Finally!

Sorry, for the wait, but it's done and the interlude is not to far behind, until we hit the juicy bits of the story.

As always a great many thanks to my beta CherryBerry12 for going through this! Praise be to you!

The past makes you wanna die out of regret and the future makes you depressed out of anxiety. So by elimination, the present is likely the happiest time.

~ Hikigaya Hachiman (Oregairu)

Chapter Nine: Blowing Out the Candles

It took exactly a week for Inoichi to introduce me to Ino, though if his expression was anything to go by, it had cost him an arm and a leg to drag her here.

Now I'll be the first to admit, despite my initial reluctance and annoyance towards the whole thing, there was a small part of me that respected Inoichi for his efforts in trying to cheer up his daughter.

The other part of me, well...

"Dad, I don't want to do this!"

"Ino, please give it a chance. Kiyohime-chan is a sweet girl. I bet you two will get along great."

Truthfully, I had no idea what to expect when I arrived at the park, only to spot the duo in what I could only describe as a tense standoff, where neither side appeared willing to back down.

"That's exactly what you said about lazy Shikamaru and porky Chouji! I hate this! I don't want your help making friends!"

"Young Lady..."

I rolled my eyes, deciding now would be the best time to meddle in their little spat, despite how amusing it was.

Guiding my way into the open and towards their line of sight, I smiled warmly at the two, bowing cordially. "Gomen, Yamanaka-sama."

Inoichi grinned widely, placing a hand on top of Ino's shoulders to keep her from bolting.

"Ah Kiyohime!" He exclaimed, his face positively glowing. "Didn't I say it was alright to call me Inoichi?"

I nodded, but didn't correct myself, rather turning to face the platinum blonde whose pale blue-green eyes were shooting me daggers. "Mn, I'm guessing that this is Ino-chan?" I asked politely, sticking out my hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, I'm Kiyohime."

Ino didn't return the greeting, preferring to glare at the ground heatedly and continue ignoring my existence.

My smile strained and Inoichi's thinned.

"Ino." Inoichi warned pointedly, nudging her in the back.

"Pcht." Ino crossed her arms and scoffed, ultimately taking a step in front of Inoichi with gritted teeth. "Yamanaka Ino."

The conversation quickly devolved into an awkward silence with Inoichi rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly, unsure of how to proceed.

I sighed. Of course, I was well aware that Ino would never openly accept me as anything close to a friend. Children were highly volatile and prone to uneasiness if placed in unsuspecting situations…

In Ino's case, this would probably be even more trouble than normal. Having just lost a friend over a boy was the equivalent of having a knife thrust through your back.

Tossing another friend at her at a crucial time where her trust was less likely to be handed out freely was bound to have the opposite effect than what her father intended.

All we could do was take it one step at a time.

"Hey Ino, do you like shopping?" I asked with an awkward smile, trying to draw her in.

Ino gave me a suspicious look.

"What's it to you?" She snapped rudely, crossing her arms immaturely.

"Aaa." I said with a hint of amusement. "Well I heard that some of the villages boutiques were having sales today."

Ino's resolve wavered. "You don't say..." She muttered.

I nodded with an amused expression as I turned to Inoichi. "And I believe that Yamanaka-sama would be more than happy to cover the expense if we decided to go."

Inoichi's face paled remarkably at the thought of footing the bill for such a spree, but he loved his daughter, maybe too much for his own good.

"Of course.." Inoichi replied with a wary smile.

Finally, the last of her willpower seemed to crumble completely.

"Then come on then!" Ino demanded, wrapping a hand around my wrist and yanking me along with Inoichi trailing behind us. "Let's make one thing clear, we're not friends got it! I just need someone to help me try on clothes and he certainly can't do that!" Ino narrowed her eyes, daring me to contradict her.

"Hmm-mm." I agreed with a hum, ignoring the way Ino's bangs hid a small blush that lit up her cheeks. I guess she was embarrassed. I nearly snorted.

Baby steps, Kiyohime, baby steps.

3 weeks Later

"A jutsu?"

I nodded forcefully, looking a bit embarrassed as Hayate gave me a not so subtle look. "Hai, I thought it would be good if I had more in my arsenal." I twiddled my thumbs. "So are you going to help me or not?"

Hayate sighed. "Sorry, the Hokage assigned me a mission outside the village." He scratched the back of his messy hair absentmindedly. "So I'm going to be busy with a few...things." He said, deliberately drawing his gaze from me.

I titled my head to the side, venturing forward with curiosity. "Stuff?"

He poked my forehead, causing me to flinch. "Grown up stuff." He clarified with a smirk. "Besides, didn't Yuugao already help you with that?" Pointing out my hidden notebook of dark secrets.

