CHAPTER 5 - Revelations
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November
The next few days were some of the hardest Hinata's ever had.
She couldn't bring herself to face her teammates. She was embarrassed and distraught. The person she admired most...the man that she loved for so long finally reciprocated her feelings...
But she couldn't place this burden on him.
Immediately, Hinata felt guilty at that thought. She rested her hand on her stomach, silently apologizing to the growing life inside her. She considered all her options, she did. And despite the confusion and shock of learning about her pregnancy, she decided to go through with it. Sometimes she felt alone in this decision but she knew she had the support of her friends...at least from the ones she told.
Right now she couldn't find the courage to seek out Kiba or Shino and tell them she had...she had rejected Naruto.
But she desperately wanted to talk to someone who understood the situation she was in.
She made her way quickly through the streets of Konoha, hoping she wouldn't see anyone she recognized. But it seemed like luck wasn't on her side at the moment.
She had almost made it to her destination when she saw a familiar figure dressed in black approach her. It wasn't in her to be rude so she waved politely as he came to a stop in front of her.
"Have you seen Naruto?" Sasuke asked, getting straight to the point.
Hinata felt something inside her break. Sasuke looking for him worried her. Had he not been seeing anyone? Did she hurt him so badly that he didn't even want to see his friends?
She winced at the thought. I guess I haven't been in the right mindset to see my friends either.
"I haven't," she answered, unable to meet his eyes. "It's been a couple of days since I last saw him."
"Hm, okay." She could feel his stare on her. "Take care of yourself."
And then he was gone.
It was such a short interaction but it left Hinata a little shaken. She appreciated his concern for her but she didn't like to learn that she caused Naruto pain. She thought she would be saving him from it. She knew he would be hurt… but… It was hard to come up with reasoning behind what she did. She just… she didn't want him to have to shoulder her problems.
She shook her head, rapidly making her way through the roads. Soon she made it to her destination and she gently knocked on the door, patiently waiting for a response. Almost immediately she heard excited chatter and little footsteps.
"Careful," she heard a familiar voice. "Let me open it for you."
As soon as the door opened a crack, Mirai ran through, jumping right into Hinata's arms.
"Hina-oneesan!" the dark haired girl giggled, hugging her tightly.
"Mirai, how are you?" Hinata asked as Kurenai gestured to her to come inside.
"I'm good," she said, giving Hinata a serious little nod before she was placed back on the floor. "Big brother tried to teach me...shogi?"
Hinata laughed, looking at her teacher. "Shikamaru tried teaching her shogi?"
Kurenai smiled, ruffling her daughter's hair. "Try is a strong word. More like they just threw pieces around."
Mirai seemed to have gotten bored with the conversation immediately and went to play with her toys.
"It's been a while. What brings you around, Hinata?" Kurenai asked, moving to the kitchen to make them tea.
Hinata followed her nervously. Her teacher knew her well. She could tell when something was bothering her old student.
"Kurenai-sensei, I have something important I need to tell you," Hinata said, staring into her red eyes.
Kurenai looked at her for a moment before nodding once in understanding. "Something serious, huh? Well, let me get this tea on and we'll talk."
A few minutes later they were seated at her kitchen table, Mirai still playing in the other room.
"Are you in trouble, Hinata?" Kurenai asked, taking a sip of her drink.
Hinata bit her lower lip, gently nursing her cup in her hands. "I...no I wouldn't say trouble."
Kurenai waited patiently for Hinata to gain the resolution to tell her what was happening. She watched as her student squeezed her eyes shut tightly, took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.
"Kurenai-sensei, I'm pregnant."
The house would have been quiet if it wasn't for Mirai's bangs and laughter drifting in the air.
Hinata felt warm hands cover her own and she looked up to see her teacher smiling at her.
"Pregnant huh? Honestly, If I expected any of my pupils to get pregnant or get someone else pregnant it would have been Kiba," Kurenai teased. "Don't tell him I said that though."
Hinata laughed because if she didn't she probably would have cried.
"Can I ask...is Naruto the...?"
Hinata felt her face turn red and she shook her head. It didn't surprise her that Kurenai didn't even bother asking who the father was and instead already assumed his identity. For some reason it just made her sad.
The look of surprise that crossed her teacher's face just made her feel worse.
"If not- then who…?"
Hinata sighed. "I don't know."
Red eyes sharpened. "Hinata, did someone rape you?"
"No!" she denied immediately. "No, I don't think so."
She quickly explained what she had told Sakura. How she really didn't know how this could have happened. How she was certain she never had sex. She told Kurenai how she had recently followed up with Sakura again to do more tests and imaging; they estimated she might be three months along, moving on to four.
