(a/n forewarning, paid servants. it'll make sense. i'm just not into slavery, ya know. okay. thanks for reading)
The closer it gets to 5 o'clock, the more nervous I get. As we finish watching a movie, I keep running a hand over my hair, trying to flatten it, to no avail. Eventually Hinata grabs my hand, smiling at me, "you look fine. You should probably get ready though. We need to leave soon so I can stop at home to change."
"Alright" I practically launch myself off the couch, my legs are all jittery. Unsure of what to expect, I tug on a pair nice black pants and stand in front of my closet, looking for an appropriate shirt. I sort of daze out for a few minutes because next thing I know Hinata is standing next to me, nudging my side gently.
"I like the one with the foxes."
I can almost hear Kurama growl.
"I don't want him to think I'm goofy." I mumble, touching a plain white button down.
"You're going to be hokage. Even if he thinks you're goofy, he wouldn't dare say anything. My father is all about keeping up appearances." She leans toward me, placing a hand on my chest to stay herself as she kisses my cheek. Under her fingers, my heart gives a loud thud. "I like that you're goofy."
"Thanks" I mutter, a little sarcastically. She just smiles, dropping her hand. I pull on a white t-shirt and, after a quick glance at Hinata, I shrug on the fox shirt, buttoning it quickly. I hold my arms out to either side in a "what do you think" kind of gesture.
Her answering smile is dazzling. "You look very handsome. And a little goofy" she adds on.
I fidget with my clothes on the walk to Hinata's, smoothing wrinkles I wouldn't even think about normally. Again, a touch from Hinata stops the nervous gestures. "Thank you for coming, Naruto. My father is much more tolerable with company and Hanabi is off on a mission."
"No problem, Hinata. I want to be there" that's a little bit of a lie but hey, I'd do anything for Nata.
The guards at the Hyuga gate give Hinata's borrowed outfit of my sweatpants and t-shirt a raised eyebrow as we pass but she doesn't seem to notice, just squeezes my hand a little.
"Take a seat please" she gestures toward her couch as we walk into her house, "I'll just be a minute." Instead of sitting though, I wander her living room. Hinata has tons of pictures, most of which she takes, and she switches the ones that are hanging up pretty often. Right now I can see one of her team, one of Kurenai and her baby, a few of her and I, and one of Hanabi.
I follow the trail of framed photos down her hallway and see Hinata's door is wide open. I can't help but see a mostly unclothed Hinata, slipping into a lavender dress. I quickly back down the hallway again so she doesn't think I was peeping but the image stays with me. Hinata's perfect, creamy thighs, her long hair hanging over a strong back, chest covered in a silky bra. Jeez she's beautiful.
Her footsteps come down the hall so I give my head a shake, trying to forget her perfect body. "Ready to go." She stands near the front door, pulling on a pair of sandals. I step up beside her, eager to leave before I do something that would make us late for dinner.
I put a hand on the knob, ready to open it for her when she interjects "Oh wait," and pulls out her phone. She sidles up close to my side, aiming the camera at us. I smile, leaning my head down closer to hers. I still can't believe how much taller I got while I was gone. I've got a full head length on her now. She smiles at the phone and, as she hits the button to take a picture, I press a kiss to her cheek.
She puts her phone away in a purse, grinning at me. "Okay, now we can go."
"You sure take a lot of photos, Nata, you didn't used to."
"Oh," she glances at me, a little nervously, "well when you um..left, I started to want documentation of my good memories, I guess. So I started taking lots of pictures and gathering old ones from other people. It was good to look at the smiling faces when I got upset."
My heart gives a painful thump as I pull her into a hug. "I'm sorry," I whisper.
"It's okay, Naruto, really." And she does sound okay, not angry and tearful at all. I pull away from her and we start walking again.
After a little while of silence, in which I was dwelling on how awful I am for leaving, Hinata speaks. "I know we've talked about all this before but I really do understand the circumstances of your leaving, Naruto. I was very hurt when you left, but I've been able to move on. I don't want you to feel anguished when I bring something up like I just did."
"I know... it's just hard. I felt so bad for leaving you, the whole time I was gone. Hearing about your pain, instead of just imagining it, is always ...hard." I finish lamely, scrunching up my face in a pout.
Hinata rubs a soothing thumb across the back of my hand. "Just don't do it again, okay?" She smiles, joking, but I take it to heart.
"Never. You're stuck with me forever."
A guard in front of the main house opens the front door for us murmuring "good evening, lady Hinata." She nods to him and pulls me across the threshold. We hang around the little room. I think it's called a foyer, just inside the front door, a huge staircase in front of us, while another guard goes to tell Hiashi we're here.
