Hinata wasn't sure what she had been expecting once she struck the bargain with her husband, but she was certain it had been far more dramatic than the peace that followed.
"Is that all?" She had asked once she was sure she wouldn't stammer.
"Unless you'd rather seal it with a kiss?" Naruto had released her hand, laughing lightly as he turned away before she could answer. Hinata didn't know what to think about the instinctive smile that curved her lips at his amusement or the slight blush at the suggestion. She was relieved he had turned his back to her and suspected that was exactly what he had intended. He was a fox, and as cunning as the rest of his kind.
She had trailed after him quietly, following him back through the hall to their room to tidy up the mess they had left and bundle the linens into a basket that had vanished from her arms as soon as she had lifted it. He had grinned at the open surprise on her face, though after the night past Hinata marveled that anything could shock her anymore.
Hinata glanced around the freshly tidied room. It didn't match him well at all, she thought, too orderly and subdued for a man that seemed to always be in motion, even when he stood stock-still in front of her. She wondered if he had another room; perhaps this had only been meant for their wedding? It was no use trying to wriggle out of their bargain that way, she knew. Naruto had been clear that they would live as husband and wife until the beginning of the season, and doubtless that meant sharing the bed she tried so hard not to look at.
Naruto cleared his throat, effortlessly drawing her attention back to him. "Sakura left a few things for you, but if you need anything else tell me."
"I'm fine." Mostly. Her eyes flicked to the futon again, a question on the tip of her tongue she wasn't ready to ask yet.
"Is there something?" He wouldn't let her hide, blue eyes seemingly piercing through her so that she had to remind herself to breathe.
"No. Not yet." There were hours of daylight ahead, weeks of days just like this one. Hinata resolved to deal with their sleeping arrangements tonight once she had time to think on it.
Naruto laughed delightedly, eyes crinkling with mirth; there was no mockery in it, only a rueful sort of amusement that invited her to join in. Hinata, still ordering her own thoughts, had ignored it.
He hadn't bothered her since. Hadn't trailed her around his home as she explored every nook and cranny from the intimidatingly grand dining hall to the small, neat rooms that were conspicuously empty. She had been prepared for an argument when she first stepped foot outside, bracing and catching her breath, ready for Naruto to sweep out from whichever corner he was hiding in and demand to know where she was going and when she would return. Somehow the complete lack of reaction had been even more disconcerting.
She had stepped out, traipsing down dusty stone steps and onto loamy soil as quickly as her feet would carry her, the sun warm on her skin though rain clouds threatened in the distance. She wouldn't wander far then, just a brief foray to acquaint herself with this erstwhile home.
Hinata dared a few more cautious steps, ears still pricked for the sound of Naruto's footsteps. Turning back, she got her first good look at the place she would call home until the end of the season: a shrine? No, not quite, though at first glance the design looked similar, it was no more than a passing resemblance. Neglected and dilapidated, falling apart around the edges; the dark stain on the wood might once have been red paint, but was now a rusted brown. The shorter grass around her feet had obviously been a path, but nature had long since reclaimed the grounds.
It should have looked sinister; were she not personally acquainted with the occupant it might have. It certainly had its own unique charm. She couldn't help but wonder what purpose the building was meant to serve, who had built it, and why they had left it for a fox to claim.
The path sloped downward, the clearing gradually giving way to forest. It wasn't hard to get lost among unfamiliar trees, but Hinata prided herself on her perceptiveness. With all the dead leaves and tinder, it would be no trouble to retrace her footsteps even if she lost the path. She glanced back once more, taking in the worn stone steps, the slope of the roof that betrayed rot and infirmity… the gaping doorway that was still pointedly empty. One last searching glance and Hinata set off at a brisk pace, ever mindful of the clouds gathering in the distance.
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The fresh air was everything Hinata had needed to clear her head. The hiss of the wind through the leaves overhead grew more insistent as time passed, a little over an hour if the shadows they cast were anything to go by. The scent of soil and greenery tickled her nose and Hinata breathed deep, feeling steadier with every passing minute. A few weeks' absence so near to her betrothal was no small thing, and she was sure to be greeted with suspicion upon her return, but both the Aburame and the Hyuuga stood to gain from their alliance. In any case, she had given her word to remain and took comfort knowing there was nothing for her to do but wait until the turn of the season.
And, if she was honest, there was a strange thrill in the idea of being spirited away. She should have been preparing for life as a responsible scion of her house, leaving these sort of idle dreams and assuming a responsibility that would all but preclude a chance at adventure. Instead she was wandering a sprawling forest while she pondered what to do about the fox spirit waiting on her return. Her husband. Hinata circled back to the word, testing it on her tongue just to feel the weight of it.
