The wind messed her dark hair hurrying, but gentle. She loved to cycle, to feel the breeze, the world around her in a way more beautiful than any walk. She was late for the meeting and her legs were trying to move faster than physically possible. "I'm going to end up falling at this rate," she thought, slowing her pedals down. She was almost there, everything had gone wrong in the morning, but at least she would be able to arrive in time.
"Na-nani?"
Around the corner she saw a bicycle a few feet ahead, a blond boy on top. The shock made her legs paralyze with fear and the movement held, but the speed slowed until it almost stopped. Pearly eyes stared at the shape of the two wheels with a yellow dot on top, moving away and blurring more and more. So, in an adrenaline rush, like the one following the initial paralysis of a fear of death, her muscles were seized with energy and the pedals began to be pushed more frantically than ever before. Perhaps the mere idea of losing that yellow dot of sight was painful enough to activate such a mechanism. She would not lose sight of him again. When she had turned the corner she had paralyzed, as she had done almost seven years ago, when she saw him turn a similar corner.
At the time she was younger and immature, she had hardly processed what happened, she did not have time to reason, when she realized the yellow dot had already disappeared from her sight. She ran home and searched for a ladder of solitary stairs, although any place she chose would not be free of the possibility of the penetrating glances of the kekkei genkai of her clan. She chose that place only to at least not realize she was being watched. To pretend she could cry in peace. She shed silent tears at first that gave way to uncontrollable sobs. She did not understand why it hurt so much, she did not understand the words she had just heard. After all, he would leave. After all, she would be alone again. "Not yet," she thought. "Maybe? Still time?" Her muscles twitched with energy and the girl ran too fast even for a shinobi. She stopped in front of the corner and turned in the same direction as the blonde. Shee ran as far as she could, to the limits of Konoha, to the boundaries of the Fire country, relentless. Nothing.
She was panting and trying to reach the bike ahead, which seemed so unattainable in some way. The streets looked like huge avenues, the feet, miles and the miles, light years. The pedals were growing louder and the girl felt like a lioness, chasing prey, the focus of her pearly eyes on a single yellow dot. Suddenly a thud: she lost control of her own speed and made the bike fall, bringing her delicate body together. A strain of blood trickled down her forehead, beneath the bluish fringe until it reached her lips. The small hands were grazed by the friction with the merciless asphalt. She got to her feet, patted her clothes, and got back on the bicycle. Her hands burned by the force of picking up the handlebars and the sand particles between them and the rubber. It was not long before she reached the blonde, who was riding calmly.
Reaching him, however, she felt her stomach tighten. He had bigger hair, but as rebellious as she remembered. His expression was gentle, in that boyish, youthful way. Neither of them stopped pedaling, just stared at each other, looking for the similarities, noticing the differences. Looking at the path was not important at the moment, they both kept their heads turned toward each other, not caring what was ahead, relying on the road and on fate's kindness. As if waking from a trance, Hinata suddenly blinked and realized her situation. Her heart was accelerating more and more as she contemplated and contemplated the boy, but it was not from shyness, her old friend, she felt anguish and fear. All her courage was sucked in to remember the days crying alone, when she felt that pang in her heart again. In a jolt she completely changed the direction of the handlebar, no longer caring for the meeting, no longer caring for the yellow dot. Come to think of it, she never knew what she would do if she caught up with him. Shee had several speeches, several words, and nothing seemed enough. "After all, there's nothing to be said that can change what someone's feelings" she thought.
She was especially happy that day. Shee had gone through several gray days, she missed Naruto who had been on mission for a long time, and felt the weight of her responsibilities pulling her ever stronger. Her sister had also gone on a mission, and spending her days with the elders and her father draining all her strength. She felt trapped in a huge cloudy season, and the sun never came. On that day, he would come. The boy, the sun. Shee waited anxiously, hours ahead of time, as she always did, his arrival. They combined in their favorite place, where everything had begun. She came and walked toward him, who was waiting in the shade of a tree, not holding the smile on her lips. All she saw was a yellow dot, which as he approached took the form of the blond locks of the blond. As he approached, she could see the blonde smile at her: it was a sad smile. Her lips immediately wiped out her own smile and it would not appear for a long time.