Before too long, Hiashi sweeps into the room. Hinata bows respectfully, "hello, father." Hiashi still wears the ornate kimonos of the past. While most of the village has modernized, he clings to traditions.
"Hinata," he replies, dipping his head in her direction. He then turns to me. "Hello, Mr. Uzumaki."
"Oh, hello um, sir," I nod my head at him. "I hope it's okay that I'm here. Hinata invited me."
"Of course. I've been wanting to meet with you. This is a fine time for it." He looks to the side, through an open door and then back to us. "It looks as if dinner is ready. Shall we go in?"
We file in after him. My eyes widen at the room in front of me. I've never been inside the Hyuga main house before, except Hinata's room, not even before I left. The room is simple but it looks rich. The walls are hung with expensive looking paintings. The table is large and polished so it gleams and the cushions on the floor are ornately embroidered and tasseled. The whole setup lays atop a heavy, finely woven rug, emblazoned with the Hyuga crest.
Hiashi sits at the head of the table. I dawdle behind Hinata, not sure where to sit. She looks back at my wide eyes and pulls me along to sit beside her, reassuringly patting my arm. A short, dark haired woman bustles around us, pouring tea into delicate, finely painted cups. They have servants? Crap, I knew she had money but this is more than I'd guessed.
"Hinata," Hiashi says quietly, "how did your mission go? Was it a success?"
"Yes, father. Our charge was safely escorted back home. There were no set backs." I throw a raised eyebrowed look at her. Hinata sounds oddly formal. More than normal.
"Good, good. It's nice to hear you're no longer a burden on your teammates."
How can he say that to her? That is just mean. Before I can help it, a scathing sound escapes my throat. They both turn to look at me.
"Yes, Mr. Uzumaki?"
Suddenly, I remember all the things I was scared of before and I get nervous, backing down in an uncharacteristic move. "Nothing, sorry. Um, something caught in my throat."
He regards me over the top of his tea cup. "Hinata tells me you're to be the next hokage."
Even though it's not a question, I answer, "yes, I train with Kakashi most days."
"Do you feel you're up to the task? Even though the war is over, there are a lot of problems the hokage must attend to and you've been ...away from the village so often."
I bristle. Who the hell is he to tell me I'm not fit to be hokage?!
"Father, Naruto is the hero of the leaf. He trains hard at everything he does." Hinata backs me up in a small voice. I guess it's still hard for her to stand up to her father.
He touches his fingertips together beneath his chin thoughtfully. "I'm not saying he doesn't...just that, in the past, he's been a little high tempered. Is he really ready for the responsibility?" He glances at me, "well, are you?"
"Granny Tsunade was a hothead too, remember. Kakashi says my training is going well. He lets me take care of lots of stuff for the village!" By the end, I'm close to chouting, holding back only to try to prove I'm not always a hothead.
"Hmm" he considers, "yes that's true. Forgive me, I am wary of change." He doesn't really sound sorry though. But he's not looking at me with the cold, hateful eyes he used to so maybe there's some truth to his regrets.
I take a deep breath, letting it out slowly, "I love this village and I'd give my life to protect it. Isn't that the most important trait of being a hokage?"
"Yes," he says slowly before giving me a small smile. He opens his mouth to say more but a few women come out with trays and plates of food. So much that it rivals the feast Yamato bought us that time we went after Saskue.
"Special occasion?" I whisper to Hinata. She shakes her head. "What you eat like this every day!"
"Yes, when I lived here."
Wow.
We spend a few minutes in silence, just eating the delicious food.
But soon Hiashi starts asking questions again. "You were gone fore quite some time." Again he doesn't ask it as a question but it feels like one.
"Yeah, Kakashi sent me to trail Sasuke Uchiha. It took a lot longer than I thought." I stare moodily at my plate, stabbing a piece of fish a little harder than intended.
"You left my daughter in quite a state." My head snaps up to look at him. Is he ... sticking up for Hinata in a way? Is he mad at me? He doesn't sound mad. Then again he never sounds like he has any emotion at all.
"Father, that is unkind. I've forgiven Naruto." Hinata's cheeks have turned pink and she glances at me apologetically.
"I'm just wondering if he grasped the full consequences of his actions."
"I do." I say a little too sharply. "I'm lucky Hinata is so kind and understanding."
He just stares at me with his pupilless eyes, made creepy from the lack of emotion. He leaves me alone while we finish our meal.
As the women bustle around again, clearing the plates, Hiashi seems to have made up his mind about me; a complete 180 from his line of questioning from before.
"I think Kakashi made the right choice with you, Mr. Uzumaki."
