warm greetings and the rather joyful reunion that followed, Hinata watched as Shino presented the container of fried vegetables to Kiba. The dog boy took one long look at it, sweat beginning to pile up on his brow as he gritted his teeth.
“What’s the matter Kiba-kun,” Hinata asked, wondering why her team mate looked a little bit uncomfortable.
“Not to hate on your cooking or anything Hinata..” Kiba trailed off, seriously hating himself for what he was about to say. "But I hate any kind of food that I don’t get a challenge out of chewing, and sadly I just don’t like fried vegetables that much."
There was a pregnant silence after this, and Hinata dropped her gaze to the floor mumbling a small apology. How could she have been so stupid? Of course Kiba didn’t like food he couldn’t chew. He acted so much like a dog, it wasn’t unusual that he carried that certain canine trait.
“What!?” Hana yelled, anger showing on her face as she laid Akamaru down on the chair. She stomped towards her brother, reaching out to grip his dark brown hair. “Hinata-chan has went through the trouble of bringing you food, swallow your stupidity and accept it.” Hana was yelling, seemingly disregarding her brother’s rather serious injuries.
Kiba growled and tried to get away, but found himself held firmly down, just as Shino rounded on him with a fork full of vegetables. “Give it to him Shino, “ Hana told the boy, and Shino obliged stuffing the food practically down the Inuzuka’s throat. He too was angry, feeling that Kiba was being a ungrateful fool, just because he probably hadn’t had and cheese hamburgers in a few weeks didn’t give him the right to act that way.
“Now say your sorry, and thank Hinata-chan for her food.” Hana ordered her brother, none to gently. Kiba glanced over at Hinata, who stood there looking like she might explode from helplessness. His mouth was full of food, and he simply mumbled these words to Hinata, feeling quite foolish for his rudeness.
Hinata, however, didn’t take offense and nodded, watching as Kiba was force fed and looking as if he might choke any second. Taking pity on his wretched state, Hinata moved over towards them and took over feeding Kiba, feeling quite accomplished today.
Who would have thought she would have the courage to visit Naruto?
Now she was sure, quite confident actually in thinking that today she had managed to change herself just a little. And with Naruto’s encouraging words, ‘do your best’ she would take them in strive and continue the process of changing herself. After all, who knew perhaps she could be just as strong of a ninja as Naruto was.
The End
Author/Artist: mtakuja
Claim: Hyuuga Hinata
Theme: 02-deep fried vegetables.
Word Count: 4858
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, the story and characters belong solely to Masashi Kishimoto.
Author's notes: The story takes place right after the Sasuke retrieval arc, and it sort of disegards the beginning of the fillers.
A Hospital Visit
Hinata hummed quietly to herself, her face relaxed and content as she skillfully chopped up several different vegetables on a platter. She took great care not to chop off her own fingers as she did so, depositing the chopped pieces into a pan filled with oil a few centimeters away.
When all the vegetables laid secured in the pan, Hinata took the time to clean up her area a bit, cleansing the platter and knife under some warm water and placing it in the dish rack--before she moved to start the stove. She was initially startled as the food began to sizzle loudly and instinctively she reached for a spatula, ready to tame the beast on the stove if it chose to become to rowdy.
She simply stood there for several minutes letting one side get a decent amount of heat before reaching over and turning the food. This process continued for some time, Hinata showing no signs of impatience or fatigue as the boiling came to an abrupt calm, signaling that is was done and ready to be eaten.
The young girl took a few small steps closer using the spatula to take the newly fried vegetables from the pan, trying very hard not to drop any pieces. She placed a portion of them into two different containers, closing the lid securely over them to preserve their heat and freshness. It was only when the kitchen was thoroughly cleaned and the plastic containers were held safely in her arms did Hinata allow herself to smile, a tint of a blush coming to her face as she imagined one of the people she would be giving her home-cooked fried vegetables to.
The image of sun-kissed blonde hair, bright blue eyes and a foxy grin was what wavered in Hinata’s mind for a second, nearly causing her to faint at the sheer beauty that was her beloved Naruto. The boy was currently resting in the hospital, Hinata hadn’t a clue about his condition, but rumors told her that he had come back better off then the others--with the exception of Shikamaru, but that said little about his emotional state.
