Hinata's Embarrassing Day (Part 3)

Hinata's Embarrassing Day:

She couldn't believe Konohamaru! What was he thinking?!?! His failed attempt to prank Naruto had left her in this horrible situation. She could barely breath; her sheer level of panic was suffocating her. The sounds of baskets being shifted and occasionally tossed across the floor told her that Naruto was busy tearing the place apart. "If Kiba helps Naruto search they'll come looking out here in no time!", she thought to herself.

Naruto: Kiba! Help me search already!
Kiba: Why? I wasn't the one who went and lost his clothes.
Naruto, I didn't lose them! I left them in the basket next to you, remember?
Kiba: Well... then someone moved them.
Naruto: Dammit! Who the hell would?.... Of course!
Kiba: what?
Naruto: There's only one possible person!

Hinata's eyes began to water, she was on the verge of bursting into tears. He knew it was her who had the clothes! She had to get out of there, just drop the basket and run! So she ran. She sprinted towards the exit and prayed she got out before anyone saw her. She managed to get outside. She was sure no one saw her. She put a few buildings between her and the hot springs then settled against a pile of unused bricks. She was about to let out a sigh of relief, but only managed to let out a choking noise instead. She was still holding the basket!

(Back in the men's changing rooms):

Kiba: Uh Naruto, when you make a statement like that, you usually share the suspect's name.
Naruto: Oh, sorry, I kinda got caught up in my revenge plan! Dattebayo! The only person I know who would do this is Konohamaru!
Kiba: Haha! Of course, it's so obvious! He's the only other person I know besides us who would pull this kind of prank. Well.. there's Choji... but he's busy preparing food pills with his father, and something like this would be a little too simple for Shikamaru...
Naruto: Exactly! Oh, I'm gonna kill him!
Kiba: Well unless you plan to do it in just a towel you'd better get some clothes first!
Naruto: Oh man! I've gotta find something to wear!
Kiba: Good luck with that!
Naruto: What?!? You're not going to help me?
Kiba: Sorry Naruto, but The grandparents are here for the week, they came over to help out my sister; my granny was a vet too when she was younger, so she knows her way around ninja hounds.
Naruto: Wait! you're not telling me...
Kiba (with a very depressed expression on his face): Yeah, she STILL throws me in...
Naruto: Yikes!...But how would she get Akamaru in?
Kiba: She throws ME in! She hasn't tossed Akamaru in since that winter incident... but since I haven't nearly died of it yet, I still go in...
Naruto: Kiba, you're sixteen, when do you think she'll stop doing it?
Kiba: Uh, well... When my wife can do it instead... or so she says....so...
Naruto: That's kinda depressing....
Kiba: yeah...well... I'm going to go now... one dip in the water today was enough!
Naruto: Dammit! I gotta figure something out here!
Kiba: You're a ninja! Think of this as the ultimate test of your stealth capabilities!
Naruto: Alright! I gotta think smart though, not as many buildings to hide around than i'd like.
Kiba (heading to the door): Hah! Well good luck!
Naruto (Sticking out his tongue): Thanks a lot!

As he left, Kiba shouted back to Naruto that he was all clear to come out. Peeking his head out, just to be sure, Naruto looked around, The area was completely clear, apart from Kiba, who was already about to round the nearest street corner, towards home. Taking a breath to steady his nerves he took a tight hold of the towel around his waist and darted to the nearest cover.

Hinata peeked around the corner of the pile of bricks. It looked clear. Taking advantage of this moment of privacy she knelt down and opened the travel bag she thankfully still had from her mission. She quickly started to transfer Naruto's clothes into the bag. She wasn't sure how she was going to get these clothes back to Naruto without getting in trouble, but she had to keep them out of sight until then. All that was left to go in was his t-shirt. She was halfway through the transfer when she stopped. She looked down at the clothing in her hand, it was black, with an orange swirl pattern on the front, same as the pattern that was on the back of all the combat vests that the Chunin of the village were issued with when they pass the exams. She simply stared at it for a moment, realizing that she was actually holding a piece of the young man she loved. Before she knew it she found herself holding it close to her, pressing it tightly to her chest while she breathed in the traces of his smell. Despite having only been taken off after a mission, it didn't stink, there was only the faintest smell of sweat off it. She wasn't surprised, Naruto had always had so much energy; such an insane amount of stamina, unless he was in prolonged training or combat he didn't break much of a sweat. What she did get a smell of was wet grass. She remembered watching him lying on the small patch of grass near the fire the previous night. He lay there looking up at the stars, his face looked a little sad at first, but then it eased into a very peaceful look. She guessed that he was either thinking of Sasuke, or master Jiraiya.

