Author's Note: Hello everyone, welcome to chapter 2 of "Our Swing." First of all I wanna thank you all for the support chapter 1 received with more follows and favorites than both of my other stories combined! I'm glad that you all seemed to like Hitomi in the last chapter cause she's super fun to write so you can expect a lot more of her in the story. I also wanna give a big shout out to TheShamanMaster (totally check out his stories) and my kind friend from Reddit who both took the time to beta this chapter! Other than that there's not much to say so I hope you all enjoy it!
Happy Reading : )
Chapter 1: Apartment Shopping
"I...I'm sorry but Sandaime-sama is very bu...busy right now, he cannot see you, m...m...maybe you could come back later?" stuttered a very frightened receptionist as she was stared down by the matriarch of the Hyuga clan
"I don't care if he's trying to stop a war, this takes precedence, now let me through or I'll just force my way," said Hitomi angrily as she reached down to her kunai pouch for extra emphasis
"I...I c-can't" were the only words the poor receptionist was able to utter before the Hyuga blew past her desk and stormed into the Hokage's office
"WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK, WHY DO YOU HAVE MY BEST FRIEND'S SON LIVING IN SUCH A DUMP!?" shouted Hitomi, getting the Hokage's attention, almost making him choke on his pipe
"Hitomi, calm down, need I remind you that I am still your Hokage" said Hiruzen calmly as he eyed the bluenette staring him down, "what happened?"
"What happened? I'll tell you what happened. My daughter bumped into Naruto Uzumaki yesterday. Not only was he attacked by villagers but also when I went to drop him home he was living in an apartment I wouldn't wish upon my worst enemy. He's only four years old dammit and people are breaking his windows, writing hateful messages on the doors and oh I'm pretty sure there's a brothel in the room down the hallway from his" responded the Hyuga angrily as she took a seat across from Hiruzen's desk
"I know it's not perfect, but no orphanage was willing to take him in at the time and no other landlord would agree to give him an apartment, it was either this or being homeless" said the Hokage solemnly
"You're the damn Hokage, you could have just made them take him in or give him an apartment, stop making excuses" snorted Hitomi
"What would you have me do? Force the villagers to bend to my will?" asked Hiruzen pointendly before opening his mouth again "And don't speak to me about excuses, I know how close you and Kushina were so where were you when Naruto needed a place to go?"
"I...I was forbidden by the clan to get involved with him" answered Hitomi quietly, a small tear forming on her cheek, "the elders wanted nothing to do with him but now that Hiashi has become the head, even he encouraged me to try and help Naruto, elders be damned"
"Nevertheless, most of the other villagers are not as progressive or open-minded as you and your husband and I still cannot force my will upon them, if you have any other ideas I am open to hearing them" spoke the sandaime, genuinely hoping that Hitomi could offer a solution
"I...I don't have one yet, but for Kushina's son I'll figure something out" She stormed out the office with fiery determination. Sandaime's face gave way to a small smile. 'She'll find a way, despite all the hierarchy. She always does'.
Later that Night
"I don't get it, why the fuck won't anyone in the village listen to me, he's just a little kid, doesn't anyone have the decency to take him in" Hitomi had relayed the situation to her husband, hoping to get some kind of support.
"Hitomi, maybe you should calm down" replied Hiashi, sipping his tea slowly.
"If it wasn't for those damn elders he could have moved in with us" she continued, not listening to her husband's suggestion, "Honestly, even though I offer to pay triple the asking price they won't budge. Ugh I just wanna use those greedy good for nothing landlords for taijutsu practice"
"Hitomi, I really think you should calm down, there is obviously a very simple solution to this problem" said Hiashi, finally getting his wife's attention
"Do tell what it is then darling husband?" she asked, still annoyed at being told to come down, but was now intrigued at what he had in mind.
