Hi! So I was watching Naruto a bunch and I was thinking over an over, "Naruto, you IDIOT! Naruto, you freakin' IDIOT!" So I decided to write a fic! Here it comes: one NaruHina fanfic written waaaaaaaaay late at night!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto…those people that draw it do….

Chapter 1: At First There Was Nothing

Come on! You can do better! Hinata Hyuuga sprang back from the target she'd been charging at, and stared at the kunai she'd thrown into the wood. It was the third time that day that none of the knives hit the bulls eye. Hinata had to face it: for some reason, she was slipping. Not the kind of "it's-just-this-once" slipping, the "something-is-making-me-mess-up" slipping. Unfortunately, she knew exactly what was wrong. He forgot my name again…Taking a deep breath in the hope that it would make her focus more, Hinata began to walk towards the target to retrieve her weapons. Sometimes, she wondered why she was a ninja anyway. But every time three faces flashed across her eyes like accusations, each mouthing different things.

My way as a ninja-

You should just give up Hinata-sama-

Try not to be a burden-

Hinata wasn't doing this for her: she was doing it for her father, to carry on the Hyuuga legend, however badly she failed at it. And every, no, any time she even dared to think of quitting, his face, along with Neji-nii-san's and Naruto's would fight her battle for her. Neji-nii-san thinks I'm useless; so does my father. But Naruto-kun believes in me, even if he can't remember my name all the time…so I have to get better. Focus! She pulled the kunai from the target and turned away, intending to have another go at the target, but was shocked to discover someone grinning widely at her, his face too close for comfort.

"N-Naruto-kun!"

"Hinata-chan, can I use this target for a bit?"

"N-N-N-Naruto-kun!"

"Hm? You already said that. Can I?"

"Y-You're…you're…kyaaaaaaaaaaa!"

She couldn't stop herself: Hinata ran as fast as she could, battling unconsciousness and praying that she didn't run into someone. Somewhere faintly behind her, she heard a voice she was hoping not to hear yelling, "Hinata-chan! What's wrong? Ne ne, Hinata-chan, I didn't do anything, did I? Your weapons! Hinata-chaaaaaaaan!" And then Hinata realized she had left all of her ninja supplies, along with her jacket, back at the training ground. Damn, not again…Sighing and bracing herself for loss of consciousness, she spun around and returned to the target, where Naruto was waiting, waving one of her knives like a flag above his head. Skidding to a stop a safe five feet from the blonde boy, Hinata stammered, "C-can you throw my stuff to m-me, please?"

"Huh? But if I do that, I'll hurt you."

Nice, you just asked Naruto-kun to throw knives at you. Focus! Get your things back!

"Um, I'll be right there, j-just hold on one moment please!"

Cross your arms or something! Without the jacket he'll notice-

"Hinata-chan, why are you doin' that?"

"W-what?"

Naruto mimed her movements, slowly edging towards her with a perfectly copied face of determination and embarrassment that he was obviously picking up from her. He even pulled him arms to his chest like he too was trying to cover the fact that he'd forgotten to wear a tank top under his undershirt. Startled by his mimic, Hinata halted her cautious advance and tried to pull her arms to her sides. But her body had practically frozen with fear. Hold your ground! You need your things! Pretend it's Kiba walking towards you! And whatever you do, DON'T MOVE YOUR ARMS OR FAINT! Stiffly taking her things from Naruto's outstretched hands without moving her arms from her chest, Hinata bowed her head and mumbled quickly, "T-Thank you, Naruto-kun." But before she could turn and run, Naruto said, "Seriously Hinata-chan, quit it with the arms thing!"

In that one moment, he sounded so much like her father, Hinata automatically followed orders. Silence reigned over the two ninja as Naruto understood, quite too late, exactly why Hinata had been covering herself up. He couldn't help it: he stared. God…she's wearing that black shirt but I can see EVERYTHING…shit!…Look away-look-away-look-away LOOK AWAY! Hinata flushed, tugged her jacket over her head, and fled before Naruto could notice what she'd forgotten that morning. But the surprised, red look on Naruto's face was definite evidence she was far too late. Crap! He noticed!

