Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ A Long Waiting ❯ A Letter from Afar ( Chapter 2 )

A Long Waiting

Manga: Naruto

Genre: Hentai/Angst/Drama/Romance

Type: Continuation

Rate: 17+

Pairings: Hinata-Neji, Hinata-Naruto

Summary: Naruto finally knew that Hinata loved him, and deep inside his heart, he loved her back. However, his training with Jiraiya was the only thing that prevented him to be together with Hinata. Before he left, he said to Hinata to wait for him. Could Hinata do it, when her guardian, Hyuuga Neji, love her not as a cousin?

 

A Long Waiting

Chapter 2:A Letter from Afar

 

And she waited, and waited, and waited…

 

Naruto has left for 6 months, and Hinata knew it well because she counted the time from the very day of Naruto's departure. Now it was December of the year, and two days again would be Hinata's birthday, on the 27th of the month.

Hinata wondered what Naruto would do in her birthday. It was her first birthday in having Naruto as her boyfriend. Would he back to Konoha? Would he visit her only to say `Happy Birthday, Hinata', and gave a kiss as his first birthday gift?

Hinata smiled at herself when the thought came to her mind. Whatever Naruto did in her anniversary, she would appreciate it with all of her heart. Even if he couldn't come, and only sent a letter to her, she would be very happy.

“Hinata-sama.”

“E- Eh?” Hinata jerked. Neji called her when she was busy daydreaming about Naruto.

“Ne, Hinata-sama? Don't you suppose to be more serious? We are in the middle of our training,” Neji sighed, “I know now is our break time, but you should get your guard,” said Neji as he sat beside her.

“I- I'm sorry Neji-niisan… I'll be concentrating more…” Hinata chuckled as she tidied her hair strand.

Neji secretly awed at the view in front of him. The girl was so beautiful, even when she was only tidying her messy hair. He admitted that he had fallen in love for her since he was only four years old. She was the most beautiful and cutest thing that he ever saw in his whole life, up until now. Even there were time when he hated the Souke, he still loved her. But at that time, he wanted her to hate him, because he tried to hate her.

That was why he hurt her badly on the Chuunin exam. But even when she was bleeding all over, she still didn't give up. Worse, she still worried for him. She was still care for him. And after the Medical Nin took her away, the blonde Uzumaki made a blood vow that he would kick his ass for hurting Hinata.

Neji disliked the boy. Naruto acted like he knew everything about Hinata. Neji knew he didn't. No one knew about Hinata better than his self, her guardian. The boy, who watched her for years, secretly admitted that she was his goddess. Even when she had the chance to make him as her caged bird, she didn't do it. Because she loved him. And with her love, she set him free.

Yes, she loved him until the Uzumaki boy appeared. Then all her loves were divided. He didn't have it fully anymore. And that was why his effort in hating her became harder and harder than before. Even when his team knew that he hated her, actually he didn't. He only pretended that he hated her.

But now it was all over. No more hating, and no more pretending. Thanks to her father for telling him the truth about the death of Hyuuga Hizashi. And more thanks to Hinata, because she never lost her affection to him.

Because he knew she always loved him.

“Neji-niisan?”

Neji flinched.

“Y- Yes…?”

“Ne, Neji-niisan? Don't you suppose to be more serious? We are in the middle of our training…” Hinata giggled after she repeated Neji's quotes.

“Ah... S- Sorry, Hinata-sama!” Neji gulped awkwardly.

“N- Now I know that you too could lose on your thought…” Hinata smiled at him, making faint crimson appeared on Neji's cheeks on embarrassment.

“You little!” Neji ruffled Hinata's raven hair softly. Hinata giggled at what he did, and giving a really cute smile in return.

“Ne, Niisan? What were you thinking just now?” asked Hinata when she already tidied her hair from Neji's doing.

“Ah? Me? No… nothing at all,” Neji smiled softly at her, too embarrassed to admit that he was thinking of her, “What about you anyway?” he asked Hinata back.

“M- Me? I- I just wondering what Naruto would do in my birthday…” said Hinata shyly.

Neji's teeth gritted when he heard the boy's name from Hinata's mouth. Why in hell she thought about him? Didn't that Uzumaki has already left? So why didn't Hinata forget about him… and only thought about himself!?

“Why are you expecting him in your birthday?” asked Neji as he tried to hide his anger.

“W- Well… I know I didn't tell it to you before… I- I was too embarrassed though…”

“Tell me about what, Hinata-sama?”

“Th- that before Naruto-kun left the village… h- he confessed that he l- loved me…” Hinata blushed.

