The next day is normal as well. Sakura and Lee drop by in the morning, Sakura winning the race this time.
Naruto wastes no time in telling Sakura that Sasuke supposedly likes Hinata, because of course he does. To no surprise whatsoever, Sakura reacts to the news with a cheerful oh yeah, he's liked her for ages. She and Ino are complete morons about this.
The idiot is delighted to find another ally. Sasuke is never going to hear the end of this.
Fortunately, Naruto decides not to break their truce. Sure, there's a little teasing, but it's more amusing than anything else. Sakura tries to take it further, but him bringing up her own attraction to Naruto is enough to make her zip it. Revenge is sweet.
After breakfast is over, he gets to work. He takes more breaks than he did yesterday, meeting up with Hinata for lunch, and dropping by the Dancing Dragon to start planning Naruto's surprise party. It'll take a few days before they're ready. They have most things already, but a few things are still missing. And they need to make sure everyone is available.
He can't believe Naruto hasn't said anything about his lack of welcome home presents. From what he's seen of the idiot, it genuinely hasn't crossed his mind that he should get some. He's just happy to be home, nothing more needed.
He's going to get more whether he likes it or not. Not that Naruto will complain. The opposite. If the idiot doesn't burst out crying, Sasuke will be very surprised.
He meets up with Naruto as well, and he learns that Naruto and Ino had a spar. Naruto made the mistake of not using his genjutsu repelling toads from the start, and Ino caught him in some nasty illusions before he could rectify that. Yamanaka can screw with your mind like no one else.
Ino kicked Naruto's ass. Naruto is torn between annoyance at losing and admiration over how much Ino has improved. Ino was never weak, but one on one fighting didn't used to be her strong suit.
The Sound Four mission changed a lot of things.
When they get home, Naruto wins over the kids some more by summoning the two tigers he used in their spar. They're sisters, named Inju and Sutoraipu, and they're a huge hit. Rin wastes no time in asking if she can pet them, while Obito wastes no time in introducing them to Inu-chan. Inju plays along, earnestly greeting Obito's plush, and she gives her sister a reprimanding wack with her tail when Sutoraipu points out that Inu-chan isn't actually a dog, or even a real cat. Rin, petting Inju, patiently explains that he's a real cat plush. It's important to be nice to plushes. It shows that you like the person they belong to, and doesn't Sutoraipu like Obito?
That last is delivered with a look that tells Sutoraipu the answer better be yes. Rin even halts her petting of Inju until Sutoraipu confirms that she does, in fact, like Obito. Inju snickers, while Obito beams. Rin resumes petting Inju.
"You're a feisty one, aren't you?" Inju asks with amusement.
"Yes," Rin answers matter of factly, already knowing what the word means as usual. "I'm very clever as well."
Mari snorts with laughter, while Naruto lets out a startled chuckle. Kakashi's eye is crinkled in his version of a grin. Sasuke is grinning as well. Rin might have trouble understanding just how big the difference between her and normal people is, but she's well aware that she's smarter than average.
When bedtime for the kids starts approaching, they prepare for story time. It's a bi-daily tradition that started about a year after Naruto went on his trip, but while he was a bit wistful at missing the birth of this tradition last time, he's wholeheartedly enthusiastic tonight. They'll see about getting him to play an active part later on, after Obito and Rin have gotten more used to him living here. They were already confused, and in Rin's case, suspicious enough when he joined as part of the audience. Luckily, Naruto's enthusiastic participation, marveling, cheering and holding his breath in all the right places, means that they've accepted him as a Good Audience Member.
Tonight, it's Obito's turn to pick a story. To no surprise whatsoever, he picks The Yellow Flash.
"You always pick that one," Rin says. Not quite complaining but very close to it.
"And you always pick something different," Obito says happily, in no way affected by her implied criticism. He might not be a prodigy, but life would be a whole less cheerful without him.
He reminds Sasuke of Naruto.
Rin huffs but doesn't say anything more. This is Obito's night, and that means Obito gets to pick.
The four of them settle down the couch, while he and Kakashi and take up position. Rin, for all that she'd been grumbling before, is swept along as quickly as Obito is when the story starts. Mari, putting on her best storyteller voice, reads from the children's book like she hasn't done it a thousand times before. She no longer needs the book, can recite it by heart, but her turning the pages is as much a part of the ritual as his and Kakashi's show is.
