Work Text:
beat
Naruto swings back and forth on the swings. Alone, but not for long. He bounces off and tries again, butting into the other children’s games, finally making enough of a nuisance of himself to be allowed into the group. For now, the looks of scorn have disappeared from Hinata’s classmates to be replaced by shouts and smiles as they play tag.
Hinata admires him, and that admiration gives her strength to go after what she wants in her heart of hearts. Naruto doesn’t give up and cry, and she won’t either. One day, she will wipe the scorn from her father’s face as well.
b-beat
Hinata doesn’t actually feel her heart stutter and then give out. She’s too busy listening to Naruto’s shouts of encouragement and watching for Neji’s next move.
A distant part of her - the ninja part of her brain that constantly monitors her physical state – is telling her to stop, but Hinata can’t bring herself to care. Naruto gives his all to fight for his precious people, and how could she do less? (Even if here, fighting for means fighting with, because just as Naruto will become Hokage someday, she will become the Hyuga head and change her family).
beat
Naruto is like the sun. Ever since Hinata met him, she’s seen the world differently. He’s illuminated her path and freed her from her paralysis, and now she can finally see her family changing, and it’s all thanks to him.
So, here, when he is paralyzed by Pein, she knows what she has to do. She can feel her pulse racing, but it’s adrenaline, not fear. She’s not afraid anymore.
beating
The priorities of the Hyuga and that of the village often do not align, so she finds herself in opposition to Naruto more often than not. But they still walk back from the village council hand in hand.
Hinata no longer faints. Still, sometimes when she looks into Naruto’s eyes, she can feel her heart beating more quickly. It’s the knowledge that until one of them dies (ninja life being what it is), she will continue to believe in him, and he in her, and they will both achieve their goals.