Konnichiwa konnichiwa, Planeshunter desu!

I think the title says everything. Hopefully this chapter (both this part and the next) will satisfy some cravings.

I could waste your time trying to rant here, but that doesn't seem too productive so... Enjoy!

Mystic Eyes of Reincarnation 始まります!


Chapter 53: Best Night Ever (2 of 2)


It's finally happening, Naruto-kun is coming over for dinner! Granted, she would've loved to have the guts to invite Naruto-kun herself, or maybe to have him invite her over, but she'll take what she can get. Now time ticks and she needs to make sure nothing goes wrong!

It's all she can do not to skip through the corridors all the way to her room and keep a wide smile from her face, but since everyone was giving her odd looks she suspects her success was marginal at best. As soon as she gets there she locks the door and tackles her wardrobe.

Now, Hyuuga Hinata has always been the shy and sober type. Even when she dressed to impress, she always kept 'elegant' as away from 'gorgeous' as it was humanly possible. First she didn't have the confidence in her own body, later on simply because she didn't feel comfortable showing off. That didn't mean she never thought about it, or that she didn't own a couple of attires she wouldn't be caught alive wearing… just in case.

It says a lot about her state of mind at the moment that she eyed the low-cut cocktail dress buried in the depths of her wardrobe with an evaluative gaze. The thing opened from behind all the way to the small of her back, and the side cuts on the skirt reached… high enough. It was impossible to wear any underwear on that without displaying it for the world to see.

Of course, it only takes for her to picture actually wearing it in public and the trance breaks into a volcanic blush. What was she thinking?

No, that's definitively not what she wants to wear, doubly so because Father and Hanabi would be there too. Not that she would wear it even for Naruto-kun alone. Surely. Probably. Not unless he asked? Ugh… she really needs to get her mind out of the gutter.

With a determined huff (let it be noted, for the outside observer that action would've definitively looked more cute than resolute), she focuses in the clothes she's willing to wear tonight. Of course, her first impulse is to wear the white yukata with momiji stamps that's her favourite, but it doesn't take long to discard it. It's a special occasion, she should wear something special.

A red and a green ones quickly follow suit, accompanied by a frustrated sigh. She doesn't even know why she kept this two in the first place, they don't match her complexion at all… And nobody wants to wear a dress who stands out more than oneself either.

It takes a long time of stirring around clothes she's barely even used to finally decide. Heavens, she didn't even remember having this! She really should do this more often, now that she has her youth back and a functional relationship with her sister. Yakumo and Haku probably would jump at the chance of messing around with dresses and yukata too. At least Yakumo would jump at the chance, getting Haku into it would probably require some coaxing. Or sicking Hanabi on her.

She slowly puts the the black dress before examining the results in the mirror. It would be a shoulderless one-piece, albeit a pretty conservative one, if not for the fine semi-transparent cloth that covers her from her wrists to the way up to her neck. The skirt is a wavy and comfortable thing that falls all the way to her mid-calf, set in place at the waist by a thin belt in the shape of a silver chain.

The getup looks… gorgeous. The main piece is pitch-black with purple shades, but the thin layer up her arms and neck has been treated somehow and sparkles with her every move. She can barely recognise herself and there's still a pair of silver bracelets in the same box the belt came from.

Tentatively, not too sure of what she's doing, Hinata uses a hand to hold her hair away from her face as she closely studies the mirror.

-"Who are you?" -She whispers to her reflection, blushing slightly. This is so not like her...- "Hairclips! I need hairclips! And some shoes that fit, and..."

A millennial beast of unfathomable power clearing his throat breaks her concentration.

-"Hmmm… brat? Hate to interrupt, but it looks like you forgot your family will be present during the dinner…"

With a yelp, Hinata recovers her bearings and the spell ends. Suddenly feeling very embarrassed, she quickly takes off the dress and carefully puts it away before donning the white yukata with the momiji stamps. It was a stupid idea, gorgeous never fit her anyway.