"If we can't take him in and no landlords will give him a room why don't we just become his landlords. Once you told me about the poor boy's living conditions I made some inquiries and we can easily afford to buy an apartment building. I can get the elders to agree by telling them that it's a way to strengthen the clan's finances while also helping to modernize the village and we can just give Naruto an apartment without anyone being the wiser" said Hiashi as he continued to sip his tea
Hitomi stared at her husband unable to form a coherent sentence before snapping back to reality. "My my, it looks like becoming the head of the clan has turned you into quite the little businessman hasn't it" she said as she walked over to Hiashi, "I think that is an amazing idea anata, I can't believe that I didn't think of it myself"
"Well, we both already missed out on helping him in the first four years of his life so we have to do everything we can to make up for it before Minato and Kushina come back and kill us" joked Hiashi with a smile, "Now, why don't you take him apartment-shopping tomorrow and when he finds one he likes let me know and I'll start the process for buying the building"
"You're so amazing darling, you're my cute little clan-head" She teased lovingly, enjoying how sweet and caring her husband was on the inside
Naruto awoke to the sound of furious banging on his door, groaning as he thought more villagers were at his apartment to hassle him
"Go Away" he shouted from his small mattress on the floor as he pressed his head into the pillow to drown out the noise
"Naru-chan if you don't open up I will break this door and throw more kunai at you, and this time I won't be aiming for your hair" shouted Hitomi from the other side of the door
Naruto's face lit up as he heard the familiar voice and quickly got off his mattress and ran towards the door
"Hitomi-obasan, what are you doing here so early?" he asked curiously as he stared up at the older woman, dressed in a light blue and black kimono held closed with a matching blue obi
"First of all, ten in the morning is not early and secondly we're getting you a new apartment so hurry up and get changed, Hina-chan is waiting downstairs" she responded, laughing at how cutely the blonde's face curled into a smile at the mention of her daughter
"Ok give me two minutes, let me just brush and change and then I can see Hinata-chan again" he said excitedly as he ran back into the apartment to get ready
A few minutes later, Naruto was practically dragging Hitomi down the stairs towards the foyer where Hinata was waiting with one of her mother's clones, dressed in a beige sweater and navy pants
"HINATA-CHAN GOOD MORNING" shouted Naruto excitedly as he ran towards her
"G...Good Morning Naruto-kun" she responded happily as she felt the blonde wrap his arms around her into a hug, her face quickly turning red as she felt him press himself into her
"Oh my bad Hinata-chan" said the blonde as he noticed the deep blush on her face and let her go, "I just got super excited when I saw you and then I remembered how amazing it felt to hug someone so my body just kinda moved on its on you know" he chuckled apologetically, scratching the back of his head
"N...no, d-don't apologize Naruto-kun I l-like hugging y...you too" she stuttered
"Hina-chan blushes a lot, usually when she gets excited or nervous" added Hitomi, wondering herself why this little boy was able to fluster her daughter so easily
"That's a relief, I missed you Hinata-chan and I'd hate if I had accidentally upset you" said Naruto as the trio walked out of the lobby
"I m...missed you too Naruto-kun, and you could n-never upset me" responded the bluenette smiling
"Those two literally saw each other last night, but I guess they both really needed a friend" thought Hitomi to herself smiling
"So Hitomi-obasan, what did you mean about a new apartment?" asked Naruto, still half asleep as he rubbed his eyes
"Well this place isn't exactly in the safest neighborhood so we're going to go look at a few other apartments for you to live in" explained the older Hyuga
"Umm...I'm not sure how to say this...but I can't afford anywhere nicer than here." He spoke quietly, looking down in shame.
"Don't worry about that Naru-chan, I spoke with hokage-sama and it turns out that there was actually more money which is supposed to be allocated towards your housing, there was just a small error that was fixed yesterday" She gave him a reassuring look, hoping to bring some light back into his eyes that seemed to frozen in sadness.
"Hmmmm, I guess if I have more money then it would be good to live somewhere safer. Although, I'll have to tell the old man to take better care of my money next time I see him" responded the blonde as he stroked his chin in thought
"Y-you know Naruto-kun, i-if we fi-find one for you n-near the Hyuga compound, w...we will be n-neighbors" said Hinata shyly as she looked up at her friend
"That would be so cool Hinata-chan, then we could hang out all the time and then when we're older walk to the academy together every morning" His response made Hitomi feel nostalgic, reminiscing back to the day she befriended Kushina at the Academy and ended up walking with her every day.
