Nars: Need more SakuHina in my life because why pit the girls against each other when they can have each other? Y'know? *winks*
This was written for Naruto Femslash Week 2017, which runs from July 17-23. I couldn't resist participating. This whole fic is going to be connected and finished within the next seven days.
Series: Naruto: Shippuden
Pairing: Sakura/Hinata
Universe: Canonverse, Post-War
Warnings: Mild swearing
Chapter Summary: A family can be two women and a potted plant, after all.
Prompt: Family
Word Count: 2701
Disclaimer: Naruto/Naruto Shippuden belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. All characters mentioned belong solely to the aforementioned.
When Sakura Haruno decides to move out and become independent, it's around the same time that Hinata Hyūga begins searching for an apartment of her own.
They run into each other at the marketplace, where Hinata is perusing a fruit stand, eyebrows drawn together, deep in thought. Her mind is far away though, thinking about everything but the apples in front of her.
"Those fruits challenge you to a fight or something, Hinata-chan?"
She spins around on her heel, exhaling with relief at the sight of Sakura. "Sakura-chan, hello..."
"What's up?" asks Sakura, purchasing two apples from the vendor and handing one to Hinata wordlessly. "You look really serious."
She takes a bite of the apple, nodding grimly. "I'm... moving out of the c-compound."
To no one's surprise, Sakura's eyes widen with shock. Everyone she'd since told has had the same reaction. Why was the Hyūga princess moving out of her own castle? The world may never know. "Huh, that's interesting." Sakura replies. "So am I."
"Mhm... Wait, you are?" She gawks, resisting the urge to ask why. Her reasons must be as personal as Hinata's. "Do you have anywhere in mind y-yet...?"
"To be honest, not really. I'll probably check the local apartment listings soon." admits Sakura. "You?"
"There are a f-few places I looked at." says the Hyūga, realizing belatedly that Sakura had bought her the apple. She could've at least returned the favour. "Are you busy? We can g-get tea?"
"Sure, I'm free today." She says with a smile.
Hinata mimics the expression with a shy smile of her own, pointing to the teahouse just across the fruit stands. They head there together, catching up just as friends do. They talk about their search for a place to live alone, and Hinata brings up the three prospective apartments she'd been looking into.
"You've put so much thought into it." says Sakura with a pout. "All I know is that I want a place with a bedroom and bath."
"I've been wanting to m-move out for a while." She replies. "I had time to think."
"Would be so much easier if we just moved in together, huh?" jokes Sakura, taking a sip of tea.
A thought occurs to Hinata as soon as her friend's words register in her head. "Oh." She says. "D-Do you want to?"
She all but chokes on the tea. "E-Eh?!"
"Was that weird?" asks Hinata, breath catching in her throat as she tries to justify what she's said. "J-Just a thought!"
Sakura falls silent, placing her cup down quietly and seemingly mulling over the proposition. As Hinata is about to tell her she wasn't serious, she looks up, green eyes clashing against white. "I'm okay with it if you are."
Okay. It isn't exactly the type of independence that Sakura had planned for, but it's a good start. Living with a friend was way different than living with her parents. "Do you want to go see the apartments?"
Hinata nods meekly, paying for both their teas and leaving it on the table. They set off, headed to the first building she had her eyes on. A new development, sure, but she isn't complaining. Hinata was learning, slowly but surely, to go with the flow and stop stressing.
...
No less than three days later, they've chosen a loft, the last of three apartments Hinata had been eyeing. It is close by to the hospital for Sakura to get to work with easily, and far away from the Hyūga compound, two traits that were very appealing to them both.
"This is my last box." says Sakura, dropping a box labeled 'books' on the floor of the second bedroom. There are two rooms, each decked out with windows and ample space for their belongings.
Hinata had since moved her things into the other room, setting up a bookshelf for her scrolls and novels and tomes passed down through generations of the Hyūga clan. Just because she's away doesn't mean she wouldn't miss certain things.
She passes the bathroom which is roomy enough for them both to fit comfortably into during tumultuous mornings. "Need help u-unpacking, Sakura-chan?"
"Mm, can you help me cut open these boxes?" calls Sakura from her room.
Hinata walks by the kitchen, and her eyes gloss over the signs of chipping on the walls. The light inside the fridge is broken, the faucet leaks a little, but it still feels like home.
Or rather, they can make it home.
...
Sakura can recall a time when Hinata had been meek and soft-spoken–their academy days all the way up until the apex of the war, in fact. But the Hyūga who resides in their shared apartment is anything but.
"S-Sakura-chan, keep your boots on the shoerack!" says Hinata one afternoon when Sakura lands in the loft, exhausted and ready to sink into the bathtub.
She is nowhere in sight but Sakura has some reason to believe she may have her Byakugan activated at the ready. That or she just knew Sakura's habits by now.
