[STARTED ON: 1-25-15 at 4:32 PM]
Summary: Hanabi is happily getting married, but she can't help but notice someone's absence. Her memory shoots back to every event that led up to this day, including the discovery of the death of her brother Neji. Oneshot. KonoHana. Slight NaruHina. Hyuga Sibling Fluff. Post-Chapter 700. Spoilers!
A/N: Hiya! I've been on a KonoHana hype lately, and I figured this would be fun to write. :) OH. REAL QUICK: It mentions private tutoring and suitors. I got this from the two-part filler from the anime about Hanabi and Hinata that came on recently. Just in case you were wondering, that's the origin of those ideas.
THE PICTURE ABOVE IS BY GABZILLA-Z. She does REALLY cool art! She's on Tumblr and DeviantART
Anywho! Thanks for reading! If you would take a few seconds to review, that would mean a lot to me. Thank you all so, so much! God bless you all! 8D
DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters or the franchise. Thanks, Kishi, for fifteen years of Naruto! :3
-\[=]/-
Hanabi Hyuga woke up with a start. She didn't understand what Hinata meant by simultaneous butterflies and cold feet until that day. She didn't think wedding days were as huge a deal as everyone made them out to be, but she suddenly realized the feeling the moment her eyes opened that morning. How was it possible for her to be so happy, yet so terrified? She was twenty-two-years old and ready to wed. Soon, she would be a Sarutobi, and she couldn't be happier. After making a deal with Hiashi that any children coming from the two would have a conjoined last name (Hyuga-Sarutobi), he blessed the engagement of Konohamaru and his daughter.
As she sat up to stretch, she swung her feet out from under the covering and looked about her room. It was still a bit big, but seemed to shrink as she got older, which made sense to her. She had definitely grown, legs and all. She was still shorter than her elder sister, but not by much. Her eyes darted around the room, landing on her wedding wear first. It was hanging in her closet. No, she wasn't going to be wearing a dress, but a simple white kimono. It somewhat mirrored the one that Hinata wore when she married Naruto, but not by much. It was as simple as could be, but she smiled fondly upon it. It may have looked unoriginal, but it represented the happy day before her.
She looked around the room a bit more, beginning to stand up and walk to the closet. It was about five in the morning (she knew she wouldn't be able to get back to sleep—she was too excited!), so she had a bit of time to goof off before the bridesmaids and maid of honor (Hinata) woke up and rushed in a panic to get everything together. Her eyes went from the clock on her small dresser to a picture next to it. Suddenly, her eyes became a bit sorrowful and her smile was no longer soft, but became a very sad one.
"Neji-Nii-San," Hanabi whispered under her breath.
-\[=]/-
"Nani?" a twelve-year-old Hanabi rhetorically questioned in a small voice.
Hearing of Neji's sacrifice on the battlefield was not taken lightly with Hanabi. Sure, she was proud of him, but shock, anger, bitterness, and (most of all) depression overtook her emotions in an instant. She looked into her older sister's eyes. Hinata seemed as though she were more sorry than upset, but Hanabi figured it was because Hinata must have gotten all of her crying done on the battlefield. No, she didn't blame Hinata. Hinata was just doing her job—protecting what was important to her, just as Neji was doing in his final moments. Hiashi clapped a hand to his youngest daughter's shoulder, his eyes seeming very distant.
"E-Excuse me," Hanabi asked.
She gingerly removed Hiashi's hand from her shoulder as she resigned to the hallway, leaving two very mournful family members in the main room. Hanabi worked her way to her room, ready to burst into tears, but along the way, she spotted a room that no one had touched since the Fourth War began. She came to a halt and debated whether or not to enter. Was it wrong to want to go inside? Was it a bad decision? In a matter of seconds, she decided to take a risk and enter anyway. Taking a deep breath, she slid the door open and stood, totally astonished.
Her heart crumbled into a million pieces upon seeing Neji's room. There was nothing different about it, but there was definitely something about it that triggered her heartbreak. His essence lingered, leaving the last trace of her elder brother she could find. She wanted to cry, but she couldn't. She silently cursed herself for being so weakened that she couldn't even cry at the death of her own brother. Was being a stoic ninja so important? Hanabi wasn't even stoic unless it was required for a mission. She was a happy-go-lucky girl with all the hope in the world, but she was trained to be a stoic kunoichi when deemed necessary. She supposed necessary moments came up a bit too often.
