Last Time:
"Hinata," Naruto's voice was strained. "Hinata, please. I'm begging you," he reached for her hands, but she jerked them away. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
"Please go," she requested.
Naruto clenched his jaw and watched her for a second. He stood and simply gave her a gentle kiss on her head. He stayed there for what seemed like a long while before wiping away some of her tears. "I will always love you. If you ever need anything, anything at all, call me."
Naruto flashed his traditional grin before leaving Hinata's room. Once he was outside, he leaned against Hinata's door and slid down to the ground, tears filling his eyes and streaming down his face. He silently sobbed and gripped his hair while he tucked his head between his knees.
Opposites: Chapter 34 – "Honeymoon Un Deux Trois"
"Presenting Lady Hyuuga Hinata of Konoha," the announcer announced, and the crowd clapped and cheered as Hinata came out onto the ice. "For her Free Skate, she'll be skating to Honeymoon Un Deux Trois composed by DATEKEN and originally performed by Kagamine Rin, covered by Comforting Love."
Hinata did a lap around the rink as she waved to audience members. Despite last night, she made sure to wear the brightest smile she could muster up for today. She was sure she wasn't going to see Naruto in the audience but there he was, sitting in the second tier of seats so he could see and clapping with the rest of them. It was comforting to see but she suddenly felt her routine was going to be harder to execute now that he was there.
"Lady Hyuuga has seven jumps prepared for this program, three happening in the first half and four in the back half," the announcer explained. "She has been doing exceptionally since this competition began last weekend and is expected to score even higher than she did last weekend, having already broken a record previously held by her own mother, Hyuuga Hiyori."
She made her way to the center of the rink and exhaled. She wore a pure white dress that was decorated with lace across the top around her shoulders and down her arms and hands. The skirt layered and delicate and overall gave the appearance of a short wedding dress. Her mother – and Hanabi – called it a Purity Dress and Hinata hated that name for obvious reason.
She posed, and she heard the music begin. It sounded like a melody that belonged in a music box. Her initial movements were simple but once the actual instruments began, she was off. Hinata had found the song while browsing through YouTube one night and had immediately fallen in love with it. Luckily her mother loved it as well and agreed to let Hinata use it for her Free Skate. And with Hinata's extensive ballet background, this song was perfect.
Dare mo inaku natta (Everyone has gone.)
Futari dake no machi ni (In our very own town,)
Kikai shikake no tokei ga (the mechanized clock)
Yoru no otozure shiraseru (notifies us of night's arrival.)
Yuuyami ga sora o (The twilight dyes the sky)
Wain-iro ni somete (the color of wine,)
Funare na futurai o (and invites us inexperience two)
Butai e to izanau (toward the stage.)
Chasse n' Whisk n' Natural Turn
Anata ni mahou o ageru (I will do magic for you.)
Throwaway and Oversway
Sono namae wa (The name of that is)
Honey mead
Mitsugetsu un deux trois (Honeymoon Un Deux Trois,)
Tagai no yubi o karamete (we entwine each other's fingers-)
Singin' Swingin' Sweetest Song
Futari no yumo o kanaderu (And play the dreams of us two.)
She went into the more difficult choreography of her routine. She had lost count of the number of hours she'd put in with the footwork, but she'd put in enough. Despite the tugging at her heart, she maintained her composure. She was already nearing exhaustion, she couldn't be crying and exhausted while still needing to pull off four jumps, three of which happened consecutively.
Chasse n' Whisk n' Natural Turn
Anata ni mahout o ageru (I will do magic for you.)
Throwaway and Oversway
Miwaku no mitsu (the honey of fascination)
Honey mead
Mitsugetsu un deux trois (Honeymoon Un Deux Trois,)
Sono kuchibiru o kasanete (I put my lips on those of yours-)
Singin' Swingin' Sweetest Song
Futari no ai o kanaderu (And play the love of us two.)
Tsukiakari go roji o (The moonlight illuminates)
Ougonoshoku ni terashita (the alley with a gold color,)
Osanai futari wa (and us young two dance)
Tsumazuki nagara odoru (while stumbling.)
