A MisConception
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CHAPTER 1 - Ball of chakra
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September
Despite her tumultuous upbringing, Hinata Hyuga refused to consider herself a failure.
Though there were many moments where she faltered in this thinking, the constant presence of the bright, encouraging, light from the golden haired ninja she admired most helped her get through those dark times.
She would fail and subsequently train harder than ever.
Hinata did her best to uphold the pride and honor of her clan. She never strayed from the path of righteousness and hoped to be seen and acknowledged as the powerful yet gentle kunoichi she was.
She was often considered the Princess of Konoha. The Byakugan no Hime.
As she grew older- and more frequently after the Fourth Great Ninja War- she grew used to the friendly greetings, the occasional low bows of respect, and the praises from some villagers who, despite her constant denials, considered her close to royalty.
It often made her flustered and embarrassed to think these people thought so highly of her. Her. She who was denounced the opportunity of leading her clan, believed to be unsuited for those responsibilities of an heiress. She who was once beaten almost to death by the same cousin who later gave his life for her. She who was told over and over she was a failure and would amount to nothing-
But things were different now.
She was properly acknowledged by her clan. She had long forgiven her father for his misdeeds- for his harsh upbringing. He grew proud of his eldest daughter for all that she had accomplished. He'll always believe she carried the purest of souls, truly kind in her nature, sweet, demure, and polite. He had once considered her meek- but it was her abundance of kindness and respect for others that made her appear so timid. She never wanted to offend. Her self-confidence had plummeted with every insult and jibe- but with the friendships and bonds she formed with the members of Team 8 along with the support of the others in her class she had finally learned to consider herself valuable and important.
She was selfless.
She never wanted to be considered a burden.
Hinata obtained her dream of wanting to be more confident in herself, to be recognized and appreciated by her father-
And suddenly, she was afraid all the progress she made was going to be erased.
How could she face her clan? Her father?
How could she show herself to the village?
How could she ever dream to be something more to Naruto when her whole life had suddenly come to a standstill?
The thought was incomprehensible.
It was impossible.
There was no way something like this could happen to her.
It made no sense.
Hinata Hyuga stood in front of her mirror, activated her Byakugan, and concentrated on her lower abdomen, already knowing what she would see but being unable to look away- she stared at the small, flickering ball of chakra that wasn't there a few weeks ago.
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1 Week Ago
Hinata wasn't sure why but she felt extraordinarily happy lately.
Almost three years had passed since the war ended, Konoha was thriving, and everything seemed relatively peaceful. She still enjoyed the occasional mission and, despite a rare troublesome one that usually included a close call with death, most were not that bad.
She had been enjoying spending more time with her sister which, growing up, she felt she didn't quite do enough of. Hanabi loved to tease her and push her boundaries but she wouldn't trade the quality time with her for anything.
She had also been able to see her friends more often, especially with the decrease in mission loads for all of them. They were growing up and had recently begun to frequent more restaurants and bars, exploring more of Konoha's nightlife.
And of course, Hinata was grateful for the time she got to spend with Naruto. After the war had ended, the Hero of the Ninja World finally had some time to himself. Sure, he spent a lot of it recovering and learning how to adjust to having one arm and eventually readjust to two, but Hinata was finally able to be at his side. Recently, she had noticed that Naruto found her more often than not. She didn't dare think he was actually seeking her out. Her humbleness and self doubt prevented that. Naruto was her friend and she was just content that they could find time to spend with one another.
Though Hinata had spent the majority of her time with Team 8 the years before the war, she still loved to see "her boys." Surprisingly, it had been a couple of weeks since she saw her two best friends due to her own clan obligations and missions.
So the Hyuga cheerfully made her way to their favorite training site, dressed in her relatively new mission gear, with three bento boxes neatly packed into a small bag. They had planned more of a picnic rather than a training session but she always liked to be prepared.
She heard Kiba long before she saw them. She didn't bother activating her Byakugan. Lately she had noticed she was tiring more easily. It felt like chakra exhaustion, but that didn't make much sense to her considering she hadn't been doing many chakra intensive things. She figured this was just a normal type of tired. Maybe she hadn't been sleeping well? She had been having weird dreams lately. Mostly consisting of her wandering through an endless forest and usually ending with a faceless stranger lunging at her with the intent to kill.
Hinata shook her head, trying to clear her mind.
They were just dreams. And she was just tired. It wasn't a big deal.
