CHAPTER 11 - Their friends
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The following evening, just as the sun was starting to set, Naruto left his apartment to meet up with his friends for drinks and dancing.
He was excited. He saw Sasuke waiting outside of the building for him and quickened his pace.
"You know, you're always complaining about having to meet up with people," Naruto said as he reached his best friend. "And yet, you always come out to see us."
Sasuke didn't answer but he didn't need to. Naruto knew a part of him enjoyed it. Enjoyed the company. A part of him wanted to be included.
"Let's go inside," Sasuke said. "Everyone's already here. Ino said something about ordering drinks."
Naruto nodded, following the Uchiha inside. A hostess led them towards a large table past the dance floor, which was already littered with some patrons swaying to the loud music.
"I have a feeling Ino's just really excited to test her theories about Hinata," Naruto mumbled to Sasuke.
"You're probably right," his friend replied.
Immediately Naruto sought out his sort-of-secret girlfriend. She was squeezed in between Kiba and Shino, wearing light makeup on her face, and laughing at something someone said.
"Naruto! Sasuke!"
Ino waved in greeting at them from the end of the table, before quickly turning to converse with a waiter.
Naruto took a seat directly across from Hinata, between Sakura and Sai.
"Naruto," Sai smiled at him. "How are you?"
Naruto stared at his friend, remembering the last time he had seen him and how he had been throwing punches.
Still, no grudges were held.
"I'm good, Sai," Naruto said with a grin, throwing his arm around him. "Really good."
And he was. How could he be anything but happy when he had the woman he loved, he was accepted by her father, and they had a baby on the way.
Before Sai could respond, Ino shouted for their attention, sliding shot glasses down the table one by one.
"What's the occasion, Ino?" Naruto heard Shikamaru ask as the black haired ninja took hold of a cup.
"No occasion," Ino said, her sharp eyes roving down the table at each and every one of their friends to ensure they all had a drink.
It didn't go past Naruto that she lingered on Hinata for a moment longer than the others.
"Any day is a good day to spend with friends," Rock Lee cheered, holding his glass high.
"Exactly," Ino said with a nod. "But, actually, no drinks for Shino. I don't want his creepy crawlies running amok."
Hinata giggled, resting her hand on Shino's arm as the bug user stiffened at the unintentional jibe.
"And can everyone make sure Rock Lee doesn't have too much," Ino grumbled, looking particularly at Tenten who snorted and nodded. Ino beamed. "Great! Now, let's all take one together-"
The sound of glass banging onto the table brought everyone's attention to Kiba who grinned nervously, his shot glass empty.
"Oh? Were we waiting?" he asked innocently.
Ino glared at him before thrusting her glass towards everyone, clinks resounding in the air. She counted down and everyone cheered, downing the burning, clear liquid in one gulp.
Naruto watched as Hinata and Kiba subtly swapped glasses while everyone's head was tilted back. Kiba took the second shot and Naruto couldn't help but chuckle. Poor Kiba might be getting extra tipsy to help Hinata out.
Hinata met his gaze, a small, knowing smile on her face. It was a game they were playing and she was having fun. He couldn't help but wink at her before glancing back at Ino.
The platinum haired kunoichi was watching. Naruto didn't think she noticed his subtle flirtation but she was definitely eyeing the empty shot glass in front of the bluenette.
Naruto had to hand it to Team 8. They were pretty slick about the drinks. He wasn't sure how they would keep it up for the rest of the night but it was definitely a good thing Hinata was normally a pretty light drinker.
The night went on with a few more rounds of drinks and finger foods. Everyone was catching up and laughing about something or the other. Some of his friends seemed to be grateful for the lessened mission loads since the end of the war. Other's seemed to be antsy and wanted some more action.
Naruto nursed his drink, chatting with Rock Lee. It felt weird to not really be speaking with Hinata as he now normally would. He felt like he was talking to her even less than before they admitted their feelings to each other.
It was his fault though. He just wanted Ino to squirm. But he wasn't sure it was working. He hadn't really done anything yet.
He glanced at the other end of the table, watching as the girls stood crowded around each other. Ino was insisting Hinata take another drink.
"No, no, Ino-chan," Hinata was saying, her hands held in front of her. "I'm okay, really."
