(A/N): When you see the line that starts with "Naruko stayed silent", which is towards the very end, I recommend listening to the song, "21 dreams and imaginations peace of mind".

Chapter 35 – Hidden Promise

Sitting outside in the early morning on the small balcony of her apartment, Naruko was scanning a book with her hand and flipping through pages as she finished reading them. There was a circular cane table next to the suspended wooden bench she was on, which had a couple more books piled on top of each other. The girl was in the middle of the chair with her hair spilled over it and wearing a silky pink gown that was tied at the waist. It was decorated with floral patterns of green, white, and yellow all over and came down about halfway along her thighs, leaving part of her slender legs exposed.

The sun hadn't even come up yet and it was still fairly cool, but Naruko didn't seem bothered at all as she focused on going through the book. Other than when she was sleeping, this was about the only time her mind was truly free of thoughts and concerns. Ever since she gained the ability to do this after developing her sensory perception, it had become a habit of hers to read something each morning and at night. Although it had been almost an hour since Naruko awoke, her mother still wasn't up yet and she hadn't eaten breakfast, preferring to do so together than alone, as she had done in the past. Continuing to flip through the pages of the old book, she lost herself completely in its contents.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Shuffling around in bed, Kurenai glanced sleepily at the clock. She still felt a bit tired due to that talk last night, but knew her daughter was already up and would be getting hungry soon. Pulling the sheets off, she stretched languidly before getting up and heading towards the bedroom door. It was still a couple of hours before most people even woke up, so she didn't bother changing as she headed towards the bathroom which was located next to this room and across from the kitchen on the other side of the rectangular apartment.

Her outfit consisted of a red and black trimmed night slip that came down to just above her waist line and was connected together at her chest, leaving her belly button exposed from the inverted 'V' shape. Her panties were similarly colored and slightly transparent like her top. Leaving the bathroom, the woman was heading for the kitchen, when she heard a light knock on the door. Glancing at the clock on the wall of the kitchen, she was confused at who would be coming here this early. Kurenai considered going to put on a robe first, but since the door was nearby she decided to take a look through the peephole.

It was Hinata. She appeared nervous and was wearing her normal ninja outfit. Seeing nothing out of place, the woman unlocked the door and stuck her head out, "Is something wrong Hinata? You're awfully early."

Looking over at her sensei while fiddling with her hands, she spoke in an apologetic tone, "I am sorry… nothing is wrong. I just have a lot going on training wise today… so this is the only time I could get to come here before that."

Her father must be pushing her pretty hard for the upcoming exam, Kurenai thought. Had he changed his mind about not making her the clan heir? Considering how much she had improved due to her time with Naruko, she had no doubt this might turn out to be the case someday. And if so, it could complicate future matters for their team, if she wasn't simply removed entirely… "It's alright, you can come on it," the woman said gently.

After her sensei opened the door wide enough, the girl walked in stiffly, it was clear she was feeling very awkward about visiting at this hour. Glancing at Kurenai, the girl's face flushed slightly when she saw what the woman was wearing.

Letting out a stifled yawn, Kurenai asked casually, "Have you had breakfast yet?"

Sneaking glances at her sensei's outfit while looking off to the side, Hinata replied in her usual voice, "Not yet, but you don't' have to prepare me any extra food or anything. I'll be eating later…"

Noticing her eye moments, the woman smiled, "Do you like it?"

Being caught, Hinata replied in embarrassment, "It's really cute… nothing like what we wear at our clan."

"We could go shopping sometime and get you one," Kurenai spoke teasingly.

Ehh!-? The girl turned beet red, saying quickly, "Umm… I don't think it would suit me very well… and uhh… I couldn't wear it anyway… at my house, I mean."

Kurenai laughed lightly, "I was just kidding Hinata."

The girl's expression turned into a pout and she started looking around the living room absently. In truth, she did wonder what it would look like on her, these feminine clothes were something she was always curious about, but her parents would never allow her to wear them. They preferred practical and traditional garbs, like what Naruko usually had on.

Hinata is so easy to read, the woman thought with a smile. "Anyway, I was about to fix breakfast, so an extra portion wouldn't be any trouble at all," she followed up reassuringly.

Looking back at her, the girl thought about it a moment then conceded reluctantly, "Well… okay." Staring around the room again, she asked curiously, "Where is Naruko?"

"She's probably out on the balcony reading," the woman replied, while stretching again. Noticing the girl's hesitance, she chided warmly, "Go on… I am sure she'll be happy to see you."

The girl stood there a moment longer, before walking past the couches and coffee table in the center of the room, over towards the curtained glass sliding door, which was opposite the entrance. Pausing when she got near it and Hinata gazed between the large bookshelves situated to each side of it, they took up the entire back wall. There were hundreds of books on them, and many of the words written along the spines she didn't even recognize. This collection had grown even more since the last time she was here, a fact that never ceased to amaze her. She knew some of these belonged to Kurenai-sensei, but most of them had been bought by her for Naruko.