Hinata sighed at the absurdity of it all. Even after having time to think about it she still found certain facts hard to grasp. Like how the furthest she had gotten when it came to intimacy were heated kisses and gentle touches- and all this was after she got pregnant. She kept this part to herself.
"I don't think I've heard anything like this before," Kurenai considered out loud. At the disheartened look on Hinata's face she quickly reassured her. "I believe you, though. Of course, I believe you. And I'll be here for you every step of the way. Thank you for sharing this with me."
"Thank you," Hinata whispered. "The only people who know are Kiba-kun, Shino-kun, and Sakura-chan." She paused. "And Sasuke-kun," she said, unable to stop the smile that formed at that thought. She definitely didn't plan for him to know but he was sweet to her in his own way.
"And your family?"
"I don't know how I can tell them something like this," she admitted. "I'll tell them eventually. Just...not now."
Kurenai understood this. The Hyuga could be tough. Something like this...it just hadn't been done.
"I want to talk a little bit more about when this happened," Kurenai said. "How many weeks along are you?"
"Based on my missed periods and some imaging Sakura-chan did, it seems like the baby may have been conceived in August. So I'm approaching 12 weeks in? Give or take."
"You're small, Hinata," Kurenai said, looking concerned. "You'll probably start showing soon if you aren't already. It'll be hard to keep this a secret for long."
Hinata sighed, looking down at herself, resting her hands against her stomach.
"But have you thought about how this could have happened?" Kurenai questioned.
"Of course," Hinata nodded, looking back at her teacher. "I can't pinpoint it."
"What were you doing three months back? Even four?"
"I was on a mission with Team 8. An easy one. Just tracking down some nin who were causing trouble at the border," she answered easily. She had thought intensely about everything that happened to her these past few months. "But nothing interesting happened. We found them, fought them with little to no injuries, and we apprehended them."
"No weird jutsus?" Kurenai asked.
Hinata shook her head. "No. They were taken down easily. No one touched me. Nothing strange happened. It was a mission a genin could have done."
"Okay, anything else?"
"Some time after I had a mission with Naruto," she said, her eyes looking off at nothing as memories from the mission surfaced. "That was supposed to be simple as well. Searching for two missing children."
Kurenai's eyes sharpened. "What do you mean was supposed to be simple?"
"We were surprised," Hinata answered immediately, tightening her grip around her teacup. "I got injured, lost a lot of blood, and lost consciousness."
"Could something have happened then?"
Hinata thought about it, unsure. "I considered it. But Naruto was with me the whole time. I doubt he would have let anyone do anything to me."
Kurenai agreed. "I'm surprised you got hurt so badly. But I understand that mistakes happen."
"It was unexpected," Hinata whispered, her eyes saddening. "And the mission just felt...personal to me. I admit I was a bit distracted. "
"Personal?"
"Kidnapped kids," she stated simply, eyes blankly watching Mirai play in the other room.
Kurenai sighed deeply. She knew of Hinata's story. Her past. There were many attempts to steal her from the Hyuga clan to unlock the secrets of the Byakugan. And the one… semi successful attempt led to the death of her uncle.
Kurenai said nothing for a while, lost in her own thoughts before speaking once more. "So far that mission seems the most suspect. Did you have anything else happen after?"
Hinata shook her head. "No. I had a few solo missions but, again, nothing happened. Escort missions, clan obligations. All dull affairs."
"Okay," Kurenai said slowly. "I'm sure there's an explanation. There always is."
Hinata stared into her empty cup demurely. "That's not all, Kurenai-sensei." She swallowed, her throat suddenly feeling uncomfortably tight. "Naruto-kun...he...he told me that he loved me."
Kurenai's concerned expression morphed into one of joy. "That's wonderful Hinata!"
Hinata couldn't find it in herself to match her enthusiasm. "I rejected him," she said softly.
Immediately her sensei's brows furrowed in confusion. "Hinata. Why?"
Hinata hunched her shoulders, ashamed of her actions. "Because, Kurenai-sensei. I couldn't...I couldn't put something like this on him," she said, feeling her emotions well up inside her. "I felt so guilty. He-"
"He finally reciprocated your feelings and you…"
A teardrop darkened a spot on the wooden table.
"It's not fair to him," Hinata whispered. "He deserves someone better. Someone who he can have a choice with. To choose if he wants a family. "
Kurenai huffed. "Hinata. You're a smart young woman. But I don't think you're giving Naruto enough credit. He's a good man. A great man."
Hinata took a shuddering breath. "I know that. I know that better than anyone. That's why I don't want to burden him with my troubles- I don't want him to feel like he has to help me. I don't want him to have to shoulder-"
"To tell you the truth, Hinata," Kurenai quickly interjected. "And I'm going to be very blunt with you- I feel like Naruto deserves to know. One, because you both love each other and secrets are never a good thing," she stated. "And two, because I'm very suspicious about your mission and maybe he has some information you don't have...maybe he can provide some clarity you're missing."