"Did the other shot hit you yet?" Ino asked. "Come on! Take it."
Immediately, Kiba swooped in, snatching the sweet looking red drink. "I'll take this," Kiba said with a grin. "Thanks Ino."
Ino reached over to smack him but the ninja hound user ducked out of the way, snickering as he slid back into his seat and away from her reach.
"Okay, fine," Ino relented. "You're a lightweight anyway."
Naruto smiled to himself, watching as Hinata laughed nervously.
"Naruto. ...Naruto."
He turned his head back towards the people near him.
Sai was looking at him curiously.
"You were staring at Hinata," Sai stated and Naruto saw Rock Lee flash him a thumbs up, nodding encouragingly.
"Was I?" Naruto asked, leaning his elbows on the table, a strange feeling of odd satisfaction bubbling inside of him. He didn't even know why he felt that way.
"Yes," Sai said.
"She does look quite beautiful, today," Rock Lee nodded, raising his hand to wave at the kunoichi in question. "Hinata-chan! You look beautiful!"
Hinata turned, her mouth open in a small 'o' before she smiled at the spandex clad ninja. Even on evenings like this he tended to remain in his mission clothes.
"Thank you," she said sweetly, returning the compliment.
Naruto took the time to appreciate her outfit. It wouldn't be weird to do it now- they were talking about her after all. She had decided on a simple black dress, cinched at the waist, and flowing down mid thigh with short sleeves that showed off her arms and collarbones. She did look very nice and it hid her baby bump well.
Naruto took a careful sip of his drink, staring at her with lidded eyes just as she looked over at him. Knowing she was watching him he allowed his eyes to trail down the length of her body, following her long legs down to the strappy heels on her feet.
Damn.
He never really saw her in shoes like that.
What did Sakura call them? Stilettos?
They probably added a good two or three inches to her height.
Naruto always liked the fact that he towered over her. It made a weird, primal part of him proud. He was once one of the shortest in their class and now, standing beside Hinata, so cute and petite, it truly made him feel capable of protecting her. He blamed carnal feelings like this on Kurama's influence.
Kurama grumbled in his mind. Sure, blame the fox for your hormones.
Naruto ignored him. He had an urge to go up next to her and see if their height difference still remained. He was sure it did and he felt oddly smug about it. Maybe he would go up there, sweep her into his arms and kiss her- then all their friends would be looking at them in shock and surprise and then they'd clap and cheer and Hinata would be a blushing mess in his arms and he would take her home and-
Please stop.
Hinata had turned away but Naruto could see the tips of her ears were red. He grinned before facing his friends once more.
Kiba rolled his eyes, obviously having seen that whole private moment but smirked, flashing his fangs.
"You good, Naruto?" Kiba asked, leaning across the table.
Naruto chuckled. "I'm good."
The drinks seemed to have started going to everyone's heads and Naruto would be lying if he said it didn't feel a little bit of a buzz. He felt an arm slide over his shoulders and he turned to see a head of shocking pink as Sakura pressed against his side to whisper in his ear.
"Naruto, I know you said you wanted to keep your relationship a secret," she said in hushed tones. He could smell the alcohol on her breath. "And I did warn you that this might backfire on you."
"Sakura-chan…" Naruto started warningly, eyes narrowed at his friend.
The table had cleared out, some of his friends scattered across the dance floor, others hanging around the bar, and a few searching for food.
"Nope. No!" Sakura tutted, an evil grin on her face. "I told you we were going to have fun then. And thaaaat means Hinata gets to dance with us."
Naruto raised an eyebrow. "That's fine, Sakura-chan. She doesn't need my permission or anything."
From the way she was acting he thought she had something worse planned. Hinata dancing with them was nothing new.
He had kept a careful eye on his girlfriend throughout the night to make sure she was okay. Right now she was talking to Tenten as the brunette waited for her order at the bar.
Sakura was starting to get up, pulling his attention back to her. "Okay. Okay. I was just warning you," she said, running her fingers teasingly across Sasuke's broad back as he came to take the seat she had just vacated. "Naruto, you've been watching Hinata all night but you haven't been watching anyone else."
"Huh? So?"
