The sound of laughter engulfed the well kept elementary school. First graders ran to their parents with glee as they throw themselves to their parents' waiting arms. The first day of school has ended and the children clamoured to their loving parents ready to tell the tales of their first day in class.
Hinata stood at the entrance of the school. Her big eyes darting around, looking for her only surviving parent. He had promised to be there despite the clan head's, her grandfather, contempt for her.
Then she saw a black expensive car stopping in front of the school's gate. The car bares the crest of the Hyuga Clan. Her eyes lit up. Her heart fluttering in glee. Her father's here.
But it was a woman who stepped out of the car.
Hinata watched Natsu tell the driver to wait. Their eyes met and the older woman shook her head.
Hinata's little heart broke.
All these years of pent up loneliness came crashing down and she struggled to breathe as her chest wracked with sobs.
Her sight became blurred as tears ran down her cheeks.
She can't let Natsu see her cry for she would certainly tell her father.
So she ran.
She ran as fast as her little legs could carry her. She ran to the back of the school, her grandfather's words ringing in her ears.
'She's the reason why your twin is dead Hiashi!'
'I will never accept her as my granddaughter.'
'She is not worthy to be the heiress.'
'If only she was the one who died instead of poor Hizashi.'
She didn't notice a wayward root protruding from the ground. Her foot was caught and she came crashing down with a thud. She managed to catch herself with her hand but the damage was done. Her knees burned in pain. She sat down crying, inspecting her scraped knees.
It hurts.
But Hinata didn't want to cry out.
A Hyuga does not scream even in pain.
"Are you okay?" Someone asked.
The voice was high pitched but filled with loneliness… Just like hers.
Her sight was blurry but she can see the boy in front of her sitting on a swing. She can't make out his facial features but his bright blond hair is easy to notice. She bit her lip and nodded.
"You're knees are red. That does not look okay." The boy said, standing up from the swing but not letting go of the rope that was holding the swing.
"I-I'm okay…" She stuttered but a sob betrayed her.
She realized that it was the first time she had ever spoke to someone for a long time since the accident. Her voice cracked and her throat hurts slightly. But she couldn't help but answer the boy with the lonely eyes like hers.
The boy is now racing towards her. He knelt down in front of her and took her hands, helping her stand up before wiping her tears with his shirt.
"Well there's no blood. So you won't die… Tou-chan was covered in his blood when he died." The boy morbidly said with a straight face.
Hinata stared at him in shock. Now that her eyes were cleared with tears, she can properly see him. Two distinct bright blue eyes that complimented his golden hair, and three scar like birth marks on each cheeks. It was the Prince of Hi no Kuni.
She didn't know that the Prince went to the same school as her! It must have been kept a secret.
How was she supposed to address royalty again? She tried to remember her lessons.
"Y-your highness…" she stuttered and tried to bow as protocol required her to do but she ended up banging her head with his.
He yelped in pain and rubbed his forehead, letting go of her hand in the process.
"I-I'm s-so sorry!" she apologize, tears gathering on her eyes once again. How embarrassing. She really is not worthy of being a noble. She can't even properly greet the Prince. A disgrace to the Hyuga name.
"It's okay! No need to bow. I'm just Naruto here at school. Baa-chan said so." He said.
Then he suddenly wrapped her in his arms. She gave out a squeak like a mouse trapped in a fox's claws. The hug was physically awkward as Hinata's slightly taller than the boy. But it was warm and comforting. Nobody has hugged her before. Only her Kaa-sama hugged her. But she's gone now, along with her Uncle.
Hinata couldn't help but burst out crying once again.
"There there. Don't cry. Are you sad that your Mama and Papa didn't come?" He asked, his voice shaking. It seems that he is also in the verge of tears. Children tend to cry when another child is crying as if to share the burden.
She nodded her head and he regretfully let go of her.
"Mine too. They'll never come cause they're gone forever." He said, his eyes still watering. But he was looking at her like he just found respite. Like someone who can understand.
"My kaa-sama is gone forever too… And my Uncle…" Hinata sobbed. "And it's all my fault."
The little Prince frowned and nodded his head. "It's my fault my kaa-chan and tou-chan are gone too. If only I was stronger."
