Deeper than Indigo
Chapter 1: Revelations
He didn't know when he had begun to dream of her. It had begun so gradually and so quietly that he didn't even realize the potent hold those dreams of her had on his soul until he had seen her crumpled form on the floor, leaking chakra to the point that it was visible to even those who weren't of the Hyuuga or Uchiha clan.
The rage that had filled him then had be so strong, so utterly consuming that Naruto didn't even realize that he had challenged the 'phenomenal genius' Hyuuga Neji until his teammate and previous love interest –Haruno Sakura; had grasped his orange clad arm and hissed, "Are you crazy?! You just saw what he did to Hinata-san!"
Despite the dire warning, Naruto shook off his teammate's hold, and stared coolly at the prodigy before him. His desire to extract revenge on Hinata's behalf far outweighed what little sense of self preservation he had. He ignored the surprised stares of his teammates- after all, not many had the courage to challenge the powerful House Hyuuga, follow through with the challenge, and hope to win.
The fight didn't really last that long. The countless hours of training day after day for the past several years coupled with his sharpening senses had finally come to fruitation, rendering what would have been a brutal, ugly fight with Neji emerging victor to a nigh impossibility. It would not be the first nor the last time that Uzumaki 'Dead Last' Naruto would receive both fear and admiration for his feats.
If asked about that fight that happened not too long ago, Uzumaki Naruto would only give a careless grin to the questioner as he replied that it was something he had felt like doing rather than the real reason, which was fear. Fear for the fact that the girl lying on the floor was what he realized at that moment, his precious person. The one that he wanted most to acknowledge him.
It was after the final blow that knocked Neji unconscious that had the audience holding their collective breaths. Whenever angry or near death, the chakra of the nine failed fox demon never failed to make an appearance. After staring down at the unconscious form of Hyuuga Neji, Naruto had simply turned and exited the stage, ignoring the surprised looks of the audience. The adults of the village, who knew of Naruto's special circumstances, were shocked. Naruto had beaten Neji on his own; without any help from the demon sealed within. Silence reigned in the arena for a full minute before conversations resumed, this time of the vessel that held the fox demon called Nine Tails.
Naruto paid no attention to the audience. If it had been any other type of circumstance, he would have reveled in it, enjoyed the fact that he was one step closer to achieving his dream of acknowledgement for his existence. However, this was not one of those times because the only one he wanted to acknowledge at the moment was in the hospital bay above.
Save for the two nurses and the doctor doing their rounds on the injured, the floor was surprisingly empty of visitors. Naruto ignored the scents of antiseptic and medicinal herbs as he sought to find Hinata. Faint as it was, Naruto managed to find it on his third try.
He found her on the far corner of the hospital bay. Pulling aside the curtain that gave some small semblance of privacy to the injured, Naruto entered. Hinata lay on the cot, asleep.
Unsure of what to do now that he had found her, Naruto found himself looking at anything and everything within the small 'room'. Knowing that he probably looked suspicious hanging about, Naruto pulled the curtain back in place as he moved to sit the only chair present. Hands on his knees and his back ramrod straight, Naruto once again found his eyes roaming around the room, unwilling to look at Hinata. He didn't know if he could look at her again without such strong emotions overwhelming him.
When he had seen the chakra leaking out of her in waves, something inside of him trembled. When she had failed to get up, it had quickly turned to anger and then to determination when he faced Neji. It was spent now that he had avenged her. What was left in the wake of those emotions was an overwhelming sense of concern for her. Concern that he didn't know how to express with this shy, delicate-seeming girl.
Now that he was in the room with her, Naruto had no idea what to do. No one was more aware of Naruto's social ineptude than Naruto himself as he tried to decide on a course of action. He sat there for a long time, staring at the pattern of the wooden floor.
Naruto started as he heard the bed shift. Immediately, his eyes moved to look at Hinata, only to see her turn her back to him face the window, still deeply asleep. Smiling now, because she had finally moved – it was a sign that the chakra was flowing through out her body normally; Naruto found that he could look at Hinata, or more specifically, her back. Unconsciously, Naruto's hand moved up to trace in the air, the Konoha leaf pattern that was on the back of her shirt. Still unsure on what to say, Naruto could only think: Hinata-chan, I'm glad that you're ok.
His hand lay at his side once more as he stood up. Suddenly it didn't seem so bad anymore. Despite the vicious way Hinata had lost to her cousin Hyuuga Neji, she still persisted. Despite the odds. Hinata-chan he couldn't help but realize with pride, I like your type best.
End of Chapter 1