Hinata has devoted the last hour to help Hanabi dress up. She feels a bit guilty because she hasn't been able to really put her mind into it, that with the incoming event weighting on her mind far more ominously than it should. She's not going to mess up in any spectacular way that would shame her forever, neither will Naruto-kun see anything that would make him hate her. She knows that. Her brain, apparently, doesn't.

At least the quiet enthusiasm of Hanabi looks as cute as ever, impatiently swinging her legs as she sits in front of the mirror. With the appointed time for dinner almost on them, Hinata gives her sister's hair the finishing touches and steps back to take a look at the final result.

-"You look really cute tonight, Hanabi-sama."

The sudden appearance of Haku seems magically teach Hanabi how to [Body Flicker], as she's somehow appeared before Hinata's back with a muted yelp. Now that's something you don't see everyday. For her quiet and collected sister to react in such fashion she must've been caught completely off-guard, especially when she's usually so aggressive and direct towards Haku. Seems like her brave an unflappable baby sister is weak to honest-to-goodness praise, who would've thought?

-"Ah, Haku-chan" -She says, doing her best to keep her amusement away from her voice- "I trust everything went alright?"

-"I'm sorry, Hinata-sa… -san" -She answers while making a difficult face- "Hiashi-sama required my attention before I could even leave the house, and he was rather… insistent in discussing some security matters with me right there and then. I just got permission to leave his presence."

-"But… but…" -The surprise has her gaping for air "What of the clothes for Naruto-kun?"

-"My apologies, there was simply no chance for me to slip away and secure them, much less to deliver them to Naruto-san." -All her plans come crashing down, the night is ruined!- "Surely it won't be so bad? Naruto-san has a… peculiar fashion sense, but even him would notice an orange jumper is not the kind of garments for an official diner with a noble clan?"

-"I wouldn't put that past him…" -Hinata answers with a soft smile before lowering her head, doing her best to hide her features under her fringe- "But that's beside the point. Naruto-kun is still mistrusted in the majority of the village and shopkeepers refuse to service him. Unless there's an adequate place within the small area he personally helped rebuild he won't be able to buy anything proper.."

There's a soft pressure on her shoulder that makes her look upwards again. Haku is looking at her with a worried expression on her face. Another, clumsier attempt comes from behind her. Seems like Hanabi is trying to pat her back.

-"Hinata-san, you know Naruto-san better than anyone alive" -Haku says slowly, freely showing that gentleness she usually prefers to hide deep inside- "He's the kind of person who always manages to make everything turn out alright, so please don't underestimate him."

He… he is, isn't it? Naruto-kun never gives up and always has a smile in his lips. If he fails, he simply tries again, no matter how many times, the only problem he doesn't solve in the end is the one he doesn't know it's there.

Why is she worrying so much for a silly dress code anyway? Naruto-kun will find a way or not, and they'll either have a wonderful night or something to laugh about later on. She takes a deep breath, suddenly feeling very stupid for the way she reacted.

-"I'm fine now, Haku-chan, thanks. I must've looked really silly, worrying so much for something like this."

-"Of course not, Hinata-san. All girls want everything to be perfect such occasions."

-"Thanks, Haku-chan" -She does her best to smile, but to be honest she's still feeling pretty stupid- "That reminds me, you should be getting ready too. It's almost time and you're still in your mission gear!"

-"Hinata-san? Surely a bodyguard like me would be better off unseen?"

-"Nonsense, you are a friend and thus invited. If I can't have a one on one dinner with Naruto-kun... " -Her eyes are closed in a matter-of-fact expression, but her cheek tint slightly at the idea- "Then I'm having you with us. It won't be a real formal event either, only Father and Hanabi, Haku-chan, Naruto-kun and myself. Plus service."

Haku takes a step back, no doubt weighing her chances of jumping out the window and disappearing from the face of Earth until the next morning. But she trips with the strategically positioned Hanabi blocking her retreat.

