Second Confession

Summary: Naruto has a hard time comprehending his classmate Hyuga Hinata. She hasn't been the same since her seizure. Now, little changes are happening. He just doesn't know it. Time Travel

It's fall. It is the first day of class for a particular boy. That boy is named Naruto. Naruto walks into his classroom with his head held high. He doesn't let the fact that he is wearing clothes too small for him bother him. He doesn't let the fact that he looks tired, hungry, and deathly, bring him down. Instead, he focuses on a seat in the back of the class, smiles, and walks towards it. On his way he sees a group of kids who point to his back, but he ignores them too.

He is good at ignoring people.

As he sits in class and waits for the instructor to come. He watches the students, and wonders if any of them will be his friend. Noticing that a few of them are glaring, he figures that it might be an uphill battle, but he is ready to fight it if that is the case.

Eventually the class resumes and he is asked for his name by their instructor, Iruka. Naruto thinks Iruka is a boring teacher, but a nice enough person. He contemplates putting a trap on the man's seat, but decides against it. He wants to make a good impression, and so far, in his opinion, he is doing a good job.

Halfway during the lecture a girl is brought into the front of the class. She is introduced as Hyuga Hinata. Naruto thinks she looks frail, but doesn't think anything more on that subject. He has school work to worry about, and Hinata does not need more people looking at her oddly.

Since all the seats at the front are taken, Hinata has to sit in the back, with him, and he is forced to make room for her. She doesn't talk to him during this encounter, and Naruto notices that she is just about ready to flee. Naruto wonders if this is because he looks so strange or if it is because she is a shy girl.

He thinks the later to be the case.

…

School days proceed and Naruto is getting better at class. He isn't the best student, or the worst student. He is average. He is happy with his mark, and happy with his teacher. He hasn't made any friends yet, but he hopes that it is just a matter of time before he does.

He isn't making any progress with Hyuga Hinata, and he is giving up on trying to make a bond with her, he doesn't have the time, or the energy to keep wasting, he is a busy boy.

For the next few months he ignores the girls sitting next to him. The two don't talk to one another. Until one day the girl looks at the ceiling, rolls her eyes to the back of her, and starts screaming.

It is Naruto who is the first one to react and grab hold of her neck. He doesn't know CPR, or any medical tricks that can help a patient having a seizure, but he does know that he has to keep her from swallowing her tongue. He does just that, with the help of some of his classmates, and they manage to stabilize her.

When Naruto brings her to the nurse, the nurse claims that they can't find anything wrong with her, so they bring over a medic, and the medic says the same thing. Naruto is told to return to class, and to stop eavesdropping. Naruto complies. He is also worried. It isn't that he cares for her deeply, it's just that Hinata is the closest thing he has to a friend, all his other school mates ignore him completely.

…

Naruto realizes that class is lonely without the silent girl doing her work beside him. He never talks to Hinata, but she was company. He hopes that she will return to class soon. His wish is granted when one of her family drops her off in class.

But something isn't right about her.

Maybe it is the way she carries herself, maybe it is the way she looks at everything oddly, stops stuttering, or the way she looks at him with something he can't possibly recognize at this point in his life. Yes, something had changed about her in the seizure, and eventually he might have to find out what.

For now he is just glad that there is someone sitting beside him in class, even if that person doesn't say anything to him. Oddly enough, he feels even more uncomfortable that she doesn't talk, because she spends most of her time looking at him instead.

…

Naruto is getting better at talking to people.

He has been practicing this ability with students in the class who are just as bad at communicating with others, as he is. Kiba makes for great practice. There is a problem. Naruto isn't sure how to best explain to the dog boy that he can't go around sniffing people's butts.

Basically, Kiba is making progress on some ends, but failing in others.

…

Naruto still has a hard time talking with Hinata.

It's not that she is hard to approach, it's more that things have become awkward between them. For starters, she has been following him around. Naruto wouldn't have minded this, had she not done this in broad daylight where everyone could see.

It makes him annoyed. Here he is minding his own business and the shy girl just walks a few meters behind him and stands there, looking at him.

And it isn't like he can just get up and yell at her to go away, she has not really done anything wrong. Plus Naruto isn't a jerk, and he still doesn't have any friends. Not only that but Hinata is starting to get very good in class, far better than she was before her seizure. She is motivated now. Whatever the reason, Naruto is a bit afraid of Hinata. He keeps his distance.