Hinata stared into her sensei's stern gaze. She felt like a child being scolded by her mother. But she needed to hear it. She never considered it that way. This whole time she was trying her best to handle things on her own. To not trouble anyone with her predicament. To not be a burden- a failure. She thought she was doing him a service- a kindness even- by keeping this to herself but maybe she was going about it the wrong way.
She swallowed. "I...you're right. He's my friend. I shouldn't belittle him by assuming the worst."
Kurenai smiled. "You talk about choices, Hinata. Let him make his own choices...after he gets all the information."
Hinata shifted uncomfortably in her seat, feeling anxiety rise inside of her. "It's so nerve wracking, Kurenai-sensei. He loves me. And I love him. But he shouldn't...I don't want him to feel obligated to help me. How can I tell him I'm…"
Kurenai reached over to grasp Hinata's hands once more. "Children are a gift, Hinata. I don't know how Naruto will react. But something tells me he'll want to help you. You're precious to him. And you're going through something very difficult. He's not going to let you go through it alone, I know that much. Whether it's as a romantic partner or as a friend...I'm almost certain he'll be by your side. Just let him choose."
Hinata felt like her heart could burst.
She wiped at her face just as Mirai walked into the room, searching for something to eat. She settled into Hinata's lap, reaching for a plate of cookies Kurenai had laid out and Hinata gently ran her fingers through the young girl's dark hair.
"I'll tell him, Kurenai-sensei," Hinata promised. "I...I know I'm stalling but I have a short mission coming up and I'll tell him for certain once I come back."
Kurenai smiled at this. "I'm glad, Hinata. And, again, I'm glad you shared all this with me."
A genuine smile settled on Hinata's lips. "I should have come to you earlier," she said with a soft laugh. "I was scared. Honestly, it took me a long time to just process everything."
"I understand completely," Kurenai chuckled, gazing fondly at her daughter before her face slowly morphed into a serious one. "But...I also want you to be very careful, Hinata. I might be wrong but it seems clear to me that this pregnancy wasn't a mistake. Someone planned it. So I just want you to promise me you'll be extra cautious, always. Not just on missions."
Hinata felt her heart thudding in her chest. She had considered these suspicions herself but hearing it from her own sensei made her much more inclined to believe it.
Her hand drifted back to her stomach.
She didn't know how this happened but she would very well protect what she was starting to believe was hers.
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When Naruto missed one of their training sessions, Sasuke didn't really question it.
When he missed two, he started wondering.
On the third, he decided to go look for him to make sure the loser wasn't dead.
He had asked Sakura about Naruto beforehand, of course. But the kunoichi didn't see him for a couple days. He even frequented Ichiraku's to ask if the blonde had visited recently and he was genuinely surprised when the answer he received was no. He knew for a fact the dobe wasn't on a mission. At least none that were officially assigned. Kakashi had told him. He even went as far to ask the Hyuga if she had seen him but she was no help.
All that was left was his apartment. He had been avoiding it because of one unfortunate incident where he went to wake him up and found him sleeping in the nude.
Sasuke shivered at that memory. He definitely didn't want to relieve that experience.
When he received no response from his knocking he decided it was his duty as designated best friend to make sure the dobe was alive. He made his way inside easily, and was surprised to see the apartment dark despite the sun shining brightly outside. The shades were drawn and the door to Naruto's bedroom was shut firmly. There were no empty ramen containers scattered on his table, no used dishes piled up- and this just made Sasuke more concerned.
"Naruto," he called from the living room, not worried about accidentally surprising the ninja. He knew that if Naruto was actually in the apartment, which he was because Sasuke could sense him, Naruto would know he was there as well. "You better get out here or I'm coming in."
When he still got no response, the Uchiha sighed. How he got himself in these situations he couldn't tell you.
He turned the doorknob- the room was unlocked.
"I hope you're dressed," he muttered, pushing the door open wide and settling fully in the room.
Naruto was laying in his bed, wearing a rumpled white shirt and his black joggers, clearly awake. His blue eyes stared at a thin ray of light shining through a part in his curtains.
Sasuke narrowed his eyes.
He was not this idiot's parent.
Regardless, he walked towards the window and pulled open the shades just like a parent would.
"Ugh, Sasuke, you bastard," Naruto mumbled, pressing his face into his pillow as the sunlight brightened up his room.
"What's wrong with you?" Sasuke asked bluntly.
Naruto's response was eaten by his pillow.
Now Sasuke was just getting a little annoyed.
"Naruto, don't make me pull you up," Sasuke said icily, stepping towards the bed.
Naruto groaned loudly and slowly sat up, glaring at his best friend. "Why don't you just leave me alone?"