Sakura exhaled, her hands on her hips. "So, haven't you noticed the stares she's been getting?"
Naruto frowned, glancing around the room. It had been slowly but steadily filling up with more and more party goers. The dance floor was packed, lights flashing, music blasting. Several men were standing around close to the walls, drinks in their hands like a normal night in the club. A lot of these men were watching people dance, looking around for a potential partner to converse with or have a good time with-
As if finally knowing what to look for, Naruto honed in on one person in particular. He saw a plain looking man with messy brown hair sitting at the bar not so subtly staring at Hinata.
Sakura seemed to realize he'd finally gotten a clue. "He's been watching her since he got here," she said, crossing her arms.
"Actually, he's been watching all of you."
Naruto turned around to find Shino seated on the other side of the table. He honestly didn't even realize when he had gotten there or if he had even left. He blamed the drinks.
"Huh?" Sakura stared at him, confused.
"The man," Shino explained patiently. "As the designated sober friend, I have been carefully observing the patrons of this club to ensure everyone's safety. And that man, along with a few others, has been watching the four of you. Why? I presume it is because you all look very nice."
Sakura bristled, her cheeks dusting pink. She was pleased by the compliment but also a little unnerved by the new information. She relaxed quickly. Frankly, it wasn't a strange or a new experience for them to be ogled at.
"Okay, well, all I meant by all of this is that since you wanted to keep your relationship a secret, you can't be mad if someone comes and asks Hinata to dance with her," Sakura said with a cheeky grin. She knew he wouldn't like that.
Naruto was about to open his mouth to retort when Sasuke came to his defense instead.
"Yes, actually, he can." Sasuke said. "It's probably how he would have reacted anyway. He punched your other teammate for just saying a few suggestive things."
Naruto frowned but nodded. "Yeah! I did!"
Sakura rolled her eyes. "Okay, you do what you want. I'm going to go have fun with the rest of the girls."
Naruto watched her leave and join up with Hinata and Tenten, dragging them onto the dancefloor. He quickly lost sight of them as the crowd of dancing bodies continued to move around the room.
"You seem to be handling this with more restraint than I thought you would be," Shino said.
Naruto shrugged, carefully doing another sweep of the club. Shino's previous words hit home. He should be more wary of the strangers in the building. Not for any nefarious, war provoking reason but more for just the fact that a lot of people could be straight up assholes. He didn't want Hinata or any of his other friends to get mistreated by some person with bad intentions.
"Eh, I know she's pretty," Naruto said, looking back at his two friends. "Of course, she's going to get looks. I don't necessarily like it but I'm not going to overreact about it."
Shino nodded. "You have matured, Naruto."
Naruto finished up the last of his drink just as Shikamaru and Choji slid into the seats.
Was he more mature? He didn't really feel like it. Maybe in some aspects but… he wasn't so sure.
Afterall, he came up with the stupid idea to not tell his friends about his and Hinata's new relationship until the end of the night. Sakura and Hinata had warned him there was nothing beneficial about this-
Then suddenly he had an idea. A sly grin formed on his face as he pushed away from the table, excusing himself to go to the bathroom. As soon as he was locked away in a stall he put his fingers together, a soft cloud of smoke appeared- he stepped out of the stall and looked at himself in the mirror. The man staring back at him looked nothing like himself. He wasn't sure where he got the idea for this henge. Pretty sure he saw him in a magazine or something but now Naruto was staring back at the reflection of some dark haired guy with brown eyes.
I guess I look good or whatever… good enough. Hinata probably likes my blonde hair and blue eyes better though-
So what exactly are you doing? Kurama begrudgingly asked.
Imma flirt with Hinata.
...and you think she'll flirt back? With a stranger?
She will if she knows it's me! That's how we'll get Ino back. Maybe Sakura too.
He snickered, and was about to walk back outside of the bathroom when he remembered-
He poofed a clone into existence. One that actually looked like himself.
"Go sit with everyone," Naruto told him. "And...I don't know. Act like yourself? Myself? Whatever. Just go."
The clone raised a questioning eyebrow at him and Naruto swore he rolled his eyes but he did as he was told, disappearing through the doorway.