She wandered into the room, sauntering through the small dorm, closely looking at his belongings. Neji had many pictures across his dressers, as well as papers and other important things. His bed was made (as always), and she still couldn't find herself crying. She ambled to his closet, slid it open, and found all of his past clothes. Each one reminded her of different memories. The one that was her size, though, made her heartbeat stop.
She picked up a cream colored shirt that had Velcro-looking straps across the front and back. He wore it when he was about her age. The cream color had gotten so old that it began to look more yellow than cream. She couldn't help but bring it to her nose, the scent hitting her stronger than anything, and thus, finally triggering tears to fall. She grit her teeth, hugged the shirt to herself, and buried her face in it. Before she knew it, she was sliding down the wall and onto the floor, tightly embracing the shirt and taking in its scent.
"Hanabi-Chan," she heard a quiet voice call her.
She looked up to see a blurred version of Hinata looking at her through the hallway. Hanabi quickly wiped her tears away, trying to erase any look of weakness upon her complexion. However, Hinata walked up to her, grabbed her arm gently, and told her that it was alright to cry. The eldest Hyuga daughter wore an incredibly sad smile as she sat down with the young heiress. The minute Hinata's back touched the wall, all she could do was recall what happened.
"He was such a good elder brother," Hinata began, her eyes becoming a bit red from near-tears. "He was never afraid to protect us and train us. He would never let anything bad happen."
"Nee-Chan," Hanabi wept in a cracked voice, calling Hinata's attention, "what are we going to do now?"
A tear fell from Hinata's eye as she hugged Hanabi to her. The two of them wept in each other's arms, silently hurting with one another, mourning the death of Neji Hyuga. It hurt, it truly did, and they weren't sure how to cope with it. After a few moments of sobbing, a distant member of the clan found the two of them on the floor.
"Hinata-Sama, Hanabi-Sama," she began to ask, "why are you on the floor in your cousin's room?"
"He isn't our cousin," Hinata immediately said in a small, cracked voice.
Hanabi quickly added, "He's our brother."
-\[=]/-
Hanabi was present at the funeral for the fallen veterans of the Fourth War, and she stayed close to both her sister and her father. She secretively darted her eyes around to observe everyone. The Nara named Shikamaru and the Yamanaka named Ino had both lost their fathers, and were clearly distressed and upset by it. Team Gai was there for Neji. Tenten, whom Hanabi had met on many occasions, was definitely disturbed by her friend's passing. She may not have showed as much sorrow over it as her teammate Lee and sensei Gai did (they were absolutely bawling), but she showed an expression that was clearly fighting the urge to cry.
When Hanabi looked to her right, she saw her sister Hinata with that Uzumaki boy. Hanabi quirked a brow at the two of them, realizing that Naruto was noticeably closer to her sister than he was before. Hanabi was very aware of Hinata's feelings for Naruto. Was it possible that he was finally returning her feelings? After a few seconds of staring at their upset expressions, Hanabi returned her attention to Neji. Her poor older brother was gone. She only had Hinata now, and if Naruto took her sister away from her, then who would she have?
This all baffled her, and she couldn't help but feel a bit angry at Neji. How could he just leave her like that? How could he be such a good older brother? How did he love them that much? After a few seconds of unnecessary anger, she realized how selfish she was being, and became inexplicably upset. Choked sobs worked their way through her throat, and she tried to keep quiet, but she couldn't handle it. What was this feeling? She had never been this utterly depressed before. She covered her mouth, but the sobs shoved through, and Hanabi closed her eyes as she felt tears do the same thing.
Before she knew it, she was being clutched to somebody's side. She looked up, her eyes widening as much as they could to see who was comforting her, and she saw none other than Hiashi. His eyes had softened, but that was only one surprise. He was crying. Hiashi's eyes were filled with tears. This shouldn't have surprised Hanabi—Neji was the only thing left on earth to remind him of his younger brother—but it did.
"It's ok, Hanabi-Chan," Hiashi whispered lightly, "go ahead. This is one of those times where a ninja may cry."
And with that, Hanabi buried her face into her father's side and cried as hard as she possibly could.
-\[=]/-
Flash forward two years and the wedding betwixt Hinata and Naruto took place. Hanabi decided to bring her portrait of Neji to hold during the ceremony. When Hinata saw it, she almost burst into tears, but Hanabi told her that it would all be ok, and she wanted Hinata to stay happy on her wedding day. Her elder sister had to explain that her tears were happy ones, and Hanabi shared a hug with her.
