Things Change [Naruto AU]

14

After a time Hinata did speak and reply to Naruto. "Y-You want me to... h-help you?" She asked. He nodded and she started to press her fingers against each other again as a nervous tick. She did have to think. When they were young she had kept faith in the boy and loved him. Now she wasn't sure who this boy was because time had changed him.

She closed her eyes and took another deep breath before exhaling through her nose. Then she looked Naruto in his eyes and kept that eye contact while she confidently spoke. "I'll join you Naruto, because I have faith in you and I trust you." She then smiled and Naruto allowed himself to marvel at her small amount of courage.

"Hinata, do you think that you would be able to talk to Neji about this?" Naruto spoke.

"Uh... I'm sure I could try." She said with a little less confidence.

"If you want to talk about me then please do it while I'm here." Neji said boldly to the pair on the training grounds. He stood at the edge only visible when he spoke out and stepped away from the tree cover.

"I thought you wouldn't mind since you're family seems to do it so often." Naruto said back. It was true that the Hyuuga Clan praised the boy through small talk and even scrolls of Byakugan users. Neji scoffed and came closer to the pair.

"Lady Hinata, are you going to follow Naruto and leave Konoha?" Neji asked the girl. She nodded her head and Neji let out a low sigh.

"Well you can't leave on your own. Your training isn't finished and I was sworn to protect you with my life. I cannot throwaway my father's promise to your father. I will follow you and keep you safe, even if I have to leave this village that I've called home." Neji said again and Hinata looked at the other Hyuuga with a smile. Neji stood beside his cousin and both looked back at Naruto for instructions on what to do.

He never said anything but made a small notion to his headband. They got the hint and Neji brought a kunai to the protector on his forehead and made a cut. Hinata did the same to the one on her neck and both had now taken this very seriously and there was no going back. All that was left was to leave and never look back.

"What do we do about our teammates, and our friends?" Hinata asked before they were about to leave.

"You can try to convince them to follow you. I'm sure one or two may listen and believe the same thing that we do." Naruto said back. Hinata smiled and nodded as she looked to Neji, he nodded as well.

"I'll go. We can meet at the gates with everyone when we're ready." Hinata said as she then left the grounds in an instant. Neji waited a moment before doing so. He was thinking the same thing that Naruto was, Hinata could be a great leader if she wasn't so shy but that was something beat into her as a child from her own father. It was apart of her now that couldn't be changed.

Hinata went to the first person she could think of that she could actually talk to. Shino. It wasn't too late but people were going home by now. She went near his clan and saw him walking alone along the road. She stepped out and slowly walked to him. Shino looked up through his glasses and nodded, acknowledging her.

"Hey, Shino." She said trying to maintain that confidence she had with Naruto and Neji.

"Hello, Hinata." Shino replied with his usual tone of voice which was always quiet and slightly dark. Because of his dress and way of doing things he was often overlooked and it angered him. This was something that Hinata picked up on when she was put on a team with him.

"Shino, I have a question for you." Hinata started.

"Hmm." Shino hummed and waited for her to continue.

"Would you come with me... and leave Konoha?"

««« End of Chapter 14 »»»