Since he'd come back from his training with master Jiraiya, everyone was happy to have him back. After the shock of Sasuke leaving, whether people recognized it or not it was Naruto's sheer relentless determination to bring him back one way or another that helped keep things sane afterwards. He gave people hope, it was his ultimate strength, or so Hinata believed. When he left to start his training, there was a void left in the village. For the first few months things seemed too quiet.

Hinata remembered one occasion, about three months after Naruto had left, when she and the rest of team eight were called to the Hokage's office...

(Two and a half years ago):

Hinata entered the Hokage's office, the rest of team eight was there; Kuranai sensei was standing in the middle of the room, Kiba knelt to her right, stroking behind Akamaru's head. Shino was on the left side of the room, leaning against the wall looking out the window. Hinata approached the table and gave a bow to the Hokage. When she raised her head she noticed that Tsunade didn't seem to be paying attention, her mind seemed to be on other things, and Hinata just knew Naruto was one of those things.

Hinata: Um...Reporting as ordered, lady Tsunade.
Tsunade (snapping to attention): Ah, Welcome Hinata, now that you're all here I think we shall begin.
Kuranai: Of course lady Tsunade!
Hinata: yes, my lady.
Kiba: Let's get this show on the road already granny Hokage!
Shino: Kiba!
Kiba: Huh?
Shino: You're so hopeless!
Kiba: Who're you calling hopeless?!?!
Shino: You.
Kuranai: Enough, both of you!

(They were all surprised to see that Tsunade was smiling. They reminded her of Naruto and Sakura when they argued).

Tsunade: Settle down and let's begin the mission briefing.

She described the background to the mission; a series of robberies occurring in several villages in the south of the Land of Fire, in which high value relics were stolen. They were to track down the bandits responsible and, if possible, return the artifacts to the families.

Tsunade: This group is reported to be extremely dangerous, and we suspect that they have a number of rogue ninja among them, judging by the manner in which several of the houses guards were killed. As such, I'm assigning some additional support to your team.
Kuranai: If you feel it necessary. Who will you be assigning?
Tsunade (shouting towards the door to her office): You can come in now!

The door opens and two people enter. Turning to see who would be joining them Hinata was happy to see Sakura and Kakashi sensei standing there. Sakura was smiling at Hinata, while Kakashi wore his usual expression of disinterest. Everyone was quiet for a moment. A look of confusion came over Kakashi and Sakura. Everyone was still looking at the door behind them. Then Akamaru began to whine softly. It was at This point that everyone realized that they were unconsciously waiting for Naruto to follow in behind the other team seven members, with his usual look of barely contained excitement at the prospect of a challenging mission. Kiba picked up Akamaru and stroked his head softly; "Sorry buddy", he muttered, "but we won't be seeing him for a while, remember?". They all snapped back to reality. Kuranai was the first to break the silence.

Kuranai: Ah, Kakashi, so it was you who got dragged into this. And Sakura, you too?
Kakashi: Yep.
Sakura: Lady Tsunade wanted a ninja with medical training on the team.
Kakashi: And I guess I'm here to help counter any troublesome rogue ninja with my Sharingan if things start to get out of hand.
Tsunade: Exactly. These bandits are responsible for the deaths of over a hundred people so far, they are brutal men and I will not risk underestimating them. I'd usually send a team consisting entirely of Jonin on a mission like this, but since we're still recovering our numbers since Orochimaru's attack, two Jonin and four Genin will have to do.