Losing a team mate must have been incredible painful, but the word ’painful’ didn’t do that since of lost any justice. Hinata did not wish to even begin to think about losing either Kiba or Shino. The two had been a constant source of comfort and encouragement for her, and she knew she would not have gotten this far in her ninja career without their protection and guidance.
That was why she could never fully relate to Naruto on that subject, and it did sadden her quite a bit knowing she could not do very much for him. But Hinata was mature enough to know and admit that Sakura was the only person that could help Naruto during his dire need of encouragement.
The pink haired girl was also suffering from the lost of Uchiha Sasuke, and perhaps by being with Naruto now was in a sense a way of knowing that their team wasn’t completely broken. And Hinata had made the decision that she would help out as best she could, even if her efforts only brought him happiness for a second, that second would mean more to Hinata then anything else.
However, as she stood there in the kitchen, Hinata couldn’t help but begin to doubt herself. A small pessimistic voice in the back of her head began to question her own decision. What if Naruto didn’t like her present? What if he thought her sudden appearance in hospital room was nothing but an annoyance? All this thoughts clouded Hinata’s view on the situation and were almost enough to make her re-check herself.
But somewhere deep down inside her chest she knew if she didn’t at least attempt to make an effort and try, then her outrageous (in her case) decision would be for nothing. She would have been approaching the situation like her old self: shy, timid and nervous, but if she was serious about what she was doing then she was slowly changing herself.
The fear and the anxiety would never truly leave her, that much was pretty much prominent. And she couldn’t help but let her thoughts drift to the possible outcome of her visit, but whatever the effect, she would be happy because she had finally did something out of her comfort zone.
With her resolve intact, Hinata gave herself a firm nod and then turned to exit the kitchen. However, before she could step one foot into the door way the sudden appearance of her father startled her, nearly causing her to fall over from the shock.
“G-Good morning father,” Hinata quickly spoke, inclining her head respectively under the hard gaze he directed at her. Hiashi’s left eyebrow was raised, founding it quite odd that his daughter was up so early, the sun had only been present in the sky for about an hour. The young girl gulped and looked up momentarily to see her father’s eyes now resting on the containers in her arms, she unconsciously tried to cover them with her coat sleeve.
“Where are you heading off to so early?” He finally asked, arms crossed over his chest as he walked passed her towards the refrigerator. Hinata’s gaze lowered to the floor as she spoke in a quiet, meek voice.
“I’m planning on going to the hospital to visit Kiba-kun today.” She failed to mention Naruto, partly because she believed her father wouldn’t think to highly of her visiting him. Despite the recent acknowledgement Naruto was receiving from the village, it just wasn’t enough in her father’s eyes, much like she wasn’t. At least with her team mate being injured and everything she had a logical reason to visit him.
Hiashi didn’t look entirely convinced that she was telling him the whole truth, but decided to drop it, not wishing to waste any more time on his daughter. “You may go,” he finally said in that monotone voice of his, and Hinata didn’t hesitate to leave such an intimidating man’s side, feeling a great deal of relief as she stepped through the kitchen’s door.
**
Once outside the near suffocating room, Hinata paused and leaned against the adjacent wall, trying her best to calm down and gain her wits. Hinata just couldn’t grasp the reason why whenever her father was near her she would falter. It seemed that the past few months of steadily building up her confidence was for nothing. The hyuuga girl eased her away off the wall, shacking her head to get rid of the melancholy feeling tugging at her heart. With one last quick glance at the kitchen door, Hinata turned and scurried out of the house, eyes narrowed in fixed determination.
No, she wouldn’t give up, there would be a day when her father took notice of her. And until then she needed to just approve herself one step at a time.
Once outside of the compound, Hinata began the search for her un-injured team mate. It had been a while since she saw Shino, or any of the rest of team 8 for that matter. While Kiba was locked up in the hospital, Kurenai had been busy with several different missions, some requiring her to be away from the village for a long period of time. It was quite lonely not have the older women around because in a sense Kurenai had became a sort of surrogated mother for her.
Hinata often times went to her whenever she needed advice or comfort. Now that her sensei was gone, there wasn’t really anyone she could talk to, it was almost like losing her mother all over again.