"But I–" She sighs in defeat, "Alright." Sakura obeys (out of fear of irritating Hinata) and places her shoes where they are supposed to be. "Did you cook? It smells nice."
"Yes." says Hinata, "I made oden."
Her eyes brighten. "I've been craving it recently. Thank you!"
Hinata may be a little terrifying, but she keeps their household runs smoothly.
She makes sure that Sakura keeps her boots on the shoe rack, and her clothes in their appropriate drawers after laundry day. Hinata ensures that the garbage is put outside on the correct days and that their mail is on the counter before they leave for work each morning. She verifies that the potted cactus Sakura had received from Gaara as a 'housewarming gift' (he's new to this friendship thing) is watered on its very particular schedule.
More than that, she ascertains that they both always have enough to eat.
"I'll wash the dishes, so don't you dare." says Sakura sharply. "You've done more than enough!"
Hinata wrings a washcloth between her hands and then exhales. "Fine." They've developed a routine already and she knows not to deviate.
Sakura had moved to get away from her mother's doting and found Hinata to badger her instead.
She doesn't mind it though.
...
After the death of her cousin, Hinata had done her fair share of soul searching.
It led her to perusing the newspapers seeking an apartment for herself with the reluctant blessing of her father and the elders, though the power they held was dwindling more and more each day.
The Hyūga compound was littered with daily reminders of Neji's presence, or lack thereof. He had left a roll of gauze on her dresser before all hell had broken loose. His second best pair of sandals were set neatly by the foyer at the back entrance. A photograph of him and his team was still in his room atop his vanity.
There were too many memories of her cousin that she could not bear to see every single day she lived and he didn't.
So she left.
Her father had called it a fool's way out but had ultimately loaned her ample time to grieve, sparing her a well-deserved break in between training to be the Hyūga heiress because that was now on the table again.
It wasn't ideal, but asking Sakura to move in with her had been a split-second action. She could have managed all on her own, no questions asked, but she didn't quite want to. Or rather, she never thought someone would want to live with her and that it was another viable option.
Getting an affirmative response had eased up the burden on her shoulders remarkably.
And so the days passed, and they continued to live and let live.
...
"Do you think Akamaru considers Kiba his pet?"
Hinata glances at Sakura over the rim of her glass and all but snorts water in her attempts at hiding her laughter.
The pink-haired girl blushes profusely, "I was only wondering!"
She clears her throat, gently setting her glass down on the small wood coaster, "Yes, it's definitely a possibility..." She tries not to laugh anymore, but she can't stop the grin that is near permanent on her face.
They fall back into comfortable silence, pierced only by Hinata's stomach growling. Her face flares up hotly. "I-um–"
Sakura sits up, raising a brow. "What was it you said? That you weren't hungry, huh?"
The Hyūga frowns, embarrassed but less so because Sakura doesn't judge her on her bad eating habits. "M-Maybe I could... eat a little..."
"Here I thought a bear got into the house." Sakura teases as she gets up to rummage through the refrigerator.
"Hey!" Hinata throws a pillow at her head, missing by mere centimetres and then follows after her reluctantly.
"We gotta fix this damn fridge light."
"Or the faucet." She suggests.
Sakura groans. "Don't remind me. I was trying to do paperwork earlier and all I could hear was its annoying dripping."
The Hyūga giggles, accepting the curry pilaf wrapped up tight in a container, "How much do you want?"
"Whatever you don't."
She rolls her eyes. "We'll s-split it."
When they eat, they do it together. It's just the way they work.
...
Sasuke and Naruto had chased one another all their lives. War or not, some things could not be changed. Sasuke would run. Naruto would follow. Sakura would be sidelined.
The blond claimed he was doing it because they were friends, teammates, destined–it varied depending on his mood.
But nobody in Konohagakure could deny that there had always been something more to their entwined fates.
They called them a destined duo and a star-crossed pair–all very pretentious titles to live up to.
For a large chunk of her life, Sakura had gone on pretending that her teammates being so in sync with one another was merely the outcome of their maturity. But they were so powerful, already sage-levelled with their own personal vendettas. How long would she be forced to support them in their endeavours?
Team Kakashi, Team Seven, whatever it could be called was too far divided for her to sew it back together.
Naruto and Sasuke were walking down paths she could no longer follow, no matter how much she longed to.
So she resolved to make a new path for herself.
...
The Hyūga family began to look to Hinata to lead them after Neji's death. Or so she'd thought.
The truth was that the branch house had always favoured her over the younger daughter, but bent themselves to Hiashi-sama's will when he made his dislike of Hinata's soft nature apparent.
They believed she could give the Hyūga clan new meaning to their name, lead them down the path of humility over sticking to the status quo.
Hiashi-sama's strict training habits hardened her soul, his neglect toughened her skin, and then their love, fronted by Neji, made her strong yet humble.