Hinata let Naruto lead her to the swing where he asked her to sit. As small as they are, both easily fit together in the swing.
"Do you think if I were stronger, my Uncle wouldn't have died?" She asked. Her sobs now faded but her heart still heavy with sadness.
"Yes… I'm sure." He said kicking off the ground to swing both of them.
Hinata looked at the boy in awe. His parents are gone but he is still standing. She can't imagine her life without her tou-chan. Even though her Ojii-sama hates her, her father was still there. Silent, but still there.
"I don't think I'll ever get strong… Ojii-sama thinks so. I wonder if Tou-sama thinks I'm weak too." She murmured, her eyes downcast.
"You are strong! You got an owie just a few minutes ago and you stood up and didn't even start wailing. Karin-chan starts kicking when she gets a scrape." The Prince passionately said, grabbing her hand.
Hinata blushed but didn't say anything. She shyly stared at her dusty skirt while holding on as the prince kicked the ground once more to swing them. She rarely gets compliments, she doesn't know what to do when she's getting one.
"I-Is Karin-san your friend?" Hinata asked.
"I guess she is… She's my cousin." The Prince answered before eyeing her once more. "You don't know a lot about that royal family, do you."
Hinata blushed. Her father had hired tutors before. But he requested that her education will be focused more on studying how to run a business, a household and practiced etiquette worthy of a noble. She had just started on her history lessons and the close study of the royal hierarchy.
The Prince took her silence as a yes.
"That's okay. I'm glad that not many kids our age recognizes me. I wanted to be in a public school. Even just for a little longer. To forget." He whispered the last part.
He sounded older than he looks, that's what Hinata realized as she stared at Naruto. His eyes are a bit dull, like he is watching the world through a window.
She had the sudden urge to embrace him. To weep for him.
The two children swing in silence as they took comfort in each other's presence.
When the tears dried and her heart was a lot less heavy, Hinata returned to Natsu who was patiently waiting at the entrance of the school. When she looked back at the swings, he was there, waving at her with a smile.
He had such sad eyes…
The next day the Prince was taken out from the school as people started recognizing him. It was revealed that the regent didn't know about the Prince's admission to a public school. That it was the Prince's godfather who arranged the whole thing at the little Prince's command. People talked about the whole thing for a while, their opinions varied.
But Hinata will never forget her encounter with the lonely Prince and his kind, but lonely, eyes.
The second time Hinata saw Naruto was when she was transferred to a higher section due to her performance at school. Juggling her public school, her tutors and etiquette lessons, Hinata felt drained. But she had to do this to earn the favor of her clan.
Nobody paid attention to her as she sat down her desk. The hype from yesterday, when she was introduced to the class, is already gone and people gave the shy silent girl a wide berth. After all, she did seem odd not answering their questions yesterday as they gathered at her desk. Then her throwing up from her nervousness did not help at all.
Her new class mostly consists of heirs, much to her surprise. She spotted the heir of the Nara Clan just dozing off on his seat, the heir of the Akimichi Clan sitting next to him. The heiress of the Yamanaka Clan was talking with someone she does not recognize from her tutor's lessons. She also spotted the Inuzuka and Aburame heirs talking with each other.
She sunk further down her seat in shy silence. They know that she's from the Hyuga Clan, but because of her grandfather's animosity towards her, she wasn't introduced as the Hyuga heiress in the court.
"I can't believe I didn't see the Prince when he was here!" The Yamanaka heiress said with regret.
"Oh quit whining Ino, as the heirs of a Clan, we'll work with him in the future anyways." It seems that the Nara heir was not sleeping at all.
"Good for you guys. I want to meet the Prince too." The unrecognizable girl beside the Yamanaka heiress said, twirling her short bubble pink hair with her finger.
Ino peered proudly at her friend. "Look at little Sakura! Already gaining confidence in meeting a Prince!" She then gave her friend a warm hug. "No more timid Sakura-chan! Maybe you'll become a Princess someday!"
The girl, Sakura, blushed but smiled to her friend.
The Inuzuka heir made a disgusted face at this. "Eww, does Haruno want to marry the Prince?"
Ino glared at the offensive boy . "Everyone wants to marry a Prince. You're just jealous cause you're a dog."