Shino, however, had returned fairly recently from a mission with his father and seemed more withdrawn (if that was possible) then before. He had yet to speak to Hinata, and the young girl was almost to the point of feeling like she was being ignored, a feeling she was knew quite well.
There would be days like this when she would try to seek out the bug-user, but it seemed like she was just wasting her time. Shino for the most part was perhaps the hardest person to track down when you wanted to find him, and when you could care less he would pop up behind you like some ghostly specter.
It was indeed frustrating, but Hinata knew she needed to found Shino. She didn’t think she would have the courage to face Naruto without him, and having someone with her would be comforting.
With that thought in mind, Hinata let her mind drift, sorting out all the most logical places Shino would be. It was very early in the morning, and Shino if he hadn’t had any plans already would most likely be training. The older boy had a fondness of getting up quite early and collecting the night bugs, so this was the perfect chance to catch him before he disappeared begin.
Hinata cautiously approached her team’s training grounds, her byukagon activated as she searched for any human specimen in the area. The temperature was several degrees lower then it would have been during the day, so it helped distinguish living things more easily. Her eyes looked straight ahead, adjusting when more chakra was sent to her veins in an attempt to see further.
Just as she thought, Shino was indeed there, leaning up against a tree. From her position she couldn’t tell what kind of condition he was in, but she figured that didn’t really matter right now.
When she entered the clearing, she saw Shino look up to regard her, one hand held out in front of him as the bugs ran rapid on his palm. He looked quite stiff, rigid and there were several specs of dirt on his clothing, the boy looked like he had put himself through the work out of his life.
“Hello Shino-kun,” Hinata greeted, making her way towards her team mate. There was a small smile plastered on her face, but it did nothing to hide the anticipation in her eyes.
Shino gave her a firm nod, standing up as he dusted himself off. “What are you doing here Hinata?” He asked, not seeming to care if he sounded rude or not. Hinata came to an abrupt halt several feet away from the boy, her feet unconsciously turning inwards as she gazed down at them.
“I just thought that perhaps you would like to accompany me to the hospital to visit Kiba-kun.” She bit her lower lip as she awaited his answer, somehow fearing for the worst. The silence that commenced did not seem to help her nerves in the least. Hinata felt Shino’s eyes on her, his intense scrutiny sort of frightening, but she told herself to stand her ground. This was after all Shino, her team mate that she trusted above all else, there was no need to feel intimidated by him.
“Kiba isn’t the only one your visiting right?” Hinata’s eyes widened briefly at the question, feeling stupid for thinking she could not give Shino the entire truth, he was just as perceptive as her cousin.
She nodded her head solemnly. “I was also planning on visiting Naruto-kun…” Hinata trailed off, eyes taking a vast interest in her wiggling toes. Shino sighed, not knowing why Hinata would feel the need to lie to him, he as her team mate had not once lied to her.
“I thought that perhaps you wouldn’t want to waste your time if it was for anyone else but Kiba-kun.” Hinata felt quilt tug at her heart, and had to resist the urge to flinch when she felt Shino brush past her. He was probably angry with her, he had every right to be.
“Lets go, Hinata.” The hyuuga found her eyes widening once again in shock, Shino seemed to be surprising her a lot lately. She quickly spun around and watched the back of the older boy as he slowly walked off, hands jammed into his coat pockets.
“If you need me to be there with you, then what kind of team mate would I be if I refused.” That was all the reasoning he gave her as he left the clearing, not once turning back to see if she was following him or not. Hinata’s eyes filled with tears of gratitude and just as they were threatening to streak down her face she wiped them away, determination once again settling over her as she followed the taller form of her team mate.
**
Hinata’s pale eyes darted across the small room, feeling a slight head ache come on from concentrating so hard on the endless white walls. She was currently sitting in the waiting room, eyes looking at anything else but her quiet companion. Shino sat stoic beside her, not having uttered a word since their arrival. That stiffness in his form had returned once again, and Hinata vaguely wondered what was causing Shino to react in such a way. Perhaps he didn’t like hospitals? Even if he didn’t, that did nothing to explain his behavior earlier.
