For Veteran's Day.
Rated for slight language.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
I sighed heavily. My chest constricted painfully. It had been too long, far too long since I had seen her. It probably wasn't as long as I thought it had been, but in my mind, any time away from my wife was too long.
She was beautiful, the single most beautiful person I'd ever met. Nothing she could ever do would change that, and no one would ever come close in comparison to her. She still blushed whenever I'd compliment her though, despite having been married for six years and doing much more than complimenting each other. It's okay though, her blush just made her glow, and for lack of a better word to describe it all, she was ethereal.
Hinata. The most perfect name I'd ever been given the right to speak. I held her photo in my hands, stroking my thumb slowly across her dimpled cheek. A few delicate strands of her dark hair were caught in her eyelashes, and since I'd been gone, I'd desperately wanted to brush them from her face. God, I loved her so much it hurt.
We met in school, but also, before then. She'd apparently known me long before I knew her, but I wasn't always the brightest crayon in the box, although I did usually dress like one. Orange, still the coolest color ever made.
I was a bit dim, still am, but smart enough to work some heavy machinery. She was a genius, brilliantly smart with the sweet attitude to match in her perfection. She was always being teased back then, but I just knew it was because she was so much better than those other girls. Coincidentally enough, she was a victim of the girl I loved. It didn't take long for all of that to change.
The plane jostled me and I clutched tightly to the belt strapped across my waist. Just a few more minutes and I'd be able to see her. I hope she recognized me, I'd changed quite a bit.
College had never quite appealed to me, because, in case you missed it before, I'm none too bright when it comes to things other than fighting- thanks to always having to be on my toes as a child (being the class fool did have it's downsides)- so I decided to enlist right after high school. It had been a good decision, one I'd decided long before I'd even made it to the 7th grade. I was a born fighter, it was just my nature, and nothing was going to hold me back from doing what I was good at and protecting my country in the long-run. Until Hinata came into my life.
Things became complicated then.
. . . . .
End Part 1
This'll be in 3 parts. Next bit will be up momentarily. Hold please!