Naruto followed a moment later, walking back out towards the dancefloor, immediately searching for Hinata.
He sighed in relief, seeing she was alone for the moment, standing off to the side while the rest of the girls danced.
Naruto grinned, standing tall and walking towards her in what he hoped was a swagger-y walk. Hinata turned as he approached her, a questioning expression on her face.
"Hey, pretty lady," the henged-Naruto said with an exaggerated wink.
Hinata frowned. "Um, do I-"
He leaned in close to whisper in her ear and she stepped back immediately-
"Wait, Hinata, it's me," Naruto whispered, his eyes darting over to where their group of kunoichi friends were watching with narrowed eyes. Like birds ready to strike. Momma bears protecting their cub-
"Who?" Hinata asked warily. "I don't-"
"Me!" Naruto repeated. "Naruto! Just- just play along before they kill me."
Hinata's brief look of surprise melted away quickly and Naruto felt pride bubble up in his chest. Damn right. He liked to consider himself a prankster and it was nice that Hinata decided to follow his lead-
Naruto leaned against the wall, a confident smirk on his face.
"So, did it hurt?"
"Oh Naruto…a pick up line?" she giggled into her hand.
"When you fell from heaven," he finished, forcing down a gag. Ew.
She looked conflicted. Like she wanted to laugh and run away.
"Wait, wait, I have another one," he said, wiggling his eyebrows. "Am I trapped in the Infinite Tsukuyomi?"
"I sure hope not-"
"Because you're everything I've ever dreamed of."
"Naruto-kun!" she said in a whispered gasp, a faint pink on her cheeks. "That's- that's so bad!" She stared at him, a smile on her face. "I don't know what to say. It feels weird to flirt with you when you don't look like you."
"It's okay," he sniggered, stepping closer. "Just...like uh...be touchy?"
"Touchy?!" she looked affronted. "I couldn't!"
He chuckled. "Are you a ninja? Because it looks like you mastered your sexy no jutsu."
Hinata blushed a deep red, her hands coming up to cover her face
Naruto's brown henge eyes darted towards the girls who had now very obviously stopped dancing and were just standing in the distance watching with scary but curious expressions. He saw some of them shoot glances at his clone, no doubt wondering what the "real" Naruto thought about the interaction.
"Don't look so scared!" Naruto groaned. "They'll worry-"
"Oh sorry," Hinata apologized, reaching forward to rest her hand on his chest as she fake laughed.
Naruto snorted. "Hinata, that was awful."
She pouted. "I don't know what to dooo!"
He grinned, for a moment forgetting he was in a henge as he gently grasped her hand in his own, tugging her to his chest.
"Wait, Na-"
"Get off her!"
Naruto turned to see himself glaring at him. "Uh…"
What's this damn clone doing?!
Exactly what you would do.
Fuck!
"Mind your own business, buddy," Naruto said, glowering at his clone, wishing for a moment they could reach each other's mind. Go away!
"Um, Naruto-kun, it's okay," Hinata said softly, her opal eyes on the clone. "I don't mind."
The clone looked conflicted and Naruto had an urge to punch him. Himself? Whatever.
Maybe he should have forgoed the clone.
"Yeah, she doesn't want you here," Naruto said roughly.
Oof, that felt bad.
You are a fool, kit, Kurama said in amusement.
Naruto glanced over the clone's blonde head, watching as the girls warily moved towards them.
Crap.
This was probably enough right? They saw Hinata flirting with another guy and she's obviously not in trouble… and his clone got realistically upset…
Naruto moved in close, grabbing the clone by his shirt as if to threaten him only to whisper in his ear. "Go somewhere they don't see you and dispel," he said before roughly pushing him away.
"Ah, Naruto-kun!" Hinata seemed a little stricken at seeing his clone self treated that way and then she looked confused, obviously remembering the henge in front of her was the real Naruto.
The clone shot him a goofy grin but did as he was told. He marched off towards the bathroom and Naruto- the real Naruto, seeing the girls honing in decided to follow.