Shifting her eyes back towards the handle, Hinata thought back to everything that had happened. It had been a while since the two of them really talked… taking a deep breath, she composed herself and opened it casually.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Most of what Naruko read revolved around history, particularly that of the ancient past. A time which is surrounded by much controversy and skepticism, as few documents actually still existed that gave an accurate view of what happened. The only thing she could tell that current scholars agreed upon was that whatever had occurred, was tied to some great war.

Some people believed that a weapon had been created that was so powerful it threatened to destroy the entire world, and in an effort to stop those that had control of it an opposing faction created something of equal measure and their clash caused the collapse of civilization through untold destruction and mayhem.

Others thought that humans had reached a pinnacle in science and created people with special powers, similar to today's ninjas and this caused a rift to form between those with the gift and normal individuals, sparking a major conflict which wiped most people out. The remnants of their technology are used today by some, particularly in the ninja villages, where they are often sought out for collection, study and safekeeping. No one actually knows how most of these things are constructed and the village itself was built around the remnants of one of these ancient cities, which still had some facilities that were functioning.

In either case, it was said the survivors were so shocked by what had transpired they gave up all that had been created, to move onto a simpler way of life. These people were considered to be the first who established the small communities which eventually sprouted into the current countries. No one knows how long ago these events occurred, but estimates put them at the very least, well over a thousand years ago. Putting down the book momentarily, the girl gazed off the side of the balcony with a distant expression reminiscent of both curiosity and wonder.

She tried to imagine what the world like back then, filled with all these things they referred to as machines and electricity. The girl thought about everything that had been lost, all their history and advances in forms of science, their culture and religion forever gone and forgotten. All of this because of one word 'war', even the most recent past was plagued by it and brought harm to everything around it. It seemed to be never ending, even despite the efforts of their ancestors to stop it by starting over. The sliding of the balcony door interrupted Naruko's thoughts abruptly and she finally realized that her friend had arrived.

Turning towards the other girl, she spoke softly, "Hinata…"

Approaching the sitting Naruko with her eyes downcast, the dark haired girl glanced at her and said meekly, "Good morning."

Scooting over almost by habit and setting her book aside, she asked, "Do you want to sit down?"

Shifting her eyes towards the open spot, Hinata saw that one of her friend's tails was casually lined against the back.

"Is it in the way?"

The girl shook her head immediately and replied, "Its okay… and thank you." She knew her friend was much more comfortable like that, though the small bench was just big enough for the two of them to fit easily.

Sensing her friend sitting down beside her, Naruko smiled slightly, "We haven't been together like this in a while."

Hinata looked at her in response. Hearing the red haired girl's gentle voice speaking to her like everything was well between them, she felt a tinge of regret for the way she had been acting all this time. This was just how Naruko always was… never blaming her for anything, and accepting of all that she did. It was hard at times, being with her like this because of that fact, but it was also something she could take comfort in. Hinata still wasn't quite sure though, why she reacted the way that she did to Naruko's words that time.

Although she knew her friend was beautiful from the first time they met, staring at her now she recognized this keenly, along with a strange sense of comfort and desire to be near her. It was confusing feeling this way about another girl, but she still couldn't help herself. Yesterday, when that strange woman was being so close to her friend, she had lashed out at someone for the first time. That was something she didn't even know she was capable of doing. Pulling herself away from these thoughts, she tried to breathe more easily, and stared at her friend's outfit casually, "Did your mother buy that for you?"

Naruko nodded slightly, in her typical manner.

"It's very pretty," Hinata continued in her small voice, while scanning over the floral patterns.

"Haha-ue said something similar too, though I can't really tell," she said mildly, while gazing down and plucking at the edges of it along her thighs.

Trying to ignore the old scars on her friend's legs, she followed up gently, "I think it really suits you."

Naruko appeared to brighten at this comment, "Thanks Hinata… Are you going to be preparing a lot for the exams with your family?"

"That's part of the reason I came here so early," she replied without much thought.

The red haired girl picked up, "Part?"

Flushing slightly at having said something she didn't intend to, Hinata replied, "Umm… it's nothing." Glancing over at the pile of books on the cane table, she shifted topics, "What were you reading about this time?"

Picking up the top book, Naruko showed Hinata the cover and began giving a summary of it, then followed up with the other two. She went on for a while as the other girl simply listened intently.

Hinata didn't know much about the stuff her friend was talking about, but from the way she spoke, it was clear it was something she was very interested in. Though rather than try to understand it all, she just focused her attention on Naruko's voice, which was soft and gentle to her ears, making her a bit drowsy since she had woken up so much earlier than usual. It didn't take long for her head to start bobbing, causing the other girl to stop abruptly.

"I am sorry… this must be really boring to you," Naruko said apologetically, setting the books aside.