They set out and completed the mission without much difficulty, The Bandits didn't stand a chance against Kuranai's genjutsu and Kakashi's Sharingan. It was a strangely muted journey on the way to and from the mission. It was Sakura and Kakashi sensei's first mission together without Naruto, they seemed a little uncomfortable, but they didn't let that get in the  way of their mission.

They were camped up for the night, two days away from the village, when Hinata caught sight of Sakura sitting at the opening of their tent. she looked like she was miles away.

Hinata: Sakura-chan, are you okay?
Sakura (a little caught off guard): What? oh, sorry Hinata-chan, I was just...
Hinata: Thinking about Naruto-kun?
Sakura: Yeah, kind of, this has been the first mission I've been on with Kakashi-sensei since Naruto left...
Hinata: It's strange with him not around isn't it.
Sakura (laughing): It's quiet, but considering Naruto was on my team, I guess quiet IS kind of strange.
Hinata: He- he is very excitable...
Sakura: I feel a little guilty...
Hinata: W-why would you feel guilty?
Sakura: I used to always give out to him about being so eager and loud. I can't remember the amount of times I've told him how happy I'd have been if we had someone else other than him on our team.
Hinata: I'm sure Naruto-kun never took much offence from it...
Sakura: He used to laugh and tease me, trying to lighten to mood, he only ever wanted us to be his friends... and at the beginning I used to be so mean to him. But... after Sasuke...

(Sakura went quiet for a moment, then she exhaled and continued).

Sakura: He never gave up hope of bringing him back, even after the injuries he suffered... He doesn't know it, but I read the complete medical report of his injuries, as well as Kakashi's report of what Naruto had told him. Despite what he had suffered he never gave up...
Hinata: I-I don't think he ever will either...
Sakura (a little surprised): You really think so?
Hinata: I know so. When I was little, other kids bullied me, they knew my cousin Neji-kun, and thought that I was Like him, that  I thought I was better than them, they didn't believe me when I said I wasn't....
Sakura: I'm sorry, i never knew..
Hinata (smiling): It's okay, because one day three boys were pushing me into the dirt when Naruto-kun showed up. He was out-numbered three to one, and they were bigger than him... but he just grinned and fought them... even though he lost, and got beaten up, he wouldn't give up on trying to help me, one of the members of my clan showed up and the bullies ran, and I was taken away from there... I don't know why people didn't like Naruto, why they judged him, but I always felt guilty that I wasn't there to help him in return.
Sakura: Wow! I never knew Naruto was that brave when he was so little...
Hinata: More important than that though, was that he never gave up, he never let the adults hatred get in his way, and he became such a powerful ninja. And the most important thing of all...
Sakura: Yeah?
Hinata: He never held it against me; not going back to see if he was okay, not once. Instead he always encouraged me and helped me believe in myself. Remember the Chunin exams? Naruto-kun was one of the few people who actually cheered me on, I was only able to fight so hard because I knew he believed in me. He Always seems to be able to tell when people are suffering one way or another, and always tries to help them out. He doesn't judge people like the rest of us do, he's lived with hatred, know's what it's like and isn't quick to throw it at others...

After hearing Hinata's story Sakura's mood improved. She thanked Hinata for the talk and the next two days were happier ones. Talk turned towards Naruto a lot, but they were of memories of happy times, when Naruto had cheered them up in their sadder times, when his jokes in the academy made them laugh, and when He surprised them all with his amazing heroics time and again. Life started to return to the village, Naruto was gone for a short time, but through all their memories of him, he was right there, in their hearts and minds.

(Back in the present).

Hinata slowly took the t-shirt away from her chest, and began to fold it to put it into her bag. She must have been lost in her memories for some time because she suddenly realized she wasn't alone anymore. She looked at the ground to her right and saw the shadow that stretched from somewhere behind her. Her eye shifted quickly from the shadow to her bag, and the orange and black clothes visible within. Her heart began to pound like a war drum, and her breath caught in her throat.

Hinata: Um....
Ino: Well... what have we here?

{END OF PART 3}