A/N: This is a quick Konohana fic, since I adore Hanabi and I'm a little mad at Hinata rn. Hopefully I'll be happy. Also, tomorrow is possibly the ending of Naruto? So I just want to say I love this manga/anime and it's been 75% of my childhood and I appreciate Kishimoto for creating it. Nothing can replace it. Nothing.
Chuunin
Hyuuga Hanabi rarely bragged. Sure, she could brag to her snooty peers that she could internally damage their body and kill them, or that she could see kilometers beyond their eyesight, but she didn't brag.
Instead, she'd neatly twirl a long strand of brown hair around her finger and give 'em the ol' patented Hyuuga glare. You do not want to have calculating, eerie white eyes stare at you in disdain with a silent threat lingering behind them. That'd shut them up.
Hanabi thought of herself as a reasonable person. Mature, cool, stoic, and calm. Except when she was around Sarutobi Konohamaru, all this melted, replaced by an immature, easily annoyed, loud Baka. She'd feel ashamed. She was a Hyuuga! She didn't need to stoop to his level.
Konohamaru was only a year older than her, but he acted like he was four years younger. He'd tug her hair, trip her, tried to surprise her with the demeaning "sexy no jutsu", and attempted to embarrass her. After a while, she decided to give him a taste of his own medicine by either:
(A.) tripping him in front of his crush (ahem, Moegi)
(B.) shutting off a tenketsu or two
(C.) burning his clothes with a Katon jutsu.
And as Hanabi strolled through town, her bloodline limit activated, her hitai-ate looped around her neck (No she wasn't copying her nee-chan, it was more like following her.), peering for any sign of the bastard, Konohamaru. When she was positive she didn't see his chakra pattern, she deactivated her Byakugan, stuffed her hands into her pockets, and lazily trotted off.
She grimaced. I presume he's training for the Chūunin exams? Baka. He'll never make Chuunin. As Hanabi graduated a year earlier from the Academy, she was made a genin younger than usual. This made the Hyuuga clan proud. When she was offered to take the Chuunin exams, she was ecstatic.
Although it was in Konoha and she couldn't escape from the Hyuuga's grip, she was still excited. At least everyone would see her kick ass abilities. I wonder if I'd get to fight Yamanaka Inomaru? She wondered as she was suddenly pinned to the ground.
She gritted her teeth and instinctively activated the Byakugan. She knew who's chakra it was. She could feel it, almost taste it, and it made her irritated.
"Sarutobi," she snarled as she recovered from the ambush, dusting her silk kimono. "I see you've made your mark. Finished making out with Moegi?"
Konohamaru reddened. He was a little taller, his signature chipped tooth glistening in the sun. His scarf was tied loosely around his neck and his hitai-ate was lopsided. His mousey brown hair was wild and messy and his clothes were wrinkled.
"N-Nani? N-no!" He made wild patterns with his hands, attempting to fabricate an excuse. "We-er-I was training! P-preparing for the Chuunin Exams! K'so! Henge!" He finally yelled, and suddenly, an illusion of Nara Shikamaru, nude, appeared.
Hanabi attempted to stifle a gasp. The first time he shocked her resulted in a raging nosebleed and her hormones out of control. She managed to control herself the other times, but with her Shikamaru-kun nude...
She pressed her nostrils together.
"Pervert," she snarled. "A-ah... I've got t-to go. Train!" She whipped around, her long hair flailing behind her as she scurried away from the attractive, perverted illusion of Shikamaru.
Hanabi's gaze on her opponent hardened. It wasn't Yamanaka Inomaru (he ruthlessly fought Hirasaki Aoi), but it was an Aburame, which'll suffice. Aburame Konchū was a quiet, mousy, thin boy who was two years older than her and rarely used taijutsu.
He was at an advantage. Between a long range and close range fighter, the long range ninja had the advantage. She gritted her teeth. Couldn't she have gotten Sarutobi? Or Toru Hikari, a weak kunoichi who held a kunai and expected help from her male team mates? Or even Moegi?