“SO you two have hooked up!?” asked Neji furiously.

“Y- Yes… wh- what's wrong about it, Niisan?” Hinata startled by Neji's reaction.

“OF COURSE IT WAS WRONG!” Neji yelled at her, making Hinata's eyes widened in fear.

“Ni- Niisan… c- calm down…” Hinata tried to pursue him, “I- I don't know wh- what's wrong with it!”

“HE IS UZUMAKI NARUTO, THE NUMBER ONE LOSER, HINATA-SAMA!” Neji grabbed Hinata's shoulder and shook her body in his anger.

“N- NIISAN! Y- YOSETE!”

Neji seemed to get back to his senses when he heard Hinata was pleading to him.

“Hinata-sama… I'm sorry…” Neji released Hinata's shoulders from his grip.

“Wh- what's wrong with you, Niisan…?” asked Hinata, a bit scared for what he did.

“I don't know, Hinata-sama…” Neji chuckled nervously, “I thought I just too surprised with it…”

“It's okay… niisan. I- It's my entire fault. I should have told it to you since six months ago… s- so you wouldn't be this surprised…” Hinata put her hand on Neji's shoulder, and she laid her head there.

Neji only watched for her. The girl he loved the most was now other one's girlfriend. And worst it was Uzumaki Naruto.

“Hinata-sama…” Neji called her. Hinata looked at him straight on his cloud coloured eyes.

“Yes, Niisan…?”

“Why did you tell me about it?” asked Neji in a croaking voice. Something choked him on his throat, preventing him to talk normally. Well, everything wouldn't be normal to him if Hinata has already hooked up with Naruto.

“Because… since the last mission with Naruto-kun, you seemed more liking him… that made me feel that everything between you two goes well… I knew I should tell it to you sooner, but there's no time that fit… and it's kind of tough for me to keep it all alone… it's a secret between Sakura-san, Ino-san, and me… no boys know about it…” explained Hinata.

“But now you tell it to me, Hinata-sama. Why? I'm a boy, you know…”

“Because you are my best friend, Niisan…” Hinata smiled softly at him, and circled her hands around his neck. She hugged him affectionately.

“The training is over for today, Hinata-sama,” said Neji as he released Hinata's hands.

“Niisan…? But we suppose to finish it at 6…” Hinata gaped at him.

“I've something to do,” Neji left the place, and slowly closed the door when he was outside the training room. Leaving a confused Hinata inside.

`Because you are my best friend, Niisan…'

Hinata's words echoed on his mind. The girl he loved the most, the only girl. The crush who crushed his heart so much by saying that he was her best friend.

And she was someone else's girlfriend.

Neji's fist tightened in anger. Hinata was not belonging to someone else.

`Because she is mine! Only mine!' Neji demanded to his self.

`Hinata-sama is mine…. The only one Hyuuga Neji…'

Neji left the place, letting his anger guided him to left the compound for a while. Had a spar with Lee and badly wounded him might been good to calm down his emotion.

***

Hinata smiled happily when she opened the window in her room, letting the morning's breeze enter it. It was a really nice, bright and warm morning. Though it was December, in Konoha there was no snow. The climate there didn't have it. There was only one time in her life when she saw snow. It was when she was 4 years old, accompanied by her beloved cousin, Neji. That time, the two Hyuuga families vacationed on their villa at the mountain.

Hinata didn't forget when she felt the touch of snow on her skin. Though it was cold, she felt warmth and joy in her heart. She then took Neji outside, and danced with him under the snow fall. Those were really nice memories, the smiles, the happiness, only remembering about it made her heart filled with warming feeling.

Hinata looked up at the sky. Today was her birthday. She was a fourteen years old girl now. She closed her eyes, and made her wishes. The first one, she wanted Naruto to be with her here in her birthday, no matter what way it was. And then she hoped that everything would be well in her life.

Hinata opened her eyes when she finished her prayer. She smiled at the sky; her hair glowed beautifully under the sun ray.

Hinata.

The beautiful one who shined by the sun.

***

Today was her birthday.

Today was the day when she turned 14.

Neji hold a gift on her hands nervously. He was having a hesitation in his thought. Should he give it to Hinata or not? Anyhow, it was the first time in ten years that he gave present to Hinata in her birthday.

The gift's price was not really expensive, but it was quite rare to find it in Konoha. He found it when he was in a mission to another village with his team. He secretly bought it, but eventually Lee and Tenten caught him was paying the money. Up until now, the couple still teasing him about the girl he would give the present to.

