Reaching You

Naruto ©Masashi Kishimoto

Naruto x Hinata

There was once a little girl inside a cage of glass.

Perhaps the cage was not there before – invisible, non-existent. But as the little girl's heart broke time after time and her loneliness swelled, it grew; sheltering, imprisoning her with her own – her very own – insecurities. She kept her dreams far, far in the back of her mind; in a secret closet deep in her heart, for she did not feel that she could obtain those dreams and she was afraid that they would somehow break. So she protected them, quietly, and hoped.

Every once in a while, she would remind and promise herself that she would try to stand firmer, to be brave, to be out of her confine; to be much, much stronger. But the crevices of the cage were not big enough and when the voice told her that she was supposed to stay inside, she faltered, and stayed.

You are not good enough.

Oftentimes, she wondered what it felt like outside the glass cage, to be free. Sometimes she would let her hands touch the cage's walls; knocking, searching, trying to find a way out. But she was often afraid, so she pulled herself back, sat inside, curled up, and felt a little more secure.

You are weak.

The voice told her, and she felt the remnants of her confidence slowly vanish.

You are a failure.

.

You will never change.

.

But one day, suddenly, she saw a light.

And under that light, she saw a boy.

He was also in a glass cage, much like hers, but his was full of cracks and fractures and she thought it seemed a lot more fragile. The boy sat on the floor, in the center of the box, eyes bright blue and hair bright golden. She saw the same feelings in his eyes, as well; that same kind of solitude and sadness. Except his held something she didn't have – something she wished she could have; a determination – a strong, stubborn faith.

I'm going to be the next Hokage!

After watching him from time to time, she found herself fascinated by the boy.

She was fascinated by his resolve, his hard work, his optimism - his dreams. She knew completely well how it felt like inside the cage; how lonely, how painful and hard it was to breathe. Even so, he did not sit still and stay quiet (not like her, she told herself), and she began to admire him as well as his strong will.

He would stand up, almost every day, trying to break free from the cage. He would punch the glass walls, kick and punch and kick again and again until his fists swelled and his knuckles bruised, adding new cracks to the already broken surface. She would gaze at him, all the while silently – sincerely – cheered for him.

Because when she looked at him, she somehow felt stronger.

Courage bloomed inside her, along with a small but growing confidence she thought had lost. She also wanted to be free, to feel the air outside the cage. She wanted to be brave, to be strong.

She wanted to be like him.

So she stood up, approached the cage's walls, and started to punch the hardest she could do. Then a voice sent her heavy words – another voice, and it told her to just give up, you cannot do this. There were some truths about that, she thought, as she felt a quiver in her determination, a tremble that crawled on her fists.

… I just wanted to change myself.

The little girl felt her eyes blur from warm, fresh tears. She might not be able to do it. The voice continued to whisper, and she started to doubt. Was she really incapable? Should she stop from trying and just give up? She might have to – need to – stay. She was weak. She wasn't strong enough, not good enough. She couldn't change. You couldn't change –

You can!

Her heart skipped a beat.

The little girl turned towards the light, cheeks warm, and then she saw him. His blue eyes were gleaming with that determination, that honest faith. Within a look, she felt a rush of courage pulse through her veins.

No, she wouldn't hide. She wouldn't run away anymore.

I don't take back the words I said -

So she continued punching, breaking the glass walls until her fists hurt and the surface cracked. She could do this; she could change. She wanted to change. She was not going to just give up.

- because that is my ninja way.

When she looked at the boy once more, he smiled a proud, warm smile.

And then their glass cages slowly shattered.

.

The little girl had earned her freedom. She started to feel the beauty of life outside, the bits of happiness that she had always longed for. She was free to chase her dreams, as well, those beautiful dreams that could always grow as time went by.

He was a part of those dreams.

The admiration that she felt, the fascination of the boy, gradually turned into something so much more – something profound and wonderful and somehow strange. It was something new; a feeling that could make her nervous yet warm and happy when she looked at him.

All of a sudden, he had earned a special place in her heart.

And as she watched the boy running after his own dreams far, far ahead, she promised herself that she would run towards her dreams, as well. She would be stronger; better. And maybe someday, she could walk with him, side by side, together.

I will do my best too.

There was once a little girl, and as time passed by, she grew into a fine, young woman.

She was happier, braver, and the confidence that once disappeared had steadily returned within her. Her eyes were no longer hesitant, but instead gleaming with softness and a glint of determination. She had embraced herself, loved herself.

It was really thanks to him.

The feeling had never faded away. Time after time, it grew even stronger. She felt utterly thankful to that boy – who had grown into a young man, bright and as kind as ever. She watched as he drew closer to his dreams, continuing to be stronger and stronger.

However, several times in his journey, he would fall.

He would hurt, blaming himself as he felt incapable of doing anything to protect those precious to him. He started to doubt, his confidence no longer brimming and his bright eyes dimmed. Even so, he would still stand up, still trying to do his best.

But this time, as he fell, he couldn't. He was pinned to the ground, struggling yet unable to stand for himself.

She felt her heart clench. He had changed her. She was lost before in her doubts and was always, always running away; she was giving up. But he showed her the right way, to not lose faith and to just believe. He had suffered so many times, but he never gave up.

Your smile saved me.

She could not – she could not let him. She couldn't let him suffer anymore.

This time, I'm going to save you.

So she ran towards him, heart beating fast as her courage enveloped her and although he told her to stay away, that she shouldn't be there, she did not stop.

I'm not afraid to die protecting you.

When the distance between them closed, she reached out to him, held his hand, and softly smiled.

I wanted to be with you.

Even as the sudden gravity pulled her knees so heavily to the ground, then; even as she fell as she tried to help him stand up and her limbs sore from the force dragging her down ever so powerfully – she simply would not let go of his hand.

Because I -

He looked at her; blue eyes widened and glimmered with surprise. As the gravity stopped, and after everything was finally over, they stood up, together.

- love you.

And then warmly – so warmly, he smiled back.

.

From then on, they would continue to chase their dreams, fight and protect those who were dear to them. They would continue with their own journeys. Even then, somehow, their paths had collided, hearts entangled, and step by step, they began to grow closer.

Together, they would find their happiness.

.

Fin.

A/N:

Finally, it is done. :')

This story was something I wanted to do to express the love I have over NaruHina, and the things that I love about this pairing - I hope it did just that. Honestly, it was hard writing this story. ;v;

But thank you very much for reading! Any kind of comment is welcomed and truly appreciated. :)

(Please forgive my clumsy, messy writing, though. ;_;)