The women at the front desk, after searching of what rooms they desired, left her post at the desk and called them over. Hinata nodded and stood, balancing the two containers in her hand as she moved to the clerk’s side. Shino eyed Hinata warily as he followed behind her, ready to sprint and catch her if she fainted or something.
The clerk led them up a flight of stairs, and then rounded a corner. “We’ll be visiting Naruto-kun first, “ she told them as she paused before a room. Hinata felt heat rush to her head at the thought of Naruto being just beyond the door before her. Her breathing was beginning to grow lapsed just as Shino tapped her shoulder and spoke.
“Are you going to be alright?” Hinata turned and gave him a hesitant nod, and Shino was starting to think that perhaps visiting Naruto was the last thing she should do. He carefully took one of the containers from the girl and stepped back, giving Hinata enough space to enter the room.
“Aren’t you coming with me Shino-kun?” She asked, seeing that Shino had casually leaned himself against the wall. The genin shook his head, feeling quite guilty that he couldn’t support Hinata fully on this. Shino felt that it wasn’t his place to enter the room, he had been the only male that hadn’t gone on that mission, and because of that felt he had let the others down. In reality it wasn’t exactly his fault, the mission given to him and his father was quite urgent, but still he couldn’t help but feel things could have turned out better if he had gone.
“No, I will stay out here, give Naruto my best regards.” He watched as Hinata averted her gaze and nod her head at his request, just as the door opened and she was led inside. The door was closed swiftly behind her and Shino looked away, fist clenching at his side.
Inside the room, Hinata’s white eyes was met with a beautiful scene. Naruto was awake and looking quite well, his face was turned towards the window as the sunlight streamed in and engulfed him in a bright light. At that moment, Hinata believed that she had never seen Naruto look so alluring, despite the fact that he was half covered in bandages like some kind of mummy.
“Naruto-kun you have a very pretty visitor here to see you.” Hinata blushed at the ‘pretty visitor’ compliment and even more so when Naruto turned to look at her. His blue eyes were widened, looking like he didn’t quite believe she was there. It was a mystery that he hadn’t sensed them right at the door, he must have been to indulged in his own thoughts.
“H-Hello Naruto-kun,” Hinata greeted softly, moving past the clerk who decided that she would leave the two alone.
Naruto got over his initial shock and let his face melt into a warm smile. “Hinata, I hadn’t expected you to visit.” The girl didn’t know if she should feel offended or not at the comment, but she chose to ignore it, pulling up a seat next to the bed.
“How are you feeling Naruto-kun?” Hinata asked, eyeing the severity of his injuries and wondering how the boy could sit up so easily. Naruto, at this question, clenched and unclenched his fist as if testing himself, then he rotated his left shoulder blade.
“I’m feeling better, but the nurses won’t let me walk around just yet.” That was understandable, no matter how strong Naruto was, he still had his limits. Hinata was just grateful the boy wasn’t pushing himself and seemed to be heading towards a good recovery. Naruto suddenly huffed and crossed his arms, eyes closing in a way that looked much like a cunning fox.
“Well, it wasn’t like I haven’t tried to escape here and visit the others.” Hinata sweat dropped, feeling that she should have known Naruto wouldn’t cooperate so easily. The boy was as stubborn as a bull, a trait she greatly admired, even if it did get him in a whole bunch of trouble. Hinata smiled as she watched Naruto muttered under his breath about evil nurses and the like, and found herself with a very heated blush on her face.
“N-Naruto-kun, the nurses only have in mind what is best for you. So please don’t push yourself.” The boy snapped his eyes open and looked at her, blinking in confusion. He un-crossed his arms and once again gave her genuine smile.
“Thank you Hinata for caring, but there is no need to worry about me. I am the strongest ninja in this village after all.” His smile turned into a foxy grin at his own words, giving her a clear view of all his pearly white teeth. Hinata tried to stifle her giggles, removing her hand away from the container in her lap in order to clasp it over her mouth. It was then that Naruto noticed the thing in her lap and eyed it in confusion.
“What is that Hinata?” He pointed a bandaged finger at it, and Hinata jumped as she looked down at it as well. For a moment she simply gazed at the container, feeling the waves of anxiety run its course through her stomach. With trembling fingers she grasped the container and held it out to Naruto, her head lowered.