Feeling like she just had water dumped on her, Hinata replied quickly in embarrassment, "That's not true! It sounds really interesting. I am just a bit sleepy that's all…" Looking out absently over the balcony, a thought suddenly occurred to her, "Why do you read out here anyway? Isn't it really cold during the mornings?"

Glancing intently over the sides, her friend pointed in a particular direction, "Your house is over that way, so being out here makes me feel closer to you."

The girl blinked a few times, at a loss for words, a warm fuzzy feeling flowing through her. "Is that… the only reason?" Hinata asked quietly while looking away.

"Sometimes I like to get some fresh air, but that's the main reason…" Naruko replied softly.

Hinata tried to say something, but faltered a couple of times. Gazing meaningfully at her friend, she finally managed to ask what's been on her mind all this time, "Why… do you say such things to me? Like… that one time too."

"Because you're my friend," she replied gently.

"But friends don't…" the other girl hesitated, she wasn't entirely sure what she was about to say. Her mind was full of uncertainty and confusion. She kept finding herself being drawn closer to this girl in a way she never would of believed, but everything she had been taught and learned growing up told her this wasn't right. The thought that had been haunting her came out clearly again, 'girls are not supposed to be like this'.

Naruko stayed silent, as she went over everything in her mind carefully. The only thing that was clear to her was that she was still not doing something right. Although even after that long talk she had yesterday, she still wasn't sure what, it didn't make any sense. She felt so helpless. Speaking in a lost and disheartened voice, "…I am not very good at this am I…? All I've been doing lately is making you uncomfortable and saying a lot of wrong things…"

Hearing her friend's saddened tone, her heart was torn. It sounded like she was giving up, something Naruko had never done before. Unable to hold back anymore, Hinata hugged her firmly as tears began streaming down her eyes, "I am so sorry Naruko…! I just… don't know what to do! I know you're doing your best to be nice to me… and that you really care about me… but I… I…" Pulling back, she stared at the other girl through misty eyes with her feelings clearly reflected into them.

Reaching around Hinata's arms, Naruko wiped away her tears tenderly, "Don't cry…" Leaning in, she touched their noses together, saying needfully while brushing her face lightly against her friend's, "Just tell me what I should do…"

Hinata was awash with emotion, with her heartbeat speeding up, her concerns were slowly melting away. Is there really anything wrong with this…? Naruko was always so sweet, always trying to help and watching out for her. Closing her eyes, she rubbed her face against the other girl's.

Their slow caresses eventually caused their lips to lightly touch one another and come together naturally. Naruko reached around Hinata's midsection and pulled her in closer, as she slid her tongue into her friend's mouth. Though surprised, Hinata leaned into the kiss and squeezed the other girl tenderly, as all her doubts vanished in this one moment. Naruko felt a strange soothing comfort like she was being swaddled in warm and her mind was filled with nothing but thoughts of this girl in next to her.

Feeling her friend's insistent pulling for further contact, Hinata smoothly shifted her position as they continued to embrace and kiss one another. Gliding her leg over the other girl's lap, she straddled her gracefully on the small suspended bench. Their bodies were melded together, as Naruko who was already sitting away from the back, wrapped her arms around Hinata and held her tightly. Their tongues touched and twined together in inexperienced but yearning motions, while their saliva flowed freely between their mouths in a sweet mixture.

With their figures heating up, Hinata felt a strange desire to touch more of Naruko's skin, and slipped her hands between the folds of the girl's nightgown collar and slid it from her shoulders, exposing slightly, her friend's small but well shaped breasts in the process. Naruko didn't seem to notice as she moved her hands over Hinata's back smoothly, lightly grasping and stroking her. Taking a moment to catch their breath, their lips parted with a stringy film of liquid connecting their mouths. Hinata stared at the other girl with hazy eyes, while Naruko returned her look with a foggy expression and her ears dropping.

There was a light knock on the window just then, and Kurenai called out firmly from within, "Breakfast is ready you two."

The words cut into their dizzying spell like a sharp knife. Hinata was the first to react. Looking wide eyed at her half-naked friend, she gasped and tried to move away quickly but stumbled and fell on her butt clumsily. The pain made her completely aware, causing her to realize just how hot her body and face was, along with a particularly heated spot between her legs.

Hearing her friend fall down, Naruko was also brought back to her senses, and she fixed her gown reflexively before asking as she offering a hand, "Are you alright Hinata?"

Taking her friend's hand, she replied shyly in her small voice, "Yes…" When she stood up though, the moisture at her pelvis became pronounced and she quickly grew flustered, remembering vividly what had just happened.

Naruko was wiping her mouth and touching her lips pointedly while starting at Hinata.

Already flushed red, the dark haired girl spoke hastily, "Umm, I have to go now! But please don't tell anyone about this! I'll see you later, bye!" Taking off in a huff, Hinata ran awkwardly while holding the front of her haori down.

Gazing in Hinata's direction with a relaxed expression, Naruko heard her mother and friend exchange a few quick words, before the front door was shut with some force. The girl felt strangely perked up. Is this what they call a secret?