The Inuzuka heir sputtered and a shouting match commenced.
Hinata smiled at the display of comfortable comradery. Being ostracized by her clan, she doesn't have friends her age. Her relatives ignore her and some openly disdain her. Her nanny, Natsu, was the only one who really cares for her as far as she can tell. Well, her father does care for her too… She hoped…
The class ended in a flash. Hinata watched the other children get picked up by their parents with a sad smile. The last time her father had spent time with her was before the accident. Her mother had passed away from childbirth two years ago and her father told her that he owed her mother a promise, a promise that he'll take care of her. Hinata was elated to have her father, he was her only parent left. Hinata was also happy to have her little sister whom she dotes on. With her Father and loving Uncle by her side, Hinata's heart was healed from her mother's early demise.
That is until the accident happened.
"Hyuga-san?"
She raised her head and saw the towering figure of the kind and very polite Iruka-sensei. He is the new teacher of theirs straight out of Konoha university. He's their youngest teacher and is currently her new class's homeroom adviser.
She nod her head towards the teacher and started fiddling her fingers.
"Why are you still here? The sun is setting. Where's your guardian?" Iruka said in a worried tone. He had barely noticed the shy girl in his class as she rarely participates in the discussions. He had decided to let her get used to the class first before slowly try and get her out of her shell.
Hinata just shook her head and continued fiddling with her thumb.
Iruka took pity of the poor girl. But the moment he looked at his wristwatch he realized that he has no time to bring her back to the Hyuga Manor himself. He has an important appointment to go to. Hopefully the girl's guardians will be here soon.
"Hyuga-san, it's not safe for you to be standing outside of the gate. How about you wait for your guardian at the faculty room so that the other sensei's can watch over you." He asked the timid girl who just nodded her head.
He led the girl to the faculty room where she obediently sat on the chair provided for her.
There were two teachers left at the faculty room, one was talking to his phone and another is making her lesson plans. As a new teacher, Iruka is not that acquainted to bother the other teachers, but he had met the female teacher, named Haruno Mebuki, earlier this morning so he decided to leave small Hinata to her.
"Haruno-san, can you please watch over my pupil for me? I have an appointment to attend to and her guardians are not here yet." Iruka asked the sandy haired female.
She just smiled and bowed to him.
Hinata watched her sensei leave in a hurry. She felt bad for bothering Iruka-sensei and now Mebuki-sensei.
"Are you hungry?" Mebuki asked her, still smiling warmly.
Hinata shook her head and proceeded to stare at her feet. How warm Mebuki-sensei's smile is. It reminds her of how her mother smiled at her. Her heart clenched in melancholy. She had tried her best to suppress her feelings when it comes to her mother's death for the sake of her father who tried his best to be a strong single parent. But now that she's losing him too…
About an hour passed and no one came to fetch Hinata. Mebuki shot the little girl pitying glances. She decided to offer the Hinata to take the girl back to the Hyuga compound herself when,
"Mebuki-san! Mebuki-san!"
The sliding door of the faculty room opened with a bang. A sweat covered young man leaned on the door still panting.
The other teacher of the room hissed in irritation as he closed his phone to chastise the young man who came barging in.
"Excuse me, you're not suppose to run in hallw-"
"Mebuki-san! Your husband! Accident!" The boy panted out, cutting the other teacher off.
Mebuki paled and followed the young man outside with shaking hands.
Hinata watched the teacher leave, seemingly forgetting her. She made a quick prayer to save the teacher's husband from whatever accident he's in. She knows how terrifying accidents can be. Although she can't remember the accident she was in just a couple of months ago but she knows that it resulted to the death of her Uncle.
"Tsk, so noisy." The other teacher scoffed and went back to talking to his phone.
Hinata does not know what to do now. Mebuki-sensei's understandingly left her. She peered at the clock and saw that it's already 6 pm. The Hyuga manor far from school as Konoha Elementary school is located at the center of Konoha and the manor is at the eastern edge of the city.
Seeing that the other teacher is very much preoccupied, Hinata jump down her stool and exited the room and school.
It was getting dark.
Hinata continued walking down the bustling city and decided to cut through Konoha Central Park as a shortcut. The park is not without people, stalls are everywhere, people having a picnic and couples walking around hand in hand waiting for the stars to come out. Hinata paid them no mind, her goal is getting home, she is the type of person who could not easily swayed from her goals.