…

One of the biggest problems Naruto has with Hinata is that she doesn't make it a secret that she likes being near him. Naruto doesn't understand why, he has not done anything to warrant such, but he doesn't put much thought into it. Again, he is busy trying to be a good ninja. The problem with being a good ninja is that a good ninja needs to be good at the ninja arts.

Naruto is having trouble with those ninja arts. He can't seem to get the Bunshin jutsu right. The first exam is coming up soon, and he doesn't want to fail. Of course when it comes time to perform his special ability, he fails. The class stands as one and laughs at him, even Kiba laughs at him, much to his annoyance.

"Stop that!" someone shouts.

Looking up from his embarrassed position in the front of the class. Naruto is surprised to see that it is Hinata who says this. "He…he is doing the best he can, what right do you have to laugh at him? Some…some of you can't even do the substitution, so how dare you laugh at Nartuto-kun."

Naruto looks on in embarrassment. Here is a girl who has been trying to avoid defending him from his classmates' mockery. He catches the girls pupilless eye, and he turns away. He doesn't want to see the look of mild triumph in her gaze.

…

Years pass and Naruto manages to make a few more friends. It consists mainly of a bug user named Shino, dog boy Kiba, fat fat bastard Chouji, and lazy asshole Shikamaru. Naruo has a rivalry with Uchiha Sasuke. Sometime during their second year in the academy Sasuke's parents are killed in a brutal massacre. Naruto later finds out that this murder extended to the entire clan.

It is after hearing this that Naruto goes to a shore to find Sasuke, to comfort the poor lad, but instead he is stopped by Hinata.

"I am going to see if he is okay," Naruto tells Hinata. "You wanna come?"

Hinata shakes her head. "Don't go after Sasuke, Naruto-kun."

"Why?"

"Because," she says, looking flustered. "He is a very bad person."

Naruto ignores the last part and goes around the girl. Before he can go any farther than a few meters he feels a large stab on the side of his hip, and sees Hinata doing something to him, which causes him to go unconscious the next moment. When he awakes he notices that there is no one in the field, aside from Hinata sitting on a boulder just watching him.

When he asks her why she did that, she tells him it is because she cares.

Naruto is having a hard time understand Hinata's logic. But then she is a girl, and girls are hard to understand.

…

Naruto fails another exam. He isn't happy. Everyone else passes the exam, including Hinata, despite the amount of time she wastes following him around. While he is swinging by himself she approaches from behind and asks if he wouldn't mind the company. Naruto reluctantly agrees and the girl starts talking about ramen. This is a topic he enjoys immensely.

Eventually she leaves and Naruto sees Mizuki. The man convinces him to steal a scroll. Naruto does so, and finds out that it is really all a trap. He also finds out he is the container of the nine tailed beast. It is during the point where he is about to beat up Mizuki with a thousand Kage Bunshin that he sees rustling in the bushes.

He turns his head to the noise, and a screaming Hinata comes out running, charging her hands with blue chakra. Her hands manage to hit Mizuki, and the teacher does not get up. Naruto isn't sure if Hinata has killed him, but he doesn't care.

The two of them take Iruka to the medics.

"Hinata, why did you do that?" Naruto asks.

"Because you are going to be my future team mate." Naruto has a hard time understanding this statement. He doesn't even know about four man cells.

…

"Team Eight consists of Hyuga Hinata, Abarame Shino, and….Uzumaki Naruto."

Naruto looks at his teacher in surprise. Then at Hinata who looks relieved. He has no idea how Hinata could have known this information. Whatever the reason, he is even more wary of her. He knows she comes from a powerful family, but did she have this kind of power?

He remembers a day when Hinata talked about beating up her little sister for the Clan Heir position, but he is sure that she isn't the leader of the clan…yet.

Still, he can't help but feel that the reason he is in her team is because she requested it.

…

Naruto likes his team. They aren't the best team, they don't talk much, but they work together pretty well. The boy spends most of his time studying, it's a habit he's had since the first year in the academy. It is his way of not having to talk to Hinata, a girl who still makes him week awkward. Shino thinks Naruto is doing something right studying, and the two of them spend a lot of time going over strategies, and tactics. Occasionally Kurenai-sensei drops by to check up on them.

Naruto doesn't see much of Hinata for some reason, but when she does appear she is always carrying some kind of shovel. Sometimes he sees blood on her hands, other times not so much. He spends a lot of time talking to Shino about this phenomenon, but Shino isn't any closer to understand the mystery behind the shovel.

Kurenai sensei is ignoring Hinata's shovel, and it's causing some tension in the team. Still, Hinata does pull her share of the work, so Naruto does not have much to complain about her in that respect. Even if she always stares at his back.