Mitsugetsu un deux trois (Honeymoon Un Deux Trois)
Tagai no yubi o karamete (we entwine each other's fingers-)
Singin' Swingin' Sweetest Song
Futari no yumo o kanaderu (And play the dreams of us two.)
Shava Diva
Mitsugetsu un deux trois (Honeymoon Un Deux Trois,)
Sono kuchibiru o kasanete (I put my lips on those of yours-)
Singin' Swingin' Sweetest Song
Futari no ai o kanaderu (And play the love of us two.)
She landed her first jump. Her second. And the third. The crowd's cheering almost drowned out her music but luckily, she had the song memorized and finished out the rest of her routine. As she finished in the center, she received a standing ovation. She bowed as individual roses to full bouquets were thrown along with stuffed animals. She bowed towards the front and recognized a few regular fans. To the left and saw some of her family. She was a bit surprised to see Kushina standing beside Hiashi, the two of them chatting away like old friends. Behind her where Naruto sat with Sasuke and Sakura. And lastly to the right where she saw Toneri.
That caught her off guard. She picked up a few individual roses on the way towards the gate and saw her mother hold out a box of tissues. She was slightly confused until she felt something drop onto her hands. She touched her cheek and felt the tears.
"What happened?" Hiyori whispered.
Hinata smiled, her lip trembling. She hugged her mother as tight as she could and sobbed into her neck. Hiyori cooed and rubbed her back for a bit before letting go and dabbing away at her cheeks with some tissue.
"Come on," Hiyori smiled, "let's go check out your scores and then you can cry all you want until it's time for your Exhibition."
Hinata nodded and put covers on the blades of her skates before putting on a jacket and instinctively grabbing the fox plushie she's had for the last eight years. She sat down with her mother and squeezed the stuffed animal in her hands while they waited for the scores. All she could hope for was that she hadn't started crying halfway through without realizing it.
Her scores came up and as anticipated, she broke her mother's previous score. Hiyori cheered but Hinata could only smile. She looked beyond the cameras and towards where she had previously seen Naruto, but he was gone. Sasuke and Sakura were still there, the two of them clapping and whistling like the rest of the crowd.
"Come on," Hiyori urged as she grabbed Hinata's hand and pulled her along with her. Hinata followed and managed simple smiles to the other skaters who congratulated her. They had made it into the main lounge area when Hinata saw Naruto with Kushina on his arm – the two of them chatting away about something – come through the double doors with a pass around each of their necks.
"Ah, Naruto-kun, Kushina-chan," Hiyori called and waved at them.
Hinata saw the way he grinned and waved back. She managed a simple smile of her own and waved as the two of them made their way over. Naruto hugged Hiyori first while Kushina hugged Hinata. It was warm and comforting.
"You were absolutely amazing out there," Kushina complimented as she held Hinata at arm's length. "It reminded me a lot of when I used to see Hiyori skate back in our day."
"She's wonderful, isn't she?" Hiyori chimed with a proud smile. "But I'm just so proud of her. I couldn't be happier that she's twice the skater I was. You know, all parents hope that their children become better than them and Hinata has certainly accomplished that."
"Okaa-chan," Hinata whined.
"I wish I could say the same for Naruto-kun." Kushina sighed as she linked her arm with Hinata's. "He still has a long way to go."
"Okaa-chan," Naruto whined.
Kushina giggled. She felt something against her arm and looked down to see the fox plushie that Hinata held onto. "Oh, is that the one Naruto gave you when you first started skating?"
Hinata looked at it before glancing at Naruto. She smiled. "It is."
"She's nearly popped that thing's head off more than once while she was waiting for her scores," Hiyori informed them as she nudged Naruto. "You must've bought the sturdiest one because it hasn't burst yet."
"I must have." Naruto shrugged.
"Lady Hyuuga, Lady Hyuuga!" a group of girls came running up holding armfuls of what had been thrown on the ice for her. "Where do you want these?"
"Ah," Hiyori clapped her hands together before looking at Hinata, "you can follow Hinata and Naruto to Hinata's suite. You can just drop everything off in there."
"Actually," Kushina interjected, "I was hoping to speak with Hinata-chan alone for a moment?"