Eventually, it was time for the reception, and everyone wanted a picture with the new couple. Hanabi felt a bit awkward, only knowing two people there: Hinata and Hiashi. Of course, she had seen many of the other people, but anything past "how are you doing?" was totally out of range for her. She felt stupendously alone with no one speaking to her, and she couldn't help but feel like an idiot.
Hiashi was talking to Lady Tsunade about how happy he was for the married couple, and Hiashi was not a fan of his children clipping themselves to him at public events. He felt like any conversation he carried on with someone made the other person feel a bit agitated when he had a child of his with him. Hinata was busy taking pictures with everyone and answering questions with her new husband, so Hanabi had no one to talk to.
"Have I seen you somewhere before?"
Hanabi's head immediately turned in the direction of the speaker. A boy with brown hair (his sideburns were quite long, but she found it a tad cute) and angry-looking, onyx eyes was staring confusedly at her. He was holding a baby girl with dark hair and deep, red eyes. She seemed to be about two-years-old, and the boy looked to be around her age. She noticed that she was staring and immediately apologized.
"G-Gomenasai!" she blurted, her ears turning a bit pink. "I don't think we've met before. I'm Hanabi Hyuga, what's your name?"
"That explains the eyes," he smirked. "My name is Konohamaru Sarutobi, and this is my baby cousin, Mirai. Say hi, Mirai."
"Moshi-Moshi!" the little girl greeted with a large grin.
"Ko-Konohamaru…" Hanabi tried his name out before she gasped. "You're the Honorable Grandson!"
"Oh, no, no, no, there's no need for that, kore," Konohamaru immediately said. "I'm just here for Naruto-Nii-San's wedding. I don't like the whole Honorable Grandson thing."
"Naruto-Nii-San?" Hanabi questioned.
"Ah, not biologically," Konohamaru blushed as he explained. "I kind of adopted him as a big brother when I was eight."
"Interesting," Hanabi giggled, a hand risen to her mouth. "Well the bride is my older sister."
"Ah, so does that make us in-laws?" he joked, causing her to giggle some more. After she finished, he asked her, "So why have I never seen you before? Did you go to the Academy?"
"Oh, I was privately tutored," Hanabi answered, "and I'm trained by my father. I'm just a Genin until a team needs a third member in the Chunin exams."
"Oh, I got cha," Konohamaru nodded.
The two of them continued to chat, and Hanabi could feel herself opening up more and more. She didn't get much of a chance to make friends as a child, considering she was so privately tutored that Hiashi wouldn't even let her off the lot by herself until she was thirteen. Now she was talking to Konohamaru as if they had been friends their entire lives. Mirai was precious, as well. Hanabi wasn't the biggest fan of babies, but two-year-olds were a different story. Three-year-olds were nightmares, but one- and two-year-olds were just the best.*
"Ano…if you don't mind my asking," Konohamaru began as he eyed the portrait in her hands, "who might that be?"
Hanabi had honestly forgotten that she was still holding the picture of her elder brother. The more she looked at her brother's face, the more she realized how different life was without him. Neji was always there to make sure she kept out of trouble and protected her from the awful people that existed in the world, and now that she was learning everything he had to learn at her age, she seemed to appreciate him even more. Her eyes were fuzzy for just half a minute before she answered Konohamaru.
"Gomen," Hanabi apologized for her long pondering. "This is a picture of our older brother, Neji. He passed on during the Fourth War."
"O-Oh," Konohamaru gulped, "I'm so sorry I asked! I didn't mean to make anything awkward. I know how it feels to lose someone."
"It's fine," Hanabi smiled. "You didn't mean any harm. Plus, it's been awhile since he's left us. I've learned to keep going, and I'm sure he's happy in heaven."
Konohamaru smiled softly at the girl as he shifted Mirai from one of his arms to the other. Hanabi offered to hold the small girl when Konohamaru commented on how heavy his baby cousin was becoming. He said it wasn't necessary, but she insisted, so the Sarutobi handed his cousin over to the fourteen-year-old girl. Mirai happily clung to the Hyuga, taking on her locks of hair into her tiny grasp. Much to Konohamaru's surprise, Hanabi wasn't even phased by Mirai's yanking on her hair; she just laughed like nothing was wrong. This caused the Sarutobi's eyes to soften, as well as his smile.