I puffed out my cheeks, rubbing my brows irately. "That doesn't count!" I cried, exasperated, as I pulled at his sleeves. "Come on Hayate!" I whined. "There's got to be something you can teach me! You just gotta!"

Hayate scowled, carefully prying my fingers loose from him, as he rubbed his cheekbones. "Okay, okay, geez, you're like a tick, you know that?"

I shrugged, unrepentant, a smile tugging at my lips. "I know." I admitted, smirking victoriously. "But I'm your tick."

Hayate shook his in disbelief. "Unbelievable." He grunted as he took a long insufferable breath to regather his bearings.

"Fine then, let's start with something basic." He said evenly, giving off the impression that this was far from how he wanted his day to go. "What do you know about kenjutsu?" He asked whimsically, detaching the sword strapped to his back.

I hummed. "I know it pertains to techniques and jutsu with swords and can be used to deal even more devastating damage to an opponent. It is regarded as a branch of bukijutsu, a ninja's use of weaponry in combat." I rattled off, fully aware that I was being a total smart-ass, but was duly satisfied when I got a subtle eyebrow raise from Hayate.

He was impressed.

"Then you'll also know that there are many styles associated with the art form." He commented, tossing the sheathed blade at me as I barely managed to register it being thrown and staggering to catch it as I buckled under its weight.

I stared at him incredulously. "So there's more to it than just swinging your sword around. "I gasped in mock awe, struggling to keep the blade leveled.

God, why was it so heavy?!

"Ahem." He continued, clearing his throat. "As I was saying, with kenjutsu you're going to learn that not every enemy is the same and their abilities may vary depending on who you encounter." His gaze hardened, "With that being said, you won't always be able to fight fire with fire, trying to overload yourself with a bunch of fancy offensive techniques when you don't know the face of the enemy. That will only lead to failure, and death."

I huffed, getting impatient. "So what's your point?"

Hayate sighed, clearly not having thought this thing through. "My point-" He stressed. "Is that in order to have some chance of leaving the village and not returning as a pile of worm food, you need a better defense than offense." He explained.

"And you think me learning Kenjutsu is the surefire way to achieve that?" I said dryly, having just surrendered Hayate's overgrown stick to the mercy of the harsh cold floor.

"I know it is." His mouth twitched at my blatant dismissal of his most prized possession. "Not many are aware of this, but swordsmanship can be used for more than taking a life." He bent down to pick up his sword. "It can also be used to protect someone or something precious to you if taught correctly."

"So who taught you?"

Hayate paused. "My mother." His lips thinned into a half weary smile that was anything, but sincere. "In any case, how about we start with the basics."

I frowned over his words, but nodded. It was best not to reopen an already closed wound. "What did you have in mind?"

"Mm, I'm well acquainted with a blacksmith in the village and he may be willing to craft you a decent dull blade to get you started." Hayate began slowly as he watched me carefully. "I can place the order and have you pick it up, but as I said before, I have a mission, so I won't have the time to train you."

I opened my mouth to protest.

"However." He pressed on, "I do know someone who happens to know a thing or two about swordplay, if you want I can ask him to take you on as a student." Hayate responded curtly.

"So it won't be Yuugao." I replied hopefully.

"No, generally I'd leave it up to her to reel you in." He conveyed, much to my irritation. "But as it is, we're both in a tricky situation and will be out of the village for some time."

"Let me guess, grown up stuff." I said in monotone, not even trying to find out what they were hiding from me.

"You're catching on fast." Hayate mused, reaching and ruffling the top of my head. "For now, I'll teach you something simple, that will be more susceptible to you, then any second rate kill move."

My mood brightened tremendously. "What is it?" I asked eagerly.

Hayate's smile became even more complacent. "Ever heard of the transparency jutsu?"

1 Month Later

"Hinata, is everything okay?" I asked as we stepped out from the front doors of the Academy as her eyes once again frosted over, lost in her own sea of thoughts-an act which had become more and more apparent throughout the day.

She blinked, turning towards me with a soft reassuring smile that I knew was entirely fabricated. "Of course, why would you ask?" Her face flushing when I stared at her, eyes narrowing.

"Because you've been slipping in and out of it, more and more all day." I frowned. "Did something happen?" I was well aware of the circumstances Hinata had at home. Though she never outwardly expressed it, it was quite clear that the stress the clan placed on her was taking its toll.

All for a title she never wanted and could never live up to.

Hinata turned away and I sighed as we slowly made our way through the village, each carrying a box of leftovers from a new tea shop that had recently opened.

Hinata's lips thinned, clutching the bag in her fingers. "It's nothing for you to worry about." She avoided my gaze, staring off at the ground with a weariness that no child should ever have to possess.

I immediately scowled, reaching over and gripping the girl by the wrist in one quick swoop. She gasped and tried to wrench herself free, which only caused me to strengthen my hold.