"Hitomi-obasan, why do we have to look at apartments, can't I just move into whichever one is closest to where you guys live?" asked Naruto cutely as he looked up at her
"Well we need to make sure that you like it don't we Naru-chan?" answered the older woman while the three of them walked towards the first apartment
"I guess so, but I'm really bad at making decisions, you'll help me right Hinata-chan?" asked the blonde
"Of-c...course Naruto-kun, I'll t...try my b-best" responded the small bluenette
"Do you have anything in particular you're looking for in your apartment Naru-chan?" asked Hitomi
"Well not really, I don't have any toys or anyone to share the apartment with so it doesn't need to be big but as long as it's safer than where I live right now I'll be happy. Oh, it obviously needs to be close enough for you and Hinata-chan to come to visit me as well." He replied, smiling to try and hide the sadness in his words "It also needs to have a big window so that Mr. Ukki can get all the sunlight he wants"
"N...Naruto-kun, w-who's Mr. Ukki?" asked Hinata curiously as she looked at her friend with a puzzled expression on her face
"Oh, Mr. Ukki is my plant and before I met you he was the closest thing I had to a friend. One day when I was walking around the village I overheard some kids saying that their plant wouldn't grow so they threw it into the trash. I felt bad cause that reminded me of how people treat me you know so I fished him out of there and brought him home with me and gave him water and sunlight and he just kept on growing" said the blonde as he recounted the tale of how he found his leafy companion
"Mr. Ukki is v-very lucky to ha-have you" responded Hinata, feeling simultaneously heartbroken that people saw Naruto as trash and amazed at how he found positivity in everything
"You know, I like to garden as well, maybe I can give you some tips and that way you can get some friends for Mr. Ukki and some more plants for your new apartment" said Hitomi as she felt the same mixture of emotions as her daughter
"Really! That would be so cool Hitomi-obasan! Can you really teach me?" asked the blonde energetically upon hearing her words
"Of course I can Naru-chan, I think that it's amazing that you like taking care of plants, it's kind of like practising to take care of the village as Hokage right?"
"Huh, I didn't think of it that way but yeah it's totally like Hokage practice!" answered Naruto as he pondered Hitomi's words
"What about Hinata-chan, do you like to garden?" he asked
She nodded gently "I...I do b-but I also l-like to p-press flowers"
"That's so cool, I can plant flowers and then I can give you some to press, that would be really fun kinda like we were a team" shouted Naruto energetically
"I...I w-would like t-that a lot, Naruto-kun" she responded slightly blushing
As the trio entered the lobby of the apartment building, Naruto's eyes darted to his surroundings; a few comfortable looking benches and sofas decorated the area alongside a number of unique plants. What he also noted was the lack of people, meaning a lack of hateful stares.
"You two stay right here" said Hitomi as she walked over to the reception desk and asked for a key to the vacant apartment
"Here you go" Handing over the key, the woman at the desk caught in her vision a young blonde boy roaming around the lobby with intrigue and curiosity on his face. Her eyes narrowed as she recognised who it was.,"Just keep that...thing..." She sneered with a tone of disgust towards the young boy "...and that bitch he's with as well!" The woman in question had heard enough gossip throughout the village about how the demon brat that was walking around now had a partner who could easily be as bad.
"HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT ABOUT MY DAUGHTER AND NEPHEW" shouted Hitomi angrily as she released wave after wave of killing intent at the receptionist. "PEOPLE LIKE YOU WHO HATE FOR NO REASON ARE WORSE THAN TRASH" 'She slammed the key down on the table, turning back towards the children'
"Hina-chan, Naru-chan, let's not waste our time here any longer" She grabbed each of their hands tightly, leading them out the front door of the lobby.
Even though Naruto didn't hear what the receptionist had said, it was pretty obvious what had happened.
"Hitomi-obasan, d-did she say something about me?" he asked as he looked up at the older Hyuga as she sadly nodded. "Oh...ok, she didn't say anything about you or Hinata-chan right?" he asked, hoping his fears weren't true.
Hitomi was unable to answer but her silence was enough for the blonde, "I...I'm so sorry, you two have been so nice to me but when people see you with me they're gonna treat you bad as well and you don't deserve it. I'm so sorry to you both" Tears began forming as he felt his heart tinge with guilt. It seemed every time someone tried to help him, they would be punished for doing so. He couldn't bear to see anyone else suffer because of him.
As he tried to run however he felt two hands wrap tightly around his arm preventing him from leaving as he looked up and saw both Hitomi and Hinata holding onto him
"N...Naruto-kun, p-please don't g...go" A whimper came softly from the younger Hyuga, her grip tightening around Naruto's. "I d-don't care wh-what the v...villagers say, I j-just want m-my friend"
"Naru-chan, we never abandon one of our own and I see you as one of my own so no matter what people may say, we will always be by your side" said Hitomi sweetly as she tightened her grip on his arm
Hearing such support and kindness from the two Hyugas was a bit too much for Naruto's little heart to handle and unable to form sentences he lunged forward and wrapped them both in a hug. "I...I don't know how I can repay both of you" he said sobbing lightly as the two bluennets wrapped their arms around him
"Simple, just become the greatest Hokage the village has ever seen" Hitomi beamed, cheering up the young blonde
"S-Simple, ju...just l-let me s-support you a-and be y-your friend" stuttered Hinata as she used her sleeve to dry his tears
"You got it, I'll be the best Hokage and friend ever, believe it!" he responded, giving the two one more big squeeze before letting go
Hitomi held onto Hinata and Naruto's hands as she led them down the bustling street towards another potential home for Naruto. As they entered, the blonde immediately realized how much busier this building was than the previous one and yet, despite how many people seemed to be going and coming through the revolving doors no one paid any attention to them, too caught up with something or the other.