"Eh? Isn't that the Hyuga girl from our class?" Somebody said from behind her. By the sound of it, it's a classmate of hers.
"The quiet one?" Someone answered.
Hinata continued walking as fast as her small legs can take her. Her natural shyness rearing in. She's not close to anyone from her class. Stopping to greet them would equate to her opening up a conversation and she does not know how to open conversations.
"Look at her ignoring us, so high and mighty."
Hinata stopped at that, her grandfather's face looking down at her flashed through her mind, suddenly she felt the courage to prove them wrong. She opened her mouth to greet them, her head turning to their direction.
Splat.
She blinked, a warm broth running down her head, it smells like fish broth with soy sauce, a clump of noodles slid down her hair and unto the ground. She didn't realize that the broth was actually hotter than she felt at the moment, that it was turning her right cheek red. She felt numb.
They threw ramen at her.
She recognized them, it was four of her classmates. Most of them were the ones who came questioning her yesterday when she was introduced. They had smiled at her this morning.
"Hahahaha! The look on her face!" The boys laughed.
"That's what you get for being high and mighty!" A girl said.
"She didn't even talk to us yesterday, did our lowly presence made you vomit?"
"Not even the heirs are that unfriendly. Stuck up people like you shouldn't go to our school."
Tears welled up on her eyes, but she refused to break down and cry. She left like someone was crushing her lungs and her chest. Her eyes starting to sting from the broth.
What did she do?
What did she do to deserve her grandfather's ire? Their ire?
She didn't pull the trigger…
She took a step towards them, her mind forming a way to explain things to them, to defend herself. She saw her grandfather pointing at her in the back of her mind, sorrowful and furious as he ranted on how she was the reason why his favorite son died. She saw her relatives trying to make sense of what happened in the accident, looking someone to blame at the unexplainable death of the kindest man in the clan. And she was the one they saw.
Just her luck, her advancing foot was caught by a rock making her stumble, her hand falling unto the now-empty ramen paper cup.
This made her classmates laugh harder. Her face reddened in embarrassment. Not only is she a near mute, she's clumsy as well. How pathetic.
"Bastaaaards!"
She heard someone scream from a far, getting louder and louder as the owner of the voice ran towards her direction. It successfully stopped her classmate's laughs.
She raised her head and saw an orange blur tackling one of her male classmates, her rescuer then stood up and delivered a punch to the second boy gaping at the whole thing.
"I saw you throwing that ramen! What an insult to the food of the gods! Ramen is for eating, not bullying pretty girls!" Her rescuer, who looked very familiar even when she can only see his back, spat at the boy he just punched.
The third boy looked like he was about to help his fallen comrade when a familiar voice called out to them.
"You lot!"
The girl, who was staring at the whole debacle with wide eyes, shrieked in horror seeing the approaching adult.
"Run! It's Iruka-sensei!" She exclaimed, before running away.
The other boys followed suit, all terrified at getting caught by their teacher.
Hinata heard Iruka-sensei say, "Please stop recording this.", to someone she could not see.
Her rescuer is currently taking up her view. He took off his red scarf and used it to wipe away the broth on her hair and face, picking away the clinging noodles and garnishes. She stared at his orange jacket, her lip trembling in humiliation. She just realized that she was in a public place. People saw that.
"You know, this is the second time I meet you and both times you tripped and fell."
Her head snapped up in surprise.
Her silver eyes met vibrant blue.
Naruto...
"I'll make sure that in the third time, I'll catch you."
Hinata first noticed that his eyes are not longer dull and blank. It was vibrant and bright.
"You did not break down and cry. How strong." He whispered, wiping her stinging cheeks.
"I've decided to become as strong as you." He continued.
As strong as her? She's not strong… She's pathetic and weak. Can barely string up words and tell people what she really wants to say. She can't defend herself from her grandfather's accusations.
But…
Seeing her reflection in his eyes, she saw what he saw. A young girl with a determined face. A girl who bravely faced her classmates even when they were laughing at her.
She felt lighter.
Someone believes in her.
