Mistakes by blackdragonflower
Chapter Twelve: Surprises
zori - traditional Japanese sandals. [see Naruto manga one
hitai-ate - forehead band [same artical as zori in Naruto manga one
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The autumn leaves were falling outside as Hinata glanced out. She was very anxious for her amore to get there for their date. Though he had told her she needn't dress up she still found herself rummuging through her closet upstairs a little while ago. "Onee-chan! What are you doing? Is Mister Shino coming over again?" Kira was bouncing up and down with a jump rope.
"Kira, you should stop jumping rope in the house, your mother is going to get angry with you..."
"Gomen..." The little girl smiled and stopped. "So is he? Is he coming onee-chan?"
Hinata giggled blushing a tad bit. "Yes, Mister Shino is coming to visit Kira... he's taking me somewhere special."
"Where?"
"It's a surprise." Kira cocked her head then gave a coy little look.
"You just don't know do you?"
"Well..." Hinata stammered.
"That's okay... I understand... onee-chan wants to keep it a secret! Will you be home in time to read me a story?"
"No, not tonight Kira."
"Aww... " the child whined, "well, will you read me a story tommorow?"
Hinata bent over and tapped her little nose, "I promise." Suddenly they both heard a knock on the door. "Well, that must be him Kira." The Yuuhi child nodded and hid behind the couch. Hinata walked over to the door and opened it wide. She smiled seeing her lover standing there. 'Don't dress up my ass...' She thought to herself.
Shino was standing in the doorway in all his handsome glory. A black turtleneck sweater hugged his torso showing that underneath he had some well developed muscles. On top of that was a slightly darker shade of black jacket. A casual pair of tan pants hung snuggly from his waist. He had on his typical zori but where his hitai-ate use to be there was simply a regular piece of cloth to match his clothes. A long scarf fell from his shoulders, replacing his usual high collar. His scarf fell down enough so she could see his smile. "Hello Hinata. Are you ready to go?"
He made no reply on her waredrobe. Her hair she had left alone to drape down onto her shoulders like a waterfall. She was wearing a light blue top that flowed as a dress will. It was held in place by a necklace like tie around her neck. Underneath the figure hugging fabric was a pair of dark blue pants that fell over the top of her high-heeled sandals just barely covering her toes. "Yes, I'm ready to go..." nimbly Hinata grabbed onto his arm.
"Rawr!" Kira jumped from her hiding place and tackled Shino. He had not been caught off gaurd but he had decided to let the child get him this once. "Hi mister Shino! Take care of onee-chan okay!"
"Alright Kira. I promise I'll bring her home safe and sound."
"You better!" Kira playfully punched him in his leg. Hinata laughed and patted Kira on the head.
"I promise I'll read to you tommorow night." The little girl nodded laughing then ran off to find her mother. Hinata snuggled into Shino's arm happy. The two walked arm in arm down the street. Where they were going she didn't know, but she didn't care as long as Shino was there with her. As they passed the Hyuga mansion Hinata began to feel a little light-headed. Her back ached and burned as it did many months ago. "Shino..." she whimpered softly. Shino looked towards the large house then began to pull her away.
"I'm sorry Hinata." Hinata sighed, relieved the pain had immediately gone away.
"It's alright Shino-kun... it wasn't your fault... I forgot too." He offered his arms open for a slight hug. She huggled him before Shino spoke up.
"Hinata, we have to meet someone..."
"Who?"
"Naruto..." Hinata's inside bubbled up. Shino awaited her response but she gave none.
'Why Naruto? Does he not trust me? Shino... what are you doing? What are you planning?'
"Shino... why are we meeting Naruto?"
"I invited him and a guest of his choosing to double date with us."
"Oh...well, where are we going?'
"The carnival..." Hinata smiled forgetting the hyper active teen.
"Yes, it's the Carnival of the Leaves isn't it? The town festival...is it the twenty-seventh of November already?" Shino nodded pulling her a bit closer to him.
"Yes it's the twenty-seventh." A breeze kicked up and blew Hinata's hair around her face. Shino smiled and stopped for a moment. The tie that was keeping his poofy hair up he swiftly untied. His hair deflated a little but still retained its volume and shape. With precise fingers Shino tied Hinata's hair into a suitable ponytail. "There... keep your hair out of your beautiful eyes." Hinata grinned then kissed his now exposed cheek.
"Thank you Shino... we better hurry. Don't want to keep Naruto and his date waiting." Arm with arm they strolled casually down the street to the Ichiraku ramen shop. Hinata cringed at this irony for a meeting spot. Many a times she had watched Naruto from not far off eating, smiling, and whining when his bowl was empty. The blonde shinobi and pink haired kunoichi were already there awaiting them. Hidden by a tree outside of the small boothed resteraunt was Ino Yamanaka spying.
Sakura turned her head, 'They're both so silent...' Both Yamanaka and Haruno's mouths dropped open when they saw the mysterious woman the stoic Aburame was seeing was Hyuga Hinata. "Hinata! You look so nice!" Sakura smiled brightly. Ino in her hiding spot was nodding her head thinking the same thing. She sighed wishing her Shika-kun would ask her out for a date.
"W-why th-thank you Sakura." Hinata was flushed. Naruto turned around a noodle dripping from his lower lip. He sucked it up in a fluid motion then let out a sigh of satisfaction. Hinata's insides bubbled up again. Once more she saw beneath the skin, to what lay beneath of Naruto's clever facade. She still saw a little pain but there was still happiness.
"Hey Hinata! Glad you guys made it!" Naruto grinned his whiskers strectching with his cheeks. "So where are we headed first? The carnival's starting!" Shino tilted his head to one side then squeezed Hinata's hand. Sakura and Ino took note of this.
"Where would you like to go Hinata? Are you hungry?"
"Not really... I'll eat a little later." He slightly nodded. Sakura poked Naruto in the shoulder then pointed at her empty bowl.
"You promised to pay for dinner remember?" Inner Sakura was punching the air yelling out, "Cha! Pay up Naruto!" Naruto pouted and emptied out his frog coin purse.
"Ai, I'm short! Ugh... Sakura is going to kill me!" "Um, Sakura, I'm just a tad bit short..." The blonde haired shinobi automatically winced but was surprised when no hit came. She merely sighed and pulled hers out.
"Well, I'll let it slide this time Naruto...You did pay for most of it... and the three bowls you had..." Naruto smiled then leaned over pecking Sakura's cheek.
"Thanks Sakura." Now with the ramen all paid Naruto stood up and strectched. "All right! Let's go!"