“It’s for y-you.” The young girl said, gulping down a rather large lump. Naruto cocked his to the side, clear perplexity on his face as he steadily took it from her and set it on his lap. Hinata placed her hands back on her lap and fiddled with them, giving quick glances at the blonde haired boy as he opened up the container. Her heart beat was growing quite erratic.
“Wow, fried vegetables, thank you Hinata!” He said, excitedly, as his mouth began to literally water as the stem rose from the vegetables and filled his nose with a delicious aroma. Hinata looked up, face lighting up just when Naruto decided to dig in, using his hands.
“Wait, Naruto-kun you need a fork.” Hinata realized that she hadn’t been smart enough to bring one. Naruto smiled, and pointed over to the bed’s side table where a fork and other eating utensils laid. Hinata reached for it and hesitated as she sudden thought entered her mind
“Are you sure you can eat by yourself.” The dark haired girl wasn’t willing to admit that the idea of feeding Naruto was quite appealing to her. Naruto, however, was quick to shack his head, reaching over and taking the fork from her. He would feel quite wrong in asking Hinata to feed him, she had gone through the trouble of bringing him delicious food, he wouldn’t hassle her more by forcing her to feed him.
He had tried that once with Sakura and it landed him with more injuries then he began with.
Naruto said a silent pray and began to dig in, chewing everything thoroughly with a satisfied look on his face. “Is it to your liking, Naruto-kun?” Hinata simply had to know, feeling that if Naruto didn’t like it she would have to drown herself in the nearest lake. The boy gulped down a rather large load, grinning from ear to ear.
“It’s delicious Hinata, I can’t thank you enough.” A blush was the result of this compliment and the girl once again returned to fiddling her fingers out of habit. She remained absolutely still, feeling fully content in just watching Naruto eat. Hinata felt like she was in some type of trance, just sitting there with the person she admired most was quite an experience for her. Never before had she ever felt so relaxed and happy.
“So..” Naruto began between bites. “How are the others doings? I’ve only seen Shikamaru and Sakura since my stay in the hospital.” Hinata shook her head out of her trance, face contorting back to its default somber expression.
“I don’t know much, I’ve only seen Neji-Nissan so far, he seems to be recovering quite well. His injuries were very life threatening.” Her eyebrows scrunched together in thought, remembering when she had visited her older cousin a few days ago. Surprisingly, her father and sister had came along with her to see the fate of their clan’s genius.
Her father had talked to Neji privately for some time, while Hanabi hung back with her, looking quite unsure about what to say to her cousin she barely knew. After everything was all said in done, Hinata found herself in the room with Neji alone. They talked about seemingly trivial things, Hinata found to her amusement that Neji’s team had been coming and pestering him ever since he been allowed visitors. It was relatively much easier talking to him then she would have anticipated.
Neji was quite humble towards her, a giant contrast to his pre-chuunin exam self. And just before she made her exit, she had offered him some dumplings, but Neji had quietly declined, saying that he hadn’t the stomach right now for such things. When he had said this he had pointed somewhat boldly at his stomach where a punctured hole lay. Hinata had blushed, wondering if her cousin was being serious or making a blatant joke at his own injuries.
When he gave her a half smile her question had been answered and she found herself sharing a good laugh with her cousin, something that had not happened in years.
During her trip into the past, Naruto had paused in his eating and smiled in relief. Hinata focused her gaze on him when the boy turned towards her, eyes half-lidded with an unforeseen pain that she couldn’t understand.
“That’s good to hear, thanks for informing me Hinata.” His gaze shifted to the sheets, and for the first time Hinata realized that a scared head band laid there. She wondered who it was, but she didn’t have the time to analyze it any further for a firm sudden knock came to the door.
Both occupants of the room blinked, shooting each other curious looks just as the person on the other side yelled out. “It’s me Naruto, Sakura open the door!”
Hinata caught the bright grin that instantly come to Naruto’s face, and she couldn’t help but look away. Naruto had never directed such a look towards her. She silently stood up, clasping her hands together as she bowed to the blonde haired boy.
“It was nice seeing you Naruto-kun, I hope you recovery goes well for you. Shino gives his best regards for you as well.” Hinata carefully avoided his gaze, stepping away from the bed. “You can keep the container if you want.”