Her heart fluttered looking at him. A person she now admires. A royal who knelt on the ground to help a person in need. Who offered to swing with a lonely girl because he knew how it feels to lose someone. A boy who saw past her shyness. He's amazing.
"Y-your scarf! I-its ruined." Hinata gasped in horror, looking at the now ruined scarf in the Prince's hand.
"Eh? It's just a scarf." Naruto shrugged helping her stand up.
"I-I shall wash it for you!"
The Prince once again shrugged and gave her the scarf.
"You can keep it if you like. It's still pretty warm, I don't need a scarf so early in the fall."
Iruka-sensei had finished admonishing some of the people who had recorded the bullying that happened instead of helping. He fret over Hinata and offered to send her to the hospital to get her burns checked.
She shook her head. Her mother had taught her how to make antibacterial herbal creams, she still had some at home. They're very effective on her wounds.
"I'm so sorry I wasn't able to stay with you Hyuga-san. I was chosen as one of his Highness's tutors." Iruka said, gesturing to the grinning Prince.
"See! If I wasn't able to convince you to walk with me at the park we wouldn't have been able to help her!" Naruto smugly, stated rubbing a finger under his nose.
Iruka glared at the Prince, much to Hinata's amusement. "And you! Running headlong at my pupils like that. What if someone recognized you? Somebody might begin a rumor that the crown prince is growing up to be overtly violent!"
Naruto just rolled his eyes. But then his face lost his cheerful facade.
"By the way Iruka-sensei, you better have those children suspended. I do not tolerate bullying in my land. If they continue this way, have them expelled." Naruto said with such authority that it surprised Iruka and made Hinata's heart flutter even more.
Iruka just nodded his head, somewhat proud of the young Prince.
Naruto grinned and chuckled, he wore a smug look on his face like a fox who just learned a new trick. Hinata heard him whisper how his father's 'Hokage mode' is very effective and he's glad that his father taught it to him.
Hinata was surprised to find out that her father was planning to surprise her by being the one who will pick her up at school that fateful day. He ran into some problems. delaying him ,and was very surprised, and terrified, to find out that his daughter was already gone when he arrived at her school.
Hiashi profusely thanked Iruka and his little 'cousin', whose hoodie conveniently hid his face, when they turned up with Hinata in tow. Hiashi had invited the two for dinner but something came up and Iruka's 'cousin' had to go.
Hinata had stared worriedly after Iruka-sensei and Naruto-kun. Naruto had looked anxious before he left. She made another prayer to watch over him and all he holds dear.
Hinata shook her head and continued feeding her two year old sister who had started babbling. Hiashi is not far from them talking to the Hyuga's resident doctor about her burns.
"Mama!" little Hanabi exclaimed, jumping up and down her seat while staring at her.
She smiled sadly at this. Poor Hanabi, she will never meet their mother, touch her like she did.
"Hinata." Her father called.
She turned to him.
"I'm sorry about your Ojii-sama."
Her father, with a stoic face, apologized to her. But she can see the sincerity in his eyes. She decided right then and there that she will endure everything for her father. For the man who lost a wife and brother, and can't afford to lose a father by opposing him. She will endure her grandfather's loathing words and cruel glares so her father wouldn't have to choose.
Right then and there she spoke to her father, who had not heard her voice for a long time.
"Its okay".
"The video went viral! My cousin showed it to me when she saw that the girl was wearing our school uniform. I'm so sorry you had to go through that Hinata-chan. I'm so glad Iruka-sensei and the boy he was with decided to interfere!" Ino passionately banged her hand on the desk to further emphasize her feelings.
Hinata flinched at that but remained smiling. As expected, her wayward classmates who threw ramen at her the other day are nowhere to be found. Yamanaka Ino immediately reported to her, the moment she step inside the room, that they, the culprits, were called to the Principal's office yesterday while Hinata was absent (by her father's insistence).
Much to Hinata's surprise, her classmates were genuinely worried about her when they found out about what happened. Most saw the now viral video of the whole thing. Hinata was horrified to find out about the video but Aburame Shino immediately consoled her that the camera was a bit blurry due to it switching to a night cam mode (They all stared at Shino for that, wondering how he knows about this technology) and that no one but them and the whole school, who recognized Iruka's voice and Hinata's silhouette, knows.