…

Their first mission is to get a bridge builder to Wave Country. Unfortunately they are attacked by a pair of missing nins. But that's okay, this is what Shino and Naruto have been training for. Naruto makes a hundred Kage Bunshin, while Shino uses his bugs to put a tracer on their enemies. Somehow they manage to get to the Hidden Leaf without having to fight the two.

Hinata gets injured some time during this ordeal and has to spend a week in the hospital. Naruto and Shino visit her every day. It is during one of their visits that they see Sakura hospitalized in a bed. Kakashi's Team, along with Gai's team were sent to Wave Country for join A-rank mission. They came back with one dead, and three critically injured.

When Naruto asks Kurenia what kind of moron allowed this mission, she glares at the Hokage Tower.

…

Despite now completing more than a handful of upper C rank missions, Naruto and his team are entered in the Chunin Exam. Naruto asks Kurenai why, and she tells him it is because all the new graduates are participating this year. Naruto thinks this is a stupid reason to enter, but he can't complain. He is getting a shot at Chunin rank.

There are things about this exam that are bugging him. For starters, Hinata is spending less and less time with her team and Naruto is actually worried about her. Shino something asks him, Naruto, why, and he comments that things aren't the same without Hinata looking at his back.

Shino comments that Naruto works harder when someone is constantly watching him, Naruto agrees.

…

Naruto sees Hinata waiting for him and Shino on the door step of the Chunin Examination building. Both her hands are covered in bandages, along with both sides of her face. She has let most of her hair grow, it falls down to her neck. Naruto thinks it looks lovely, but doesn't tell her this. It's just be strange, those words.

As they walk through the hall of the Chunin exam they see a few of their classmates. Naruto tries not to look at Sakura in the eye. No one looks Sakura in the eye. She had been captured by a group of Gato's thugs during their mission to Wave. Hospitalization for the past month has healed most of her external wounds, but the internal wounds ran deep. She is considering quitting the Ninja Forces after the exam, and Naruto thinks that is a good idea.

Sometime during their wait for the start of the exam he meets a boy with red hair, who glares at Naruto's rival, Uchiha Sasuke. Despite not knowing anything about this redhead, Naruto thinks he is an okay person.

After all, if a person hates Sasuke, then that person must be doing something right.

…

Naruto isn't having any trouble finishing his exam. It is during the time he is about to flip his paper over than Hinata makes a suggestion. "Would you like to copy my test?"

Naruto looks at her in surprise. "No, I don't want to cheat."

"I think cheating is part of the exam," she replies. "It..it seems rational. "

"That's just what they want you think," Naruto says, smartly. "Trust me, my way is better."

Naruto kicks himself later for being stubborn. Shino got the hidden meaning behind the test as well.

Naruto feels kind of stupid, and voices it. Hinata disagrees, saying it was probably logical, but Shino points out that Hinata would agree to anything Naruto says. Hinata punches Shino in the stomach, and Shino doubles over. She apologizes to him immediately, horrified at her action.

Turns out she is stronger than she looks. With all the extra training she is going through as Clan Heir, she better be.

…

The team finds Sasuke's team completely destroyed in the middle of the forest. Naruto recognizes a the hairy boy, Lee, nearly dead on a curb. Naruto contemplates helping the team, but Shino interjects and points out that if Sasuke's team were to be severely injured, they wouldn't be able to participate in the next round.

If Sasuke's team were to lose this round, then Naruto would have one up'ed the arrogant boy. To Naruto's surprise Hinata agrees. Hinata never agrees to anything morally wrong, so Naruto thinks that what they are doing isn't bad at all. Perfectly logical for them to want to proceed, right?

"I am sure Sakura can take care of them," Hinata tells him as they run away. "If not, Kiba wil step up for sure."

"Why did you give Kiba our rations?" Shino asks. "It's much more logical that we keep them."

"Yeah, I was thinking that too," Naruto points out. "Why do that?"

"Kiba-kun is a friend." She looks behind her, smiles at the dog boy sleeping on the ground and jumps unto a nearby tree.

Naruto and Shino look at each other. They had never seen Hinata talk to Kiba, ever.

…

With the power of Kage Bunshin the team quickly finds their latest target. It is Hinata's suggestion that the Kage Bunshin can transfer memories that makes this possible. Naruto is amazed that Hinata is this intelligent, and has a bit more respect for her. Hinata flushes at his praise, and Shino makes a rare compliment on her contribution to the team.