Suddenly, Akamaru came bounding towards her, weaving around bushes and trees before stopping at her feet, barking and begging for pets. She laughed, scratching him a few times behind his ears before following him the rest of the way. Eventually the trees opened up into a small clearing where Shino and Kiba rested against wooden posts.
"Hinata!" Kiba shouted happily, patting the ground beside him.
"Kiba-kun. Shino-kun," Hinata smiled at the two young men before settling down between them as Akamaru curled up at her feet. "How are you two? It's been a little while."
"I am good, Hinata," Shino said, his glasses shining in the sunlight. "Last month the Rokudaime gave me permission to try and search for new species of insects. So far I have been unsuccessful but it's been enjoyable and I hope to venture out again."
"That's amazing," Hinata said in genuine awe. "I believe you could do it."
He nodded. "I've also been teaching a few lessons with Iruka-sensei."
"I think you'll be an amazing sensei," she smiled, honestly happy about the path her friend chose. "What about you, Kiba-kun?"
Kiba shrugged, staring at her strangely. "Not much really. Been helping my sister out. Had a few missions. Just hanging around honestly."
"That's good," Hinata said, reaching into her bag to pull out her homemade bento boxes. "It's nice to have some time to relax."
Kiba took hold of his box, his nose wrinkled. "What did you make Hinata?"
Hinata looked hurt at the look on his face. "Oh...just some rice, cooked vegetables, tamagoyaki, and chicken katsu. I- why?"
Kiba brought the box towards his nose, carefully sniffing. "This smells great," he said, raising an eyebrow. "Not surprised. But something's off."
Hinata looked down at her box, carefully poking at the chicken. "Did something go rancid?"
"No, it's all delicious," Shino spoke, already digging in.
Hinata looked back at Kiba, surprised to see him staring at her intently. She yelped as he moved in close, taking a quick sniff of her hair.
"Kiba-kun!" Hinata exclaimed, leaning back towards Shino. "What- why?"
"You smell different," he explained, crossing his arms as he sat back.
Now, as his longtime teammate, she was all too familiar with his enhanced sense of smell and the problems and benefits that came along with it. Great during tracking missions but a crutch when significantly strong odors become too pungent. He was also incredibly supportive during their teenage years when he scented her time of the month, often bringing her cinnamon rolls and warm drinks. A positive habit she benefitted from- stemming from him being raised close with an older sister. She was extremely comfortable around the two of her teammates but definitely felt embarrassed when it sounded like she reeked.
"Do I smell bad?" she asked, feeling heat make its way to her cheeks.
Kiba shook his head, tilting his head in wonder. "No. You know I can distinguish people by scent and you still smell like you but...different. I can't figure it out."
Hinata looked at Shino for support but the bug user was at a loss as well.
They ate in silence for a while, with Kiba shooting Hinata nervous glances once in a while, often opening his mouth as if to say something just to close it a moment later.
Some time after, Hinata was packing away the boxes when it seemed like Kiba finally gained the courage to speak.
"Listen, Hinata," Kiba started, one hand scratching at his triangle tattoo. "I want to ask you something- don't be offended okay?" After she nodded he took a deep breath, his face suddenly coloring red as he quickly burst out, "Hinata, have you had sex recently?"
Silence descended in the clearing.
Akamaru stopped wagging his tail, and even Shino's bugs seemed to have stopped buzzing.
"Huh?" Hinata was too surprised to even blush.
Kiba groaned, still hot in the face. He did not want to talk about this with a girl he considered his sister. "I mean- I don't think so and I didn't want to ask but it could also be that you're pregnant but the only way you'd be pregnant is if you had sex and we all know you'd only have sex with Naruto but I don't think that's happened or maybe that idiot would be running around bragging but your scent is different and-"
"Kiba-kun, breathe," Hinata interrupted, gently resting her hand on his shoulder. Kiba was speaking rapidly and had spoken all of that in one breath, getting redder and redder. She honestly didn't know how she was keeping herself together when her teammate just asked about her nonexistent sex life. "I've never slept with anyone."
Kiba's shoulders relaxed but his expression morphed into one of confusion. "Okay. That's what I thought. It's just- when people have sex sometimes their scent changes. But the change is really most obvious when the woman gets pregnant and I know it's a reach but I just thought...so yeah."
Hinata couldn't help it. She laughed.