Now they crowd around her desk, most of the heirs peering worriedly at her. Even Nara Shikamaru is sitting beside her desk, albeit in a bored manner.
"Did you find out the name of the kid who tackled Touma?" Inuzuka Kiba asked.
Hinata nodded her head. She won't lie, but she will do her best to omit Naruto's name.
"Dude, don't interrogate her." One of her classmates said, elbowing Kiba.
"I fully support you Hinata! I was bullied too back in kindergarten." Haruno Sakura exclaimed.
Hinata couldn't help but smile at the pink haired girl whose mother is as kind as her daughter. Much to her relief, Sakura's father was alright, in fact he was shown on t.v yesterday as a hero who rescued the Hokage regent, Sarutobi Hiruzen, when his car crashed near the Haruno household. Sakura proudly told them how she had tea with the elderly man, who was the most trusted adviser of the recently deceased Hokage, and how he complimented her intelligence.
"We're here for you Hinata-chan! We'll make sure no one throws ramen at you again." Ino exclaimed.
"U-Uhmmm… Too bad… I like ramen." Hinata shyly said, clapping her hands lightly together.
They stared at her with wide eyed.
Hinata was confused. What are they looking at?
"C-cute!" Sakura exclaimed, suddenly hugging Hinata.
"Her voice is so soft!" Someone from the back exclaimed.
"Can you sing?"
Hinata tried to answer the questions as much as she can.
Her social life is looking up.
"I am not fit to be regent any longer Naruto-kun. Tsunade-san will take the honor of being regent."
Naruto frowned at this as he stared at the bed ridden old man right in front of him. Sarutobi Hiruzen is like a grandfather to him. But now he resigns as regent after the accident that happened the other day.
"I understand Jiji." He said grinning at the old man.
"Tsunade-sama is a lot younger than father. She can is fit for the job, Naruto-san." Sarutobi Asuma said, placing a hand on Naruto's shoulder.
'More fit to dodge an assassin you mean.' Naruto thought.
Even in his young mind, Naruto knew that the 'accident' that happened the other day was deliberate. If it wasn't for brave Haruno Kizashi who rescued Hiruzen before the tampered car successfully explodes, Hiruzen wouldn't have lived. Why the assassin targeted Hiruzen instead of going straight to him boggles Naruto's mind. He frowned, knowing that the adults are not telling him things. He deserves to know the secret behind his parent's death. He fucking saw his father die in front of him! He deserves answers.
He winced as the warmth of his father's blood came back to him. His hands started shaking and he had to shove both hands between his thighs to hide the shaking from old man Sarutobi and his son.
The door behind Naruto opened.
"Ah! Glad to see you still alive Old man."
Naruto whipped his head to face the newcomer and his face brightened in glee.
"Look who finally shows his face, if it isn't the fucking pervert!" Naruto exclaimed, jumping down the overly large chair he was sitting on and proceeds to leap into his godfather's waiting arms.
Hiruzen bursts out laughing at Naruto's choice of words. Asuma just shook his head but there's a smile on his face.
"Please tell me that language is just a phase." Asuma asked his Dad who just carefully shrugged his injured shoulders.
"Aaah! My favorite godson!" Jiraiya exclaimed, throwing the small child up in the air before putting him down and kneeling on his level.
"I'm your only godson."
"Well, I have a present for you!" Jiraiya continued, ignoring Naruto's comment, before fishing something from the large backpack he brought in with him.
Naruto spied his godfather. His godfather still has that silly kabuki makeup on his face, hair still white as snow and clothes as crumpled as a man who travels often. But there are noticeable bags on his eyes. The Hokage and his Fire Lady's deaths is still fresh on Jiraiya's mind, that much Naruto can relate.
His godfather took out a large toad stuffed toy. Naruto couldn't help but gasp in glee.
"I know you like foxes more but I once remember you having a frog purse so I just tho-"
"Gamabuta!" Naruto shouted, cutting off his godfather's tirade and promptly tackled the giant toad.
Jiraiya chuckled. "Well, at least he didn't get Minato's tendency to make bad names."
Hiruzen also chuckled before turning serious. "Naruto-kun? Why don't you go play with your new toad in the garden." He suggested.