"Oh," Hiyori looked at Naruto before looking back at Kushina, "that's all right. Girls, just follow Hinata and Mrs. Uzumaki to Hinata's suite."
"Yes ma'am," the girls said in unison before trotting behind Hinata and Kushina. Once they dropped off Hinata's gifts, they scurried out of the room and left Hinata along with Kushina.
Kushina took a seat on the sofa in Hinata's suite and patted the space beside her. Hinata took a seat beside her, her fox plushie still in her arms and nestled beneath her breasts.
"Hinata," Kushina began, "I know it may be a bit strange to see Naruto-kun and I here, especially after what happened last night between the two of you."
"Oh," Hinata looked down, "he told you?"
"It was my idea for him to go and see you after we had left our meeting," Kushina informed her. "It was probably poor planning on my behalf but I'm glad you didn't let it affect how you performed just now. You truly are an amazing skater and even better performer because you didn't let what happened between Naruto-kun and yourself inhibit your abilities to go out there and do what was necessary."
"Thank you, Mrs. Uzumaki." Hinata smiled a bit.
"You can call me Kushina," Kushina encouraged her. "But I just wanted to talk to you, woman to woman, about…our situation."
"Our situation?" Hinata repeated.
Kushina nodded. "Our situation as women who are in love with men involved with the Shadows."
"Oh." Hinata shifted in her seat.
Kushina took hold of Hinata's hand and looked her in the eyes. "Now, I can't begin to try and compare my situation to yours because they're fundamentally different. I grew up within the Shadows and was raised with the full intention of remaining in the Shadows. I simply just moved from one Yakuza into the next. For you, it's not quite that simple. Very rarely do those of us in the Shadows have a choice on whether or not we choose to be a part of the Shadows. Right now, you have a choice."
"Mrs. – Kushina-san," Hinata began.
Kushina smiled. "I'm not saying you have to make a choice now. I don't want you to think I came here to encourage you to get back with my son. I know it's not easy. No part of it is easy. And Naruto-kun is fully aware of the possibility of the two of you never getting back together if you make the decision to remain in the Light. And I know you're wondering if it's possible for Naruto to cross over but it's not."
Hinata pursed her lips together. "Why not?"
"He's was bred for the Shadows," Kushina confessed. "I admit, there are some parts of me that wish Naruto had the choice of choosing another life, but I can tell that he's made his decision and he made it a long time ago. He wants to remain in Whirlwind where he grew up and he has every intention of leading it one day just like Minato-kun and I am now.
"Listen, when it comes to being involved with the Shadows, there are rules we have set that ensure we can continue to operate without conflict," Kushina continued. "If you're going to be with Naruto-kun, I need you to understand that he had every right to kill Baji like he did. Yes, there were better ways Baji could've been handled but when you're in the Shadows, it's sometimes necessary to get your hands dirty."
Hinata sighed.
Kushina squeezed Hinata's hand. "I know, that it's not something you can just easily accept and move on from. It's shocking; especially from someone like my son. He is the kindest person I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. Believe me, I was just as stunned as you were when I found out but not surprised. It's what living a life like ours does. No, it doesn't turn you violent, but it does make you willing to go to extreme lengths to protect your family and those you care about.
"So, if you were to continue to date my son," Kushina breathed, "then I need you to understand that there are things you may do that you may not necessarily be prepared for. Life in Konoha for Whirlwind is comfortable, that much I can admit, but then there are times when things get dangerous. Whether you stay with Naruto-kun or not, I want you to know that you will always be protected by Whirlwind. And I need you to understand that if you do decide to stay with Naruto-kun, that doesn't mean you can't carry on in the Light. Minato-kun and I balance ourselves between the two. Even Lord Jiraiya and Lady Tsunade do as well and eventually, so will Naruto-kun.
"And," Kushina pursed her lips together, "I need you to understand that if you stay with Naruto-kun, you're going to have to be as strong as he is if not stronger. There are going to be times where he is going to hit rock bottom – and he'll hit it a lot – and you're going to have to be there to hold him up, pick him up, dust him off, and push him forward. There have been more than enough times where I've had to hold Minato-kun up and in turn when I've reached my low points, he's held me up as well. I know it sounds like I'm asking to consider the impossible but as I said before, the choice is entirely yours."