He began to speak exactly what she already knew he would speak. She just listened, motionless. He was kind in words, she knew he would never hurt her, at least he would try his hardest not to. Even as gentle as they tried to be, the words pierced her like daggers, but she was still inert. The tears rolled down her white skin uninterruptedly.
"Are you angry, Hina? Say something"
The girl made an effort to shake her head in a negative gesture. She was not angry with him. If he broke up with her, he'd certainly stopped liking her, she'd accept, it was not his fault. They continued in the embrace, wet by the girl's tears, for some time, until they decided to get up. Hinata had come out of the astonished state she was in, and intended only to enjoy the last day with the person she loved most in the world. The two of them got up and walked through the woods.
At first the conversation was uncomfortable, almost forced, but it gained intimacy over time. Upon arriving in one of their favorite places, they realized that the marks of their bikes were still on the grass, the place was not visited much. He sat beneath a tree with beautiful trunk, tainted only by an awkwardly carved 'NH', and invited her to accompany him. The girl sat sideways between her legs, staring deeply into the ex-boyfriend's blue orbs. He touched her bluish strands of hair and brushed it behind her ear. That touch so simple made her arm shiver. The boy noticed, and at the young woman's conception he had an enigmatic countenance, a rare thing in the boy who was always so sincere and easy to read. He approached and the two began a slow kiss, their last.
They returned to the village, to the starting point. He, pushing away the bluish threads, placed a gentle kiss on his forehead. She hugged him as she said softly, "I love you." And he turned his back and turned the corner.
Naruto stopped pedaling. He was frightened when the brunette turned the route off her bike and watched her leave with wide eyes.
He felt the droplets fall on his bare arms. It brought nostalgia to the boy. He remembered days of sun and rain when they went out to ride together. He remembered not have been doing much when he felt the rain through the half-open window and then immediately thought of her. He remembered her knocking on his door, all wet with her pink bike beside her. He remembered laughing to himself, imagining the face of Hyūga Hiashi as he saw his daughter come out like that in the rain and laugh even more when he imagined the same face when she came back drenched. He remembered riding with her all over the village to the woods, enjoying every drop of rain the skies could offer them. He remembered the purest happiness in the pearly orbs. He remembered how beautiful she looked in her flowery yellow dress, stuck to her body thanks to the rain. He remembered finally getting tired of riding, and as they threw bicycles on the clearing floor, their mouths came together in a warm, wet kiss.
Naruto remembered everything except saying goodbye. He wanted to, but his voice just would not come out. At the time, he was informed that he would have to carry out a mission of extreme danger of importance to the village, which would last at least 5 years, that is, if it succeeded. He then decided to end his relationship with the heiress of the Hyūga clan. He did not want her to live for someone who might not even come back, he would not let her get stuck with him like she had all those years when he did not realize her love. Moreover, the responsibility of her clan now rested on her shoulders. He would set her free. It was a horrible decision, but he decided not to tell and she did not ask why either. Deep down he wanted her to ask. He wanted her to wait for him, he wanted to go back to her. But he couldn't impose that. He was thoughtful until he resumed his pedals, shifting his direction to look for her.
When he got close enough he shouted at the top of his lungs. Hinata left her feet on the pedals and the blond quickly came to her side.
"Hina. Hinata. I'm sorry for leaving. I'm sorry for hurting you. And above all, I'm sorry for not explaining you and not letting you decide on your own. I tried to be careful but I just ended up messing things up even more."
Hinata just stared. Pearly eyes sparkled and Naruto could not distinguish whether it was a glint in his eyes or subtle tears. He almost hit a tree, having completely forgotten that he was still riding.
"I saw you were trying to reach me, but then you ran. Hina, do you want to reach me or run away? "
Hinata thought of the answer for less than a fraction of a second.
"Neither."
During their relationship it felt like they were in different positions. She'd always liked him for years until he'd noticed her. She was always nervous, always waiting for him. She had always been extremely insecure and anxious. She felt pathetic for waiting too long, for giving herself too much. She even went so far as to want to go out on a date and not knowing whether to call him or not because he might not want to, but kept her insanity and insecurities to himself. She was left hurt and confused and still thought to herself all those years what was it that she had done wrong. She was watching him, and it was usual to chase that little yellow dot. Not this time.
"I want you to reach me. "
The blonde accepted the challenge with a sweet smile.
The blonde now chased a bluish-black dot.