"This place is primarily used by businessmen who travel to Konoha for a few months at a time so most of them either don't know anything about village gossip or they're too busy to care" explained Hitomi as she saw the blonde staring around. "Now why don't you two go take seat on that bench while I go get the key" she suggested, using her finger to motion to an empty wooden bench by the window
The two children nodded and made their way over to the bench, sitting down with a small gap between each other
"Hinata-chan?" spoke up Naruto quietly
"Yes Naruto-kun?" she responded curiously as she turned to face him
"I...I'm sorry if I make you worry, I'm still not used to having someone who cares about me you know" he said quietly as he looked down at the bench, too embarrassed to meet the bluenette's eyes
"I...It's ok Naruto-kun, I k-know how tough y-y-you have had it, I'll a-always be here for y...you" she responded sweetly as she placed her chubby hand on top of his
"Thanks Hinata-chan, you really are amazing and i'll try my best to not worry you, i've gotta get better at dealing with my problems myself and not burden you or Hitomi-obasan so much" he said sheepishly as he felt the reassuring weight on his hand
"N...No" spoke up Hinata as she tightened her grip on his hand "No, don't ever say that again, you're Naruto Uzumaki and you're my friend, don't you dare call yourself a burden ever again you hear me. I don't care if you come to me with a problem every single day I will happily help you however I can and if I can't help you then i'll give you a hug and tell you everything will be alright because that's what friends do" she said, mustering all the confidence she had inside of her
"...do you promise?" whimpered Naruto quietly, still not believing that someone would be willing to go so far for him
"Uh-huh, I pinky promise" responded the bluenette as she wrapped her tiny pinky around Naruto's
"My my what's going on here?" asked Hitomi teasingly as she walked towards the bench the two kids were sitting on, dangling the apartment key in her left hand
"Oh...ummmm, Hinata-chan just pinky promised me that she doesn't think of me as a burden" spoke up Naruto, as his face turned a light shade of red, noticing his pinky was still wrapped around Hinata's
"Of course you're not a burden Naru-chan, now why don't you two let go of each other so we can go check out the apartment" she teased playfully while ruffling Naruto and her daughter's hair
The two shyly unwrapped their pinkies and stood up, following Hitomi up the stairs to the vacant apartment on the seventh floor.
"Wow this place is way bigger than my old apartment" exclaimed the blonde as he entered the empty apartment, being greeted with a spacious albeit barren living room and adjoining kitchen.
"Naruto-kun, l...look a-at the view, i...it's s-so pretty" said Hinata excitedly as she looked out the window, admiring a grand view of the whole village, leading to the Hokage rock formation.
"Wow it is pretty, not as pretty as your eyes but it's still pretty" responded Naruto nonchalantly as he stared out the window next to her, unaware of the profusely blushing Hyuga next to him
"Come on, let's check out the rest of this apartment" he spoke up again as he ran down the hallway connecting the living room to the rest of the apartment with Hinata in tow
They found a closet, a bathroom and then came across a large empty bedroom
"It's so weird you know" muttered Naruto as they entered the room
"W-What's weird Naruto-kun?"
"3 days ago I was content just sleeping on the floor of my kitchen and not having anyone to look out for me but since meeting you I've made a friend, met your mom who treats me like her own and now I'll actually have my own bedroom" he whispered as he stood in the middle of the empty space, the sunlight streaming in from the windows making his hair shine with a bright golden color. "I'm...I'm just so happy you know"
"I...I'm glad y-you're happy Naruto-kun" responded the bluenette, smiling as she placed a hand on his shoulder reassuringly "a...and i'm s-sure you'll make ev-even more friends"
"Meh I don't care if I make more friends or not cause i've got you and even if I do no one will ever come close to replacing you Hinata-chan"
"I...I f-feel the same way N-Naruto-kun, y...you'll always have a sp-special place in my h...heart"
Meanwhile, Hitomi ensured that the running water worked and was sanitary, the fridge was functional and the stove worked properly, making a mental note to teach Naruto how to not burn down the apartment.