Sasuke's frown deepened. "Why are you sulking?"
"None of your business," Naruto snapped, flopping back into his sheets.
"Have you even eaten?" Sasuke questioned, ignoring his friend's hostility. "Your place is too...clean. And empty. And dark."
He was met with nothing but silence. It was clear to him that Naruto was down and depressed. Naruto normally had a voracious appetite and it was strange if he went hungry. Sasuke pinched the bridge of his nose briefly wondering if it was worth it.
"Naruto, I want to help you."
For a moment it looked like the blonde wouldn't answer. He was glaring at the ceiling, looking uncomfortable in his own skin. After a while, Sasuke thought that the conversation was over.
Then Naruto's hardened expression melted into one of grief.
"I told Hinata I loved her."
The silence in the room magnified.
Sasuke sighed. "I don't see the problem in this. Anyone with eyes can see the Hyuga loves you back." The lack of response from Naruto was deafening. Sasuke was usually comfortable in quiet situations like this but not when his usual boisterous friend was involved. "What, she didn't love you back?" he asked, trying to wrap his mind around that surprising piece of news. He was definitely going to get a headache. "That's why you're wallowing?"
"She did," Naruto exclaimed, finally getting out of bed. "That's why I'm so confused."
Sasuke blinked, quickly trying to sort through this new information and everything else he had learned.
"She said she loved you?" Sasuke asked.
Naruto nodded.
"Then what's there to be confused about?"
His friend started pacing around the room, pulling at his blonde locks as he rambled. "She said she loved me. And we were having a good time until out of nowhere she got all scared and said something about it not being fair to me? Like what the hell is that supposed to mean? What's not fair?"
Oh.
Oh.
Naruto might be confused but Sasuke had some more knowledge on the matter.
"She said she has something going on that she doesn't want to force on me," Naruto continued. "What the fuck does that mean? Are all girls this confusing?"
"Yes," Sasuke answered immediately. "They are."
Naruto glowered. "I'm not joking, Sasuke."
"Neither am I," The Uchiha said with a shrug. He stared at his friend as Naruto started walking in circles again.
Clearly the Hyuga didn't want to burden Naruto with her pregnancy. Sasuke had no idea who the father was. He had no idea if the father was involved. All he knew was she was pregnant. She loved Naruto. And Naruto loved her. He couldn't possibly understand what was going through her head or why she would do what she did but clearly Naruto needed some support.
Sasuke exhaled. "Want to go blow off some steam?" he asked Naruto. "We'll go to one of the furthest training grounds scheduled to be demolished and redone. No holding back necessary."
Naruto looked at him, his blue eyes stormy and fierce. "Yes," he responded. "Let's go."
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The entire walk to the training site Naruto continued to mope.
It was a little uncomfortable for Sasuke. He felt like he should say something to make him feel better but he certainly wasn't well versed in matters like this. He decided to just let him do his own thing. The idiot basically got his heartbroken. He deserved time to brood.
When they finally started fighting it was fast and explosive. Anyone watching from the side line would have difficulty keeping up with the black and yellow blurs. Naruto was clearly frustrated but it also made him trip up. Sasuke got in a few punches that he knew normally wouldn't work.
But, in some ways, Sasuke was also distracted. Perhaps conflicted was more accurate. He wasn't sure if he should tell Naruto the key piece of information that he was missing. Maybe learning it would help clear up some of his turmoil. The only thing that held him back was the fact that Hinata specifically requested him not to.
Sasuke wiped at some blood trickling from the corner of his mouth and went to lunge with his sword just as Naruto activated his Sage Mode. Something in his expression made Sasuke stop mid attack.
The idiot wasn't even looking at him anymore.
"What?" Sasuke ground out, breathing heavily, as he used this time as a quick break. If he was actually an enemy, Naruto was leaving himself wide open. He could have his blade to his throat in a second-
"Hinata," Naruto answered, staring off somewhere into the distance.
Sasuke resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "What about her?"
"I can sense her chakra," Naruto said slowly.
Sasuke felt a sense of dread overcome him. This wasn't his fault though, was it? It's not his fault Naruto used his Sage Mode. It's not his fault Naruto was so attuned to the Hyuga's chakra signature that he pinpointed her from so far away even in the middle of their battle-
"I thought you wanted to distract yourself," Sasuke asked, trying to get Naruto's attention away from the girl. In his mind, Hinata had asked him not to tell Naruto and he didn't want to accidentally break that trust.
Naruto was silent for a moment, head tilted in concentration. "Her chakra feels weaker. It feels different."
Sasuke let out a defeated sigh. There was nothing he could do now. He wasn't even hearing him.