Sasuke plays out the story with Kakashi, the movements familiar. Rin's habit of choosing a different story every time offers a challenge he enjoys, but there's something comforting about doing the same routine as well. A routine that's gotten increasingly complex over time.
He sends the flames licking over his arm to Kakashi's hand. Kakashi takes over the fine manipulation and makes the fire his own. They're fooling around, true, but this whole thing is a good control exercise as well. Not that this is the reason they're doing this.
They're doing it to have fun. To transform the story into something magical and unique.
They're making Obito and Rin look at them like they're the most amazing people in the world.
"And the Yellow Flash went flash! Flash! Flash!" Mari says dramatically.
"Flash! Flash! Flash!" the kids and Naruto chant as well, while he and Kakashi mimick the famous sight with some fast movements and precise lightning manipulation. Traditionally, the words are accompanied by mere hand gestures, but where's the fun in that?
Obito, Rin and Naruto burst into applause. He and Kakashi bow with flourish, officially ending the story.
This isn't anything like what his family used to do. The few illusions he and Kakashi used are minor, nothing like the elaborate scenes his mother used to create with her Sharingan. The elemental manipulation is simple and nowhere near the intricate fire dances his clan used to perform. No matter how familiar it sometimes feels, it isn't the same.
He still loves it.
After Obito and Rin are put to bed, the rest of them settle down to do their own thing. Mari and Kakashi take over their usual couch, Mari tucked against Kakashi's side and shutting out the world as she starts writing. Kakashi reads the new Icha Icha novel that Naruto got him, one of his hands caressing Mari's arm. Sasuke gets out the puzzle he's working on, locked away during the day to prevent Rin from working on it, and resumes completing it.
Naruto summons one of the illusion repelling toads. The male half of the bickering couple that helped him during their spar. The toad's name is Fukasaku, and under Fukasaku's guidance, Naruto starts up a balancing exercise.
The exercise isn't demanding enough to keep him from chattering like crazy. Sasuke listens with half an ear, occasionally responding when the conversation warrants it but most of his attention on his puzzle.
Or rather, it is until he notices just what it is that Naruto is doing. When he does, he turns to face him and activates his Sharingan, careful to keep his puzzle out of sight. He doesn't want to ruin his fun.
"Cheater," Naruto says with - affection, love, joy - a smile. He's balancing on one hand through a combination of chakra usage and muscle control. The intriguing part is that he's slowly lowering his chakra usage until he's keeping upright through pure muscle, before slowly switching to keeping upright through pure chakra.
"Shouldn't have done it where I can see it then," he counters. He's seen exercises like this before, Sakura does way more extreme versions than this. Still, it's surprising to see Naruto do this. It doesn't exactly fit his style.
"The toads are obsessed with balance," Naruto answers his unspoken question, still reading his thoughts with the same ease as before he left. It makes Sasuke feel all mushy. "That means I have to be too, cause they refuse to let their summoners to make them look bad. Which is hilarious, what with them letting Pervy Sage sign their contract and all."
"Jiraiya-chan's a bit rough around the edges, but he's got potential," Fukasaku, seated on Naruto's foot, says like he isn't talking about one of the Sannin. Jiraiya-chan? Really? "So do you," Fukasaku finishes with a – curious, considering, deliberate – shrewd look at the seal covered by his choker.
Fukasaku, though not completely certain, suspects very strongly. Sasuke does his best to keep from reacting to this knowledge, but – the corners of his eyes tighten and his fingers curve slightly – Fukasaku sees through him. The confirmation of his suspicions makes Fukasaku turn – more curious and considering – satisfied.
Sasuke supposes he shouldn't be surprised by Fukasaku being able to tell. As Naruto's letters have informed him, the toads know their sensing. Still, having a stranger figure out his trump card so easily isn't fun.
He ensures he doesn't reveal anything more to Fukasaku by focusing on the - realization - screw up Naruto is about to make.
"Wait, you mean–"
Naruto falls silent as his concentration slips and his chakra flow attempts to return to norml, ruining his balance. The recovery he falls into is done on habit instead of with real intention, most of his attention still on the meaning behind Fukasaku's words.
The result is a very sloppy recovery. Analyzing all the flaws is another good way to keep Fukasaku from figuring out anything more.
Unfortunately, he won't be able to focus on it much longer.
"Stay focused, Naruto-chan," Fukasaku says. It's - patient, resigned. Slightly annoyed - an order for all that it's delivered casually.
The order is ignored.