"Well Naru-chan, what do you think?" asked Hitomi as she walked in on the tender moment between the two
"I like it but how far is this place from where you live?" He quiered.
"Hmm, from here i'd say maybe a 4-5 minute walk, the Hyuga compound is just one street over"
"Ok, then I love this place!" shouted Naruto excitedly before turning to the younger bluenette, "what do you think Hinata-chan?"
"I...I like it, it w-will be n-nice to be so c...close to you" she answered, blushing shyly
"So ummm what exactly do we do know, do I have to tell the old man or something so he can take care of it?" asked a puzzled Naruto, having zero clue about how buying an apartment actually works
"Don't worry about all that Naru-chan, I'll handle everything" She assured him with a warm smile. "It may take a few days but hopefully you'll be able to move in by the end of the week"
"Perfect, I can't wait" exclaimed Naruto only for his voice to be overpowered by a deep rumbling coming from his stomach, startling Hinata and making Hitomi giggle
"Guess I forgot to eat breakfast" muttered Naruto sheepishly as he scratched his head
"Well it is almost noon, why don't we go get some lunch" said Hitomi, watching the little blonde's eye's light up at the mention of food
"Oh Oh I have an idea" shouted Naruto as he practically bounced up and down, "Let me treat you both to lunch I know the best restaurant in all of Konoha"
"That's very sweet of you Naru-chan, it sounds like an amazing idea" responded Hitomi, knowing full well that she wasn't going to let Naruto pay
"W...Where did y-you have in m-mind Naruto-kun?" asked Hinata curiously, wondering what kind of food could make her friend this ecstatic
"That's for me to know, and you to find out Hinata-chan" he responded cheekily as he wrapped one hand around her arm and the other hand around Hitomi's, leading them out of the apartment
After getting lost a few times, Naruto finally found the street which led to his favorite place to eat, leading the two Hyugas down an all to familiar route for him. As they got closer and closer, even Hitomi began to recognize where they were going, having been dragged down this same path by Kushina after school, after missions and especially during her pregnancy when Minato was busy working.
"It's as if someone put you inside of Minato's body" thought the older woman to herself, fondly remembering her best friend's love for ramen from this particular restaurant
"Ta-da, here we are Ichiraku Ramen, the best ramen in the entire village" proclaimed Naruto triumphantly as they stopped in front of a small, cosy-looking building with a delicious smell wafting from it. "Hope you both are ready to have your mind's blown" he said enthusiastically as he dragged them inside
As they entered, the trio were greeted by a smiling man with a white apron and matching hat
"Pops guess what happened!" shouted the blonde as he sat down on one of the stools
"Alright I'll bite, what happened Naruto?" he asked curiously as he smiled at him warmly
"I made a friend, meet Hinata, she's super sweet and she's got really pretty eyes" he responded enthusiastically as he motioned to the blushing little girl sitting next to him
"Hello Hinata, I'm Teuchi, it's nice to meet you" he said, smiling gently
"I-It's n...nice to me-meet you t-to T...Teuchi-san" she stuttered while trying to hide how red her face was
"And that's Hitomi-obasan; she's Hinata's mom and she's really sweet and also really scary" continued the blonde as he motioned to older bluenette
"Hitomi-chan, it's been so long how are you?" asked the ramen maker as he turned to face her
"I've been good thank you Teuchi-san, I've been meaning to come but after...well you know...it's been a bit difficult" she responded with a tone of sadness in her voice
"Wait, you've been here before?" asked Naruto curiously as he looked at Hitomi with a puzzled expression on his face
"Yes, I used to come here all the time with your— with someone I loved very much" she responded, catching herself before accidentally revealing any secrets
"Well if whoever you came here with likes ramen they must be super cool, maybe I can meet them some day" asked the blonde enthusiastically, breaking Hitomi's heart with his words
Unable to answer, Hitomi focused her attention on the menu, doing her best to not break down in front of the children.