"I see." Hinata met Kushina's eyes.
Kushina smiled at her before planting a gentle kiss on her forehead. "I wish you the best of luck with the rest of your tournament."
"Thank you, Kushina-san," Hinata breathed. Just then, there was a knock on the door. Hinata looked towards the door. "Yes?"
The door opened and Hinata and Kushina saw Outsutsuki Toneri standing in the doorway holding a bouquet of roses. Hinata saw the way Kushina eyed them before she looked back at her.
"I better get going," Kushina said before standing. "If you ever need to talk, don't hesitate to call me."
"I won't," Hinata said and Kushina left. Hinata watched as Toneri stepped in while Outsutsuki Naoto lingered on the other side of the threshold.
"I'm going to get a soda or something," Naoto announced awkwardly.
"Take your time," Toneri advised.
Naoto gave a stiff nod before inching away. It was just Toneri and Hinata now and she wasn't sure why – at least she pretended not to be sure – she was suddenly uncomfortable. She shifted in her seat and placed the bouquet of roses onto the desk of her vanity.
"Do you mind if I have a seat?" Toneri questioned.
"Go ahead," Hinata allowed and watched as Toneri took a seat.
There was a bit of awkward silence before Toneri cleared his throat. "So," he began, "are you all right? I was a bit surprised when you started crying towards the end."
She was a bit relieved to discover she hadn't cried any sooner than that. She nodded. "I'm fine. The song is just a little bittersweet and I guess it was just one of those times where I got a little too emotional. Okaa-chan always says to immerse myself in the emotion of the performance to get the best possible result and I might have dove in too deep."
Toneri chuckled. "You didn't dive too deep. It was quite the remarkable performance. I was thoroughly impressed though I didn't expect anything less from you. I'm glad I was able to see your performance in person. It was certainly an experience I won't soon forget."
"Oh." Hinata was flattered. "Thank you. It means a lot to hear that."
"Don't mention it," Toneri brushed it off. "Lady Hinata?"
"Yes?"
"You and Uzumaki-san broke up, didn't you?"
She flinched. She wasn't entirely sure how he knew considering Hinata hadn't told anyone, if Naruto told anyone he told Sakura and Sasuke, and neither of them spoke to Toneri. She noticed a slight twinge at the corner of Toneri's mouth that he immediately tried to cover up. Was he smiling?
"I'm sorry," he apologized, the twinge still tugging at his mouth but his voice sincere. "I just assumed is all. And I know you and I aren't on a casual enough level to talk about the details of it all, but I just wanted to let you know that I'm here for you if you want someone to talk to."
"Thank you." She gave him the polite response.
There was another knock on the door. The door opened immediately after and her mother stepped inside, a stern expression on her face which meant that whatever fear tactic she had attempted to use on Naruto had backfired.
"Outsutsuki-kun, do you mind giving my daughter and I the room? I want to discuss some things with her about her Exhibition piece and I'd like her to be focused," Hiyori explained.
Toneri nodded and stood up. "Of course," he complied. He gave a cool smile to Hinata. "If you need anything or ever want to talk, you can call me."
Hinata nodded. She watched as Toneri made his way out of the room and as soon as the door clicked shut, Hiyori let out an exasperated sigh. "I'm sorry."
"And here I was about to rip Naruto-kun a new one and he tells me you're the one who broke things off," Hiyori whined as she flopped down onto the couch beside the massive teddy bear. She looked at it and playfully punched it. She looked at Hinata, a genuinely concerned and curious look on her face. "What happened?"
"Out already?" Naoto questioned as he watched Toneri come out through the double doors. "I was sure you were going to go all the way with her."
"These things take times," Toneri told him. "She's newly single and it's going to take time until she's ready to date again. Plus, I don't have all the time in the world to focus only on Hinata-chan. With Lady Kaguya's latest endeavor, our hands are full."
"Does she really think we can take on Whirlwind?" Naoto questioned and grunted when Toneri's smacked the back of his head. "What the hell was that for?"
"You talk too much," Toneri said. "And have some faith in Lady Kaguya, she knows what she's doing," he checked his watch. "It's a process."
To Be Continued…