"What if she's in trouble?" Naruto mumbled, more to himself than his opponent. "I don't sense any negative emotions though. No one's around her."
"Naruto…"
"But why is it weaker?"
Sasuke was just waiting now. He was just waiting for Naruto to go.
"She's leaving the village," Naruto said, finally turning to look back at Sasuke. "Something's up with her chakra and she's leaving the village. Alone."
Sasuke sighed. There was nothing he could do once Naruto made up his mind.
"So what are you waiting for?" the Uchiha asked, gesturing towards the trees.
Naruto's expression hardened. He nodded once before disappearing.
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Naruto easily traced Hinata's chakra signature as she moved further and further from the village. She was fast but she obviously wasn't in any big rush. Himself on the other hand- he caught up and quickly hopped onto a branch that she was just gently landing on.
She yelped as he suddenly appeared in front of her, obviously surprised by his sudden entrance
He frowned.
That shouldn't have surprised her.
"Hinata," he said, gently gripping her shoulders as he steadied her. He carefully examined her. She was in her mission gear. "You didn't notice me coming? You're not using your Byakugan?"
Hinata's initial disbelief of seeing him was dashed. "I'm not far from the village. The Byakugan's not necessary right now," she defended. "Using it constantly would just drain my energy."
Naruto nodded, now suddenly feeling out of place and unsure of what to say. He hadn't seen or spoken to her since that night. And all the days after he spent in bed, agonizing over what happened. If he said something wrong or did something wrong. What was going on in her life that made her look so pained and conflicted?
His concern for her trumped his ill feelings.
He couldn't stop thinking about her. He had gotten a taste of her- a feel of her and he really wished he could have more. Despite everything he didn't want to lose her. And now she was in front of him, less than an arms breadth away. And even though he knew they shared the same feelings he couldn't act on them- and that was painful.
"Um, what are you doing here, Naruto-kun?"
Pulled from his thoughts, Naruto blinked, realizing he was still in Sage Mode.
Hinata seemed to realize it too and she slowly wrapped her arms around her midsection which seemed like a weird gesture to him. So of course, Naruto focused on it.
He wasn't exactly sure what he was looking at.
"You okay, Hinata?" he asked. "Your chakra signature feels different."
"I'm okay," she said, her voice low. "I was assigned a solo mission."
Naruto didn't like the sound of that. His thoughts went back to their last mission together. It was only the two of them and it was supposed to be a simple search and rescue but things went south fast.
"It's an easy mission?" he asked, clearing his throat. They were standing pretty close to each other. Tree branches didn't often give much room.
Hinata nodded. "Just a brief escort mission. I shouldn't be gone for more than two days."
Naruto didn't know what to say. He had come to her instinctively and now that he was here he didn't know what to do. She was obviously fine even though something was off. He didn't want to question her and have things get worse than they already were.
"Naruto-kun, I want to apologize to you," Hinata said, hands clasped together as she bowed low.
This took him by surprise and he took a careful step back on the tree branch to prevent her head from banging into his chest. "Eh? What? Why are you apologizing?"
She straightened her back, looking up at him with a mixed expression of nervousness and determination.
"I have something to tell you," she started. "The reason why I said we shouldn't…" she trailed off, her face reddening.
He didn't blame her. He didn't want to hear about his rejection again either.
She shook her head, regaining her resolve. "I sincerely hope you don't think differently of me but I would never blame you if you did-"
"Hinata, you're confusing me," Naruto said. "I would never think badly of you-"
Her eyes stared into his intensely as she seemed to gather the courage to say what she wanted to say. He watched her take a deep breath and slowly exhale, her opal eyes boring into his- the intensity in them forcing him to maintain his gaze.
"Naruto-kun, I'm pregnant."
Naruto genuinely felt like his brain shut down. He felt cold as the blood drained from his face and a strange buzzing filled his ears-
Huh? Pregnant?
Hinata was talking- he could see her mouth moving but he couldn't hear what she was saying.
She's... pregnant?
Her change in chakra signature made sense now. His eyes darted to the lower half of her mission top and she self consciously covered herself. Shifting his eyes back up to hers he saw the fear of rejection on her face-
"Wait," he said, clearing his throat. "Huh?"
"I'm pregnant, Naruto-kun," she repeated patiently.
"How? Who?"
He felt like his world was crumbling.
I thought she loved me?
"Was it all a lie?" he asked.
She looked confused. "Was what a lie?"
"You. You loving me. Did you lie about that?"
He felt betrayed. She was...she was carrying someone's baby. She was going to have another man's baby. That means someone else kissed her- someone else held her like he wanted-
"No!" she exclaimed, her fingers curling into fists at her side. "No, I do love you-"
"But you're pregnant," he said, his voice hollow.