"So Naruto, Hinata, what will you have?" asked Teuchi, trying to distract them before they noticed the older bluenette's distress
"I-I've never h...had r-ramen before s-so, I'll j...just get w-whatever Naruto-kun's f-favorite is" answered Hinata, extremely curious to try this seemingly magical food
"You got it, 2 orders of miso ramen with extra pork coming up" he said before turning to Hitomi
"Can I please get the salt ramen" she said as she composed herself and smiled, remembering how many bowls of salt ramen she watched Kushina inhale over the years
"Okaasan, a-after we e...eat, c-can Naruto-kun, come o...over to our house s-s-so we can p-play?" asked Hinata cutely as she looked up at her mother
"Of course we can my love, just make sure Naru-chan is ok with it" responded Hitomi as she gently patted her daughter's hair
"Would t-that b...be ok with y...you Naruto-kun?" asked the smaller bluennette, turning to face her friend
"Are you sure Hinata-chan? I know that you guys are like a super powerful and noble clan so I don't want people to think less of you guys because of me, I wanna give you guys more grief than I already have y'know"
"Naruto-kun, d...don't say that, y-you're my friend and I...I d-don't care wh-what people think a-and I d...don't want you to be l...l...lonely" she responded, looking at Naruto with her big, cute, puppy-dog eyes
"Ahhh you're too sweet and I can't say no to your face, it's just too adorable, it's not fair" he pouted, making Hinata blush which only made her look even more adorable, the red in her cheeks accentuating her large, lavender eyes
"P...perfect, w-we can go af-after lunch" responded the bluenette, smiling sweetly as she poked her index fingers together
"I just realized that I will probably never be able to say no to you when you make that face" teased Naruto as he pointed at Hinata accusingly, "I hope your happy"
"I...I am v-very happy" responded the young Hyuga coyly, enjoying the bond she had forged with the blonde in such a short amount of time, giggling as he stuck his tongue out at her
Hitomi looked upon the two children, laughing and talking with each other and smiled fondly, thankful to the blonde for helping her daughter slowly emerge from her shell and making a mental note to start keeping extra weapons on her once Naruto hit puberty
"Order up" said Teuchi, snapping all their attention to the 3 steaming hot bowls of ramen placed in front of them.
"Itadakimasu" exclaimed the three of them in unison before splitting apart their chopsticks and digging in
Each of them had a different experience as they took the first bite of their ramen; Naruto felt reassured and at home as he felt the warm broth touch his lips, savoring the taste of the one thing that brought him joy even when the whole world hated him. Hitomi was transported back in time to her childhood when Kushina dragged her to a quaint little ramen shop she had found that quickly turned into weekly ramen dates well into their shinobi careers. However, Hinata probably had the most life-changing experience yet as she tasted one of the best things she had eaten till this point in her life, second only to her mom's homemade broccoli and sweet potato tempura.
Not only was everything fresh and flavorful but there was also something else about, a sense of hominess and comfort that came with each bite that she couldn't quite explain. Before she knew it, she was almost done and only had broth left which she was slowly trying to drink with her spoon, causing the blonde sitting next to her to laugh.
"Wh-what's so funny Naruto-kun" she asked shyly, wondering if he was laughing at her because she had done something wrong.
"Nothing, it's just that you're eating so formally and it'll take you hours to finish if you keep eating like that" he said, "this is what you're supposed to do" he continued saying as he picked up his bowl, placed it by his mouth and tilted it upwards, drinking the broth.
Hinata looked over to her mother, and upon seeing her drinking the ramen straight from the bowl as well, she slowly lifted her bowl to her lips and mimicked their actions, enjoying the taste and feeling of the warm broth flowing down her throat
As she finished her bowl, Hinata looked over and saw a pair of large blue eyes staring at her intently, making her blush
"So how was it Hinata-chan?" asked the blonde
"I...it was q-quite delicious Naruto-kun" she responded
"Y'know, I think this is the best bowl of ichiraku ramen I've had yet because I got to share it with you" he said excitedly, "...do you think you can come here with me again?" he asked, looking upon her with his infectious smile and bright eyes
"O...Of course N-Naruto-kun" stuttered the bluenette, blushing under his gaze
Meanwhile, while Hinata and Naruto innocently made plans about spending time together everyday, Hitomi motioned to Teuchi to speak to him privately
"Teuchi-san, if possible could you start a tab for Naruto-kun which I will cover so he doesn't have to pay for ramen, he doesn't have much and I know how much he loves this place" she asked in hushed tones
"You insult me Hitomi-chan, do you seriously think I would take money from a boy like that? I know how poorly the village treats him so if my ramen brings him joy and happiness, that's the only payment I need"
"I...I don't know what to say, that's very sweet of you"
"Oh come on, I'd do anything for Minato-kun and Kushina-chan's son" he responded quietly so the children wouldn't overhear
"H...How did you know that" She gasped in shock, keeping her tone quite and neutral despite her surprise at the ramen maker's deductive skills