-"That's why I taught Hanabi how to dress up someone properly after all!" -Hinata continues cheerfully- "Don't worry, she's a very good student, I'm sure you'll look gorgeous tonight!"


In spite of everything said earlier, Hinata was feeling nervous when the servant came announcing Naruto-kun had arrived. In what guise would he present himself? Would he feel hurt if people looks at him mockingly? He never seems to care about what others thought, but Hinata knows that's just a facade.

Well, nothing to do about it except put her best smile and hope everything goes well. At least whatever the situation she can take solace in Haku feeling as desolate as herself. Misery loves company and all that. Thinking she was ready for whatever would happen, she crosses the gate into the reception room.

Man she had never been so wrong.

Looking utterly uncomfortable but gallant beyond her wildest dreams stands a certain Uzumaki Naruto, doing his best to fill a sober but dignified dark blue kimono. To be honest, it kind of looks like something a high-profile gangster would wear to a social event, but Naruto-kun being the opposite of threatening pulls it off real good.

He sees her and smiles with the brightness of ten suns as she makes way towards him to officially introduce him as a team member to Father. Seems like things will turn out alright after all…

-"Say, Naruto-san" -Father raises his umptenth question, utterly ignoring Hinata's poisonous glare- "What future goals do you have for your life?"

It's been like this for a since they sat at the table, Father asking captious questions about his motivations and social position, as well as his education and interests. Poor Naruto-kun has looked out of his depth for a while now

-"Well, I… Um..." -Even someone usually impervious to the mood like Naruto-kun could feel uncomfortable before the icy politeness aimed at him. He still went for his default answer- "My plan is to become the best Hokage this Village has ever had!"

-"Oh? And how, pray tell, do you plan achieving that? The bar is set pretty high, wouldn't you say? What do you think, Hanabi?"

-"From the First who created the Village to the Fourth who is practically considered a guardian deity after sacrificing himself to stop the Kyuubi attack each and every Hokage has been an exceptional individual even amongst exceptional individuals." -Hanabi recites as if reading a textbook, as icy as Father. What are they playing at, ganking on Naruto-kun like that?- "Any lesser man would find it impossible to match up even to the less popular of them."

-"Well, I guess we'll have to wait and see. Remind me, Naruto-san, what is your mission statistics as of now?"

-"Hehe… don't get too surprised and choke" -He answers, regaining a bit of his confidence- "Seven D-rank and one A-rank!"

-"Hm… An A-rank before your first year is over" -Father sets his chopsticks aside and takes a hand to his chin- "That's indeed remarkable… for a regular ninja. Hanabi?"

Hinata is starting to hate the way Father asks for Hanabi's opinion in this interrogation. Because 'interrogation' is the only designation for their behaviour… besides maybe 'harassment'. Hanabi also puts her chopsticks down, imitating Father, before giving another straight-out-the-book answer.

-"According to the official records, the Sandaime Hokage had successfully completed three A-rank and ten B-rank before his first year was over."

-"If I remember correctly" -Seeing how Naruto-kun slumps after his achievements are so easily dismissed, Hinata can't hold back anymore. Etiquette be damned, she's about to throw a knife at Father's face- "Sandaime Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen belonged to the first generation to ever graduate from the Academy. Back then the Village system was still new and the world was an unstable place. As there was plenty more chances to prove oneself than in nowadays peace, that's quite the unfair comparison."

Immersed in holding back her righteous indignation, Hinata fails to register how her fingers grip the tablecloth. She doesn't notice it either when they start sinking in the five-inches thick board of chakra-reinforced wood that's the table's surface.

Her voice still sounds as kind and conciliatory as always and, since she's channeling all her killing intent towards Father and Hanabi, Naruto-kun doesn't notice a thing and can only wonder why the Hyuuga patriarch suddenly pales and switches topics.


Some time later, Hinata is sitting in the veranda of the garden. This is one of her favorite places in the whole world, to the point her Inner Garden is shaped after it. Blurry memories of tending the plants here with her mother still accompany her, even after so many years. In this place, she feels in control, this is her territory.