"Um, thanks?" I don't mean it to sound like a question but I'm a little confused about Hiashi's train of thought.
"My daughter is right, you do train hard. You have quite an impressive arsenal of jutsu at your command and a sound head on your shoulders, despite being quick to anger." Why does it sound like he's been testing me this whole dinner? "Not to mention being from a respected clan."
"Thank you." I say a little more confidently, smiling at Hinata.
"I have to wonder why then you've taken up with Hinata." He says seriously.
"I-uh what do you mean?" I look confused between him and Hinata. She stares at me, just as confused.
"My daughter works hard, yes, but she is still weak and doesn't strive to live up to her name. She denounced herself as head of the clan and works as a nurse while going on mostly c rank missions. She is not exactly ... worthy of being with a hokage." He says all of this with a calm, detached voice, not looking away from me.
His words are so absurd it takes me a moment to realize he just put down Hinata in a major way. I stand up quickly, pointing an accusing finger at him. "Hold up now. I won't let you say those kinds of things about Hinata. She's your daughter!" Anger bubbles up inside, fueling my rant, all thoughts of making Hiashi like me for Hinata's sake gone. "Hinata is the strongest, kindest person I've ever met! She never gives up and she will fight for what she wants! You have no right saying those awful things about her." Hiashi's face has gone satisfyingly pale and stricken. "Do not mistake her gentle nature for weakness. I'm sure she can kick your ass any day!"
I motion for Hinata to stand, which she does, looking almost as stricken as Hiashi, but also a little pleased. I take a step closer to Hiashi. "I love Hinata and I'm the one not worthy of her. So just shut up about it." I tug at Hinata's hand as I storm towards the door.
"Mr. Uzumaki, wait a moment." I turn towards him sharply, ready to bolt at the smallest provocation. "I'm glad you feel so strongly." I gape at him, thoroughly confused and still angry.
"Are you crazy?!"
"No. Merely ... invested in my daughter's future. You did leave her once. I suppose you could say it was a test."
"A TEST?!" I want to deck him. Only Hinata's pressure on my arm keeps me rooted there.
"That wasn't fair, father!" Her tone is sharp, much louder than usual. "That was just cruel." And she's the one to storm out. That's my girl! I stand there awkwardly for a moment before bolting out after Hinata.
What a freaking weird dinner. My head hurts from all the changes in conversation. I see Hinata running toward her house so I dash off after her, ignoring the polite goodbyes from the guards I pass.
"Nata, hey wait up!" She tears her front door open and I catch up to her as she dashes inside, fuming.
"I can't believe him!" She storms toward her bedroom so I follow. "He- he- he's just plain mean! How could he say all those things? All for some stupid test he thought you had to pass? What garbage." She pulls a duffle bag from her closet and stuffs armloads of clothes into. She glances over at me "Can I stay with you? I can't stand to even be on the same street as him right now!"
"Y-yeah, of course." Wow I've never seen her this upset at anyone but me.
"Aren't you furious? I know he's still apprehensive because you're a jinchuuriki. All that about you being a good choice means nothing from him. I mean obviously you are! But he doesn't really think so. He just completely toyed with you and me!" She storms off into the bathroom and comes back with an armful of shampoo and whatever else girls use, still muttering.
"Yes, I am mad at him, that's why I yelled at him. He's lucky I didn't clock him. I can understand him being wary of me, I'm used to that, but all that stuff he said about you! I could've strangled him. I don't care if it was some stupid test, he came up with all that junk too easily. He doesn't understand you at all!"
My anger seems to have cooled hers slightly, or maybe my concern for her takes the edge off the anger. I don't know.
She zips the bag and gives me a hug. "Sometimes, I'm still astounded that you think all those things of me, Naruto. That I'm strong and such. And it's very kind of you to stick for me."
I hug her back tightly. "Course I think that way of you. Everything I told your dad was true. You're amazing." She pulls back and kisses me hard for a long moment.
"Okay, let's go back to your place now."
I tug her bag onto my shoulder and she scoops the clothes she'd worn on the walk over here off her bed along with her quilt.
"I've got more blankets if you were cold last night."
"Oh no, that's not it. It's just, this was my mother's."
I nod and we walk over to my place, both fuming over Hiashi. After returning to my apartment, I clear out space in my closet and bathroom for Nata's stuff and she gets settled in. It's kinda nice having her here. Even if it is for kind of a lousy reason. Eventually both of our anger ebbs away and we fall asleep with my arms wrapped around her.
(well this ended up a little different than I expected. Hiashi has always seemed like a douche to me so hopefully this isn't weird. I liked it. I'll write again soon.)