"Anyone who knew Minato and Kushina well can easily see that he's the perfect combination of his parents in looks and personality...plus the only person I ever saw inhale ramen the way he does was Kushina-chan" he answered matter-of-factly "I didn't say anything because I'm guessing if people knew his true lineage Minato-kun's enemies would come after him and it isn't my place to begin with"
"Thank you Teuchi-san, for showing him so much compassion and kindness" spoke up Hitomi, a small tear rolling down her cheek as she looked upon the blonde fondly
"Bye old-man, I'll be back soon and I'm gonna bring Hinata-chan with me" shouted the blonde excitedly as they left the ramen restaurant
"D...Do y-you like cinnamon r-rolls Naruto-kun?" asked Hinata as the trio walked towards the Hyuga compound, their hands occasionally brushing past each other
"I dunno, I've never had them but they've always looked tasty, why do you ask?" quired the blonde
"Well y-you're favorite...food is ramen a-and you introduced me t-to Ichiraku, s...so it's only fair t-that I take y...you to my favorite b-bakery and introduce you to c-cinammon rolls"
"That sounds like an amazing idea Hinata-chan, I would love to try cinnamon rolls with you. Oh, that gives me an idea, once we're in the academy we can go get cinnamon rolls in the morning for breakfast and then get ramen after our classes end and that way I get to hang out with you all day!" rambled the blonde excitedly as he imagined how much fun it would be spend the entire day with Hinata during school and after school
"T...That would b-be amazing Naruto-kun"
"Is he asking my daughter out on a date?" Hitomi thought to herself as she overheard the two children, instinctively slipping her hand to her kunai pouch, wrapping her fingers around the pommel, ready to throw it at the blonde at a moment's notice. "No, maybe he isn't, but if he does, I'm sure Kushina and Minato won't mind if I use him as a practice dummy"
"Wow your house is giiiiiiiigantic!" exclaimed Naruto as the trio arrived at the gates to the Hyuga Compound
"This is the Hyuga Clan Compound Naru-chan; most of the Hyuga in the village live here so it needs to be big enough to fit everyone" explained Hitomi as they walked down an elegant path towards a large house, separated from the rest of the compound
"Is this your house Hinata-chan?" asked the blonde as the entered through an intricate set of double doors, as the bluenette shyly nodded her head yes
"Alright you two, go have fun" shooed Hitomi as her daughter shyly led Naruto down the hallway leading to her room. Making her own way towards Hiashi's study to let him know that they had found an apartment for Naruto
"Your room is so big and it's really tidy as well" commented Naruto as he walked inside Hinata's bedroom; a large panelled room probably bigger than his new apartment's living room with a queen-sized bed with a sky blue comforter with clouds on it and a light orange fox plush toy tucked between two pillows, a neatly organized bookshelf, a sizeable desk with an open sketchbook on it and a large chest filled with toys.
"S...So what, wo...would you l-like to do Naruto-kun?" asked the bluenette shyly
"Hmmm I dunno, I'm good to do anything, whatever you wanna do Hinata-chan, what do you like to do for fun?"
"W...Well I like t-to take my fl-flower book and go a...around the garden" she responded as she pulled a large, leather-bound book from her shelf
"Oooooh that sounds like a lot of fun, maybe I can get some ideas for my garden!" exclaimed the blonde
"The g-garden is this w-way" said a smiling Hinata as she tucked her book under the crook of her arm and motioned for Naruto to follow her
The word garden did not do the floral masterpiece Naruto was looking at justice, it was a large area in the courtyard in the middle of the house with a small koi pond, a large variety of different flowers arranged by color starting from purple on one end and slowly transitioning to red on the opposite end like a rainbow. A wide pebbled stone pathway curved through the garden with benches and comfortable looking lounge chairs set up, making it an ideal and tranquil spot to relax.
"So you're saying your mom made all of this?" asked the blonde in amazement as the admired a beautiful bed of tulips; he had never seen so many different colors of flower before, and each one looked exquisite.
"Mhm, she s-spent most of h...her time pregnant with me pl...planting these flowers" confirmed the bluenette
"So then technically you were the reason she gardened in the first place so really you should take all the credit for this, at least that's what I would do" joked Naruto, earning a giggle from his friend
The two continued to walk around the garden and explore until mutually deciding to take a small break and sit on one of the small wooden benches directly in the sunlight.
"W-Would you like to see some of my pre...pressed flowers?" asked Hinata as she placed her book in her lap
"I'd love that Hinata-chan" smiled Naruto as his friend slowly cracked open the spine of the book. He leaned over Hinata's shoulder so he could get a better look, scooting close to her until his side was pressed against her
He could tell that she's had this book for a long time, the first few pages were written in exquisite calligraphy which he assumed was Hitomi's along with small little crayon doodles made by tiny Hinata. As she slowly flipped through the pages, Hitomi's handwriting was replaced by Hinata's with the flower name, what it symbolized and the day it was added all written underneath it, along with anything she really liked about the flower.