"I'm sure there's a different, perfectly plausible explanation," she said, smiling at her friends. "Besides, with the Byakugan you can often see the changes in the chakra system of a pregnant woman. I never noticed anything different."
Kiba still looked wary.
"I guess."
He knew it was crazy. But scents don't lie.
"This is all very interesting," Shino said, deciding to chime in. "I agree with you two at the absurdity of it all but, for argument's sake, do you notice your nose in the middle of your vision? Do you notice the smells in your own home? No, the reason is because your brain ignores it. Your brain filters out this information. So perhaps, Hinata, you didn't notice?"
Hinata smiled, shaking her head. She couldn't even believe she was having this conversation. It was preposterous- laughable.
"I'm not pregnant. I can't be."
Kiba grinned, regaining the energy to tease her. "Yeah, sort of missing all those steps in between, right? I'm sure Naruto would be more than willing to help you with that though if that's what you want. With the way he's been acting these past few years I wouldn't doubt it. He's always hanging around you, it's getting annoying. Actually, I'm surprised he hasn't found his way here."
Now Hinata blushed. "Stop it, Kiba-kun."
"Hinata, humor us," Shino interjected, easily ignoring Kiba's attempts to embarrass the kunoichi. "Check with your Byakugan."
Hinata resisted the impolite urge to roll her eyes but she complied, activating her dojutsu, if only to get this conversation done and over with. They discussed a lot of strange things but this was definitely unique. She looked down at herself, even that simple movement feeling unnatural. It wasn't often that the Byakugan was used to examine the user themselves.
She followed the natural flow of her chakra, starting at the heart and traced it down.
The small smile that was on her face slowly melted away.
"Hinata?"
She couldn't take her eyes off herself as she tried to understand what she was looking at.
"Hinata?"
Was that teeny, tiny, pulsing ball of chakra always there? Surely-
"Hinata!"
Her head whipped up to stare at her two friends in a state of confused shock.
"I don't understand…" she whispered
"What did you see?" Shino questioned, concern evident in his voice. This was not how he expected her to react.
"I...there's…"
Kiba's mouth fell open, reading between Hinata's struggle to find the right words.
"No way."
Hinata did something she hadn't done in years.
She fainted.
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Kiba and Shino both lunged to catch their friend.
"Pregnant?" Kiba exclaimed after laying her gently on the grass, Akamaru happily acting as her pillow. "She can't be!"
Shino was silent, deep in thought. "I agree it's hard to believe. But I have doubts now. Because Hinata wouldn't react this way for no reason."
Kiba was starting to worry. How could Hinata-
Did someone...?
His nose twitched when a new scent caught his attention. He groaned.
"Who is it?" Shino asked, immediately noticing the change in his teammates' composure.
"The worst person that could come right now," Kiba muttered, glancing at the treeline just as a black and orange blur ran into the light. Naruto stood before them, a large grin plastered on his face.
"Hey, guys!" he exclaimed cheerfully before his eyes darted to the fallen Hyuga. His smile vanished and he was on his knees immediately. "What happened to Hinata?"
"What are you doing here Naruto?" Kiba asked in exasperation.
Naruto ignored him which really irked the dog user. "Is she resting? Did you guys knock her out?" A brief look of anger crossed his face. Kiba didn't miss it. "She doesn't look hurt."
"She passed out," he replied, irritated. "She'll be fine. What the hell are you doing here?"
Kiba had an idea of what the answer would be. He watched Naruto stare at Hinata for a second longer, concern evident on his face, before he met Kiba's glare.
"I saw Choji and he mentioned you guys were going to train or something," he said with a shrug. "This is your favorite spot so I came over."
"Okay, but why are you here?"
Naruto glanced at Hinata and was saved from a response when she started to awake.
Kiba was conflicted. He was glad Naruto was showing so much concern for his teammate but this was also not the right time. They needed to discuss things with Hinata and he knew she wouldn't be comfortable with a conversation like this in front of her long time crush-
"Naruto-kun?"
Kiba sighed, watching as Hinata opened her eyes, her vision obscured by the annoying whisker marked face of the jinchuriki as he lingered at her side. Kiba briefly met Shino's gaze. Hinata hadn't fainted in a long time but it would suck if she passed out again just because Naruto was here.
"Hinata!" Naruto moved forward to help her sit up. "The guys tell me you passed out. You okay? Did you not eat?"
"She made us bento boxes. We had lunch. She's fine, Naruto," Kiba growled, his patience growing thinner and thinner.