From across the pavement, Naruto took notice of his favorite student's lovesick grin, and he couldn't help but cheekily smirk to himself. Once Hinata finished talking to a branch member, Naruto gently shook her shoulder. This brought all of her attention to him, and when she saw his smirk, she knew something must have been either hilarious or something she would love.
"Oi, Hinata-Chan," Naruto said, "look over at your sister for me."
Hinata followed his directions and looked for Hanabi. It didn't take long for her to locate the Hyuga heiress, and she was completely glad that she did. She giggled quietly as she watched her sister hold onto Mirai happily and speak with Konohamaru Sarutobi, who had a love-struck expression upon his complexion. Hinata quickly decided that she would love having Konohamaru Sarutobi as an actual brother-in-law instead of just an honorary brother-in-law.
-\[=]/-
Hanabi still remembered the day that Boruto Uzumaki was born. She cradled him in her arms, looked into his beautiful, blue eyes, and knew that she was going to absolutely love this child. Naruto had gone out of the hospital room to fetch Konohamaru from the waiting room, so the only people in it for the time being were Hinata, Hiashi, Hanabi, and her newborn nephew. She was a sixteen-year-old aunt, and she thought it was the coolest thing in the world.
"What's his name?" Hanabi questioned silently as she lightly rocked back-and-forth with the baby in her arms.
"Boruto Uzumaki," Hinata smiled softly.
Hanabi went wide-eyed as she looked at her giddy sister and asked, "As in…'Bolt?'"
"Exactly," Hinata happily nodded. "Naruto-Kun and I thought it would be perfect to name him after Neji-Nii-San."
Hiashi asked if he could hold his grandson, which caught them both a bit by surprise. Hiashi had pushed the girls to fall in love with a distant clan member for many reasons. First of all, he needed the Hyuga name to carry on, but he reluctantly took that rule away from Hinata when Hanabi became heiress.
Secondly, he wanted Naruto and Hinata to live in the Hyuga compound, but Hinata argued that Naruto would be the odd-one-out considering he had never interacted with any Hyuga members other than herself and her family; not to mention his own clan was becoming more numerous (what with Karin revealing her identity as Uzumaki), and Hiashi, though upset, agreed to let them live on their own.
Thirdly, he wanted the byakugan trait to be dominant, and since Boruto's eyes came out blue instead of the pale color he'd hoped for, they figured he would be angrier than before. Instead, Hiashi was very happy to be a grandfather, which made Hinata's day even better. Hanabi carefully handed Boruto to Hiashi, who cradled the small boy in his arms joyfully. Hinata and Hanabi watched with twinkles in their eyes.
A moment or so later, Konohamaru came in with Naruto in tow. The first thing he did was tell Hinata congratulations, which she happily thanked him for. Naruto walked out from behind Konohamaru and kissed his glowing wife on the cheek as he watched his father-in-law absolutely gush over the newborn. Konohamaru spotted Hanabi and smirked at her. Hanabi smiled back, but quickly became nervous. She and Konohamaru became very close friends very fast, and this caused for oddities to occur, one of them being greeting each other with odd nicknames.
This was the one that terrified Hanabi whenever Hiashi was around. The heiress always called Konohamaru a stupid insult like "ketsu"* or "dasai,"* and she used "baka"* fairly often. Konohamaru, on the other hand, did the exact opposite, and he left this especially for her. Instead of calling her demeaning names, he used pet names. His favorite ones were the embarrassing ones, too, which made it hard for them to talk to each other without being mistaken as a couple. Of course, she had forgotten to tell Konohamaru to never use their nicknames around Hiashi, because he would take it in the worst way possible.
And here he was, about to screw up the most he's ever screwed up in his life.
"Oi, angel face, I haven't seen you since Wednesday! How's it going?"
Hanabi quickly flushed and face-palmed the moment he said it, which caused him to cock a brow at the girl. He was about to ask her what was wrong when he suddenly understood by Hiashi's skin tone becoming the palest he'd ever seen. Konohamaru's eyes widened as he prepared for impact. Hiashi handed his grandson back to his eldest daughter as he marched over to the Sarutobi. Naruto, Hinata, and Hanabi were astonished by Hiashi's sudden rage, and Naruto felt a fatherly instinct (already) to cover his son's eyes.
"What…did you say…" Hiashi paused to grab Konohamaru by the collar and yank him upward a bit, "to my daughter?"
"Ah, sir!" Konohamaru struggled. He thought he was going to wet himself. "It's not like that! We have nicknames for each other! We're not dating or anything, kore!"