The gift was put in a box, wrapped by a glittery white gift paper, and adorned with raven ribbon. It wasn't him who did the job. Though he was called as a genius, he didn't have any skills in it. That's why a day before Hinata's birthday, he sneaked out to meet Tenten and asked her to wrap the gift. Unfortunately, Lee was in her house that time. And Neji had to threaten to kill him so he would shut his mouth.

Neji put the box on the table inside his room. He watched his reflection on the mirror. He nodded his head once, and finally had made up his mind. He was going to give it to Hinata. He took the gift from the table, and before he left, he gussied his self at the mirror.

***

Hinata has taken bath and dressed. She combed her hair and blushed when the thoughts of Naruto came to her mind. But suddenly, she heard knocks on her door and the thoughts wiped away in a sudden.

“Coming…” Hinata stood up from her seat on her vanity table. She opened the door and saw that the one who knocked on it was Neji.

“Umm… err, hi…” Neji greeted nervously. The gift was hidden behind his back.

“Niisan, please come in!” Hinata smiled and permitted him to enter her room.

Neji cleared his throat and walked inside. This was also his first time in entering her room in ten years. It has changed much. She has grown up, so the decoration was not childish anymore.

“Take a seat there, Niisan,” Hinata pointed at her own bed, as she shut the door closed. Neji obeyed. When he sat on her bed, he couldn't help but some Hentai things that related to Hinata stuck on his thought.

“N- Niisan, what's wrong?” Hinata's forehead wrinkled when he saw Neji was daydreaming; the expression on his face was the one that she never saw before.

“Eh…?” Neji blinked and turned at her, “Eh… err, it's okay, s- sorry!” he quickly got rid all of the Hentai thinks out of his mind.

“You're funny, Niisan…” Hinata giggled as she took her seat beside Neji.

“Th- thanks…” Neji chuckled nervously. Things have really changed now. Why in hell he could be so nervous? It's actually the habit of Hinata, not him. But now, he thought that Hinata has gathered more confidence than him.

“Err… Hinata-sama…”

“Yes, what's it?” asked Hinata, smiling sweetly at him.

“Ta- Tanjoubi omodetou gozaimasu!” Neji quickly handed the gift to her. His eyes were shut close in his nervousness.

Hinata's eyes widened in surprise as she received the gift from Neji. She looked at the wrapped present for a moment, and then she smiled at Neji.

“Ni- Niisan…” she hugged the gift, “actually you don't have to give me any present… the thing that you remembered about my birthday is already enough…”

“N- No! I wanted to give that to you! Ten years I never said `Happy Birthday' to you, so I think that's the only way I could redeem what I did before!” Neji doubted.

“Arigatou, Niisan…” Hinata kissed Neji's cheek, making him blushed.

“D-d-d-d- do i- iteshimashita!” Neji exclaimed nervously. He touched the spot where Hinata had kissed him, absolutely unbelieving for what he had got.

“Let's see what's inside here…” said Hinata as she opened the gift.

“Oh, how cute!” Hinata exclaimed when she saw what's inside the box. A teddy bear with a light-blue fur and pink pads.

“Thank you, Niisan!” said Hinata as she raised the bear, and hugged it. Neji watched her happiness and smiled. He secretly wondered if Hinata would hug him like the bear.

“I'm glad that you like it, Hinata-sama,” Neji smiled at her.

“I do, Niisan. I really like it! It's my favourite colours! How did you know?” Hinata cuddled the teddy bear.

`Of course I know, I'm the one who watches you over ages, Hinata-sama…' Neji demanded to his self.

“Only my intuition, Hinata-sama,” Neji smirked satisfaction.

“Ne, this bear doesn't has a name already,” Hinata watched over the bear.

“How do you know, Hinata-sama?” asked Neji.

“Well, it doesn't has a ribbon tied around its neck. That means this bear hasn't already named yet,” explained Hinata.

“So, you will name it? What will it be? Pochi?”

“Niisan! Not that kind of name! Teddy Bear has special name, you know,” said Hinata.

“So what?” Neji's confusion has been added.

“It should be named with the owner's precious person,” Hinata smiled.

Neji gaped at her. Would she name it with his own name? But Hinata's precious person couldn't only be his. Thoughts about Naruto were accidentally passed on his mind. After all, Naruto was Hinata's boyfriend, no matter how hard he tried to doubt the fact.

“Now what I need is a ribbon… ah! There it is,” Hinata took the ribbon which once adorned the present, and circled it around the doll's neck.

“I'm going to give you the name…”

Neji shut his eyes in fear. He didn't want to hear what she would say next.