"Kiba," Shino started warningly.
"Why're you so annoyed with me?" Naruto asked, getting back to his feet as Hinata did the same. It didn't go past Kiba that the blonde kept his hand on the small of her back even after steadying her.
"We just-" Kiba groaned, aggressively rubbing at his nose. He still wasn't used to her change in scent. "I'm not, okay? I'm sorry. We just have a lot to talk about as Team 8."
"Secrets huh?" Naruto asked, smirking mischievously.
"Kiba-kun," Hinata finally spoke, glancing around at the three boys, suddenly uncomfortable with all the attention on her. "Um. It's okay. Everyone is meeting up tonight for food and drinks right?"
"Oh yeah," Naruto nodded enthusiastically. "We're all going to that new restaurant bar place. It sounds fun."
"What about it, Hinata?" Shino asked.
Kiba watched as his friend glanced at Naruto nervously, his hand still on her back as casually as he would breathe air. Naruto really was an idiot sometimes. Kiba wasn't clueless to the subtle flirting Naruto had done during the war. It's all in your eyes. Bleh. Unfortunately, he didn't think the blonde really knew what he was doing though.
"Well, Sakura-chan will be there, right Naruto-kun?"
"Yeah she'll be there," he answered, finally seeming to realize he was touching her longer than absolutely necessary. Kiba couldn't help but snicker as the blonde drew back his hand, nervously scratching at the back of his head instead. "What do you need Sakura-chan for?"
"None of your business, Naruto," Kiba interjected, saving Hinata from coming up with a believable fib.
"You're being so mean today, Kiba," Naruto pouted. "Makes me feel like I'm not wanted."
Kiba knew his feelings weren't truly hurt. The relationship he had with Naruto was similar to the relationship he had with Hinata. A lot of teasing and playful arguments- though Naruto would actually fight back.
"Perhaps it is time to go," Shino posited.
"What? No training?" Naruto asked, his shoulders slouching in disappointment.
"We were just having a picnic, Naruto-kun," Hinata said. "Maybe next time?"
"Yeah, sounds good. I want to kick Kiba's ass."
Kiba snorted but chose to stay silent, glancing at his female teammate as they walked back towards the village. Naruto was at her side, chattering away. She smiled and answered politely when prompted but Kiba noticed the subtle downturn of her lips and slight furrow of her eyebrows.
She was worried.
His eyes moved down her stomach. He didn't really believe it yet. Obviously she just smelled different and whatever she saw with her Byakugan could have been anything. If what she said were true- and he had no reason to doubt her sincerity- there was literally no way she could be pregnant...and she obviously didn't look-
"Kiba!" Naruto's loud voice cut sharply through his train of thought. "Why are you being such a perv? Stop staring at Hinata!"
Kiba felt his cheeks grow hot. "I wasn't- Hinata's not- that's so gross!"
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Hinata stared at herself in the mirror wearing a dress gifted to her by Ino. It was a simple, form fitting black dress, halter top styled, arms exposed, and stopped mid thigh. It felt modest enough for her. Honestly, she thought it was similar in style to her mission uniforms. She glanced at her stomach, standing sideways.
She hadn't activated her Byakugan since leaving the clearing. She didn't want to.
She was sure there was nothing going on and the blip of chakra she saw was just that- a blip. A mistake.
She couldn't be pregnant.
It was outrageous to think so. She never did anything.
But she couldn't help but be concerned about it.
If anything she could ask Sakura to just do a little check up on her. She felt guilty roping her friend into helping her with something so ridiculous. But maybe the ball of chakra meant something else? What if she was sick? Maybe it was just some type of blockage… What if she had cancer? She was feeling tired all the time. That would be awful.
She tried to dispel those negative thoughts. There was no point in stressing over what was probably nothing. Tonight was supposed to be a fun night out with friends.
Hinata sighed, turning to leave her bedroom.
She had a feeling her mind would be pretty occupied.
She eventually met up with her teammates before they headed off together towards the new restaurant. A small crowd of their friends were already lingering outside the building, waiting for everyone to arrive.
Kiba would usually immediately head over to Choji and Shikamaru. This didn't surprise Hinata. Those three and Naruto would be up to all types of mischief back at the academy. Today he stayed near her, all the while chatting amicably with them.
"Hinata!" Ino exclaimed, pulling her into a hug. "I feel like I haven't seen you in a while. So glad to see you in that dress!"