After trapping a team in Shino's bug traps, the team manages to get their scroll and run back to home base. On their way they witness a horrific killing by Gaara, the redhead Naruto saw earlier. Naruto voices that they should stay away from the other person, and Hinata comments that Gaara might not be all bad.

"Are you crazy?" Naruto whispers in the firelight. "Did you see what he did to those rain nins?"

"…yes," she says sadly. "But a person like that can change. He is lonely, Naruto-kun."

"How do you know that?"

"Because," she says, looking him in the eye. "He is like you." She looks down. Then looks back up."So...so much like you it isn't a joke."

For a moment to the two have a stare off, but Naruto pulls away. It's just not possible to win a match like that against a Hyuga, especially one as strange as Hinata.

"Always with the bullshit, Hinata, always." He pulls a blanket over his head and tries to sleep. "Sasuke is bad, but Gaara is good? Give me an effing break."

…

Sasuke and his team never make it too the third portion. Not many do.

Right before the matches commence Shikamaru and his team, or whatever is left, come in screaming that Yamanaka Ino is missing. With a forest full of rapists and killers, Mitarashi Anko does not have high hopes of finding her, but she still goes out of her way to look for her.

Turns out that Ino was with Sakura and his team, trying to keep Sasuke from choking on his own bile. Whatever makeshift medical jutsu Kiba used to try to heal Sasuke was meant for canines, not people. Kiba can't help but blame himself, and refuses to see a healer for the duration of the exam, but Naruto doesn't see how that is his problem.

"The next match is Hyuga Neji vs. Hyuga Hinata."

Now this on the other hand…

…

"Naruto-kun, I would like you to meet my cousin." Naruto refuses to meet him, but he isn't given an option. "Neji-ni, this is Naruto-kun, Naruto this is Neji-ni," Hinta says, gesturing to the bandaged, and beaten Hyuga boy. "Neji-ni was rookie of the year last year, right Neji-ni?"

"Yes," he answers promptly. "Saluations. I am Hinata-sama's vassal. It is an honor to finally meet you. Though from her description, I expected you to be….taller."

Naruto takes a moment to assess if the boy is a jerk, and concludes that he is. Still, he is Hinata's cousin, and he does have to spend a a lot of time with Hinata. He figured he had better make the most of it. "Never been tall, don't want to be tall, don't care. But tell me somethin', Well, I guess I gotta say nice to meet you too first. But tell me, how does the Rookie of Last Year, get destroyed by an average Genin?"

Neji looks at Naruto in surprise. "Didn't Hinata-sama tell you?" Naruto looks at the older boy with a deadpan. "Oh, right, of course. I forget how little the two of you talk."

"We are trying to change that," Hinata offers. "I am getting better."

Naruto doesn't understand what exactly Hinata is getter better at, but focuses on the problem at hand. "This isn't about the whole Clan Heir issue, is it?"

"It's everything to do with it," the other boy replies. "But Hinata-sama has taken care of that, she has shown me the error of my ways."

"Neji-ni," Hinata warns. "Don't say anything. You…you promised, not here."

"But Hinata-sama-"

"Don't!"

Naruto decides to wisely back away. This has nothing to do with him. Still, he can't help but feel a piercing stare on the back of his head from the Hyuga boy, oddly enough it isn't an evil one. It feels more like an assessment more than anything else. Like he is being weighed for something.

Naruto's match is over before it can begins. His opponent, a guy named Kabuto, forfeits. A part of Naruto is angry, but the vast part is relieved of his easy victory. Shino comments that Naruto could not have taken the older boy. For some reason Naruto agrees, there is something strange about saying that one is out of Chakra, when one's stores are completely full.

At least according to Shino's bugs.

…

Unfortunately for Team 8 Kurenai isn't around to train them. Shin doesn't mind because of his loss to Gaara. Shino had to forfeit, naturally. He wants to be a Chunin, but wants to live even more. The real problem is Naruto. He can't find anyone to train him. But Kurenai pulls in a favor and gets him a Jounin by the name of Ebisu.

Naruto likes Ebisu. He is straightforward, precise, and articulate. Naruto learns as much as he can from the man, and before being dismissed he gives the older man a bowl of ramen as thanks. Ebisu doesn't like ramen, but appreciates the gesture. What Ebisu does not appreciate are perverts, and as he tries to get rid of one in the hot spring, and he is disabled.

Fortunately for Ebisu Naruto gets help in the form of some local Patrol Jounin. Unfortunately for Jiraya one of the Patrol Jounin is Anko.