He couldn't make sense of this. He knew love wasn't a necessity when it came to having sex...he just didn't expect Hinata to do that. Unless she was lying about her feelings. But why would she lie?
He was so confused. He was upset but he wasn't angry. He felt his emotions shut down. Felt himself go numb.
"Do you love someone else too?" he asked, the lack of emotion in his voice sounding foreign even to him. Was that possible? Loving two people romantically? "Someone other than me?" It had to have been right?
Was Kiba wrong? Did she actually have a boyfriend? Did someone successfully sidle their way into Hinata's heart? Did she like someone enough to invite them into her bed?
He felt a pain in his chest, remembering how he had her in his arms only a few nights ago.
"No, Naruto-kun. It's always been you-"
"But we never… that means you…" His mind conjured up images he didn't want to see. The breathless look on Hinata's face when he had her pressed against the bed. The way she arched into his touch as he slid his hands against her body. The shuddering gasps and moans when he trailed his tongue down her throat-
And the image of a faceless man doing all of that instead of him.
His lungs felt tight and he found it hard to breathe.
"You don't understand," she started to explain, her voice shaking.
"Please don't lie to me," Naruto croaked, conflicted. He wanted to hold her and bask in the fact that she loved him. Or that she said she did. But a part of him also wanted to run away. He felt like an idiot-
Sakura and Ino were right. Hinata was fucking gorgeous, intelligent, and kicks ass. Of course some other hot blooded male would have come along and tried to get in her pants. He didn't blame her for falling for someone else. He waited too long. Maybe she got annoyed at seeing all his fans fawning all over him- maybe she decided she should move on.
He couldn't blame her for that.
"Naruto-kun, please…"
Ripped out of his thoughts he stared into her glistening eyes, filled with a cacophony of emotions.
"You're pregnant," he repeated, laughing harshly. "You had sex with someone else and I can't even blame you for it. I don't deserve to be upset-"
"Stop it," she whispered, distressed at his reaction. "Listen to me. I didn't sleep with anyone...I need you to understand that."
It was hard to. How else could this have happened?
Despite the absurdity in what she was saying he found himself hesitating. Hinata wasn't the type to lie. This woman in front of him… she was the same girl who offered to help him cheat during their chunin exams at her own expense. Hinata wasn't a bad person- but...she was pregnant and what she was saying didn't make sense. None of this made sense.
"What do you mean you never-"
"Exactly what I said," she said a little bit louder- getting frustrated. "I never had sex. I don't remember having sex! I would remember if I did. I don't know how it happened-"
"Well, I mean, when a guy and a girl love each other very much-"
He wasn't even joking but Hinata almost laughed bitterly before shaking her head. "Naruto-kun, I didn't...I never…"
Her face was red now and he felt his own heat up too, only now in anger.
All at once, his thoughts had shifted and he could feel outrage creeping into the forefront.
Hinata loved him. He believed that. She wouldn't lie about it- the fact that he even questioned her feelings for him was laughable.
She would never sleep with anyone else if her heart rang true. He couldn't fathom that. Not on her own volition.
And if she said she never slept with anyone or that she perhaps didn't remember it...then that means someone...
All at once Hinata remembered how powerful the man before her was. How, if he wanted, he could make an entire country bend to his will. The fury emanating from him was palpable and she could see the red haze of Kurama's chakra threatening to bubble over his skin.
"Who hurt you, Hinata?" There was a grating edge to his voice as he grit his teeth together. "Tell me."
He felt like he could destroy something. He wanted to find the bastard that dared to lay a finger on her-
If someone touched Hinata without her consent-
"No one," she said softly, finally closing the gap between them as she let her palms rest against his chest. Feeling her close to him- the gentleness of her fingers against his black jacket- helped to tame some of the ferocity of the rage and wrath that was rapidly overtaking him.
"You're pregnant," he rasped, feeling his throat constrict with emotion. "That means you…that means someone..."
"I don't know how it happened, Naruto-kun. Yes, I'm pregnant. I confirmed with Sakura-chan that I really am," she tried to explain. "But we couldn't figure out how. I've only ever kissed one person and that was you," she said, blushing furiously.
His anger at what could have happened was slowly replaced by confusion.
"Is it mine?" he asked. Logically, he knew you couldn't get pregnant from kissing but now he was questioning everything.
"No," she said. He noted the sadness in her voice when she answered. "I don't know."
"How far along are you?" he asked.
"Three months?" she replied. "Give or take."
He didn't understand. He thought he was going to get answers but everything he learned just left him feeling more disoriented.
"What the fuck," he muttered under his breath, running his fingers through his short hair.
"Naruto-kun, the reason I said no to us is...I didn't want to put this pressure on you," she explained, pulling her hands away from him.
He snatched out his arm, gripping her wrist to pull her back into his chest.