"Thank you, Ino-chan," Hinata said, smiling up at her taller friend. "It fit perfectly."
"And of course, we're still waiting on good old Team 7," Ino sighed, staring off down the road.
Kiba snickered. "Bet it's Naruto's fault."
As if on cue, a shocking head of bright yellow hair popped up over the horizon, side by side with pink and black.
"Oh, they were able to convince Sasuke-kun to come out," Hinata said cheerfully.
Surprisingly, Hinata thought she got along pretty well with the Uchiha. They didn't spend much time together and the times they did would usually be due to a coincidence but, strangely enough, she found his presence to be calming. The two of them were pretty introverted compared to a lot of their friends, so it was a bit of a comfort to sometimes be around someone who felt at ease in silence as well.
Naruto waved enthusiastically, bounding up to the rest of them. "What's up guys!"
"Hope you guys weren't waiting too long," Sakura said, tugging Sasuke closer to the group. "Sasuke was having a bit of trouble-"
"Yeah, leaving his apartment," Naruto said with a snort. "If I didn't know better, I would think Sasuke didn't want to hang out with us."
Sasuke just shrugged, not bothering to deny it.
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Naruto was having a fierce debate with Choji about what toppings went best on ramen when he noticed the rest of the group had started to head inside. Immediately he looked for the familiar head of dark blue hair, hoping to grab a seat next to her.
After a lot of introspection, sleepless nights, eye opening conversations with Sakura-chan, and a couple embarrassing ones with Iruka-sensei on the concept of love- Naruto knew his feelings for Hinata were stronger than just liking her. He knew he considered her one of his closest allies and friends. He knew he couldn't stand the thought of her getting injured.
And he had an inkling that his feelings for her might be something more than what he would feel for just his friends.
Afterall, he considered Shikamaru his friend or Choji his friend- but he definitely didn't want to hold their hands.
Naruto smiled at the thought, thinking back to that unfortunate time during the war, but remembering the feel of her hand on his face, and the courage and resolve she gave him.
Naruto often struggled with naming his emotions but as he matured he was pretty positive he liked Hinata.
He definitely liked her.
He probably more than liked her.
Sakura had often laughed at him about how much he had been hovering around the Hyuga. He denied it. He wasn't hovering. He just liked to be around her. He enjoyed her company. She was sweet, and nice, and-
And right now he just wanted to sit beside her.
He caught sight of her, unsurprisingly walking in between Kiba and Shino.
In a lot of ways Naruto admired the closeness that Team 8 shared. He knew they considered each other family- siblings even. But sometimes he couldn't help but get a little antsy when Kiba got close. Logically, he knew it made no sense but he couldn't help it. He felt like he had a sort of rivalry with Kiba, though nowhere near the level that he had with Sasuke-teme.
He watched the two guys lean down towards Hinata, subtly nudging her forward. Without having to tiptoe Naruto could see clear over Hinata's head. Ahead of them was Ino, Sakura, and Sasuke. Why would they be pushing Hinata towards them?
"What do you think, Naruto?"
Naruto was pulled out of his thoughts as he turned towards Shikamaru, who stared at him with a knowing look.
"You heard none of what we said, did you?" asked the shadow user, eyes briefly darting forward. "Troublesome."
Before Naruto got to answer the group arrived at their table. To his dismay Hinata had found a seat next to Sasuke of all people, with Kiba on her other side. He settled himself across from her, squeezed between Choji and Ino.
"I wish Sai were here," Ino sighed dramatically, leaning on her elbows.
"We're not here to talk about your love life," Sakura quipped as she pressed her shoulder against Sasuke's.
"Whatever forehead," Ino scoffed, flipping her hair over her shoulder. The end of the ponytail smacked Shikamaru in the face but she paid him no mind.
"Let's order the food!" Choji encouraged, gesturing over to a waiter.
Soon they were all stuffing themselves with a large spread of different meats, fried foods, and vegetables. Drinks were freely flowing and the conversations were getting loud and lively.
Naruto was laughing at a joke Choji said when, from the corner of his eyes, he noticed Kiba and Hinata huddled close together. Kiba was whispering fiercely in her ear, pointing over her shoulder at… Sasuke?
Why was he pointing at Sasuke?
Hinata looked nervous and she brought her hands to cover her reddening cheeks.
Naruto frowned, his eyes shifting to Sasuke.
Did Hinata like…
His frown deepened and he glared at his supposed best friend.