"No, no, this is more important," Naruto says while coming out of his handstand. Fukasaku hops off his foot, annoyed but not surprised by Naruto's reaction. "You think he has potential?"
The way Naruto says it makes clear this is a huge deal. Thanks to his Sharingan, he knows he idiot hasn't figured out yet just how big a deal it is.
Before Fukasaku can answer, Naruto aims an accusing look his way. Sasuke is pleased. Banter is another good way to keep his secrets.
"You were holding back."
It was a spar, of course he was holding back.
Sasuke turns off his Sharingan and counters in a dry voice.
"And you obviously used every one of your trump cards."
Naruto crossing his arms is all the answer he needs, even without adding in his reluctant smile.
"What about Sakura-chan?" the idiot actually feels the need to ask. Sasuke gives him a look that tells him exactly how moronic that question is. Naruto tilts his head with a wry smile, conceding the point.
"I hope you don't think I revealed all I can do either," Kakashi says with mock offense, making them look over. To no surprise, Kakashi is still reading. Genuinely so, not pretending to. It couldn't be more clear where Rin inherited her absurd situational awareness from.
To underline this point, Mari taps her pen while going over what she wrote, utterly oblivious to what's going on.
"You're Nekonin," Naruto dismisses with a wave of his hand, the silent of course I didn't think that coming through loud and clear.
Kakashi turns a page, looking mightily pleased with himself.
"Are ya gonna get back to yer training, Naruto-chan?" Fukasaku asks in the voice of someone who already knows the answer.
"In a moment," Naruto confirms his assumption. Fukasaku lets out a resigned sigh. "So what else can you do?"
"Tell me yours and I'll tell you mine," he counters with a smirk. Naruto huffs with amusement.
"Nice try. I'm not giving up the chance to blow your mind that easily," he says with a cheeky grin.
"Then why do you think I would?"
Naruto shrugs.
"Worth a shot. Oh hey, before I forget," he says, switching topics without warning like usual. "Do you want a summon?"
Does he want a what?
"Yes," he answers on instinct, still reeling from the casual way Naruto dropped that bomb of an offer. There's a reason summon contracts are guarded so vehemently.
"Cool," the idiot says like there's nothing unusual about this conversation. "I already asked Sakura-chan and Ino," he says while unsealing a pen and notebook. "Sakura-chan refused, she wants to sign the Slug Contract. I told her she still could even with having another summon, but she was really adamant about it."
"It's a point of pride," he explains on habit, hysterically amused at Naruto apparently handing out summons left and right. "She gets to sign it if she can master a technique Tsunade-sama is teaching her." What technique he has no idea, but given that it involves her storing away basically all her Yin chakra for the past two years, to the point where she overhauled her entire skill set to power as many techniques with the Yang Release as is possible, it's something huge. Because Sakura clearly isn't unstoppable enough already.
"That's what she said," Naruto says, taking a seat besides him. "Ino was interested though, but she's still thinking of what kind of summon she wants. A close combat specialist but she isn't sure of the details yet."
The revelation that Naruto isn't just offering a summon but a customized summon only makes his hysterical amusement grow. It's so easy to forget that for all the ways he's an idiot, Naruto is a genius in his own right as well.
Fukasaku letting out another resigned sigh snaps him out of his shock.
"I see we ain't getting any more work done today," he says in a clipped voice. Naruto is unaffected by the disapproval. "Call me when ya decide to take this seriously, Naruto-chan."
"Will do," the idiot says while flipping to a blank page in his notebook. Fukasaku lets out another sigh and dispels himself. Sasuke takes the opportunity to look at Kakashi. Who responds by glancing at Naruto with a look that's impressed, proud, and helplessly amused. A mirror to Sasuke's own feelings.
"So what kind of summon do you want?" Naruto asks. "We can do a general summon if you want, but if you want something specific, I can do that too."
"A bird," he answers without hesitation, excitement starting to rise. "One big enough to carry me on its back." That would be so cool.
"Want to fly, bastard?" Naruto asks with a smile.
"Who doesn't?" Case in point, Naruto has multiple summons for that exact purpose.
Naruto concedes the point with a grin.
"So, a large bird," he says, writing that down. "What else?"
Sasuke thinks of crows and feels his throat tighten.
"Colorful. It needs to be colorful."
Naruto lets out a hum that means he knows what turn his thoughts have taken.
He doesn't ask. He never does. Not about this. It's one of the things Sasuke appreciates most about him.
"Colorful, got it. What else?"