Naruto closed his eyes for a brief moment and then smiled at Hinata’s turned back. “Thank you again, Hinata, your visit means a lot to me.” He completely missed the abrupt tension in Hinata‘s shoulders, but it wasn’t like he would think anything of it if he did see it. “Do your best, Hinata!”
The girl did even bother to wonder what Naruto meant by ’do your best’, but it did bring her a great sense of joy. She turned her head towards him and gave him a giant smile, a blushing coloring her cheeks a bright red. “You too Naruto-kun!” She gave him a small wave, and then move towards the door and opened it, revealing Sakura on the other side.
The pink haired girl’s right hand was raised and balled into a fist as if she was ready to break the door down, Hinata couldn’t help but feel slightly nervous when those blazing green eyes landed on her.
“Oh, Hinata-san I didn’t expect to see you!” Well, a lot people hadn’t expected to see her today, Sakura was no different.
“N-Nice seeing you to Sakura-san,” Hinata said, moving aside to allow the other girl in. She paused at the door, seeing Sakura moving towards Naruto’s side and speaking quietly to him. Hinata observed them silently, and then gave them a small smile, knowing that along as Sakura was there with Naruto, the blonde would be okay. So there wasn’t anymore need for her to worry.
Hinata walked out the door, spotting Shino waiting there patiently against the wall. She gave him a small smile of apology, since she had made the boy wait for some time, but Shino just shrugged her off.
“I see you didn’t faint," Shino observed, inwardly quite proud of his shy team mate.
Hinata gave a firm nod, her fist balled in front of her chest as she followed Shino down the hall to go and found Kiba’s room. It didn’t necessarily take them that long to found, since they already knew the room number. When they entered the small room, Kiba was laid up on his bed, eyeing a fragile looking Akamaru in his sister’s arms. Hana was taking great care not to move him much as he laid lifeless in her arms.
After the warm greetings and the rather joyful reunion that followed, Hinata watched as Shino presented the container of fried vegetables to Kiba. The dog boy took one long look at it, sweat beginning to pile up on his brow as he gritted his teeth.
“What’s the matter Kiba-kun,” Hinata asked, wondering why her team mate looked a little bit uncomfortable.
“Not to hate on your cooking or anything Hinata..” Kiba trailed off, seriously hating himself for what he was about to say. "But I hate any kind of food that I don’t get a challenge out of chewing, and sadly I just don’t like fried vegetables that much."
There was a pregnant silence after this, and Hinata dropped her gaze to the floor mumbling a small apology. How could she have been so stupid? Of course Kiba didn’t like food he couldn’t chew. He acted so much like a dog, it wasn’t unusual that he carried that certain canine trait.
“What!?” Hana yelled, anger showing on her face as she laid Akamaru down on the chair. She stomped towards her brother, reaching out to grip his dark brown hair. “Hinata-chan has went through the trouble of bringing you food, swallow your stupidity and accept it.” Hana was yelling, seemingly disregarding her brother’s rather serious injuries.
Kiba growled and tried to get away, but found himself held firmly down, just as Shino rounded on him with a fork full of vegetables. “Give it to him Shino, “ Hana told the boy, and Shino obliged stuffing the food practically down the Inuzuka’s throat. He too was angry, feeling that Kiba was being a ungrateful fool, just because he probably hadn’t had and cheese hamburgers in a few weeks didn’t give him the right to act that way.
“Now say your sorry, and thank Hinata-chan for her food.” Hana ordered her brother, none to gently. Kiba glanced over at Hinata, who stood there looking like she might explode from helplessness. His mouth was full of food, and he simply mumbled these words to Hinata, feeling quite foolish for his rudeness.
Hinata, however, didn’t take offense and nodded, watching as Kiba was force fed and looking as if he might choke any second. Taking pity on his wretched state, Hinata moved over towards them and took over feeding Kiba, feeling quite accomplished today.
Who would have thought she would have the courage to visit Naruto?
Now she was sure, quite confident actually in thinking that today she had managed to change herself just a little. And with Naruto’s encouraging words, ‘do your best’ she would take them in strive and continue the process of changing herself. After all, who knew perhaps she could be just as strong of a ninja as Naruto was.
The End