That bastard. The betrayal.
You don't even know if that's true. Kurama stirred in his head, awaking from his slumber.
Doesn't change the fact that he's an ass.
Sasuke looked up from his plate, feeling the intensity of Naruto's negative emotions, steadily meeting his gaze. He didn't even seem surprised that the blonde was furiously staring at him with fire in his eyes. He just stared back unblinkingly.
Naruto's anger targeted at Sasuke diffused just as quickly as it appeared. Not worth the energy for something he knew, deep inside, couldn't be true.
"Let's dance!" Ino suddenly exclaimed, slamming her empty drink on the table and pulling Shikamaru up. "Sakura, let's go!"
"I'll join you after I finish my drink," the pinkette said, carefully swirling her fruity looking cocktail.
"Choji! Kiba, Shino you too!" Ino exclaimed. "All of you guys! Hinata, get your ass up there and show off your pretty black dress."
Naruto's eyes ventured back, to Hinata who shifted uncomfortably in her seat, trailing the top of her black dress. He had seen her outfit when they first met outside but specifically made sure not to stare at her too long. He made that mistake when he first saw her in her new mission gear and was mercilessly teased for days by Sakura.
He never really thought much about appearances back when he was a teenager- honestly he was too busy training and he never wanted to come off as a pervert like his sensei's. Obviously, he wasn't oblivious to a woman's body. Afterall, his sexy jutsu had saved him quite a few times. He had noticed Hinata's change in clothing choices, for obvious reasons, and was very aware she had a petite, lithe, and curvy body-
Naruto pulled at the collar of his shirt. It was getting hot-
"Don't worry. You just gotta make sure. You got this, Hinata," Kiba was saying, gently clasping his friend on the shoulder before sliding out of his seat.
"What's wrong?" Naruto asked the two.
Kiba looked at him. "Girl stuff, Naruto. Just leave it alone," he said before making his way to the dance floor.
The table quickly cleared out and soon it was just himself, Hinata, Sasuke, and Sakura. Hinata was keeping to herself, idly stirring the ice around in her glass of soda. It didn't go unnoticed by Naruto that she didn't get an alcoholic drink. Hinata wasn't much of a drinker but she usually indulged in one or two.
"You okay, Hinata?" Naruto asked over the loud music, ignoring Kiba's prior advice.
Hinata looked up, almost surprised to see him there. That kind of hurt him. Hinata was usually very aware of his presence. He wasn't trying to be conceited thinking that way but he had also become more cognizant of the way she acted...around him particularly. He didn't forget what she said. He had a lot of time to think about it.
"Oh, I'm fine!" she said, smiling at him but he could tell she wasn't being too honest. Her eyes darted to the side-
Sasuke? Again?
"You want to dance or something?" Naruto blurted out, suddenly feeling desperate to get her attention off his traitor of a best friend.
Hinata's eyes widened. "Oh...I...yes I would love to but-" She looked over at Sasuke and Sakura, of which the kunoichi seemed to be trying to encourage the Uchiha to come to the dance floor.
"Do you need something from Sasuke?" Naruto asked, trying not to sound too bitter.
At the sound of his name the Uchiha looked over at them.
"Ah, no," Hinata shook her head and Naruto felt himself relax. "Actually, Sakura-chan, can I speak with you? I'm sorry to take you away from Sasuke-kun...I just…I'll be quick."
Sakura downed the rest of her drink, immediately sliding out of her seat. She marched over to Hinata and all but dragged the Hyuga out of her seat with her monstrous strength.
"Of course, Hinata, you absolute queen," Sakura shouted louder than she needed. "Hinata, do you know how much I appreciate you? I really like you, you know that?"
"Sakura-chan, thank you," Hinata said, looking flustered as Sakura held her at arms length.
"Look at you, Hinata-chan," Sakura praised. "You have a body to die for. Look at your curves! Your little waist and huge-"
"Noo, Sakura-chan, stop," Hinata was blushing hard, covering her cheeks with her hands, doing her best not to look at the two ninjas still sitting within earshot.
"I think she may have had a little bit too much to drink," Sasuke spoke.
"You think?" Naruto laughed, not unaware of Hinata's discomfort with receiving flattery but secretly agreeing with everything his pink haired friend was saying.
"I'll take care of her," Hinata promised them, cheeks still flushed as Sakura continued to shower her with praise.
"I like you so much. You know who else likes you?" Sakura continued, winking at her.