And yet, the warmth of Naruto-kun sitting right beside her makes her fidgety and restless. It's as if she's still the insecure and stuttering girl that she's tried so hard to grow out of. They've remained silent for a while, since they've sat down here. Naruto-kun doesn't seem specially uncomfortable with it, but Hinata can feel the pressure pile up, and desperately searches for something to say.

-"Sorry about Father" -She finally gets out, rather pathetically- "I don't know what came over him."

He behaved like a jerk during dinner and she'll have words with him the next day. That short of attitude might be excusable in Hanabi, but Father is a grown-up man and supposed to act his age!

-"No, it's fine" -Naruto-kun dismisses her apologies with an easy smile- "Sure, I was a bit surprised, and the questions were a bit uncomfortable but… Dunno how to say it."

He scratches his chin nervously, then grumbles and crosses his arms, leaning his head sideways as if in deep thought.

-"Naruto-kun?"

-"He cared!" -He finally declares, hitting the palm of his hand with a fist- "Those were some pretty serious questions, right? You don't ask that short of things for small talk, right? It felt like he really cared about what I had to say! Man, I kind of liked it, embarrassing or not. Am I making any sense?"

Yes, Hinata nods. Yes, of course he's making sense. With all the time she's spent in the past, it still slips her mind sometimes that this timeline's Naruto-kun is still hated by the majority of the village and having friends and people who care about him is a novelty. Specially this days of mourning his two paternal figures he must be feeling pretty desolate behind that sunny smile he uses to hide everything.

-"I knew you'd get it" -His smile softens and disappears as he turns to gaze at the sky, feet kicking the air- "It also got me thinking 'bout the future, you know? There's something I've wanted to tell you for a while. You and the teme, but especially you."

Oh? Hinata eyes him curiously, doing her best to look inviting. What could Naruto-kun be referring to?

-"It has to do with that weird chakra I used during our match" -That has her blinking. Something to do with this timeline's Kurama? What could it be? Maybe she's altered something unexpected again?- "You know how the Village was attacked by that damn fox twelve years ago?"

-"Yes" -Naruto-kun sure is beating around the bush, it must be a pretty big thing. Maybe she should help him a bit- "Yondaime-sama sacrificed himself to seal him inside of you."

-"WHA-" -For some reason, Naruto-kun is so shocked he falls from the veranda. He recovers quickly though, grabbing into the wooden boards to raise and make eye-contact again- "You mean you already knew? But it's an S-rank secret!"

What's he talking abou… Oh. Yeah. She's… not supposed to know. What now? She needs to calm down and keep her smile in place. And think a convenient excuse! Like... right! What would Neji-niisan say!?

-"You can't fool this eyes" -Of course, even if the words are the same, she adds her own spin. She's confident the final effect is really different if those words are said with a smile instead of a sneer- "I've been looking at Naruto-kun for a long time."

Silence.

-"AAAHH!?" -Oh, that's nostalgic. Naruto-kun's 'utter disbelief' face, she hasn't seen that in awhile- "You mean I have been agonising over nothing? It can't be… gimme back my resolve, Hinata-chan!"

-"It wasn't over nothing, Naruto-kun" -She covers a very inappropriate smile with her bandaged hand- "Sandaime-sama's law forbid anyone but you to tell people who didn't know, so I couldn't really say I knew until you told me yourself. Thank-you for trusting me with this, I'm sure it wasn't easy."

-"That's no fair!" -She was expecting him to be happy, maybe to pout a bit. Instead, he's almost yelling in indignation, she doesn't understand.- "I gathered all my courage to tell you this and you already knew? I didn't really tell you anything!"

Oh. This is important to him, of course, but she wasn't expecting telling her himself was that important. She just assumed being accepted would be enough to make him forget all the rest, but now he feels like she already knowing cheapens his resolve… or maybe what he's been through. She can't have him thinking that.