She took a fighting stance, activating her bloodline limit. She had to be careful. If this Aburame was anything like his cousin, Shino, then he was probably clever, sneaky, and shy.
In a flash, she soared through the air, chakra igniting in her hand as she swung a kick at the boy. She scrutinized for any bugs hiding, ready to lap up in eat her chakra.
She dodged a quick, slightly sloppy punch, swinging her legs to meet his, sending him flat on his chest. He landed with a thud, a rub at his head, and a chorus of "I-itai!"
She quirks an eyebrow. He wasn't like his cousin. Hanabi slammed her hand into his back.
A familiar, rather attractive, bundle of hotness, Joūnin cracked his neck lazily.
"Hyuuga Hanabi is the winner." Nara Shikamaru croned.
A smile spread on her lips, trying to stifle a blush, but she couldn't help it. His words were so silky, he was so hot, oh my god I-
She blinked, realizing she was done with her preliminary opponent, and that she needed to go back up to watch the match. Blushing slightly, she made her way up, only to bump shoulders with Konohamaru.
"Congrats, gaki," Konohamaru teased, meeting his warm brown eyes to her cool, white ones.
"Arigato, baka." She murmured. And even though they both didn't realize it, as they were too caught up with trying to make each other fall, a smile was slipping upon both their features.
The green flak jacket felt heavy in her arms. She was blushing madly as the super hottie boy with the sexiest voice gave her the jacket.
"Arigato," she murmured as she walked out the line. Hanabi paused, craning her neck. There was only four people in line. Five people were left in the line to receive their green vests that marked them as Chūnin, and two of them were in Konohamaru's squad. The other one was Yamanaka Inomaru. Konohamaru was nowhere in sight.
Hanabi felt sad. Disappointed. She wanted Konohamaru to become a Chuunin. She saw him fight Aneri Momū, and he did it flawlessly-not that she'd say it to his face. Her shoulders drooped as she walked off, ready to walk home and show Neji niisan, Nee-chan, and tou-san.
She walked out of sight, leaving the rest of her rookie peers to marvel and gloat about their flak jackets. Passing by the Academy, she felt Konohamaru's chakra. Slowing her pace, she peered curiously at the boy as he sat on the swing set. She sucked on her bottom lip. He looked... Sad.
A grimace slipped into her features as she trudged her way over to his still body sitting on the swing.
He glanced up to identify the person standing in front of him.
"You made Chuunin? Congratulations."
Hanabi felt sympathetic as she touched her vest.
"Arigato. Y'know, there's always next year," she tried to comfort him.
"I feel like a failure," he moaned. "I'm gonna be an eternal Genin, forced into D-rank missions."
Hanabi awkwardly pat his back.
"Ano..." She trailed off. She had nothing to say.
Hanabi did something that surprised them both.
She buried her nose in Konohamaru's blue scarf. It was warm, and she felt herself redden as she heard a small noise from the back of his throat.
That's when she felt his shoulders shake. She looked up, embarrassed. I'm such a baka! How could I do that? She berated herself.
Hanabi cleared her throat.
"Idiot. Why are you laughing?" She growled at him, ready to fight him at any second. A sly smile was on his face.
"Because," he said in a strained voice, attempting to stifle his giggles, "you indirectly confessed you're in love with me."
"N-Nani? I-"
"-and," Konohamaru interrupted, his face breaking into a million smiles, showing that oh so stupid chipped tooth of his, "I lied. I made Chuunin!" He confessed, presenting her an identical flak vest to hers.
Konohamaru was forced to be healed by a very peeved off Haruno Sakura. When she asked why he was still smiling after having his chakra points shut off, a black eye, sprained wrist, and swollen jaw, he didn't answer verbally. Instead, his grin widened, and his fingers touched his warm cheek.
Sakura suddenly understood.