Naruto felt his blood run cold. Is this what he deserves for seeing the humor in Hinata's predicament?
"Everyone!" Sakura exclaimed. "Honestly, everyone. I don't think anyone could hate you, Hinata. You are the sweetest, most pure, cinnamon roll I've ever had the pleasure to meet. In fact, maybe we should share you with someone. I think we should find you a boyfriend!" She looked around towards the dancefloor and bar off at the side as if searching for the lucky person right in that very moment.
Naruto didn't appreciate where this conversation was going.
"Sakura-chan," Hinata chimed, trying to get her friend to focus. "Um, can I speak with you in private?"
"About boys, Hinata?"
Naruto watched Hinata's face redden as the two walked away towards a more secluded alcove. What did Hinata want to discuss with Sakura? Was it about boys? Was it about Sasuke? Probably not. Despite his prior worries, he knew that sounded far fetched.
"You think she's going to remember any of this tomorrow?" Naruto asked Sasuke, still watching as the two moved further away.
Sasuke shrugged. "Probably. Alcohol just makes her more uninhibited. It makes her more comfortable to say whatever she wants."
Whatever she wants?
"She's not going to tell the Hyuga how you feel about her," Sasuke said, easily following his train of thought.
"I wasn't worried about that-"
"Sure."
"I don't feel-"
"Naruto." Sasuke stared at him seriously.
Naruto wasn't even sure why he would try denying it.
He knew he felt something for her. Hinata once admitted she felt something for him too.
Only with more clarity. She loved him.
Naruto wasn't sure if that still held true. It had been years since she confessed to him and he never properly responded. As more and more time passed the worse he felt about it.
Naruto wasn't sure if what he felt for her was love.
He never really experienced it.
Sakura had one day tried to explain it to him. The difference between loving ramen, loving his friends, and loving a woman.
He was a bit dense, he could admit that.
Things were a bit clearer now but he still found it hard to be sure…
But one thing he knew for certain was that he liked her more than you would like a friend. That was a fact.
But damn, it was scary to think about. He knew Hinata was a strong woman. And now realizing how hard it was to even consider telling her how he felt- the fact that she confessed to him before almost dying for him just proved her strength.
What scared him more was the thought that she no longer felt the same way. Despite all the time they had spent together over the past few years anything could have changed.
He felt like a coward.
He felt confused.
Naruto sighed.
He didn't feel like thinking about this.
"You gonna dance, Sasuke?"
"No."
.
.
Sakura had a massive headache from last night.
Sure she drank enough to get a little loose with her tongue but she remembered most things pretty clearly. She remembered flirting with Sasuke-kun, poking fun at Ino, eating a lot of good food, and dancing late into the night.
She also remembered Hinata had asked her for a favor.
The Hyuga didn't specify and if Sakura truly remembered clearly, she was pretty sure the dark haired girl was nervous. She wanted her to run some tests? See if there was anything wrong with her?
I think she mentioned chakra? Something was wrong with her chakra?
Sakura groaned, not wanting to open her eyes. Maybe she shouldn't have had that last drink.
She had the day off but she would definitely make sure she had time to check up on Hinata in the next few days.
Hinata didn't often ask her for favors. This alone made Sakura consider heading into the hospital even today. She was more of the type to sort of keep her suffering to herself, much to Sakura's chagrin. In many ways she was like Naruto. They would push and push their bodies to the limit in order to better themselves. She knew Hinata didn't want to be considered a liability and that was one reason she kept her troubles to herself.
So this must be something that was really bothering her.
Sakura sighed, making her way to the bathroom. She could really use a nice, long, warm shower. She would make absolutely sure to squeeze in time to see Hinata as soon as possible.
.
.
A few days after the night out with her friends Hinata found herself waiting in Sakura's office after losing a couple vials of her blood and peeing in a cup. She couldn't stop shaking her leg. She knew logically she had no reason to be worried but she couldn't help it. She just wanted confirmation that all her concerns were illogical.
The door clicked open and Sakura walked in, a clipboard in hand.
"Sakura-chan, thank you again for seeing me," Hinata spoke immediately. "I want to apologize for the trouble and time-"
"Hinata," Sakura interrupted, laughing. "It's okay. It's not a big deal. You're my friend. I can do a favor or two for you."
Hinata smiled. "You have the results?"
