A/N: Hey everyone, this is my first time writing a sasuke and hinata pairing. So go easy on me! Pleased to meet you all! Please read and review! Thanks
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto and its awesomeness of an anime. Rightfully belongs to Mr. Masashi Kishimoto.
Summary:
She was a hopeless cause to everyone. A certain Uchiha trains her with the reasons only being to pay off the debt because she took care of him and healed him when he was near at death's door after a mission gone wrong. He and she didn't expect anything more than that, but fate has something else in store for them.
Rated M: Mature
Words.
" Speech."
Thoughts
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Prologue
She is a failure. There was no doubt in that as Hinata looked over at her only companion, the full moon in front of her glowing itself to the fullest in the midst of the dark blue sky. She sat on her mattress, her hands resting on the windowsill watching the moon. Her ebony locks limp and wet from a refreshing bath. The breeze of the night was making her shiver as it kept hitting her wet hair, making her feel a cold sensation at the back of her neck. Her eyes cast cautiously down at her both hands, which were covered in bandage. Although she had healed herself, the skin was still blue from the bruising and it still hurt.
That had been the result of the training that seemed to have no benefit whatsoever, as Hinata began to learn and feel each day since a few years ago. Despite all her punches, kicks, and attacks, her every blow to Kiba, Shino and Kurenai there had always been that doubtful feeling telling her that she hadn't done it hard enough.
And every day at the end of training, Hinata could see, although from Kurenai's lips came words of encouragement, telling her she worked really hard and she should keep persevering. Her eyes, though, says otherwise. Hinata could see Kurenai trying hard to believe that Hinata was going to be stronger, but her realistic thoughts gripped on that fact that Hinata just wasn't going to be a decent shinobi.
It made her want to cry when she saw that for the first time, but she hardened her thoughts and tried to let it go. Soon, she was seeing that doubtful expression from Kiba as well, and Shino, though capable of his emotionless gaze- Hinata could see through it all. They have lost faith in her, or at least trying to hold on to it.
Hinata tightened her grip on the windowsill, her nails dug into the wood so tight she felt it start to bleed. She cursed loudly, it was rare for her, but she did. She glanced at the moon again. That is one of the reasons she is a failure.
Another reason would be because of her love for the Kyuubi container, Uzumaki Naruto. She had been crushing on him since forever, and that feeling of crush or love, she doesn't know, had never faded. It was still unrequited, probably because Hinata is too shy to make a move, let alone talk to him. But now, she felt that it was probably going to be a one-sided love forever. She glanced sadly at the moonlight, remembering what happened a few hours ago.
" Hinata-chan! Come on try this!" Ino waved an alcoholic drink in front of Hinata's face, obviously drunk herself as she was waving the drink in the face of her genius cousin, Neji, who was staring at Ino like she had grown ten heads.
" Ino! I- I'm here. That's… That's Neji-nii-san." Hinata said nervously.
" Haha, Ino, you've got the wrong Hyuuga!" Tenten shrieked, also tipsy.
" OH what does it matter? You look pretty much the same to me. You both have the same eyes and now the same long hair." Ino said. Tthen gulping some more of that drink, before waving it into the face of the right Hyuuga.
" Ah, ano, no,I… I don't..want..to…Ino-chan. You- you can h-have it." Hinata laughed nervously.
Tenten and Ino drank some more before whispering something not capable of understanding before breaking into fits of giggles. Hinata's lip twitched into a small smile at her friends, but really she was interested in something else. A few seats away, Naruto was drinking with Shikamaru, Chouji and Kiba. He was only sipping little of his drink, Hinata noticed. But she gave him a secret smile.
" Hinata! Ino and Tenten lost it, come and drink with us, we're still not tipsy yet!" Naruto called her over, giving her his ear-to-ear grin. Hinata only gave a shy smile.
Naruto had grown to be a fine man. He was now a high-level Jounin, still loud-mouthed and annoying to the rest of Konoha, but they respect him now, although they do it in secret as they're already annoyed by Naruto's boasts. His blonde hair had grown longer and he kept it that way. His blue eyes, as dreamy as ever. Although he would crack up to Kiba's jokes, Hinata would notice that his eye would dart around the room, unfortunately not at her, as if searching for someone. Hinata felt herself frowning, she knows who he's searching for.
" Hey! Hinata! Gomen, gomen, I was late. Tsunade made me redo the whole surgery process practical." Sakura said cheerfully, taking in the seat next to her, dropping her bag.
" But, it seems like I am too late." She eyed Ino who to Neji's dismay had decided him to be a judge for her and Tenten's drinking contest. " Ino's gone thousand miles past tipsy."
" Sakura-chan!" Naruto's loud voice was heard closer and Hinata realized that her guess was right to who Naruto was looking for all this time, as he took the seat next to Hinata, althought it wasn't next to Sakura it was good enough.
" Naruto, baka, drinking like hell before a mission! Damn it! You leave at like three in the morning!" Sakura punched the blonde on the head.
" Ow ow ow!" Naruto yelped in pain.
" Geez. Mister, one strawberry breeze!" Sakura called out. " Serves you right."
" C'mon Sakura-chan! I am not even tipsy." Naruto grumbled.
Hinata watched the two bicker continuously. Although Sakura is very 'physical' in the sense of showing her care for him, by beating him up. Hinata knows Sakura cares about Naruto a lot.