Naruto nodded his head, knowing a dismissal when he heard one. He walked out the door surprised that Asuma didn't accompany him.
The moment the door slammed shut, Naruto pressed his ear on the door. The wood is thick and he can barely make out Jiraiya and Hiruzen's voices.
"Does Naruto know?"
Know what? What are they hiding from them?
"I don't think so."
There was a sigh, probably from Jiraiya.
"Poor kid. I can't believe that-"
Jiraiya's voice faded, he must have moved away from the door and closer to the other end of the room, making Naruto curse.
"I believe things will be alright. It has been foretold after all." Hiruzen answered whatever Jiraiya had said.
There was a pause, Jiraiya must be talking from wherever he is.
"The people are getting worried. They want the royal line to be stable. I believe I have the solution to ease their worries." Hiruzen once again answered but didn't elaborate on what his plan is.
"Father, are the Uchiha connected to this?" Asuma asked out of nowhere.
Naruto had to clamp his own mouth to keep himself from gasping.
"Maybe… We may never know."
"So? How's your novels doing Jira-"
Naruto push himself off of the door and left. His mind spinning trying to make sense of things. Why would the Uchiha be connected to all of this? If the Uzumaki are wiped out, the Senju are the next ones in line of succession, not the Uchiha. It just doesn't make any sense that they want him dead. Unless this isn't about who gets to the throne at all…
He was so deep in thought that he didn't notice a guard coming up to him.
"Ouji-sama!" The guard called, a package on his hands.
Naruto stared at the package then to the guard with narrowed eyes.
The guard started sweating before remembering that he has yet explained himself.
"Oh! It was sent here from the Hyuga Clan. Well, that's what the package says." The guard said, scrutinizing the package and shaking it for good measure. "We had run it through basic protocols Ouji-sama." He continued for good measure.
Naruto grinned at the guard before snatching it off his hands.
"Don't tell me what it is!" Naruto exclaimed to the guard before promptly sitting on the carpeted floor, making the guard stutter in horror seeing the Prince on the ground, and tore the brown paper covering a simple shoe box.
He opened the box and was surprised to see a red scarf inside. He first thought that it was the one he gave to the Hyuga girl, the one he's sure to have been the one who sent the package, but upon closer inspection, the scarf is longer and it's a deeper shade of red.
Like fresh blood.
The scarf is still warm in his hands, like his father's blood. But unlike the memory haunting him, this scarf smells good, not like the rusty scent of blood. He brought it closer to his nose and took a deep breath. It smelt like lavender and cinnamon. The scarf must have been washed and dried recently, dried on an old fashioned clothesline it seems. For it smells like sunshine.
He closed his eyes, seeing the girl's silver pupils in his mind. Facing his fears to become stronger. That's what he vowed to himself.
There was a letter inside the shoe box, tucked in the corner, making it as small as possible. Naruto chuckled, even her shyness leaked through her gifts.
Her calligraphy is nice and neat, unlike Naruto's which resembles scratches made by a chicken with lots and lots of mistaken use of characters (How was he to know that he has been writing Ojii-san, pertaining to a grandfather, wrong and he ends up writing Uncle instead. This is why he prefer to use Jiji, easier to write.)
Dear Ouji-sama,
I had tried to take out the stuck onions on your scarf and ended up unraveling some of the yarn. My deepest apologies.
To compensate for my inconvenience, I had knitted this scarf for my father but decided to give it to you instead. It is almost the same color as the one you had given me.
Sincerely,
Hyuga Hinata
"Hinata… That name fits her so much." Naruto said to himself before wrapping his neck with his new scarf.
So warm.
A/N: I'm trying to go back to writing again. Hope you guys like this new one. This is more like a full out romance... Or is it?
In this modern era, Hinata's grandfather is still alive and thus the head of the family. The Land of Fire is a fiefdom where the Hokage acts as the 'fuedal lord' (Daimyo) but is viewed more like a 'King'. The ruler is always known as Hokage, but if a Hokage is a man, his wife will be known as the Fire Lady (There's another term of it but I'll leave that for later chapters).
Thank you to my Editor, Gio! I'll try to spark my interest on the other stories! Actually, I already wrote chapter 7 of Will of Fire but i got stuck in this one particular scene.