Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Snake Bite ❯ Introductions; Welcome Taka ( Chapter 2 )

Introductions; Welcome Taka

 

As night began to fall the collection of the Rookie Nine and Team Gai met up just half a day's travel away from Konoha at a small creek in the forest. There was a quick head count to make sure that all were accounted for before each team member gave their debriefing.

 

While this was happening Naruto and Hinata had taken the unconscious pair to a small space by the stream and laid them out carefully in blankets.

 

"How is he?" Hinata asked Naruto as he watched over, what he considered, his brother.

 

"He's closed his eyes finally and seems to simply be sleeping. What about the girl?"

 

"She hasn't stirred for a while."

 

"Hinata-sama." Neji called out as he walked over before leaning down and whispering into her ear.

 

"I have to go Naruto-kun. Shikamaru-san wants to debrief me and then give out night watch." Hinata explained as she leaned forward and lightly kissed his cheek, with a light tint on her own, before standing to leave.

 

"Hinata-chan." She turned to look back at him. "I love you." he said confidently with a smile gracing his face, as well as a light tint like Hinata.

 

"I love you too, Naruto-kun." Hinata's blush deepened as she again turned and left.

 

Fifteen minutes later, Shikamaru made his way over to where Naruto still sat watching Sasuke and the girl.

 

"I've set it up so that the others will rotate as night sentries, we leave as soon as everyone has had at least two hours of sleep. I want you to make sure you get sleep as well, I'll send over Hinata later to look after these two for you. And I've already told her but if either of them begins to wake up I want to be told immediately. Understood." Shikamaru instructed lazily.

 

"Hai." Naruto replied with a small nod.

 

Shikamaru returned the nod with a lazy wave as he turned and strode off.

 

Naruto turned his attention back to the sleeping figures in front of him as he rested his head on his arms crossed over his knees and let his mind wander into thought.

 

His thoughts were a jumble of questions, doubt, and hope circling around his mind. He was so lost in his thoughts that he did not feel the passage of time or the approaching Hinata.

 

"Naruto-kun?"

 

"Huh?! Oh, it's you Hinata-chan. I didn't know you were there, were you waiting long?" Naruto asked around a yawn as he turned to Hinata as she sat down next to him.

 

"No not long, but you should get some sleep Naruto-kun. We'll be leaving soon and you do need some rest." she instructed with a comforting yet forceful hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry I'll look after them and if either wakes I'll wake you before getting Shikamaru-san."

 

"Thanks Hinata-chan, you're the best." he replied with a small smile before giving her a quick peck on the cheek and rolling over to go to sleep.

 

Hinata sighed wistfully as she looked back at Sasuke and the girl, her mind full of the usual feelings that come with love. She giggled a bit as she thought about when she and Naruto had finally begun going out.

 

flashback two months

 

Hinata stood in the alley of Naruto's apartment building performing heavy breathing exercises as she prepared for what was to come.

 

A door opened and closed and she peeked around the corner to see who had come out. When she saw that it was Naruto her heart jumped into her throat and she backed back into the alley.

 

'Okay Hinata you can do this.' she mental pepped herself as she took a few more deep breathes before launching into her preplanned speech aloud to herself.

 

"Naruto-kun, before I met you I didn't think of myself as anyone or thing. I thought I was nothing better then dirt. But then I saw how others treated you and how you refused to give up like I had and you pushed on. From that moment on I so wanted to be like you and be the best I could be." Hinata began.

 

As Hinata was doing this Naruto's ears and nose twitched to alert him of her position. He shrugged as he began to walk over to where she was. As he got closer he began to pick up exactly what she was saying and he slowed his approach. He then masked his presence and snuck up to the mouth of the alley.

 

He reached the alley around the part where Hinata was saying how she wanted to be like him and he gasped lightly when she said

 

"But over time I have found that what I really wanted was not to be like you."

 

He shook his head after he heard this and focused back on what she was saying.

 

"I don't want to be like you because I have realized that I want to be with you, not be you. I want to stand by your side for all ages, until time crashes down around us, for better or worse. I want to be the person that spends their life with you through all your good and bad times." she stops to take a deep breath. "Na...Naruto-kun, I...I want...want to...to be your girl." Hinata finally squeaked out before letting out a sigh.

 

"Yes."

 

Hinata jumped and spun about to find Naruto looking at her with the most intense eyes and serious face.

 

"Wh...What?"

 

"Yes!" Naruto shouted this time as he leapt forward and grabbed Hinata into a swinging hug with a goofy smile across his face.

 

"Re...Really!" Hinata exclaimed as soon as Naruto placed her back on her feet.

 

Naruto gave her a energetic nod before continuing. "Only if I can be your boy."

 

"Of course." Hinata almost cried as she buried her face in his chest.

 

Naruto let a small genuine smile grace his face before his more usual goofy smile returned. "Hey Hinata-chan, lets go get lunch. My treat."

 

"Okay." and they left the alley hand in hand.

 

flashback end

 

Hinata sat beside the stream with a dreamy look on her face when she first heard the groan from in front of her. Her attention quickly snapped to the now stirring figure of the girl.

 

"Naruto-kun. Naruto-kun wake up. The girl's waking up." Hinata shook Naruto desperately.

 

"Wh...What? What is it?" Naruto groggily awoke and jumped up and spun about a few times.

 

Hinata couldn't help but giggle as she watched him. She stopped herself with a light shake of her head as she stopped Naruto with a hand on his arm and gently pulled him back to the ground.

 

"The girl is waking up. I'm going to go get Shikamaru-san, you keep an eye on her and don't go back to sleep." Hinata giggled as Naruto let off another exaggerated yawn.

 

"Yeah, yeah." he waved her off and she disappeared into the trees.

 

Another light groan pulled his attention back to the waking girl. Her eyes fluttered open before she began to try and pull herself into a sitting position.

 

"Woo there, take it easy. You don't want to over do it." Naruto said as he leaned forward and placed a hand on her shoulder.

 

The girl looked at the hand touching her a second before pushing it off and fully standing. "I'm fine. Where are we and where is the rest of your team?" she asked as she straightened her clothes.

 

"And here I thought we were the ones going to ask questions." Shikamaru sighed as he and Hinata stepped out of the trees.

 

"You must be Nara Shikamaru."

 

"I am. You are well informed. How?"

 

"The sooner we get back to the village the sooner you'll find out." she stated before turning to Naruto. "I assume you will be carrying the Uchiha."

 

"Hai."

 

"Good, then we should be on our way."

 

"Now wait a minute! We don't even know who you are and you think we'll listen to you!" Naruto stood up into the girl's face.

 

"My name is Taka and as for what I say, it holds more sense then what is in your head."

 

Shikamaru let out a sigh and a mumble of "Troublesome." before turning a grumbling Naruto back to carry Sasuke and sent Hinata to get the others moving.

 

As they all began the last leg of the trip to the village he made his way over to Taka, who was easily keeping pace with the group even if she was running on the forest floor below.

 

"I expect to be told everything once we reach the Hokage, understood."

 

"Of course Nara-san."

...

Words Used

Taka - Hawk

Check previous chapters for other words

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