Hinata Loves Naruto, Chapter 9

Chapter 9: October 10th


Today October 10th, the day Uzumaki Naruto was born. He is 18 years old today. Most teenagers would be happy to be turning 18 years old. It's the age where you are considered an adult. Naruto, however, was is not most teenagers. Most teenagers are not born on the same day that a demonic creature attacked their home land and took the lives of many. Most teenagers don't have that same monster sealed inside of their bodies and are looked at by the villagers as if they were the beast itself. Naruto is not most teenagers.

Sure it was his birthday, but he didn't feel like celebrating. He rather be off on a mission to take his mind off of it. Sakura was away with another team and because he wasn't needed Naruto was left behind.

As if to reflect how his soul felt on the inside, it was raining. He stared out the window of his apartment sighing occasionally. He just wanted this day to end.

Naruto was surprised when he heard a knock at the door. Who could be visiting him? He opened the door to find Hinata, glowing with a smile, bearing some gifts.

"Happy birthday, Naruto-kun," she said, cheerfully, taking Naruto by surprise.
Her smile faded when she noticed Naruto was staring back at her.
"Naruto-kun? Are you alright?"

" 'Happy birthday?'  Does she have any idea how many people died today?" He thought to himself.
"Naruto-kun? What's wrong?" She asked, looking at him concerned.
"Nothing's wrong," he said, putting on his usual grin.
"Please don't lie to me, Naruto-kun," she remarked, looking at him with a serious, somewhat sad face.
Naruto's fake smile was gone. He couldn't believe she had seen right through him.

"If there's something troubling you, you know that you can talk to me, right?" She asked.
"I don't wanna talk about it," Naruto replied, looking away from her.
"But, Naruto-kun--"
"I said I don't wanna talk about!" He snapped.

Hinata was shocked and saddened. They had grown so close over the last few months and yet he wouldn't talk to her about what was bothering her. That hurt her far more than the fact that he raised his voice at her. She sat the gifts down on a nearby table then left without saying another word.

"Nice going, idiot," Naruto said to himself after he closed the door and slumped to the floor.

Hinata sits on a bench under an umbrella looking up towards Naruto's apartment, wondering why he couldn't confide in her. Kureni notices Hinata and comes up to her.

"Hinata? Why are you out here by yourself? Something wrong?"

Hinata searched for the right words but Kureni was already one step ahead of her.

"Does thing have something to do with, Naruto?" she questioned, causing Hinata to look up at her surprised. She sits down next to her and Hinata tells her what happened.

Back at Naruto's place, he's sitting on the floor next to his window, berating himself a moron for not telling Hinata why he hates his birthday.

"I want to tell Hinata the truth. I really do. But... but what if she thinks differently of me when she finds out? What if she looks at me the same way so many of the villagers have?" He thought to himself.

"I see," Kureni said after hearing the details of Hinata and Naruto's little fallout.
"But Naruto snapping at me isn't what really bothers me. It's... well. He and I are so close now. We're very good friends but he just wouldn't open up to me. That's the thing that really hurts," Hinata said, looking at the rain drops hit the streets.
"Well, people can be stubborn sometimes. They don't always like to talk about what's bothering them and sometimes, they push the ones that care about them away when they need them the most," Kureni said, looking out at the rain along with Hinata.
"But..." Kureni went on, placing her hand on Hinata's shoulder
"When he's ready to talk, he'll come to you," Kureni smiled and got up, leaving Hinata to ponder on the words she'd spoken to her.

An hour later and the rain is still coming down. Hinata has yet to leave the bench. Naruto still debates on whether or not he should tell Hinata his big secret, when he finally decides he's going to tell her.

He races towards his apartment door to go out looking for her. When he opens the door, he's surprised to see her standing there, getting ready to knock. She, too, is surprised.

"Um... Hey." Naruto said shyly.
"Hi," she replied, shyly.

"Hinata, I'm sorry that I snapped at you earlier," Naruto apologized.
"You don't have to say that, Naruto-kun. I just came to tell you that, whenever you feel like talking, I'll be here."
"Yeah, about that. I think I'm ready now," Naruto said, looking at her seriously. Hinata looked at him stunned.