"Hinata, this doesn't change anything," he said firmly. "You love me. I love you. You don't even know how this happened. I don't blame you for that."
"Naruto-kun…"
"I know you have to get going soon," he said, blue eyes searching her pale ones. "But what I said before stands. I'm here for you if you want me."
Tears welled up in her eyes and she nodded, burying her face into his jacket. "I will always want you, Naruto-kun."
"Please be careful on your mission," he whispered, holding her tight in a hug. Surely she could feel how his heart beat rapidly in his chest for her. "We'll talk more when you come back." He said these words reluctantly. He wanted more than anything to just whisk her away and clear everything up. To have her in his arms forever.
She looked back up at him, clutching at his coat as she stood on her tiptoes.
Easily reading what she wanted, Naruto leaned down to meet her, pressing their lips together. Regardless of everything that just happened, he was elated. He thought he would never get to do this again- feeling her soft lips against his own made him briefly forget all the prior turmoil. Feeling the heat of her skin as he pressed his hands on her back warmed him to the core.
They were panting by the time she pulled back, but it was still earlier than he would have liked. She was breathless, her cheeks pink as she leaned against the tree trunk, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
"I'll talk to you later, Naruto-kun," she said, giving him a smile. "I love you."
Naruto grinned. Hearing that slip from her mouth so naturally and easily made his heart flutter. "Love you, Hinata!"
He watched her until she was out of sight before turning to find Sasuke and Sakura.
Hinata had mentioned checking in with Sakura about this.
That means she knew.
And if she knew, Sasuke probably knew.
He sped up, jumping from branch to branch.
He needed to find his friends.
.
.
Naruto was hopping the rooftops, determined to see Sakura that day. Part of him was upset that she hadn't told him. They were friends and she knew how he felt about Hinata-
But the logical part of him understood why she would stay silent. It wasn't up to her to choose whether he should be party to that information. It was Hinata's.
Now the way Sakura had acted during his party made sense.
That's why she was so adamant Hinata shouldn't drink, he thought. And why she was so pushy about making sure she ate. She was worried about their wellbeing.
Hinata and the baby.
Affection for his pink haired teammate bubbled up inside of him. She was a good friend to Hinata. Though he was still a little mad, he was glad she did her best to take care of Hinata in her own way.
He had long ago settled out of Sage Mode but he sensed someone closing in on him- and fast.
Sasuke caught up to him as he made his way to the hospital. He had already pinpointed Sakura's location once Hinata was out of his visual radius.
"Naruto," the Uchiha said as they ran on the buildings. "Talk to her after work."
Naruto slid to a stop, glaring at his friend. Clearly the Uchiha realized he was going to confront Sakura. And if he figured out that much-
"You knew," he accused.
Sasuke, unperturbed by his hostility, didn't back down. "Yes. Since that day I refused to spar with her."
"Why didn't you say something?"
"It wasn't my business to share," Sasuke said. A beat. "And Hinata asked me not to."
Naruto was conflicted. Obviously Hinata hadn't chosen to tell Sasuke but damn if it didn't hurt that the bastard knew before him. He knew he was in no position to be angry at his friends but he was feeling so many emotions it was hard to place them.
Sasuke sighed, seemingly realizing the emotional turmoil his friend was suffering through. "Come on. We still have to demolish the training field. Your new revelations might be the perfect reason for you to let loose. No holding back."
There was no way Naruto would refuse an offer like that.
.
.
They ended up sparring for a long time. By the time they were done the sun was starting to set. The sky was an orange and yellow, slowly fading into black.
As he lay bruised and bloody on the cooling green grass, Kurama's chakra steadily working on his injuries, he thought more about what he just learned. At that moment, he was obviously happy to learn Hinata still wanted him.
But now he was starting to feel confused again.
She was pregnant.
A part of him was angry.
Not at her necessarily. But at the whole situation.
You said you wanted a family, Kurama recalled, waking from his slumber.
I did. I do- But I obviously didn't expect this.
He didn't think Hinata would lie to him. She wasn't that type of person. But how else…
What if she did sleep with someone else?
Even if that were the case he knew he had no right to be upset at that. She was allowed to do what she wanted with whoever she wanted. So what if it wasn't him, right? So what if the baby she was growing inside of her was someone else's?
For some reason the idea that Hinata didn't have a clue who the father was sat better with him than if she had felt enough affection for someone to have sex with them. It was more like he didn't want a face or name to put on the...on the sperm donor. He didn't even want to consider that there was someone else. It was easier just to think of it as Hinata's baby- period.
Is that messed up of me? Naruto groaned. I think it is.
It's instinctual in a way, Kurama said. You want to protect what's yours. The girl you consider yours- don't deny it. The baby, if no other man has a claim to it, you can learn to consider yours. If there was no other male- that is to say, if the Hyuga didn't choose another male to procreate with then there is no competition for you.