"He's right, Otou-San!" Hanabi chimed in, grabbing Hiashi's forearm. "I call him dumb names and he calls me pet names! It's how we joke around!"
Boruto's eyes fluttered open at all the commotion, and Hiashi's fist was only stopped by his grandson's crying. The grandfather instinct kicked in, and he hurriedly dropped the young man to the ground and rushed to Hinata's side, practically shoving Naruto out of the way as he did so. Konohamaru didn't land safely, so his butt was instantly sore. He hyperventilated as he rubbed his backside, which caused and embarrassed Hanabi to silently snicker. He frowned at her as he straightened his back, attempting to release the pressure on his bottom.
"What's so funny?" Konohamaru asked in a quiet scream. "You're dad almost killed me, kore!"
"Ketsu landed on his ketsu!" Hanabi laughed aloud. "G-G-Gomen, but it was there, a-and—"
She was cut off by her own laughter. Konohamaru didn't find this as funny as she did, but he couldn't help but smile at her laughter. He had never heard her laugh so hard in his life, and he found it quite charming, even if she did begin snorting as she howled. She eventually halted her fit and extended a hand, apologizing for her father's actions. He accepted her hand, allowing her to help pull him to a stand, as well as accepting her apology.
-\[=]/-
Some years later, it was Hanabi found herself in the Uzumaki household. Kakashi had sent Naruto and Hinata off on a mission for a few days, so the heiress was put in charge of the children. She was nineteen-years-old, meaning Boruto was three and Himawari was only one-year-old. The two of them loved to run around the house, which gave her a bit of anxiety, considering Himawari was a bit clumsy on account of her young age. The same went for Boruto, but at least he was balanced. She kept her eyes on them constantly, and it required some work to follow them around the house, but it was totally worth it. She loved babysitting Naruto and Hinata's kids.
Konohamaru stopped by every now and then to ask what she needed him to do. The two were balls of energy, and the constant stops by the Sarutobi was extremely helpful. Today, though, was a special day. Hinata never wanted the kids to forget that she had an elder brother, so the family would visit Neji's grave and switch out flowers at least once a week. Hanabi loved that Hinata had this small tradition; it kept Neji as a part of the family. She and Hiashi did the same thing, so he would be meeting them there.
"Boruto-Chan, you're good to go," Hanabi stated as she zipped up his fox-esque jacket and tugged the matching hood over his head. "Hima-Chan, where is your jacket?"
The moment Himawari was questioned, she tilted her head to the side and quirked her brow upward. This caused Hanabi to giggle at the adorable girl. She was about to grab their hands and make them look with her for the jacket, but there was a knock on the door. She told the kids to wait a second as she leaned against the door and asked who was on the porch.
"Angel face, I brought back the groceries!"
Hanabi smiled as she allowed Konohamaru in. Unbeknownst to one another, they had grown to like each other. She was secretly loving the fact that he was picked to bring groceries and necessities to her and the kids while she watched them. It made her feel like they were a real couple. She was certain Himawari thought that Konohamaru was her uncle by marriage, and Boruto always mistook Konohamaru's relations to them as lawful for the same reason, even though he had been told time and time again that Hanabi and Konohamaru were just friends. Although, this game of house really did make Hanabi want the kids' assumptions an actuality.
"Thanks, dasai," Hanabi said.
Konohamaru carried four plastic bags to the kitchen, sorted them into the fridge as quickly as he possibly could (it only took him about half a minute) and went to see the other three in the foyer. He rubbed his biceps as he approached them, implying how cold it was outside.
"Well, Boruto-Chan, you look ready to face the cold, Himawari on the other hand…"
Himawari just grinned toothily at her technical uncle, who laughed.
"Where are you three going in the weather?" Konohamaru questioned, stuffing his cold hands in his pockets.
"We're going to visit Neji-Jii-San," Boruto proudly said before he frowned, "but we can't find Himawari-Chan's coat anywhere!"
"Oh, well, I can help with that," Konohamaru beamed before he looked at Hanabi, "if Hanabi-Baa-Chan says it's ok."
"Of course," Hanabi giggled. "Arigatou."
"Yay!" the kids cheered.
The Uzumaki children stumbled around the floor, looking under couches and chairs for the coat. Konohamaru and Hanabi checked the closets and dressers until Konohamaru finally found it under Himawari's crib. He hollered through the house that he'd found it and met them all back in the foyer. Himawari ecstatically jumped up and down as Konohamaru helped her into the lion-like jacket,* zipped it up, and pulled the hood over her small head.