He heard their voices behind him asking Hinata if she knew him and how she was flirting with someone who wasn't Naruto and if she moved on and if the two boys were going to go fight-
The bathroom door shut, muffling the music and the noise and Naruto realized his clone was gone, his memories rushing back to him-
The clone seated at the table, watching as this stranger walked up to Hinata. Watching as Hinata laughed, the stranger smirked. Watching as she touched him and the stranger moved to hold her-
Naruto released his henge, cringing at the memories.
Damn, no wonder he acted that way.
He definitely did not like seeing that even knowing it was him.
He exited the bathroom and headed straight for the table, the girls gone from his sight. Part of him felt guilty for abandoning Hinata in that situation but he knew she could navigate the little bomb he dropped on her.
He fell into his seat heavily, wondering about what he just did.
He heard the clattering of heels approach them and glanced up just as Ino took a seat on the table right beside him, her legs crossed as she stared at him with a grin.
"So?" she said, handing him a shot.
Naruto raised an eyebrow, taking the drink from her. "So what?"
Ino cheered with him and they both drank.
She let out a satisfied sigh, dropping the empty glass onto the table.
"You beat that guy up?" she asked.
Naruto snorted. "No Ino. He's a civilian."
"And if he wasn't you would have?" she asked innocently.
He rolled his eyes, deciding not to answer. She looked disgruntled at his lack of reaction.
"So, have you talked to Hinata at all lately?" Ino asked. "Did you not see that guy flirting with her? And how she was flirting back? Did none of this upset you?"
"You seem really upset by it, Ino," Naruto pointed out calmly, the corner of his lip twitching in a smile. "Do you want to talk to Hinata?"
She looked like she was going to pop a blood vessel and Naruto felt an odd sense of satisfaction at finally getting under her skin. She sighed and slid him another shot.
"Drink," she commanded.
Naruto laughed but took the drink. He felt his throat burn and his mind get cloudier as the alcohol he'd been drinking through the night absorbed into his system.
"You know, Ino," Naruto said, grinning sheepishly. "I think you're right. I think she does have a boyfriend. Maybe that guy was her boyfriend."
He wasn't lying. Technically he was that guy so...
Ino narrowed her eyes at him before turning her piercing gaze towards the dancefloor. She couldn't seem to find the woman in question either.
"Hmm...but she did take the shot…" Ino mumbled.
"What?"
"Nevermind," Ino quickly jumped to her feet, walking over to the men of Team 10. She took Shikamaru's drink from his hand and took a careful sip to taste, her face twisting in disgust before handing it back. "Ew, Shika. We're at a club, not a formal gathering."
Shikamaru just rolled his eyes. "More for me."
Naruto thought Ino had lost interest in their conversation and gratefully turned his attention back onto Sasuke and Shino but his luck didn't last long.
"Narutoooo!" Ino yelled as she handed Choji back his drink. "That's it?"
Naruto frowned. "What do you mean, that's it?"
Ino groaned, slamming her hands on the table as she leaned closer to him. "First, you didn't talk to Hinata about your feelings. And now you said you think Hinata has a boyfriend. You explicitly saw her getting handsy with this stranger and you're just… fine? You reacted once but now you're just sitting there! So you think she's moving on and that's it?"
Naruto blinked at her blankly. "I don't get it."
Ino stared at him, her expression suspicious before all at once her eyes narrowed and her lips curled.
"You wouldn't have…that guy..." she muttered, staring at him intensely. "But you would…"
"Ino, what-"
"Oh, you're in for it now," Shikamaru mumbled, sighing as he looked at his female teammate cautiously.
"Huh?" Naruto was confused as he took in the shaking heads of his friends. He felt a sense of dread overwhelm him. "What? What's happening?"
"Okay, Naruto," Ino said, surprisingly perky. She straightened, stretched, and turned towards the dancefloor. "Sure, Hinata flirted with that stranger but she never said she was in a relationship… And since Hinata having a boyfriend is still all under speculation…we're going to have some fun. Seeya!"
Naruto watched her leave, the crowd on the dancefloor parting for her as she weaved through it in search for her friends.
"What was that?" Naruto sputtered.
"She knows," Shino stated, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.
Naruto frowned. Shikamaru and Choji were looking at him skeptically as well.
"She expected you to react more than that," Shikamaru explained.
"Yeah, Naruto," Choji said. "I would have expected you to be mad to learn Hinata had a boyfriend. Or even if you thought she did. Especially because of last time..."