In a time long ago, becoming successor to her father had been a far-fetched dream, stained by her father slandering her weak will and telling her that her sister would surpass her.
But now it is her fate. She can only do so much to hide from it before it comes to get her.
"Father." She says, forcing herself to stand after a particularly nasty hit that knocked the breath out of her. "Again, please. I'm not f-finished yet."
"Very good, Hinata." He responds. It is a rare compliment that she has not heard from him in quite a while. There's barely any time to relish it though. "Prepare yourself."
She is going to meet her fate head on.
...
"Another Valentine's day spent suffering at home." grouses Sakura, taking another bite of the chocolate square in her hand. "At least you got some."
"Mm, yes, but t-these are from Kō." says Hinata, gesturing to the caramel chocolate in a tiny box. "And these are f-from Iroha. They're from Hyūgas. Doesn't count."
The Branch family's love for her was no joke.
Sakura scrutinizes her, "All I'm hearing is that they like you."
"Sakura-chan–!"
"And what about these ones?" She points to a finished box of truffles. "Aren't they from Kiba and Shino?"
She flushes red. "Y-Yes, but we always exchange chocolates on Valentine's day..."
"Compared to me, that's still pretty good. I had to buy these for myself." admits Sakura wearily. Even if Sasuke and Naruto were in the village, she doesn't quite think they'd have gotten her anything either, friendly or not.
Hinata's eyes involuntarily follow Sakura's movements as she pops the rest of the tiny sliver of chocolate into her mouth, running her tongue over her top lip. She doesn't realize until it's too late that she's forgotten to reply. "Umm, Sakura-chan?"
"Hm?"
The Hyūga princess offers her a white chocolate truffle, "...Will you be my Valentine?"
Sakura's gaze flickers from the chocolate to Hinata in bewilderment before a grin forms across her face. "Awh, maybe this wasn't a total bust after all. I love you too!"
Hinata ignores the way her face turns red with surprise, unused to hearing those very affectionate words from anyone but her sister. It has a very different connotation coming from Sakura and it's more welcoming than she expects it to be.
A part of her deep down wants to hear it again.
...
"Mirai-chan." coos Hinata as she adjusts the baby girl in her arms. "Let's go get something to eat, ah?" She gurgles incoherently which is a good enough answer for Hinata.
The tuft of black hair and pale skin that the baby has inherited makes her feel just a little bit, like she could masquerade as Mirai's mother. But the child is a tried and true Sarutobi, just like her father–even if she can't form many words yet.
"Hinata-chan, hey!"
"Look," She says, pointing to the entrance of the hospital. "It's Sakura-chan, let's go say h-hello." Mirai reaches for a fistful of Hinata's hair, babbling enthusiastically. She gently untucks her hair from the child's grubby palm and heads towards Sakura who looks befitting of her pristine white coat. "Hi, Sakura-chan. Shouldn't you be w-working?"
"I'm on break." She shrugs. "Some jerk didn't want to get his vaccinations done and kept yelling at us so I took my break while they restrained him."
Obviously she had to keep her temper in check when in the hospital but it still felt weird to Hinata that she could manage.
"Now who's this cutie? I don't remember you having a baby." says Sakura jokingly, reaching up to shake Mirai's tiny hand in greeting. The child grabs for a handful of Sakura's cotton candy hair instead, missing by a very close margin.
"Mirai-chan is Kurenai-sensei's d-daughter." She replies, "I'm, um, watching her while Kurenai-sensei gets an examination done."
Her eyes darken with sympathy. "So this is the famed Mirai-chan..." Konohamaru had a penchant for talking about his amazing younger cousin who would get all of his skills. She most definitely would, but there was no telling what else she would accomplish. The next generation was looking quite promising already.
Hinata smiles wryly as Mirai begins to drool over the shoulder of her coat. Teething was always a nightmare. "Did you see Kurenai-sensei in the h-hospital, Sakura-chan?"
"Mhm, she was almost finished." replies the other girl. "Guess you won't have to play mom for much longer."
She pouts. No matter how unsalvageable her shirt would end up by the end of the day, Hinata liked Mirai's presence. The child soothed her receptors that screamed at her to keep practicing her gentle fist until her arms flew off. She made her feel just the tiniest bit more human. "Yes, I suppose so... Mirai-chan has her own family to get home to."
The pink haired girl purses her lips thoughtfully, sensing her friend's veiled sadness. "You know, Hinata-chan..." She says after a beat, "A family can be two women and a potted plant."
The dry stare that Hinata gives her can cut flesh. She almost regrets saying it until—
"It's a cactus."
Sakura balks at Hinata and then they simultaneously burst out laughing.
Nars: Before you ask me why I'm trying to shove SakuHina down your throats, consider this: I'm gay, thanksss.
Tomorrow's prompt is *drumrolls* Training Sessions :)