"Don't." I snapped, a stern expression overtaking my face. Hinata flinched, clearly not having expected such a reaction out of me and submitted, arms slackening and face downcast.

The occasional background chattering of children acted as a buffer to any awkward tension that may have occurred.

Hinata's bangs hid her expression from me, her shoulders contracting into themselves as her facade began to crack.

I sighed, easing my grip. "Hinata-san." I say carefully, ignoring the way she tensed at my words. "Are you okay?" I ask and watch for any semblance of the girl I knew, even if it was the submissive mask she wore, whenever she was around her fellow clansmen and father.

-I'm..." She started, choking on her own emotions, face crinkling, as her eyes began to glisten.

I sighed, realizing that this wasn't the best place to do this and pulled the emotionally fragile girl along, watching as her breathing hitched and she began to openly sob.

I shuddered, dealing with children was one thing as they were typically optimistic and gullible to anything you said to them. Crying children... Well, that was a whole other deal.

I sat Hinata down under a tree far away from any onlookers and waited for her fit to subside.

"-G-Gomen Kiyohime." She hiccupped, breathing in and out until it returned to normal.

I shrugged. "No problem. Now, what's been bugging you?" I asked, seating myself next to the Hyuuga girl.

Hinata brought a knee to her chest and gulped. "I-It's...mother." She whispered.

I lifted my head up, slightly surprised. "Did something happen?" I replied, carefully.

Hinata tensed and I was almost afraid she'd start crying again. "N-No...It's just that..s-she's...pregnant."

My eyes widened, like a deer caught in a headlight. "I see." I said slowly. "And how does that make you feel exactly?"

Hinata's small shoulders slackened, "I'm happy, I am..." She said in a small voice. "But also sad, I-I don't want to lose mother." She admitted, turning towards me with puffy red eyes. "Does that make me a bad person?"

I sighed, reaching over and awkwardly petting Hinata's head. "No it doesn't. Listen Hinata, there are things in this world that are beyond our control. This baby is a prime example of that, and sometimes we just gotta adapt. "

"Adapt?" Hinata glance at me through teary lashes. "How?"

I looked at her seriously. "You have to overcome the problem-even if it takes years. Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get." I restrained a smirk.

Hinata giggled and I resisted the urge to pet her again.

She looked so much like an adorable kitten.

"So, ready to go home?"

1 weeks later

Early graduation was only two weeks away and so far I was proud of my accomplishment. Though I was still working hard, I found myself making time for other people. For tactical reasons, I told myself.

I walked through the village until I reached my destination-the Yamanaka compound.

It smelled of the wholesome fresh flowers they were so well known for. I smiled at that thought as I walk to the front door of the main house and knocked.

In moments, the door swings wide-open with ferocity as Ino gives me one of her annoyed looks, telling me that I screwed up.

"You're late." She growled.

I had the nerve to look somewhat embarrassed. "Sorry, I lost track of time."

"Hn. You're sure lucky you're cute!" Ino snapped. "Come on, dad's already got dinner started."

I beamed. "What are we having?"

'Happy Birthday'

- Wishing you a birthday as bright as your smile!

(PS: Sorry we couldn't be there in person) - Yuugao

'Happy Birthday'

Here's to you squirt.

(PS: Try not to die before we get back.) - Hayate

'Happy Birthday'

- I wish you all the best and hope all your birthday dreams and wishes come true!'

- Hinata

'Happy B-Day'

Here's to another year of that wonderful-crazy-amazing thing called life! Eat it up!

- Ino

'Happy Birthday'

I wish you every happiness your heart can hold! Best wishes on your special day!

- Yamanaka Inoichi

'Happy Birth Day'

- Today is your day! Do everything you love. Smile big and laugh loud. I hope your birthday is filled with delight and joy!

- Hyuuga Hiromi

'Happy Birthday'

May you have success and happiness in all you do. Happy 5th Birthday Kiyohime.

- Kanpu

2 weeks Later

"Kiyohime." Tomo-Sensei gave me a faint nod as I entered the examination room.

'It's now or never.' I thought, as I built up my chakra and formed the first hand sign.

Kenjutsu (剣術, Literally meaning: Sword Technique) - Pertains to techniques that entail the use of swords, whether the users be shinobi, or samurai. Kenjutsu can be used in combination with taijutsu, ninjutsu, fūinjutsu, chakra flow and even genjutsuin order to achieve more devastating techniques. It is regarded as a branch of bukijutsu.

Transparency Jutsu (透遁術) - The technique is shown to render the user invisible, allowing them to either make stealthy strikes on their opponent or escape from the opponent's sight.

Second edit by cordo12: October/15/2018

So as always, reviews, criticisms, suggestions?~ See ya laters!