Shikamaru smirked. "Unless…"
Naruto felt his face heat up. Well shit.
Might as well admit it now.
"Congrats," Choji exclaimed, his expression bright.
Shikamaru raised his glass. "Can't say I didn't expect it to happen eventually. And based on the lack of reaction from Sasuke and Shino, I'm guessing your respective teams know?"
Naruto chuckled, scratching at the back of his neck. "Uh. Yeah. But as for reactions, these two barely react to anything."
Choji laughed heartily at his joke and the group of them fell into easy conversation for a while, the rest of the guys falling into place at the table one by one.
"But wait, was that you then?" Shikamaru asked some time later. "The guy flirting with Hinata."
Naruto felt himself flush as he laughed awkwardly. "Uh, maybe?"
Shikamaru snorted. "Don't ever change, Naruto."
Naruto snickered. "I just wanted to mess with Ino, alright? She had to have been shocked seeing Hinata flirting with someone else, at least for a little while."
Shikamaru nodded, a hint of a smile on his face. "True enough. She was definitely surprised. But I think she'll find a way to get back at you."
Naruto shrugged, Ino's very subtle lingering threat was gone from his mind.
Until the girls finally came back into view.
Naruto saw Hinata make her way to the bar, the girls trailing behind her tripping over themselves. She was trying to get her order across over the loud music and the bartender quickly handed her four cups of water. Her friends downed the water greedily and he watched with narrowed eyes as the guy who had been glued to his seat for the majority of the night finally decided to make a move.
Ino elbowed Sakura in the side and the pink haired ninja glanced over at Naruto, her face a mixture of apologetic and "i-told-you-so."
"She did warn you," Sasuke chimed in from beside him.
Naruto frowned, watching as Ino, Tenten, and Sakura not so surreptitiously abandoned Hinata just as the man stepped up to talk to her.
The three girls were giggling as they squeezed in besides the rest of the guys.
"Why'd you guys just leave her?" Naruto asked, exasperated.
Ino smirked. "Well, she's single right? Maybe she has a boyfriend. But maybe doesn't cut it. We're giving her a chance at loooove."
Naruto rolled his eyes. "Why are you like this? You know she isn't."
The girls laughed and Ino reached out to pat his hand.
"Seriously, though, Naruto. I'm happy for you!" she said, a genuine smile on her face.
"You're not going to get her?" Tenten asked.
"No. She can handle herself," he said with a small frown. He really believed that. He did. But that also didn't mean he didn't actually want to go up and help her out because he did. Instead, he just turned to watch the encounter unfold.
Damn, this is how the clone felt, huh?
Hinata was exactly where the girls had left her. With the brown haired man, leaning against the bar, a shit eating grin on his face. She was smiling politely but Naruto could tell her heart wasn't in it. The man said something and Hinata shook her head. It seemed the man didn't like that because he stepped closer to her, his smile not reaching his eyes and pushed a drink in his hand-
"I think he spiked it," he heard Ino's angry whisper and the grating sound of her chair being pushed back as she prepared to intervene. "I saw him slip-"
"She's fine," Naruto snapped, his voice harsher than anticipated. He felt Ino's eyes on him but he couldn't tear himself away from the train wreck in front of him. He knew Hinata wouldn't drink it but-
"What an asshole, spiking a drink!" Tenten grumbled. "Ohh, if I see him outside…"
"Do you have weapons on you, Tenten?" he heard Lee ask.
"I always have weapons on me."
Again, Hinata shook her head, the smile gone from her face. The man insisted, sloppily spilling some of the alcohol on the front of her dress. He heard angry mumbles from the people around the table and he himself was struggling to stay seated.
But he really didn't want to insult Hinata by barging in when he knew this was something she could handle.
Even if he really wanted to. Really, really wanted to.
Hinata made to leave but the man grabbed her wrist, pulling her back towards him.
Naruto let go of his glass before he crushed it.
Hinata pushed away immediately, glaring at the man, saying something to him before she turned to leave again. Her eyes met Naruto's just as the man leaned forward to slap her ass, his face flushed from alcohol or lust- Naruto wasn't sure. But the look of shame and disgust on Hinata's face had him on his feet before the man could even straighten.