"There you go," he smiled softly, "now you're all ready."
"Arigatou," Hanabi thanked him, grabbing ahold of the kids' hands. "Would you like to come with us?"
Konohamaru's eyes widened. She wanted to include him in this small tradition? But Neji was their relative. Would that not be intrusive? He was certain he'd only met Neji once or twice in his life, and he didn't take time to appreciate the man he was. He felt honored that they would invite him to visit someone so increasingly precious to them. Boruto stepped forward and grasped two of Konohamaru's fingers in his tiny hand. This softened the Sarutobi. He picked up the small boy, held him in his arms, and nodded.
"I'd love to."
Hanabi grinned, held Himawari to her shoulder, grabbed the flowers, and opened the door. Once it was all locked up, the two of them carried the babies to the cemetery. They got a few awkward looks as they ambled down the street. People mistook the duo for a couple already, but carrying the babies around as if they were their own made it a tad more easy to mistake. Moegi and Udon even ran into them on the way there, where they giggled like idiots, making Konohamaru blush insanely.
"So you told her, huh?" Moegi asked.
"Moegi!" Konohamaru almost shouted.
Moegi and Udon went wide-eyed, realizing that they mistook the situation (like everyone else did), and ran off, apologizing as they did so. Hanabi herself was surprised. Konohamaru looked at her, biting his lip and blushing furiously. Hanabi swept the stray bang out from her face and leaned toward him, halting their walk to visit Neji. The Uzumaki kids began to wonder what was going on, as did anyone exiting the cemetery.
"What would you have told me?" Hanabi asked quietly, looking him in the eye. "What was she talking about?"
"Ah, Hanabi-Chan," Konohamaru began to explain, frustration evident in his tone, "she, ano…I kind of…"
Her eyes were wide as saucers. Did he really feel the same way she did about him? Or was this all her imagination? She could feel Himawari's baby hands slapping her shoulder, so this was obviously a reality. This wasn't the atmosphere she would have imagined, but she was ready for him to tell her at any given time. Sooner was always better than later when there was good news. She couldn't wait to hear what he would say to her. He only had three words to say to her, then she could pour her heart out.
"Sarutobi?"
However, they were interrupted before those three words could be said.
All four looked to the owner of the deep voice that just said Konohamaru's name. When they saw Hiashi, the twenty-year-old brunette stiffened, causing Boruto to become a bit confused. Why was his technical uncle suddenly so tight? Hanabi noticed the stern look on her father's face and instantly became a bit angry. However, she got over it once Himawari extended her arms to her grandfather. Hiashi's rage subsided as he picked up his adorable granddaughter.
"I invited him," Hanabi sounded so Hiashi couldn't turn him away.
"That's fine," Hiashi said in a baby voice, which scared both Hanabi and Konohamaru. "Come, you two, we have an uncle to meet."
They nodded and followed the older man (he was only seemed to be slightly aging) to Neji's grave. There, Boruto took out the old flowers and Hanabi and Himawari put in the fresh ones. When they first started doing this, Hanabi became too emotional to handle herself, but after a few times, she became used to it, and saw it as a blessing. She still got to say hello to her brother, and she was able to tell him all about her life, what was going on with her sister, her father, her brother-in-law, and her niece and nephew. Unbeknownst to the others, she also told Neji about her growing feelings for Konohamaru. She couldn't help but think Neji-Nii-San, this is him. I hope you would approve.
It was easier for her to talk to him now. She knew he was in heaven, she knew he was happier where he was, and she knew he was a hero. Sure, her eyes still became foggy, puffy, and red, but this was her brother after all. She was going to get a bit sad, certainly, but she was joyful. She still loved him very much, missed him every day, but she got the closure she needed by training to be just like him. She trained to be kind like Hinata, brave like Neji, and strong like both of them.
Eventually, they finished visiting Neji, and Hiashi kissed his child and grandchildren goodbye and went home. Boruto and Himawari asked to be pulled up by the adults, who did as asked. This time, Himawari was with Konohamaru and Boruto was with Hanabi. Before they left Neji's grave, though, Hanabi halted Konohamaru.
"What were you going to tell me?" Hanabi asked seriously. "I want to know."
Konohamaru paused momentarily, but sighed eventually when he realized that Hanabi wasn't going to budge until he told her.