…

It is a fact that Hyuga Hinata makes Naruto uncomfortable, but Uchiha Sasuke makes him feel awkward on a whole new level. Up until recently they were rivals, even if it is a one-sided rivalry, but now that Naruto has a chance to level up a rank, Uchiha Sasuke refuses to even look to Naruto's direction.

Even when Naruto pays him a visit in the hospital.

"Come on, teme, there is always next year," Naruto tells him, putting a pot of plants in his vase. "With that Gaara guy here, I don't think any of us have a real shot at being Chunin."

"I have met him before," Sasuke says, still not looking at Naruto. "I am not afraid of him."

"Err, teme, did you see what he did to those Mist nins In the forest?" Seeing Sasuke's blank stare, Naruto sighs. "Okay, so we were walking back to camp when…."

"…and then he ended with, 'Temari, Kank-whatever, hurry up before I kill you', and walked away like nothing happened."

"That sounds…"

"Evil?" Naruto answers. "No shit, genius."

"And you have to face him first?"

"With everyone watching." Naruto gulps. "And I am not even allowed to back out, well, not without doing some serious damage to my reputation."

After a moment Sasuke grumbles. "…I still think I should have passed."

"Ya win some, ya lose some," Naruto says, shrugging. "Okay, I got some more flower deliveries. See ya later, teme."

"Don't come back here, dobe," Sasuke shouts back, "I mean it this time."

"I won't, asshole," Naruto answers back. "I'll send Ino here instead."

…

As Narutos walks into Ino's room, Hyuga Hinata walks out. Before she gets a chance to get away, Naruto's hands shoot out and grab her shoulder. Instantly she turns around and looks at Naruto's hand with a red ting on her face.

"What is it Naruto-kun?" she asks. "Is something wrong?"

"No," he answers. "Should there be, I mean I am only fighting Gaara of the Dessert, right?"

Hinata looks hesitant, but she answers him. "You can beat him," she says. "You just have to believe in yourself."

Naruto gives her a raised eyebrow. "No this crap again, I thought we're over this. I am just an average ninja."

"No!" Hinata protests. "You are strong, Naruto-kun, stronger than anyone I have ever met. It's just that nothing has pushed you yet."

Naruto scratches the back of his head, and shrugs. "Well, maybe tomorrow something will push me, push right into the ground like some nail."

"No he won't," Hinata says, approaching him. She looked determined. "I won't let him."

"What can you do?" Naruto answers. "Hinata, I'll admit you are better than me, but come on! That guy has some serious Chakra power."

"So do you, Naruto-kun." She gets even closer, and Naruto can smell the scent of perfume on her. It is Ino's perfume (Hinata doesn't wear any) but he likes it anyway. "You have more Chakra than him. More Chakra than anyone. You just have to use it."

With that she makes him let go, and walks away. Naruto is left alone in the hall, holding a bouquet of flowers in his hands. Whatever tomorrow brings, he is sure that Hinata will be watching. Always watching. She has been waiting for something. Ever since that day she got that seizure, ever since he saved her life.

Does he regret it?

Maybe.

…

Please Review: Well, I plan this to be a three part fic. There is already an ending in mind. I hope you enjoyed this little chapter. If you like it, review. If not, tell me me why. I am sure a lot of you have many questions about what is wrong with Hinata? There is probably a lot of things wrong with her, and, no, she isn't going to have an AU character. This story will stick to the original series as much as possible. Whatever has happened in this chapter has more/less happened in the manga or anime. Of course I don't think Hinata lost her heir title to Hanabi in that one episode flashback during Pein arch, but she is rejected afterward by her father, at least for a time. I don't hate Sakura, but honestly what do you expect a bunch of thugs to do with a twelve year old girl anyway? They aren't just going to play jump rope with her. Kiba's sister is a vet, so I am sure Kiba knows something about medical jutsu, even if it is meant for animals. As far as I know Naruto isn't even that strong, but there is so much divergence that from the original timeline, as well as Hinata's tampering, that something big is coming. Just wait for it. As for pairings, we shall see, but you have to admit that Naruto Hinata is possible. I am focused more on plot than actual romance, and the story hasn't even scratched the surface yet. I know what you guys are thinking about Sasuke, but I do have something in store for him. There probably isn't going to be any Sasuke bashing because Sasuke is very much neutralized in this fic. Again, I have given out some clues here and there for you guys to figure the story out. I like a good mystery, and time travel mysteries are most fascinating.