Naruto was in between Hinata and the man in less than a second, his fingers tight around the offending hand.
"Tell me why I shouldn't break your hand right now," Naruto snarled.
"Naruto-kun!" Hinata was grasping at the back of his shirt, trying to pull him away but he wouldn't move. His blue eyes were sharp, his jaw clenched tightly as he glowered at the man.
"Who are you?" the man slurred, unsteady on his feet.
"None of your damn business," Naruto snapped. "I'm-"
"He's drunk, Naruto-kun," Hinata said softly, sliding her way towards his front so she could look at his face.
"Hinata-" He shot out his free hand to keep her back. He didn't want the bastard to touch her again. "He put something in the drink." Naruto squeezed his wrist tighter. "Didn't you?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," the man denied, wincing and tugging at his arm.
"Naruto-kun-"
Naruto released his grip, staring at the man in disgust as one of the bartenders and a security guard came by to see what was going on.
He allowed Hinata to lead him back to the table with their friends, a couple of them on their feet, carefully hovering around and ready to step in if needed.
"I'm surprised," Sakura said. "You controlled yourself pretty well, huh?"
"Wait, so you two are together now for real?" Tenten asked. "I wasn't sure if we were just teasing-"
"It was pretty obvious considering the way he acted," Ino said cheekily.
"Please, you fell for the first joke!" Naruto accused with a slanted smile as he took a seat and pulled Hinata close to him, allowing his hand to rest on her hip.
"Very cute," Tenten said, nodding approvingly. "Finally. Neji would be thrilled."
Naruto pouted, leaning back into the booth cushion as his friends all smiled at him affectionately.
"Stop it, guys," he groaned, shifting uncomfortably at the fond looks on their faces.
"We are all happy for you, Naruto-kun!" Rock Lee said, punching his fist in the air. "This calls for a celebration!"
"We just had one," Shikamaru reminded him, stretching his arms behind his head. "Unless there's more news to share?"
Naruto glanced down at Hinata, and she looked back up at him. Without words he understood. She was unsure.
Maybe learning about their relationship was enough.
"There is something else," Ino gasped, hands flat on the table as she leaned towards them.
"Leave it alone, Ino," Sakura muttered, standing up with the rest of their friends. "It's their business-"
"But-"
"Ino-chan," Hinata spoke gently as she stood beside Naruto, his hand still firmly on her hip. "I want to tell you all the details in a more private setting. All of you. But… for now..."
There was a moment of hesitation where she glanced up at Naruto. It seemed she made up her mind. Their friends deserved to know.
Positioning himself beside her to shield her from prying eyes that didn't include their friends- Hinata brought her hands to her stomach, staring at them with a nervous smile. The gentle caress was a movement that would mean nothing to those who weren't already suspicious.
But Ino understood immediately and she screamed-
"I KNEW IT!" she shouted, clinging onto Sai. "Didn't I tell you!"
"You did," Sai affirmed.
"Huh?"
"What?"
The rest of their friend's weren't so quick to understand. But before Ino could shout out the news to the world Hinata quickly spoke up.
"Please, not so loud," she hushed. "I only want to keep it between friends and family for now."
Ino nodded enthusiastically, quickly leaning over to whisper in Choji's ear who then whispered to Tenten's and it continued down the line.
Their friends did indeed look surprised, mouths hanging open as Ino ran up to the Hyuga, pulling her in a tight hug.
"Well, congrats to you two," Ino grinned, their friends wishing them well. "On getting together...and the...you know."
Hinata blushed a soft pink as Naruto stared at her with warm eyes. God, he loved her.
"Yeah. Thank you," he said, squeezing her tightly.
"Wait, how did you even figure that out?" Shikamaru asked Ino, his hands deep in his pockets.
Ino laughed. "Shikamaru, you're smart and all. But I understand the ways of a woman. And Hinata was glaringly obvious. Saying no to drinks-"
Hinata blushed as Ino poked fun of her. "No! I wasn't…"
"She was not Ino!" Sakura defended. "You're just super nosey-"
Before the girls could start arguing, Shikamaru spoke again.