"Hanabi-Chan, I…" Konohamaru's face became a bright red, and Boruto could feel the heat coming off of his face, "I think…I may be in love with you."
He averted his eyes, waiting for her to say that she only wanted to be friends, and that she wanted nothing to do with him anymore. He waited for the awkwardness that would ensue between the two of them. He waited for her to tell him to leave. He waited for her to say she was sickened. But none of that ever came. Instead, he was greeted by Hanabi grabbing ahold of his hand, smiling, and having the softest look in her eyes that he'd ever seen.
"Good," she said with a high-pitched voice, "because I think I may be in love with you, too."
-\[=]/-
Now here she was, twenty-two-years-old and ready to marry this man that she, evidently, fell in love with. She looked at Neji's picture for a good while, memories flooding back to her, every one of them leading up to this very moment. She sauntered to the dresser, picked up Neji's picture and hugged it to her. She missed him so much. She began to think about what he would say of Konohamaru. Would he approve of their marriage? Would he be happy about it? Would he think the opposite? She came to the conclusion that, no matter who Hanabi chose for a husband, so long as he truly loved her and she truly loved him, Neji would be happy for her. Because he loved her.
That made her feel a bit odd, though. The fact that Neji wouldn't be at the wedding. It seemed weird to her. Her maid of honor was Hinata, and her bridesmaids were Moegi and Mirai. Moegi and Hanabi had grown closer when Konohamaru decided to introduce her to his teammates, so they were good friends. She loved Mirai, but it was also common curtesy to allow family members from your bride or groom's side to be a bridesmaid or groomsman.
So wouldn't Neji also be a groomsman?
She sighed sadly, deciding that Neji was happier where he was anyway. He would be proud. He would love her and tell her that he would learn to love Konohamaru. She brought the picture up to her lips and kissed the forehead of her brother before settling the portrait back down on the dresser. After this, she got into her before-the-wedding clothes and prepared breakfast for the household. The sweet aroma of eggs woke Hiashi, Hinata, Moegi, and Mirai up. Hanabi welcomed them all to the table with a smirk.
"Good morning, sleepyheads," the heiress giggled.
"I forgot that I was here for the night," Hinata yawned. "Thank you for breakfast."
The girls were staying the night to help Hanabi out. And after breakfast, they all discovered that, boy, did she need it.
-\[=]/-
Hanabi didn't think wedding prepping would be such a big deal the day of the actual wedding. She figured all you had to do was get your makeup, hair, and clothes ready. Apparently you couldn't come in contact with your groom at all, so she was constantly being held hostage in her room, considering Konohamaru didn't get the memo, nor did he want to get the memo. He didn't want to be kept away from Hanabi all day, so he was constantly trying to figure out how to bust into her room.
At some point, Naruto got Boruto, Udon, and Himawari involved in tying Konohamaru to a chair until it was time for the wedding. Himawari giggled at her soon-to-be uncle, and Boruto couldn't help but point and laugh at him. Udon cowered behind Naruto, saying "Oh…he won't like this when he's out of it." But Naruto didn't care. Hinata gave him a job and he was not going to disappoint his precious wife. Konohamaru was already done with prepping anyway, so it was all a matter of waiting for the ceremony.
-\[=]/-
Once the ceremony began, everyone stood for Hanabi to walk down the aisle they had created for her. It was an outdoor wedding atop the Hokage Faces (Konohamaru has expressed to Hanabi once that he'd like to get married there, so she made it happen). Konohamaru saw Hanabi with makeup for the first time, and he didn't think he'd ever see her hair in an up-do; with her stray bang pinned behind her ear with a yellow, flower pin. She looked absolutely gorgeous. The bridesmaids followed behind her, and after them were Himawari the flower girl and Boruto the ring-bearer.
Upon making her way to her groom, she tried to conceal an enormous grin. She was extremely full of bliss because of this moment. She had been waiting to marry Konohamaru for a few years, and this was becoming more and more aware of the reason most women found this to be their favorite day. Although, one thing still felt off. When she looked at the audience to the right of her, she found no Neji, and she felt a bit depressed again. She missed her brother so much. She felt as though she were going to weep.
However, that changed in an absolute instant.
"Angel face," Konohamaru whispered as quietly as he could, "look at who Naruto brought with him."
