Chance
(n.)
a possibility of something happening
"You're Haruno-san, right?" Rin smiled at the green-eyed girl.
"Y-Yes." The young girl ducked her head and peeked at Rin through her pink hair. "And y-you're Hyuuga-san."
The lavender-eyed girl hummed. "Ne, what are you doing here all alone?" She twisted her head around, looking for the Haruno's usual companion. "Isn't Yamanaka-san present?"
Sakura shook her head. "Ah, no, she's absent today."
Rin nodded in understanding. No wonder the the Haruno was standing alone outside the Academy doors, fidgeting and looking somewhat lost. She observed the meek girl, who only stared at her classmates and, from the looks of it, didn't plan on attempting to join them any time soon. It wasn't good for children to not socialize with their peers, Rin thought worriedly. After all, these people might become the people you fight along side with or the people you'll come to protect.
The young Hyuuga heiress hummed softly, silently debating whether or not it was fine to ask Sakura to accompany her. She didn't want to seem too presumptuous and scare the girl beside her off. After mulling it over, she tapped the pink-haired girl's shoulder lightly. "Then, would you like to eat lunch with me?" Rin asked, giving Sakura a friendly smile.
The girl in question blinked in surprise. "Ah..." She seemed to be at a lost for words before furrowing her eyebrows and answering. "O-Okay...?" A noticeable grimace crossed Sakura's face as her answer came out as more of a question. Her head immediately snapped back to Rin's face. "I-It's not that I don't like - I just - I mean - "
Rin let out a chuckle. Honestly, Sakura was just too cute and shy for her own good. "It's fine! C'mon, let's eat by the tree with that swing." She started walking away, stopping once she noticed the lack of movement from the Haruno. A confused frown settled on her face, hesitant smile making its way across her face. "Um, Haruno-san? Is everything alright?" Did she perhaps seem too pushy?
"Y-Yes, but...Don't you normally eat with that...Uzumaki?" Sakura seemed to try to keep the discomfort of saying Naruto's name hidden from Rin, but it was to no avail. Rin could pick up Sakura's uneasiness of having to be in the presence of the young blonde.
"Is there something wrong with that?"
Sakura's eyes immediately widened at the coldness of Hinata's voice. "N-No, but the adults say that I shouldn't associate with a - " The girl struggled to get the next word out. " - a demon...like him."
"But, what do you think?"
"W-Well...Uzumaki isn't that bad a person. Sure, he's annoying, loud and likes to prank people, but I wouldn't really call him such a mean name..."
"Then it doesn't matter, does it?" Rin clasped her hands behind her back. "There's a story behind every person and there's always a reason why they are the way they are. Those people judging Naruto - calling him a 'demon' - don't define his character, they define theirs."
Sakura fell into a contemplating silence. "I-I guess..." Sakura let her eyes drift slightly to the side, before focusing back on the Hyuuga Heiress. But this time there was a noticeable sparkle in her green orbs, like something akin to awe or wonder. "You're really smart, aren't you, Hyuuga-san?"
Rin felt a bit of heat coloring her pale cheeks. "I'm n-not...really..." Perhaps she went slightly overboard with the mini-speech.
"You're really nice too!"
"Haruno-san, thank you, but - "
"You were really amazing too when you stood up for Uzumaki - "
"Haruno-san..."
" - And you're also really strong - "
"Sakura." Rin could feel her face flame at all the compliments. Why was she even so flustered? She's definitely received plenty of compliments before. So, why now?
Sakura jumped at the sudden use of her name. "S-Sorry...It's just that you're such a great person without even trying..."
Rin came to slow comprehension. It's been so long since I've been praised because I was a good person... At the near-end of the Third Shinobi War, she was only praised due to her status as the Yellow Flash's student and medical activities, but she was never genuinely complimented before just because she acted the way she did.
"Haruno-san - " Rin started before being cut off by the loud grumble Sakura's stomach let out. She blinked before laughing. "So...shall we go and eat?" Then she added as an afterthought: "Ah, and please just call me Hinata. We're friends after all, right?"
Sakura let out a soft smile and nodded.
As they were exiting the Academy at the end of the day, Rin silently assessed the girl in front of her. In a way, Sakura reminded her of herself when she was that age. She wondered what it would have been like had she been reborn as the Haruno. It wasn't impossible, after all.
They shared many similarities. From the great proficiency at chakra control, at least she assumed after seeing Sakura perform splendidly and with flying colors during their chakra control exercises earlier, to the civilian background. But the thing that really stood out to Rin the most was the determination and the drive to become stronger burning in the girl's emerald dearly hopes that flame will never die out.
Kami forbid, if anything distracts the girl from becoming a shinobi, Rin will personally come and deal with nuisance.
A young Uchiha Sasuke lets out a sudden sneeze, his kunai missing the bulls-eye of his target by a wide margin.
Rin stopped walking, causing the pink-haired girl to do the same, and tilted her head. "Ne, Sakura-chan..." She looked up at the tall structure in front of them, the bright red cross a standing out starkly against the white of the walls.
"Why don't you try becoming a medic?"
A/N:
I've been gone for a really long time, haven't I? Lol I'm sorry! I've been sucked into so many fandoms the past month and my brain can hardly take it all in.
Anyway, It's been quite a while since I've actually tried writing anything, so my writing style might be off...okay, terrible. Please tell me how I can improve and better it. Suggestions would be REALLY appreciated. Not to mention I didn't even proofread it haha
Whelp, thanks for reading and I hope you have a good day~