“Hyuuga Neji…” Hinata tied the ribbon, and handed the doll to Neji, “Ne, Neji-niisan? Do you agree?”

“My name?” Neji gaped at Hinata. suddenly shocked that Hinata would name the doll with his own name.

“Yes, Niisan. You're precious for me,” Hinata smiled and hug him.

Neji received her hug back, still shocked. Hinata eventually named it with his own name, because he was her precious person.

“After all, you were the one who gave me this, so I think it should be named with yours,” Hinata released the hug, and smiled at Neji.

Neji's forehead wrinkled when he heard what she had said. He didn't know whether he should be happy or disappointed with it. But when he thought about it twice, it sounded rather disappointing than good.

“Th- thanks,” Neji smiled rigidly.

“And thank you too for this adorable gift, Niisan,” Hinata cuddled the doll again.

“Want to take a walk with me at the town? I've got no mission today,” asked Neji. He actually had asked the Godaime for it, because he wanted to be with Hinata all day long.

“Th- thank you very much, Niisan… B- but I've got a plan for today,” said Hinata.

“What's it? A party with your team or with the girls?”

“N- not both, they won't celebrate my birthday today, all of them are having their own businesses,” answered Hinata.

“So, what's it?”

“I- I'm going to the river bank,” said Hinata as she took a small pot where a healthy plant was growing.

“For what?” asked Neji, he was getting bad hunch about her plan.

“T- today is my birthday, so… I- I'll be wait for Naruto-kun…” said Hinata shyly.

“WHY ARE YOU WAITING FOR HIM!?” Neji accidentally snapped.

“Niisan? Wh- why are you shouting?” Hinata startled. Neji seemed to go back to his feet, and suddenly realized that he had snapped to her.

“I- I'm sorry…” Neji chuckled, “I… I just worried about your idea going alone…” said Neji between his gritted teeth, struggling really hard to hide his anger.

“Th- thanks for worrying about me, Niisan. But please don't be, I'll have little Neji with me,” Hinata smiled at him.

Neji startled. But then he coughed to hide it.

“I'm going,” Neji left her room.

“Niisan…?”

Neji didn't say a thing, and then he snapped the door of Hinata's room. Outside, he laid his body against the door.

Neji stared at the ceiling, a certain sorrow was showed on his cloud coloured eyes. All of his sadness choked him on his neck. Tears were waiting to be rolled from the corner of his eyes. But he would not cry, never.

`To tell you the truth, Hinata-sama… I'll never accompany you for waiting that idiot…'

Neji chuckled, and then left the place.

***

Hinata arrived at the river bank, the memorial place. The place where Naruto confessed about his feeling. The place where Hinata promised that she would wait for him. The place where they knew that they were loving each other.

Hinata smiled as the memories passed on her head. She walked towards a tree, and put Ukicchi's pot beside the trunk. She then laid her back against the tree trunk, and put little Neji on her lap.

`Naruto-kun… ima sugu ni aitai….'

She would wait for Naruto.

And she waited.

She would wait until the sun set down.

And she waited.

She would wait until the nightfall.

And she waited.

She would wait until thousand stars adorned the dark sky.

And she waited.

She would wait until she fell asleep.

And she was asleep until someone woke her up.

Hinata rubbed her eyes exhaustedly. In her blurred vision, she only saw someone watched her anxiously. A guy with blonde hair.

Hinata smiled happily, though she was still sleepy, and hugged the guy.

“Naruto-kun…”

Those were the last words she uttered before she fainted.

***

Neji laid Hinata's body upon her bed. He sighed. What a silly thing Hinata just done. She has waited for Naruto from dawn until dusk. Waited for him without drink, without food. And she loyally waited for the idiotic blonde.

Neji knew it. He was stalking at her when she left the compound to the river bank. He wanted to know how long she could wait for Naruto, and would that Naruto come or not.

Neji knew she has waited for hours, and she seemed that she didn't have any burden in waiting for Naruto. She smiled, hoping for Naruto to come. She was also smiling when she fell asleep.

Hours passed and she was waiting until it passed midnight. He wanted to wake her up and shouted the fact that Naruto wouldn't come, but he didn't have the heart to do so when he saw her peaceful face in her waiting.

Neji then disguised as the damned Uzumaki, with the second thought that Hinata would fainted when he woke her up. Of course, he really hated the idea to disguise as Naruto, but at least that's the only way he could pursue Hinata to go home.

And when Hinata opened her eyes slowly after Neji's disguise woke her up, he blinked unbelievingly when he saw her expression. A really relieved one, with unmeasured happiness.