Deep inside, Hinata knew it wouldn't make a difference; Naruto would ignore her even if she was naked. He barely knew she existed, and when he applied her to a situation, it was a situation in which combat or missions was involved. She was hopeless: Naruto-kun was hopeful. She was invisible: Naruto-kun was surprising and vibrant. She was weak: Naruto-kun was strong in so many ways. In short, Hinata was practically everything Naruto-kun wasn't, and probably less. But why can't I give up on liking him if I'll never even come close?

It was funny: the same three faces saying the same three things, but they were battling about her feelings towards Naruto-kun. And every time, it ended the same way. Naruto-kun won. It didn't matter how many times he managed to forget her; she'd always remain faithfully in the shadows nearby, even if it was while watching him love someone else. She would remain until the day that he died, or the day her heart finally broke. Her feet were leading her home like they always did: the walks from the practice fields and the Hyuuga compound was her most quiet time for thinking. Too deep in thought, the black-haired girl didn't notice the strange boy in an overcoat match her stride.

"Hinata, what are you thinking about now? Not Naruto again…"

"Hm? Oh…Shino…"

"Well? Has he even figured it out yet?"

"…N-No…"

The ninjas stole glances at each other, one pair of lavender eyes looking into opaque dark glasses, knowing a friend was behind them. Shino said cynically, "The chances of him figuring it out eventually are quite high. Just wait a bit longer: even by now an idiot like him should have started to piece it together." Hinata smiled at the ground like she always did and murmured gratefully, "Thanks Shino…I have to turn here. See you tomorrow…"

The girl began to turn towards the joint of road that would lead her home, but the shrouded boy caught her arm.

"Hinata…you should tell him."

"About what?"

"He saw you in the waterfall. Tell him it was you."

"N-N-No! Why would that matter! H-H-How did you know?"

"Not everyone sleeps at night Hinata. You for one; insects for another."

"Right…I'll think about it Shino…good night!"

Hinata stuck her hand out to Shino in a gesture of farewell as she ran down the road, not letting her smile fade until the boy was out of site. Slowing down to a halt, she slid into the Hyuuga compound without a noise, knowing that it was better if she wasn't heard. She crept along the wall of the inner courtyard, looking back to make sure a certain person wasn't following her. That was, until she snuck right into him.

"Hinata-sama, what are you doing?"

"KYAH! N-N-Neji-nii-san! J-Just getting back to my room! You know what time of day it is and I don't want to d-disturb anyone."

"I've been looking for you. I need to talk to you about something."

"F-Fine, but can we go somewhere else where father won't hear us?"

The older Hyuuga boy wasn't sure what to tell her: maybe that what he was going to tell her might lift her heart a bit. Maybe that he'd decided it was okay for her to like someone so…irritating…as Naruto. Maybe that he was wrong about her: that she was improving and maybe she could handle some of his intermediate Byakugen techniques. Or maybe he'd tell her the only reason she was sneaking around like this wasn't that her father was sleeping, but rather training Hanabi in secret to become better than Hinata. A heartless trick played on his own first-born daughter. She wasn't strong enough to be the leader, so he's going to cast her out and make Hanabi the heiress to the Hyuuga leadership. The only reason he "naps" is to manipulate Hinata, who wouldn't dare disturb him, into leaving the compound for hours on end so he can train with Hanabi. How can a man like that have a daughter like this?

Neji chose to not say anything, but guided Hinata away from the main area of the compound and out into the street. He said bracingly, "Let's go to the practice grounds."

"B-But Naruto-kun's there, and he…I...my…saw…"

"Hinata-sama, he barely knows your name, lest you did something utterly obscene to him."

"N-N-N-N-No! It's just earlier I wasn't wearing my jacket and he saw-"

"-It doesn't matter. All Naruto sees is Sakura-san…you know that."

The cousins walked next together for a moment in familiar silence, the barrier between Branch and Head families between them like a sheet of glass. The older Hyuuga stole a glance at his younger cousin, taking note of a face that could possibly break the heart of Uchiha Itachi himself. Neji came to a decision and blurted out, " I thought you were cute!"

"W-What?"

"When you and I met...I thought you were so cute, I even told father that...so don't worry, I'm sure Naruto thinks your cute too."

Is everyone trying to cheer me up today? First Shino, now Neji-nii-san...who's next, Sakura-chan or Ino-chan? Depressingly, Hinata was answered by Naruto running up to her and exclaiming, "Hinata-chan! Kiba and Shikamaru ate three whole pounds of ramen, and they're still going! You have to see this- huh? What's wrong with her, Neji?"