"Yup, right here," Sakura said, taking a seat across from her. "Haven't looked at them yet. Let's see…" Green eyes darted over the pages as she flipped through the sheets. "Most of your blood work so far seems okay. You said you've been feeling tired. Doesn't seem like you're anemic… white cell counts seem normal, electrolytes are good, liver enzymes are fine…"
Hinata felt herself start to relax.
"You said you thought something was off with your chakra?" Sakura asked, continuing to browse through the lab work.
Hinata nodded.
"Honestly when it comes to chakra, there isn't much we can find from blood work or even urine samples," Sakura continued. "We know a lot about chakra but a lot of the science behind it is still a mystery. We-"
Hinata watched her friend freeze, words caught in her throat.
Oh no.
She could feel her heart start beating faster as she felt her anxiety slowly creep to the forefront again.
"What's wrong, Sakura-chan?"
She watched her friend furrow her eyebrows as she frowned at the page.
"Sakura-chan?"
"I'm looking at your urine test results," Sakura said, clearing her throat. "I had no reason to...it's just protocol because you're a female around child bearing age...but Hinata... you're beta-HCG levels are elevated."
None of this really made sense to the Hyuga. She wasn't a medic nin.
"What?"
Sakura stared at Hinata, a strange mix of curiosity and confusion on her face. "Hinata, is it possible that you could be pregnant?"
Hinata felt her heart drop.
There wasn't.
There wasn't.
She had spent the last few days convincing herself of the truth- that there was no way. And she answered as such.
"No, Sakura-chan." She felt her cheeks heat up. Being pregnant would imply she did certain things and she definitely didn't-
"Hinata, beta-HCG levels are a measure for pregnancy. It was in your urine."
"There has to be a mistake," Hinata insisted. She could almost hear the pounding of her blood rushing through her ears. "Can you check again?"
Sakura swallowed, biting at her lower lip as she thought. "Yeah...the lab should still have your blood. I'll add on a stat blood test for beta-HCG to confirm."
Hinata didn't allow herself to feel relief.
"It's possible the urine test was a false positive." Hinata could hear the uncertainty in her friend's voice. "But, Hinata...I don't know if things will come back negative. I don't know if it'll make a difference."
.
.
Time seemed to drag by as Hinata continued to sit in Sakura's office waiting for repeat test results to come back.
It came back positive.
Hinata refused to believe it. She wasn't one to go out of her way to cause more work or trouble for people but she requested they take another sample of urine.
Sakura obliged. This would definitely cost the hospital some money but...she wasn't going to worry about that right now.
"Hinata…"
Three different sheets of paper were spread out on Sakura's desk.
"Hinata, I think you're pregnant," Sakura said gently, reaching over to clasp the Hyuga's hands in her own.
Lavender eyes stared blankly into green, as she processed the words. Eventually she spoke.
"But Sakura-chan...it's impossible. I never even had sex."
Sakura sighed. "I know this is really inappropriate and stupid but...are you sure?"
Hinata didn't even have the energy to feel offended. "I'm sure. I never did any of the activities needed to get to this point, I assure you."
Sakura didn't look convinced. "I...I'm not accusing you of lying, Hinata, but you can trust me, you know that right?"
Hinata smiled sadly. "I know, Sakura-chan. I promise, I never had sex. I never even kissed anyone."
"No one...hurt you? Forced you?"
Hinata furiously shook her head. "Never. In the past, some missions got rough, yes, but it never culminated to...that."
Sakura sat back with a sigh of relief. "Okay, well that's good."
"Sakura-chan…"
"I mean- I don't know! I'm glad no one took advantage of you. But I'm conflicted over this whole pregnancy thing. Why did you think this was a chakra issue?" Sakura questioned.
Hinata slowly explained how Kiba sensed a change in her scent and how she had examined herself with her Byakugan just to humor her two friends.
"A little ball of chakra, huh?" Sakura asked with a whisper.
Hinata felt her eyes start to burn.
This was impossible. But it happened.
She was pregnant.
.
.
Authors Note:
Ahh, I have this idea in my head and I'm really hoping it'll come to fruition. This is a Naruhina story through and through- bear with me! All will be revealed in time. If the story interests you please let me know! I would love some encouragement lol
Also, I have no idea what the drinking age is in Konoha but I'm going to pretend it's 19 or something. They're ninja and can die at any moment so whatever lol
I'm proud of my story name: A MisConception. Get it? Lol a misconception conception.
Anyways, thanks for reading!