Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Balance ❯ Why ( Chapter 5 )

“Oi!”

 

…. What's going on?

 

“Oi!”

 

… Where am I?

 

“Hinata-chan!! Err, chikushou!”

 

Hinata's eyes fluttered open. Everything… seemed so hazy.

 

She blinked a few times in an attempt to focus in on her surroundings. Slowly, the scene of an average Konoha street came into view, followed by a certain Inuzuka boy.

 

“K-Kiba-kun?” After “napping” so long, she wasn't sure whether everything was for real, or not.

 

“Hinata!” he complained. She gazed at him in her innocent confusion.

 

“What happened, Kiba-kun?” Apparently, she was seated against a tree. But how? Last she knew, she was following those people. Then… the girl… and the sword… and the boy… and the clone… and… Then it hit her. “Oh! O-oh my…” She had fainted. The boy must have set her there afterward. She stole a glance at the sky. She had so many emotions in her right then, her heart felt like a heavy muck. “How long have I been unconscious?”

 

Kiba seemed particularly upset, which was very unusual. He normally just tried to wake her up if she fainted, and that was that.

 

“I don't know, I just got here… Aw c'mon Hinata! Why'd you have to go and faint?” he whined. Though she had more important things to think about, she couldn't help but feel bad for disappointing her friend. Plus she had already been feeling pretty crappy to start with.

 

“U-um… Gomen… Kiba-kun…” she said, pressing her index fingers together.

 

He sat down with a slight pout in response. Great… Shino HAD to go and be right about this…

 

Back when Hinata had left in a rush, Naruto made his little comment and left. The two remaining shinobi decided then to head off and train, to kill time. That's when Kiba began to wonder how their little friend was holding out.

 

FLASHBACK

 

“How do you think she's holding out.” Shino said simply.

 

“Oooh… ouch,” I mocked a wince. “C'mon Shino, have a little faith in your teammate will ya?”

 

“Take your own advice.” He said.

 

He got me there.

 

“Hey… I'm just worried.” I said in defense. What, I can't worry about my friend anymore? Well, then again, I do seem to worry about her too much. She isn't just some fragile little doll I have to `handle with care'. I shrugged. “Eh, I guess I should probably worry less…”

 

“Yes, she's a grown woman now.” Bug boy encouraged.

 

“Yeah.”

 

“She's been through worse.”

 

“Yeah!”

 

“She can handle herself.”

 

“YEAH!”

 

“Five hundred yen she fainted before approach.”

 

“YEAH!! Wait… oh that's bogus Shino… Eh, what the heck, deal!”

 

END FLASHBACK

 

`I had to go and make a bet on Hinata...'

 

“Um... Kiba-kun?” Hinata asked, noticing his sudden silence.

 

“Huh? Oh, yeah, Hinata-chan… Well… how'd it go?” Kiba asked, in hopes that prying into her personal matters would make him forget his utter loss. That, however only earned him another innocently confused look from the heiress.

 

“How did what go, Kiba-kun?”

 

“Aw-haw, c'moooon! You can tell me!”

 

“Tell you what?”

 

“Really Hinata, you can't tell me that you practically ditched Naruto, your crush, to chase after some guys, and NOTHING happened?”

 

Now she was red. `Kiba-kun thinks I followed them because I was… interested?' This situation was… horrible. One, because he thought she would do such a thing as to stupidly chase after the first person she saw, and two, because he had NEVER spoken of her crush so bluntly before. She knew he knew about it, but…

 

“Uh…. Um…” was all she could manage.

 

 

 

A large stack of paperwork sat on her left, another, less than half the first's size, on her right. Kami, if she'd known being Hokage would involve this much freaking paperwork she never would've went for it. Darn that Naruto. She may as well have wasted the rest of her days as a secretary or something.

 

Sighing, she read through the last of the packet before her and marked her approval with an unenthusiastic signature. She was just about to reach for another when a knock echoed into her office.

 

“Tsunade-sama.” Came a voice through the door. “They've arrived.”

 

Tsunade sat up in her chair and put her best `serious look' on. This better have been important for them to come barging in demanding to see her. It was for that very reason however, that she agreed in seeing them. They had guts; she'd give them that. “Alright, send them in.”

 

Swift footsteps followed a quick “Hai” as the nin made their way into the lobby of the building.

 

Then, silence again.

 

What was this sudden strange feeling? She felt… drowsy. Looking into her tea, she assured herself that she had not had any sake in a while, so she wasn't buzzed. Something bad was going to happen, she could feel it in the air. Being leader and protector of her people, though she admired their guts, she wasn't about to take the strangers' visit lightly.