"What else is possible?" A lot, according to what Naruto wrote, but what exactly are the limits?
"Lots of things," Naruto says, and then he starts rattling off a seemingly endless list. Fighting styles, chakra natures, species, personality, the amount of experience they have. A lone summon or one that belongs to a clan. Basically everything you can think of can be determined.
Or rather, Naruto can search for basically anything a person can think of.
He really has become a Seal Master, hasn't he?
Kakashi flips to an earlier part of his novel and rereads it. Letting them know that most of his attention on what Naruto is saying.
"You need to limit yourself to just a few things of course," Naruto says with the voice of experience. "The more specific you get, the longer it takes to find a summon that fits all your wants. But you also need to be specific enough, you know? Otherwise you get pretty big odds of reeling in someone you don't want to work with. Or someone who doesn't want to work with you."
"Reel in?" he asks, amused. Naruto makes it sound like fishing.
"It's like fishing," Naruto says, making him snort with laughter. Trust the idiot to confirm his thoughts like that. "The seal is the bait and your chakra is the rod. Oh yeah, heads up, this is going to take a lot of chakra."
"Will it kill me?" he asks, only half joking. If Naruto says something is going to take a lot of chakra, dying of chakra exhaustion is a very real possibility.
"Not if you reel in your line fast enough," Naruto says with a cheeky grin.
"What if you haven't, ah. Gotten a bite yet?" Or does that simply not happen?
"Then you try again later," Naruto says, revealing that it can, in fact, happen. "Bait stays good as long as it doesn't get bitten."
It doesn't, actually. But given that this is a seal, the rules of decay are a little different than normal. Besides, the point isn't that real bait can go bad. The point is that Naruto believes his seal won't go bad until a summon 'bites' it. So it won't.
Naruto owns his seals, body, mind and soul. He actually sucks at using standard seals, or he used to at least, but the seals he designs himself? Those do exactly what he wants them to. Well, the final versions do. The prototypes are a different story.
There have been some very spectacular failures over the years. Sasuke can only imagine how much worse they must have been on this trip, when Naruto dove into the time-space manipulation that is summoning. He's betting Jiraiya had more than a few heart stopping moments when one of Naruto's creations blew up in his face. Sometimes literally so.
Though if the result is Naruto being able to create contracts for customized summons, well. That's more than worth a couple of moments of panic. Or a lot of moments. Yeah, he knew Naruto was finding his own summons, but reading about it is completely different from being confronted with it like this.
And Naruto, instead of hoarding his contracts like the trump cards they are, is freely handing them out left and right. His generosity is going to come back and bite him in the ass one day.
Though now that he's thinking about it.
"Have you offered one to Hinata?"
As soon as the question escapes him, he realizes he's made a mistake. Naruto confirms this by giving him a shit eating grin.
"I haven't. Do you want me to?" the idiot asks in a way that would have been innocent if he wasn't still, you know. Wearing a shit eating grin.
"I figured that if you asked Sakura, you asked her as well," he counters with a warning look. Letting Naruto know he has no issue whatsoever with fighting fire with fire. The idiot chuckles but mercifully doesn't break their truce.
"I'll ask her after I finish the seals for you and Ino."
Sasuke smiles. He doesn't know for sure if Hinata will accept, but he'd be very surprised if she refuses. Ignoring that Naruto is the one offering it, it's a customized summon. How cool is that?
"It'll take longer to make though, I don't know her as well as you guys."
While it's true that Hinata isn't as close to Naruto as he, Sakura and Ino are by far, they're definitely friends. Naruto saying he doesn't know her well enough to create a contract reveals that he apparently isn't handing out contracts to everyone he meets after all. Also.
"And this matters because..."
"Because I need to know her really well for the seal."
At his raised brow, Naruto launches into another explanation. Picking the kind of summon you want is only the first step. The second is to add what kind of person you are. Personality, hopes and dreams, likes and dislikes. It's all part of the 'bait' you cast.
"You need to let them know what kind of person they're dealing with. It's a waste of everyone's time of they meet you and decide that they don't like you. I mean, that can still happen, but it happens a lot less if you give them a heads up."
"So you're just sharing your life story with every passing summon?" he asks, incredulous and seriously reconsidering this whole thing. Sharing his past with random summons is not something he's comfortable with.
"No, no, nothing like that," Naruto says with a wave of his hand, soothing some of his worry. "It's not that they see, like, specific events."