There was some weight to what Kurama said. Naruto didn't put too much pressure on blood relations. Afterall, none of the precious people in his life were related to him. He considered Iruka-sensei a father figure. He considered Sasuke his brother in all but blood. Sakura-chan was like a sister.
Hell, he had even seen how much Team 8 and Team 10 doted on Mirai purely because of the bond and ties they shared with their sensei's.
The more Naruto thought about it the more it didn't matter to him who the father was. He could be the father if it was something they both wanted.
He briefly considered a future like that.
When Naruto said he loved Hinata he already couldn't envision a life without her. He could barely think of a life without her during the fight against Pain. He still remembers clutching at his heart while tears flowed down his face when he sensed her chakra after thinking she was gone-
He already knew she would be the one and only for him. He would want to be by her side for the rest of their lives.
When Naruto put his mind to something he gave it his all. And loving someone was no different.
Imagining a pregnant Hinata...Hinata as a mother and him as a father…starting a family together?
Naruto smiled.
He found that easy to accept.
It didn't matter to him if the baby wasn't biologically his. What mattered was his relationship with Hinata and what they wanted together. He knew he wanted kids. And he knew he wanted them with Hinata. He definitely didn't expect to get the girl and the baby all at once but, as he was trained to do, he would roll with the punches.
He couldn't believe Hinata had been handling the pregnancy on her own. Well, he could. She was strong and capable. But he didn't want her to have to do it on her own. He knew her teammates were there for support but...he could provide a different kind of support.
Not for the first time he wished she wasn't on that mission.
He wanted to talk to her. He wanted to figure things out- he wanted to be there for her.
He wanted to reassure her that the baby wasn't a burden. That she wasn't pressuring him into doing anything. That he truly loved her and wanted to be with her.
His thoughts shifted back to the baby and how it was conceived. Something happened and there had to be a male involved somehow, right? The baby couldn't be made up of all of Hinata's DNA… Sure, he was dense but he knew how babies were made.
He rolled over onto his side, the low setting sun casting long shadows from the trees. Sasuke had long parted, saying something about showering before getting Sakura to meet up at his apartment. Naruto would leave soon. He was just distracted. There was so much to think about.
So there has to be another guy involved, right, Kurama?
If this was conventional, then yes? The fox replied, almost begrudgingly. But as the girl said, you all don't know how it happened.
Naruto groaned, mindlessly tearing at the grass in front of him.
If there was another man involved... his worry now would be that whoever got Hinata pregnant would want more. Would want her. Want a relationship with her. Want a life with her. Want a family with her.
His fingers curled into fists as he followed that train of thought.
It made him irrationally angry.
There was no other person. Not that Hinata knew of. Not that it really mattered-
The way he thought about it was if Hinata didn't choose that person to have this baby with then however it happened- whoever did it was irrelevant. If they wanted to saunter back into Hinata's life- to take her from him- that would be something he wouldn't- couldn't allow.
Not when he just got her.
Not when he just realized the extent of his feelings for her.
Not when he knew the taste of her lips and the feel of her skin-
There were so many possibilities he couldn't even think of them all.
Instead, he tried to consider the facts.
First of all, Hinata was pregnant.
Secondly, she didn't know how it happened. She never slept with anyone. There was no one else. He told himself that repeatedly. There was no one else. There was no one else. There was nothing to be jealous about.
Third, he was in love with her. Like, really, really in love with her. The type of love where he couldn't even imagine being with another person. The type of love he would go to the damn moon and back for. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.
Fourth, she loved him back. She loved him back. The thought of it made his heart soar.
And fifth, he knew for a fact he would protect her and the baby. There was no doubt in his mind about that. Hinata got pregnant somehow. Someone did something. It had to have some sort of purpose and he wouldn't be a ninja if he didn't consider there might be something more sinister at play. Obviously, Hinata had her friends watching out for her as well, but Naruto was prepared to be at the forefront of it all.
Hinata was pregnant and he was determined to support her.
.
.
Author's Note:
Ahhhhh, so Naruto finally knows! Also, thank goodness for Kurenai lol!
This chapter was a BIG BOI (I even cut a chunk out and decided to put it in Chapter 6 lol) and it's hard to write long chapters and try to crank them out weekly- I'm tryinggggg. Pls be nice. Chapters might be getting shorter from here on out. (Shorter relative to my 7-8k monstrosities lol)
We got a LOT of sad Naruto, confused Naruto, angry Naruto, protective Naruto, jealous Naruto- he's going through so much... sniff
Thank you so much to those who are leaving comments- I love it! Sooo motivating. And next chapter you'll FINALLY find out about this mission I kept alluding to. Until then~