When Hinata circled her hands around his neck, Neji could feel all her love. All her relieve. All her happiness.

And when he felt it, all of his dislike for disguising as Naruto was gone. He was secretly happy when he felt her feelings, although it were not directed to him.

Why?

Because he loved her.

***

Two months have passed after the unfaithful accident. It seemed that Hinata had took her own conclusion that Naruto was busy with his training, so he couldn't come to Konoha to visit her. She also thought that her meeting with Naruto that time was only in her dreams, when the next morning she woke up on her bed.

Neji was hoping Hinata to be angry with Naruto, for what he had done was really excessive. He made her waited, and didn't even send a letter which tell any further news about him. Worse, he didn't even remember that Hinata was having her birthday at the 27th day of December.

But when Neji asked about it to Hinata (and cleverly hid his eagerness for Hinata's anger), Hinata only smiled at him and said; “He was busy training”.

Enough of it, Neji was fell into distress with Hinata's never-ended love.

***

It was some days before the end of March, when Neji found Hinata was sitting still under the Sakura tree on her garden. Neji watched in curiousness. Hinata seemed to be lost on her thoughts, her eyes' stare was blank, emotionless. Even though they were Hyuuga, it was still noticeable to see the expressions on their eyes' stares.

Neji then decided to greet her. He approached her slowly, not wanting to surprise her. Hinata didn't even seem to acknowledge that Neji was already bent down in front of her.

“Hinata-sama,” Neji greeted softly.

Hinata looked up, and she saw Neji was smiling at her.

“Neji-niisan…” she greeted back with a croaking voice. Tears fell down swiftly on her cheeks.

“H- Hinata-sama!? W- what's wrong!?” asked Neji anxiously.

“N- Naruto-kun… he…” Hinata sniffed.

“What's wrong, Hinata-sama?” Neji wrapped his arms around her back, and brought her head to his chest. He stroke her hair tenderly, tried to sooth her pain.

Hinata cried out all of her feelings there. All of her disappointments. She cried all out, until then she was exhausted for more crying. Until her tears were dried.

“Hinata-sama, if you have a problem, tell me about it. I'll help you no matter what,” said Neji, still embracing Hinata's body.

“S- Sakura… Sakura-san… t- today was her b- birthday.. sh- she got it.. she got the letter, Niisan!! Na- Naruto-kun said happy birthday to her!!” Hinata grasped on Neji's shirt in her sadness.

“Calm down, Hinata-sama…” Neji tightened the embrace around Hinata's body, “Naruto-san might be passing a village so he could sent the letter,” said Neji, and he secretly cursed his self when he noticed that he was trying to defend Naruto.

“B- But… h- he said in the letter th- that he struggled t- to found nearby village… o- only to send the letter, Niisan! H- He also said th- that… that he would never… never forget Sakura-san's birthday… h- he didn't even leave message for me, Niisan!!”

Neji was getting furious when he knew that Naruto had hurt Hinata really deep on her heart. For what Hinata had done for that cursed Uzumaki, this was the thing he did to repay? Naruto had angered him until the highest part of his emotion. That blonde had got all of Hinata's love, and easily dumped it down, while Neji fully wanted to get her heart.

“Niisan…” Hinata cried onto his chest.

Neji raised Hinata's chin up with his fingers. All of the events have turned him on.

He kissed Hinata's lips, and he could felt the salty taste of her tears. He quickly withdrew his lips from her; he shouldn't make his self turned by his own action. He shouldn't kiss her.

Because she was not in love with him.

But when their lips parted, and Neji have put Hinata on his embrace once more, Hinata was not continuing her crying anymore. She was as silent as she could be, and so did Neji.

They were only embracing, lost on their own thoughts.

***

Glossary:

Ima sugu ni aitai: I want to see you now.

AN: Err, yeah. Poor Hinata. Honestly, I couldn't stand to see her heart wounded like this, that's because I love her too much. I'm sorry Hinata; I didn't mean to be cruel with you! I hope you can stand on your role here in my fic! *bows deeply*

Hinata: N- No… it's okay… you don't have to bow like that *hugs me softly*

AN: *nose-bleed*

Anyhow, let's cut that crap *rubbed nose quickly*. Well, what I loved the most in this fic was what Neji did for Hinata, and the thing about Neji being possessive. From there, we could see that Neji really loved Hinata. Ugh… if there were any kind of person who could do the things like he did… whew, R/R please, and tell me which part you like and dislike in this fic's chapter, so I could review it, and made some advancement on the next!