A tactful way of saying they won't see his past.
"It's just a feeling, you know? A sense of who you are. Are you snarky? Cheerful? Brave? Do you value family? Friends? Do you hate cowardice? Things like that."
And the last of his worry fades away. That he can live with.
They talk awhile longer, the conversation turning to the contract itself. As it turns out, that's going to require just as much thought as the seal itself. Yes, the basics are easy, but there's literally no limit to how much the specifics can vary. There's also the fact that the summon will have an equal say in the contract. The tricky part is finding something you both agree on.
Their conversation is interrupted by the bell ringing. Enhancing his hearing, he's surprised to find who's at the door.
What is Hinata doing here so late?
"It's for them," Kakashi says without halting his reading. Responding to Mari remembering that there exists a world beyond her writing. "Might be for Sasuke in particular," Kakashi continues with mock innocence, because Kakashi is an asshole.
Mari, still coming out of her writing haze, needs a moment to process the meaning behind his words. Then she gains a slow smile because of course she does.
"Have fun, brat," she says, her voice all but drowning in innuendo. He rolls his eyes but doesn't react further, and he completely ignores the snicker the idiot lets out. All of them are being ridiculous.
He and Naruto go to the see Hinata. Naruto stands besides him as Sasuke opens the door. As soon as he does, worry spikes.
Hinata looks positively frazzled. She's tensed up, worrying her bottom lips, and her hands are wringing together.
"What's wrong?" Did something happen to her sister? Her teammates? Neji? Anyone else in her family?
Hinata startles before she actually bows, so out of it she's falling back on excessive manners.
"Good evening, Sasuke, Naruto."
"Hey, Hinata," Naruto says but Sasuke is far more focused on what's making Hinata act like this.
"Hinata, what's wrong?"
"Nothing!" she squeaks before blushing with embarrassment at her own reaction. She takes a deep breath and pulls herself together, only the rapid fidgeting of her hands betraying her continued distress. "Nothing – nothing is wrong."
That would be a lot more believable if she hadn't stuttered.
"That's good," Naruto says with a smile, clearly not fooled by her act either. But he's trying to put her at ease by acting like nothing unusual is going on. Sasuke is grateful. "Do you want to come in?"
Sasuke mentally slaps himself for forgetting to offer that. Quickly moving aside, he gestures her inside.
Hinata refuses.
"No, I – thank you, but no. I was... I was hoping you might want to take a walk with me?"
The question is aimed at him. It's hesitant, pleading and almost fearful. Stabbing him right in the gut.
"Of course." Whatever she needs.
Naruto snorts softly, telling him and you wonder why I think you like her, but Sasuke couldn't care less about that. Right now the only thing on his mind is making sure that Hinata is alright. The fact that she doesn't react to Naruto's snort beyond a flicker of her eyes only makes his worry grow.
What happened to her?
When he steps outside, the idiot has the nerve to give him a shit eating grin and, in the exact same voice Mari used, tells him to have fun you two.
Sasuke shuts the door in his face.
"He's being an idiot," he explains to Hinata, who's confused and a little startled by his action.
"Ah," she says and doesn't ask for anything more. Yet another sign that something is seriously wrong.
They start walking. Sasuke lets her pick the route. Which turns out to be the route to their usual park, though it's obvious that Hinata didn't consciously decide their destination. She's moving on habit, far more focused on readying herself to spill. Sasuke bites the inside of his cheek to keep himself from interrogating her. There's no need for that. She'll tell him what's going on. He only needs to be patient.
He sucks at being patient. As is proven when he blurts out a demand as soon as they enter the park and he's checked their surroundings for eavesdroppers.
"So what's wrong?"
"Nothing," Hinata rushes out, so clearly lying it isn't even funny. He gives her a look that tells her just how much he doesn't believe her. Then he regrets doing that when she actually winces, but she takes a deep breath and straightens with determination before he can apologize. "Nothing is wrong, Sasuke."
She seems sincere, but given that she also keeps looking like a bundle of nerves, never mind that she actually winced, he isn't inclined to believe her.
Hinata, realizing that he isn't convinced, finally starts explaining what's going on.
"I was talking with Kiba and Shino, telling them that I confessed to Naruto."
Wait, this is about her confessing to the idiot? Is she hurt by his rejection after all?
The thought makes his stomach sink. He knew her peaceful acceptance was too easy.
"They were really happy for me," Hinata assures him, misinterpreting his reaction. "But during our talk I realized – that is, they made me realize that... that the reason his rejection didn't hurt is because..."