"This is really cool Hinata-chan, when we become Ninja and go on missions outside of Konoha, you can take this book with you and find flowers from all sorts of places"
"That s-sounds, like a dr...dream" she responded smiling, wondering what kind of different flora existed beyond the walls of Konohagakure "b...but only if w-we're on the sa-same team" She only wondered if fate had was going to be kind to them, and they would end up together.
"Of course we will be there's no question about it, I'll fight Old Man Hokage if I have to in order to be on your team" proclaimed the blonde confidently, his show of confidence making her smile as she nuzzled closer to him on the small bench
After spending a few hours together and exploring the garden, playing tag and trying to see who could draw the Hokage Monument better, they were politely informed by a sweet Hyuga clanswomen that it was time for Hinata's politics lesson.
Both children sadly walked to the Hyuga compound's front gate, neither wanting to leave the other's company.
"Don't look so sad Hinata-chan, I'll see you again real soon, okay?" reassured Naruto warmly as he gave her a hug
"P-promise?" she asked, looking up at him cutely while pressing her head against his chest
"Yup I promise and I never go back on my word!" exclaimed the blonde as he held Hinata close "...plus we have already established that you can use your impossibly cute face to make me do anything you want" he added teasingly, making her blush for the umpteenth time today
Later on that night two ninja appeared on the roof of the Hokage mansion
"Report" asked the elder Hokage wearily as he took a puff from his pipe
"It is as you suspected, ROOT is still very much alive and Danzo appears to be stoking the flames of the Uchiha Clan to start a coup" spoke up one of the ninja
"Do you think a coup is avoidable or is the damage irreparable?" questioned Hiruzen as he pondered how to resolve the situation with the Uchiha without any bloodshed
"Perhaps, but if we do not act soon then things may reach a point of no return, we think that Danzo is working with Orochimaru to gather the Sharingan; He already tried stealing mine after him and his agents ambushed me." responded the other ninja from his kneeling position
"Very well, Itachi, Shisui you have a new mission, arrest Danzo Shimura before his scheming results in any more loss of life...and if you must you are permitted to use lethal force." Hiruzen's face fell in disappointment, knowing that his former best friend was no longer the civilised man he once knew, but was now a treacherous and power-hungry man, out to achieve his own lust for power.
"Understood Hokage-sama" they both responded
As the two disappeared from the rooftop, Hiruzen was left alone with his thoughts, overlooking the sleeping village.
In one of the buildings he watched over, a blonde was fondly reminiscing about his day
"Mr. Ukki, we're going to be moving into a new apartment, there are a lot more windows so you can get even more sunlight and I'll have space to get a lot more plants to keep you company" said the blonde, talking to his leafy companion as he changed into his pajamas
"Hitomi-obasan and Hinata-chan were both really nice and they took me to sooooo many different apartments and now they're gonna basically be our neighbors and they are gonna visit me! Isn't that the best? I finally have people who will actually want to come to visit me and not just slip death threats under my door." He exclaimed, taking in the idea that he would no longer have to put up with morbid intentions.
"I'm sure you'll like them but Hitomi-obasan might throw a kunai at you, I guess you're a plant so if a leaf or two falls of you can just regrow it" He chuckled to himself as he got under his covers, ready for sleep to invite him to a pleasant slumber. It has been a long day for Naruto, but it was the beginning of a number of days that would only get better.
"Goodnight, Hinata-chan." He whispered softly as he stared out his window at the moon, which reminded him of the young girl's soft and beautiful eyes.
Authors Note: Welcome to the end of the chapter, hopefully you all enjoyed it! I know I made Hiashi a bit OOC but I figured that he was a pretty cool guy until he lost his wife so if she's alive I'd guess he wouldn't be an asshole like he was in most of Naruto. This chapter was lots of fun for me to write and it also teased the first big conflict of this series...would you all like in-depth fight scenes or short quick ones so that the story remains more fluffy? Let me know what you think in the comments! I always love to hear what you all have to say about this story and reviews make the entire writing process much more fun. If you have something you liked and would want to see more of or if there was something you hated and want me to do differently or anything in between please let me know, constructive criticism, feedback and suggestions are always appreciated!
P.S. The entire ichiraku scene was inspired by the Shippuden Ending Rainbow Sky which is one of my faves so I definitely recommend checking it out!
Stay safe and I'll see y'all in the next chapter : )