She looked a bit past Konohamaru's head and found Naruto holding the portrait of Neji in his hands. Hanabi's face immediately displayed an expression of surprise. Suddenly, every sad feeling she had in her changed from what they were previously (anger, distraught, depression, empty, hurt, etcetera) to happiness, bliss, and joy. She knew she wasn't supposed to, but she hugged Konohamaru to her, causing everyone to gush and sweetly go "aww…."
"Arigatou, Konohamaru-Kun," Hanabi whispered.
"Daijobu," he smiled. "Now let's get married."
-\[=]/-
When they kissed, everybody clapped. When they walked down the aisle, everybody cheered. When they had the reception, everybody ate cake. Konohamaru and Hanabi took pictures with almost everyone, and took time to thank everybody for coming to the wedding. Hiashi even gave Hanabi a daddy-daughter dance, and, more to everyone's surprise, welcomed Konohamaru into the family. After that, Boruto was shoving his little sister to the new couple.
"Boruto-Nii, I can do it," she whimpered.
"Then do it," he sighed at her.
"What's the matter, you two?" Konohamaru queried, squatting down to their level. "Weddings are supposed to be happy."
"I know, I know!" Himawari hurriedly answered. "That's why I want to give you these presents from Boruto-Nii and me!"
"You gotta squat or kneel," Boruto explained.
Hanabi giggled and squatted down, lifting her kimono very slightly so she wouldn't ruin it. Himawari pulled out two very decorative flower crowns, which the couple "ooh'd" and "ahh'd" at. This made Himawari absolutely ecstatic, and she cautiously shoved the flower crown onto both of them. The Uzumaki girl was kind of famous for making visitors of her house, celebrators, and almost anyone (including Akamaru) flower crowns.
"Arigatou, Hima-Chan, Boru-Chan," they thanked the kids, picking them up and blowing raspberries in their cheeks.
"They're beautiful," Hanabi complimented.
"Oh absolutely," Konohamaru grinned.
"I'm glad you like them!" Himawari beamed, clapping her hands.
-\[=]/-
Once Hanabi and Konohamaru lived together, Hiashi permitted them to live off the lot, but they still had to give any children they had the surname of Hyuga-Sarutobi. They agreed, thanked Hiashi, and went on their way. However, because he knew that Hanabi didn't want to break Hiashi's heart, Konohamaru suggested that they move into a house that was close to the Hyuga compound. She ecstatically agreed, and they bought a small home near it, which Hiashi appreciated deeply. Once they were fully moved in, Hanabi and Konohamaru sat together on the couch, entirely exasperated.
"Well," Hanabi sighed as she cuddled into her husband's shoulder, "I'm happy we can finally be together."
"I am, too," Konohamaru chuckled, stroking her long hair. "I was thinking…if you haven't already…"
"Yeah?" she inquired.
"Would you want to visit Neji today?" Konohamaru asked awkwardly. "I know he's your brother, but I thought it would be nice to tell him together that we got married."
Hanabi's eyes twinkled, and she couldn't stop herself from attacking her husband with hugs and kisses, which he greatly appreciated. He laughed and did the same to her. Once they were finished bombarding each other, Hanabi grabbed his hand and looked him dead in the eye, catching him completely by surprise. She was about to be serious.
"Konohamaru-Kun, you know," she began, pecking his cheek, "Neji-Nii-San is your brother now, too."
He grinned widely, showing off that chipped tooth of his. He kissed her forehead and nodded vigorously.
"Arigatou," he thanked her sincerely, "I always wanted a brother."
-\[=]/-
[FINISHED ON: 1-25-15 at 9:15 PM]
Two-Year-Olds: I babysit…a LOT. And I know everyone says it's the terrible twos, but its when they turn three that they become just insane. XD
Ketsu: It means "butt"
Dasai: It means "lame"
Baka: It means "idiot/stupid"
Lion Jacket: I thought it'd be cute if one of them got the lion because of Hinata's Twin Lion Fists :3 And I hear Kishi is working on a third kid? Maybe that one can have the frog :D
Well, thank you all for reading to the end! That means a lot! I'll make a partner fic about their kid soon if y'all want. :) I'd like the child to be named after the Sandaime if at all possible. If anyone has suggestions on how to MIX Neji, Hiruzen, and/or Asuma together, it would be helpful. I'm thinking of letting them have a boy. They seem like they would have a boy. XD
Anywho! Thank you all! PLEASE REVIEW! It means a lot! Even small reviews mean very, VERY much! 8D
Thank you! And God bless you all!