 

“Konbanwa, Lady Hokage-sama,” Came an enthusiastic-like greeting. The three Konoha alien opened the door and stepped in. Tsunade literally had to squint to see them. Oh man! What's up with their hair? There's no way these people are really ninja. I can see them from a mile away with hair that bright. Her eyes couldn't help but jump from one to the other as they walked in, scanning them with suspicion. Green… Red… Blue… Really? That CAN'T be natural. I'll bet they dye it at LEAST every two weeks. With my luck though, it probably is natural. Luck hates me…

 

“- so basically, we're here to make a proposition.”

 

Crap, they were talking! What did they say? Whatever, act natural. Ask them what they want. No… you'll sound like you've given in to whatever they've commanded… make it sound like you're the boss… she thought, staring seriously at them the whole time.

 

“Who, exactly, are you?” she finally asked. The boy who had been talking visibly flinched.

 

“Well Hokage-sama, you sure do get straight to the point, eh?” He rubbed the back of his neck, then grinned. “Names Taizo. The vicious red-head here is Rika, and the paperweight there is Kirimaru,” This introduction of course earned him a slight glare from the bluenette. Rika simply kicked him. “Ow! What was that for!” he mumbled.

 

“For being an idiot!” she hissed back. And just like that, they were arguing like five year olds, insults and all.

 

Are they serious? Tsunade sweat-dropped through a glare.

 

Kirimaru sweat dropped as well. He looked like he was about to do the most difficult task in the world as he stepped forward.

 

“La-Lady Hokage-sama…” he said. Or at least, she thought he said. He spoke so silently, and the noise around them didn't help. Almost simultaneously, a vein popped on both hers and his forehead. He reached out and grabbed the arguing Nins by the face, silencing them immediately.

 

Well then.

 

“Sumimasen Hokage-sama…” He looked to his left and right, then back at Tsunade. “We are known as… Yasuragi.”

 

 

 

“Are you ok enough to walk?”

 

“I'm fine Kiba-kun.” She smiled. She had that kind smile that you could barely see, but knew was there. It warmed him up inside so much, he couldn't help but smile slightly too. “So, where are we headed?”

 

“Eh, to the training grounds. Shino should be there by now.” They rose and went on their way.

 

They walked peacefully. The wooden fences followed them, and a few tree braches reached over to greet them as they passed. Suddenly, Hinata looked behind them worriedly. She then craned her neck to look over Kiba, and jogged slightly up ahead. She looked… well, confused.

 

“What'cha looking for Hina-chan?” Her friend asked. She stopped again, then activated her Byakugan.

 

“Where is Akamaru-kun?” she wondered aloud. It was very unlike the dog to not be around his partner.

 

“Oh… he went to go tell Shino that we found you…” He's probably so smug right now. Little freak. He thought. Nonetheless, he shook it off, and decided to get the “over-protective brother” thing over with. “So… Hinata-chan…”

 

“Hm?”

 

“When you `fainted', did they…” he droned off, figuring she'd know the rest. Wrong girl.

 

“Did they what, Kiba-kun?”

 

“Y'know… did they…” he strained. This would be hard. Finally he came up with the sure-fire idea that swirling his hands in small circles would get his point across. Fail. Okay, that's not working. “Ahem… uh… was there any… leering or pinching involved?” he asked hopefully.

 

Bingo.

 

“EEP! NO!NO!NO!NO!NO!!” she shrieked and blushed madly. If you imagined the deepest blush in the world, then multiplied that times infinity, then added six, you'd maybe come close to half as red as she was right then. Yes, that red.

 

“OHKAY! So they just left you there, I get it!” he said. Now that that's over with… “You don't need them anyway…”

 

She shot her gaze up at him.

 

“You remember when you were after those guys right?” His response was a flinch. “Okay, well when you were gone we said some… things… and then guess what Naruto says?”

 

“Oh! What did he say?” I bet he hates me for running off like that! I knew it! Oh dear Kami! He hates me!

 

“Heh, he has this stupid grin on and he's all like, (now this is funny) `those are lucky guys. Heh heh Hinata's nice'.” Of course, the hillbilly accent he used and the idiotic toothy expression weren't necessary, but he figured the point would get across all the same. Why not have a little fun with it?

 

She froze. Naruto said that? Her head swirled. Her chest swelled. She even squealed. Finally her long-time crush was noticing her!! I can't believe it! I could just die right now! Of course, I already almost died just recently. Those people… that insane speed… they must be assassins. They'd have to be. With that speed they could eliminate a target before they even realized what was coming… wait, why am I thinking of that now? Naruto-kun COMPLIMENTED ME!

 

Kiba smiled at her amusing changes in expressions, but said nothing. Little did he know, she wasn't quite through thinking about her previous encounter. What was their purpose here? Why did that girl try to kill her?

 

Why did he stop her?