-"Naruto-kun. To be hated and shunned by everyone around you for something that wasn't your fault or even knew about… I won't say I know how that felt. I cannot know how your hell was." -Feeling strangely emboldened, Hinata has taken Naruto-kun's hand and is leaning her face closer and closer to his- "But the way you never gave up and always stood up to try again after every defeat… That smile you put against all odds saved me. It gave me hope and strength to try and overcome my own personal hell."

-"Hinata… -chan?"

-"I was alone too! Unbefitting, unworthy! An eternal letdown!" -Some tears fall down her cheeks, but she doesn't notice, focused as she is in conveying her feelings. Naruto-kun, her Naruto-kun! Doesn't know how she feels, how much he means for her.- "My important people kept dying or giving up on me. I can't even imagine what would've been of me if Naruto-kun wasn't there for me."

Hinata's chest is beating along the passion of her words, a deafening pounding hitting her ears. She's close, so close to Naruto-kun that she can barely see anything but his sky blue eyes. She can feel her own face burning, both from her the proximity and her desperation to convey her feelings.

Naruto-kun isn't saying a word, just staring at her with those eyes that are clear and pure and feel like she could fall into. Self-awareness is kicking in, but she resists the impulse to retreat and give excuses. She wants to keep like this… no. She wants to get closer.

There's a small voice in the back of her mind that's panicking and desperately yelling that it's too soon, that he's not ready yet and she'll scare him away if she gets too close now, but she can barely hear it. Slowly, to make clear what she's going to do and give him the chance to refuse, she take her lips closer to his. Closer and closer, even if the self-awareness and the voice in the back of her head grows louder as she gets closer, and the speed her lips approach slows down with it.

One centimeter becomes a half, and then a quarter and yet, the closer she gets, the harder it is to keep getting closer until finally, barely a hair's breath away, she stops, incapable of surmounting that last stretch. Her body tenses as she fights shyness and inhibitions to do the deed, but it's of no use. She simply can't do it.

It's that all? Will she give up this close to the goal? Closing her eyes in frustration, she's about to retreat and try to stutter something that could pass for an excuse when something soft and warm against her lips makes her open her eyelids again. Could it be?

Yes… Yes! Shutting his own eyes tightly and so close she can feel his nose tickling against hers, Naruto-kun is…! Her brain melts, incapable of coherent thought any longer. Her senses only register their lips together, and how nice and fulfilled she feels right now and how she doesn't want it to ever end.

The kiss lasts for what feels like ages, simple lips against lips, but marvellous on it's simplicity. Eventually, they have to break it for breath.

-"Wow" -Naruto-kun pants, doing a good job at summarizing her own feelings- "Just wow."

Hinata wants to tell him again how much he means to her and ask him to stay at her side forever, but words fail her. So instead she smiles and, noticing he's still kneeling on the ground, offers him a hand to help him climb into the veranda, closer to her.

Neither try for another kiss. Hinata wouldn't have refused if Naruto-kun had initiated, but she's feeling satisfied right now. She just wants to cuddle next to him and watch the stars over the garden. Before they know it, sleep takes over.


Umu! I haven't written a kiss scene in… years? I might've been a bit rusty, but did my best! Hope you guys enjoyed it. There was a discarded scenario when things devolved into M-rated, and then Hinata woke up. Didn't match the flow though so I ultimately took it out.

So! Descriptions on clothes are always a bore, and it's one of my personal rules to skip them altogether or limit them to one-liners if there's no choice, but I risked it here. Figured that maybe, just maybe, the reader would be interested in a change of wardrobe if it was something exceptional and I could manage to dress her in something everyone could picture as gorgeous. Not sure if I managed, not holding my breath either, but wanted to try it. I for one had a lot of fun writing it, so there's that.

Shame she couldn't wear it in the end, but we can always hope she remembers this dress if they ever get a date in a fancy party or expensive restaurant...