" Ne, Sakura-chan!" Naruto suddenly popped in between Hinata and Sakura.
" Nani?" Sakura grumbled, sipping her drink.
" PLEASE, dance with me!" Naruto begged.
Sakura blinked at him.
" No." She deadpanned. And then she sipped her drink coolly.
" Aw! C'mon Sakura-chan! Please."
" Sa-Sakura-chan!" Hinata found herself speaking for some unknown reason. " I, I I think you…you…s-should..d-dance…wi-with Naruto-kun." She whispered hoarsely, her two index fingers meeting when she is trying to explain something.
Sakura blinked at Hinata once again and downed her strawberry breeze. Her cheeks were slightly pink already as the effect of the drink was settling inside her.
" Well, I suppose…" Sakura said hesitantly, but amused at the same time.
" YES!" Naruto pumped his fist into the air. Sakura grabbed him by the collar and dragged him to the dancefloor. " You're embarrassing me, baka." She yelled.
Hinata could only stare at the two bickering people, even though Sakura let Naruto hold one of his hands on her shoulder, while the her other hand was inside his right palm. That did not stop Sakura from lecturing Naruto about his lack of responsibility, how Sakura is going to end up taking care of him when he gets drunk, and he's going on a mission in less than five hours, so he'll burden himself and his teammates, Sasuke who was also going on the mission. Hinata just kept watching.
Sakura indeed bloomed into a beautiful flower. Her beauty and medical skills is well known to the village. Hinata envied her glossy pink locks that always settle behind her hair like a waterfall. She had the most gorgeous green eyes and her smile was always incessant even when she is struggling through the toughest of times. Men would acknowledge her presence everywhere she went. And here she was, babbling to Naruto. Naruto would laugh and defend himself but when Sakura wasn't looking he would stare at her with his deep intense love for her. And Sakura would just not notice or pretend to ignore it. But tonight, something was different They were dancing, that was a first, and suddenly Shikamaru said a loud comment which annoyed the blonde. He already gave her his secret glance, but unknowingly to him, as he turned to shout at Shikamaru. Hinata saw a different flicker of emotions in the beauty's eyes when she was watching her dear friend. It disappeared when he turned his attention to her again, acting sheepishly. But Hinata saw it, and she had a great feeling she knew what that flicker was…
Hinata finished recalling what happened earlier and just let her mind wander. She felt a little pathetic that here she was not doing anything to catch the man of her dreams. But there was this little happy feeling that bubbled out of her heart for Naruto, because from what Hinata saw. Sakura and Naruto are getting closer, and perhaps Sakura will realize that her bond with Naruto is getting stronger and deeper.
Hinata sighed loudly again, the word failure seemed to be written in lights flashing in her mind and floating around. Yes, she is a failure because she isn't strong enough to take over the Hyuuga Clan. She felt humiliated being born in the head family with no excellent skills, let alone as the eldest. Her father thinks she is absolutely weak and doesn't really notice her anymore, they would only converse when the father asked of daily things like where Hanabi had gone, what Hanabi was doing. Hanabi, Hanabi, her father made no attempt to hide that his second daughter was clearly his favourite since she lived to his expectations. She always hated family gatherings, and uses that time to just lurk in the shadows while the women of the clan would gather around the blooming Hanabi and ask her all sorts of things and praise her. Then there would be that occasional question.
" Where is that sister of yours?" One of the old ladies would ask.
Then Hinata would step out and gave a bow to them and go back to her place. She remembered one time when she was on her way back to lurk around in the shadows not getting noticed, she heard one of the women whisper sympathetically.
" How unfortunate, born into the head family and the eldest, without intelligence nor power, Hiashi-sama must be ashamed."
It was true, what they all had said about her. She was too average to be a Hyuuga. Her intelligence did not surpass Neji's, and her powers, well, Hanabi was just a quick-learner and was a natural in combat fighting, a fifteen year old almost turning sixteen, she's training to be a Jounin. Hinata was a Jounin herself, but at eighteen, she felt so inferior to Hanabi. Hinata failed the Jounin test twice, and only managed to win the battle with her opponent because her stamina was better than her opponent. And that battle did take forever…
So, she decided instead of moping of how untalented she is, Hinata decided she would undertake medical studies under Tsunade's care. Hinata felt safe at the hospital, there was no one to judge her, and she found that she was okay as a medic-nin. She was still of course living in the shadows of her friend Sakura. And after Sakura, there were a few of guys who were the top medic-nins. Hinata was around there but she wasn't noticeable. Tsunade still hasn't trusted Hinata enough to let her handle surgeries and operations on her own, despite it being her third year as her student. However, Hinata didn't mind at all being the assistant of the Intensive Care Unit. It didn't matter at all she isn't noticed, she feels happy that she is helping someone and healing them, that was all that matters.
Hinata felt a little better thinking that there was something she was useful at, not being a burden to anyone. However, that alone did not help ebb away the sad feelings that had drowned out her whole heart. She wonders, in the next ten years, will she still be the same person? The insecure, indecisive, weak, unreliable, not confident and will always be underestimated. These days, no one seemed to believe in her will to get stronger anymore. Everyone seems to know the future already, Hinata will stay as she is and will lurk in the shadows of everyone else for the rest of her life.
Demo, I really want to change! I want to show people not to underestimate me so much anymore! I want to be stronger!
TBC
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A/N: This is just the prologue thing, I hope it already gave you the insight on the life she is living in right now.