"Can someone help me with him?" his annoyed voice popped their angry bubble and they all turned.
Naruto suddenly realized how quiet Kiba had been during all of this.
Hinata giggled in her hand, smiling warmly at the sight of a very drunk Kiba almost asleep in his seat.
"I will help," Shino said immediately, stepping in to lend his shoulder as they swung Kiba's arm around them.
Naruto snorted. "He did that for you, huh?" he whispered to Hinata.
She smiled. "We have wonderful friends, Naruto-kun."
.
.
Later that night, Hinata crawled into bed beside Naruto.
"When are you officially moving in?" he asked, tugging her close to him.
"Mmm, I'm not sure."
"You're here most of the time," he mumbled, burying his nose into her neck, placing soft kisses along on her skin. "You basically are moved in."
She giggled. "Basically, but not officially."
Naruto was quiet as he held her, resting his ear against her chest to listen to the steady thrum of her heart.
"You were right about tonight," he said.
"Huh?"
"That everything might backfire. I should have just told everyone we were together from the start. That way that guy wouldn't have been all over you-"
"That's not true," Hinata said. "All of our friends basically knew anyway. Or were suspicious of it. I would have danced with them just like how I did. Men like him would have done what they wanted regardless if the girls were around. And it's not like he knew I was already claimed by the strongest ninja in the village."
Naruto grinned, rolling so he was on top of her.
"The strongest, huh?"
She smiled. "So strong," she teased, wrapping her arms around his neck to pull him down to her lips.
After a few chaste kisses, he pulled away with a frown.
"Ugh. These random men really do fawn all over you guys, huh?"
Hinata blushed. "Um. Well, not so much Ino-chan or Sakura-chan anymore," she admitted. "It's pretty public knowledge that they have a thing with Sai and Sasuke."
"So you're saying all I gotta do is tell the world we're dating?" Naruto asked, grinning.
She ran her fingers across the lines of his cheeks. "Yes, we definitely should soon. But let's wait until my father calms things down with the Hyuga clan elders and until I tell the Hokage about my condition, okay?"
"So no pulling you into my arms and kissing you until you're breathless outside of Ichiraku?"
Hinata blushed. "No! Not even after it's public knowledge, Naruto-kun!"
He chuckled, pressing his lips soundly against hers. "I get it. You don't want people to become suspicious about the pregnancy earlier than they have to."
She hummed, her arms tight around his back. "I just want to keep the baby a secret longer if we can. Especially with all the unanswered questions regarding the cult. For all we know, they don't even know conception was successful."
"That's okay," he whispered, trailing his kisses down. "I kind of like this whole sneaking around this. It's hot."
"Maybe you should take off your shirt then," Hinata suggested innocently, her cheeks a pretty pink.
Naruto stared at her, the corner of his mouth slowly lifting into a devious smile. "You know that's not what I meant but you won't hear any complaints from me," he said, quickly losing his shirt in the darkness before tugging at hers.
.
.
Author's Note:
This was just a fun, silly chapter to write. Think of it as an omake lol. Naruto's so impulsive and throwing everyone else's personalities into the mix can lead to chaotic fun lmao
By the way, I do appreciate those who like/understand the fic for what it is. :) I'm writing what I want. And if you like a jealous Hinata and a jealous Naruto, you'll enjoy the next chapter or two hehe
Anyways, the inspiration for Naruto's prank goes to Iwik, who had the idea to add a clone/henge- it was too fun to resist! I don't know if it went how Iwik expected but LOL I could just imagine how AWKWARD the two would be.
(P.S. I know I've said I won't have time to write past July but that doesn't mean this story will be left unfinished. Most of it is already done- that's why I can upload so fast. I just need to find the motivation and time to edit/post here and there- if there's a delay for whatever reason just comment because it may have slipped my mind lol 80 hour work weeks are no joke!)
ALSO ! I forgot to include these here. Fanart inspired by this story!
Char-lotteral made this amazing art based off Chapter 2 Lack of clarity: /post/650156917318156288/hinata-hyuga-uzumaki-in-narts-big-clothes-and
Lablee-artsy made this beautiful art based off Chapter 8 Pillow talk: /post/654863721647276032/preggy-hinata
Thank you so much!