Predictably, Neji's lips curled slightly at the appearance of the loud genin in front of him. Choosing not to answer the question, Neji walked on, leaving Hinata stranded in an empty road with Naruto.

"Huh? Ne ne Hinata-chan, why's Neji so annoyed whenever he's around me?"

"Um...I-I think he still can't believe you beat him in the Chunnin Exams, Naruto-kun..."

"Wha? He's still mad about that? But that was ages ago! Anyway, come on! You have to see this!"

Naruto grabbed Hinata's arm, making her blush spread to her eyes, which were trying everything within their power not to meet their blue companions. Completely oblivious to any and all effects he had upon the female ninja he was dragging along with him, Naruto barreled through the streets and skidded to a halt in front of the ramen shop, catching Hinata from crashing into him by wrapping his arms around her and cushioning her from the weight change. All without regard to the increasingly embarrassed Hyuuga in question. By the time he dragged her to a seat in the ramen shop, Hinata was hyperventilating and felt that her heart was going to beat its way through her ribcage and explode from her chest.

He, of course, didn't even notice. He had already moved on, and forgotten her. Again.

The sadness and pity welled.

And grew.

And morphed into flowing rage that not even Hinata knew she possessed within her.

Before she knew what she was doing, Hinata had spun on her stool, Byakugan instinctively activated. Her hands reached out and grabbed orange jumpsuit, shoving the owner into the counter, and then she couldn't stop. It just happened. Without warning, Naruto came face to face with someone he didn't know. Well, at that point it didn't matter, because whoever they were, they were a Hyuuga and boy, were they pissed. And the sheer anger in those strange eyes was so frightening, so fascinating, that Naruto barely had time to blink in surprise before the face drew closer. A voice, Hinata-chan's voice, whispered, "Now you see it, don't you? Look closely, Naruto-kun, because this is unrequited love. You're doing this to me." Her voice dropped as some of the fury left her eyes, the veins retracting back under the skin like taming snakes. She continued, so quietly that she could barely hear herself.

"Make it stop. Please...just...I want it to end! I want to give up on you, but you mean too much...to me...go be happy. Do that for me...I'll watch..."

And then she was gone, running from the shop and down the darkening streets without a single word.

"Shino?"

"Yes Naruto, what."

"What's wrong with Hinata-chan? I've never seen her like that before..."

"Naruto, I've only one thing to tell you. But it's not mine to tell."

"Huh? That made no sense at all, Shino."

"Love never does."

"Huh?"

My God, he's denser than I thought...must add it to my calculations...

----------

She didn't want to go back to compound. In fact, she wasn't even sure if she belonged at the compound anymore. So she went to someone she knew could look at this wisely. Who else? Hinata slipped into Tsunade's office and respectfully kept her peace until the woman asked briskly from the desk, without looking up, "Hinata, did Hiashi send you again?" There was no reply to the question. Glancing up, Tsunade could see the female ninja in the corner, but the girl wouldn't speak. If it was possible, her lavender eyes, totally without pupils, were even more blank than usual. Her head in the clouds again...Tsuande bent back over her work, cursing paperwork for the millionth time to hell, before a voice carried across the dark room.

"W-What do you know about love, Tsunade-sama?"

"Eh? You came here to ask me that? Hinata..."

"S-Sorry, but he just doesn't notice and I'm about to fall apart. I just attacked him and..."

A sob pierced the pause and Tsunade finished Hinata's words for her, a new gentleness in her voice.

"And you wish that you could forget it all? Hinata, it's late...go home and think about it before giving up on him. Naruto is an idiot, but he has a brain somewhere in there. Just keep waiting."

The black-haired girl bowed and exited with an almost inaudible, "Thank you, Tsunade-sama..." The blonde woman glanced at the clock and shook her head at the time before glaring down at the form spread out in front of her. Naruto, you freakin' idiot...waaaaait...

Her fingers tapped the desk as a plot was born in her mind.

Tsunade smiled as her hands moved the paperwork, revealing a magazine with one dog-eared page.

Flipping to that page her smile widened to a grin.

Oh. This is gonna be a shit-load of fun.

That's it! I like Shino, if you didn't notice, but Hinata's my favorite character, hands down. I know they seem a bit out of character, but it'll make sense soon, I promise! Stick with me here!