"Because..." he says when she doesn't continue, a strange sense of doom creeping up on him.
Hinata takes a deep breath and stops walking. He follows her lead, trying to keep his own nerves from showing. She meets his gaze with determination.
"Because I like someone else."
She what?
"Oh?" he somehow manages to ask in a normal way. "Who is it?"
Kiba? Shino? Shikamaru? Choji? Someone from her clan?
"I like..."
Hinata falters but then she stubbornly lifts her chin and prepares to say it anyway. Sasuke braces himself for the worst. He doesn't know what the worst is but he knows it's coming.
"I like you, Sasuke."
She what?
Sasuke vaguely realizes that his jaw has gone slack and that he's staring at her like an idiot, but he's still struggling to make sense of the words he must have misheard.
Except Hinata keeps talking and leaves no doubt that he didn't, in fact, mishear her.
"I like you. I think I have for a long time now. I just didn't realize because..."
Because of her crush on the idiot, an absent part of him fills in.
"But I realize it now," Hinata continues, firm and determined and speaking nothing but the truth. "And I told myself that I wouldn't – I wouldn't make the same mistake twice. So I'm telling you that I like you. And I was wondering if you would – that is, if you want to..."
All her confidence deserts her, her gaze skittering away from his and her index fingers pushing together. When she speaks, her voice is a whisper that grows more quiet with every word she says.
"Would you... would you maybe like to go out? On a date? With... me?"
Sasuke realizes that he's supposed to answer. To his horror, all that escapes him is a strangled sound.
Hinata closes her eyes and slumps with disappointment and hurt.
"You don't like me like that."
"I do."
The words cause a wave of panic, or maybe joy, incredulity, delight, terror, he has no idea. All he can focus on is the sudden realization that it's true. He does like Hinata like that. He likes her, he wants to date her, he wants her to be his girlfriend.
He has no idea how to handle this.
Hinata's head snaps up and she looks at him with utter disbelief.
"You do?"
And then the veins lining her eyes are bulging, her Byakugan activating, on purpose or accident he isn't sure, but he's far more preoccupied with the fact that she's about to know exactly how he's feeling and he doesn't even know how he's feeling and he thinks he's happy except he's also terrified because Hinata likes him and he likes her back.
Hinata gains a radiant smile and her cheeks burst into flames. Her hands come up in front of her face with disbelieving delight, and she sways on the balls of her feet, the movement graceful as always. Sasuke is struck by just how beautiful she is. Yes, he's always aware of this fact, but right now it's hitting him with an intensity he's completely unprepared for.
He's so screwed.
"You do," she whispers, unable to believe what her Byakugan is telling her. The veins around her eyes recede and she lets out a disbelieving laugh. "You do. That's, uhm, I mean, that is..."
Hinata giggles, the sound bright and wonderful and he is so, so screwed.
"I need to think about this," he hears himself blurt out. The world seems distant and strangely out of focus. The only clear thing is Hinata. Hinata, and the red creeping over the edges of his vision.
"Yes, of course, whatever you need," she rushes out, all but glowing with happiness. She sways on her feet again and he's struck by the knowledge that she's feeling so happy because of him.
Sasuke vaguely realizes that he's grinning. And blushing. Which is weird because he kind of feels like crying instead. Or maybe screaming.
"Right, I'm just... yeah."
And then his feet are carrying him away and Hinata giggles again and he abruptly realizes just how much of a jackass he's being. He forces himself to halt and to turn around.
"See you later?"
He did not mean for that to come out as a question.
Hinata's smile becomes even more radiant. The moonlight makes her look soft and almost ethereal, but it's the crinkles lining her eyes and the faint dimples in her cheeks that draws his attention the most. Hinata is more happy than he's ever known her to be.
She's more beautiful than ever.
So screwed.
"See you later, Sasuke."
His blush grows worse and this time he deliberately hurries away from her. Not quite running but very much wanting to. Another bright giggle follows him as he flees.
The more distance he gains from her, the more his smile fades, until he finally looks as panicked as he feels.
Hinata likes him. Hinata likes him and he likes her back. He should feel happy and part of him does, part of him is all but dancing with joy and walking on clouds.
Most of him is terrified.
He likes Hinata. He wants to date her, he wants her to be his girlfriend. Except she can't be his girlfriend, she just can't.
Not when just thinking about it makes the world turn red, red, red.