The idea that some sort of fate had been involved, that they were bound together, destined to meet would have delighted her as a child. The reality was nerve-wracking, but it was exciting too much as she wanted to deny it. Whether she actually believed it was another matter entirely: a supernatural bridal procession, unbreakable vows and a spirit wedding, striking a bargain with a fox. Thinking over the night before, she vaguely remembered the man with wings, the way the procession had moved so unnaturally fast-
No amount of pain or time was waking her either. It was too much to take in at once.
A chill raced through her and Hinata paused to chafe her arms with the thin fabric of the yukata. The sky had darkened, but the clouds were still far enough way that she could afford another half hour before turning back. The air had grown oppressively heavy though, and the morning coolness had given way to uncomfortable heat that had the cotton clinging to her skin and her hair gnarling from humidity. The storm was blowing up fast, and she had no desire to be caught in it for the sake of a few more minutes outside. Hinata made her way only slightly off the path she had followed to lean against a tree and pull her zori off. Naruto had assured her if she needed anything she had but to ask, and a sturdier pair of shoes should have been the first thing to come to mind. The sandals had not been made for traipsing through twigs and leaves.
Hinata whimpered at the thought of asking anything of him so soon after striking their bargain: just because he offered her a favor did not mean it would be free, and she had already sacrificed weeks away from her family. What more could he ask for? She kicked the other off with a little more force, shaking her head to clear it of the tempting images that immediately came to mind. That was the last thing she should be encouraging; was one night enough to rid her completely of any shame?
She slid her feet back in, making for the trail only to find it had vanished, swallowed up by brush and saplings she was certain hadn't been there even a minute before. Even her eyes, the pride of the Hyuuga clan and envy of many others, couldn't find any trace of her passing. No bent branches on the small saplings, no damaged leaves hanging from the brush or even a swipe of dirt from a careless footfall.
Hinata swallowed tightly, looking up at the sky with the beginning of a worried frown. This wasn't her forest, and she shouldn't have fallen prey to the illusion to begin with. This forest harbored creatures that had been myths until last night, and somehow she had expected it to be normal. Hinata could have laughed at her own naivete if it wasn't about to cost her precious time.
Waiting for Naruto was out of the question; he would come looking for her eventually she was sure, but being caught out in the elements with so little shelter for however long it took him to find her was more than she was willing to risk. Even if her surroundings looked nothing like they had a moment ago, she knew the direction she had walked in at least. If she kept heading southeast she would eventually find the shrine again, with any luck before the rain caught up to her.
Gamely she turned back the way she was sure she had come, following a path that no longer existed to a shrine that shouldn't.
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She was going to be the death of him.
Naruto threw himself down in the futon they had shared the night before, rolling around in the faded scent of whatever perfume Hinata had chosen for their wedding. Light and sweet, not a strong or cloying scent to torment a fox's nose, but enough to tease. Hot and weary as he was after a morning spent pushing himself to the limit to avoid following Hinata around like a lovesick fool, he was still half-tempted to bound outside and take on his second skin. If it were anyone else, if he were only her fox instead of her inconvenient husband, Naruto was sure she would enjoy the company.
Instinct warned him that if he wanted more than Hinata's scent for company at night, he should let her seek him out first. Yet he was bored, and the static sting of Hinata leaving his home's protective barrier was still thrumming just under his skin, leaving him irritable and out of sorts. He muffled a growl in the fabric, running his claws against it just to feel them catch. Patience had never been his strength and what control he had learned was hard-won. What if he just watched her from a distance, waiting for the invitation he was sure would come if he just looked pitiable enough.
He flopped over to glare at the ceiling. Surely it wouldn't matter as long as she didn't catch him following her? Didn't a man have a right to protect his wife after all? A responsibility, even, since he had promised to take her back to her family? Naruto bounded up eagerly, halfway to the door before he stalked back again. His forest was safe, had been for a mortal age. No harm would come to her from having a day alone, and perhaps this small victory would make her even bolder in the future.
The lazy grin that curled his lips was testament enough to how much he appreciated her boldness already.
But the waiting. He pressed his palms into his eyes until lights flashed, clambering reluctantly out of the futon one last time. He could try running until he dropped again. It was also an excellent time to practice the meditation exercises Sakura had been at such pains to teach him, or he could patrol the borders of his territory- in the opposite direction from Hinata, he chided himself sternly.
A last idea presented itself, and loathe as he was to break the solitude his friends had offered, Naruto entertained the thought of speaking to Sakura. Hinata was a human and a woman, a riddle within a riddle; at least Sakura could share some insight on the latter. Anything he asked Sakura would naturally go straight to Sasuke though, and he would have to face mockery on both fronts. The alternative was throwing himself head first into deep water and trusting he would learn how to swim. Nothing he hadn't done many times before, but then success had never been so important before either.
No. No. What kind of fox asked for help in courting his mate? Not Uzumaki Naruto. As for courting his reluctant bride, it would be near impossible without finding her first. He was halfway down the steps practically as soon as it occurred to him, claws skittering on stone and the wind riffling through his whiskers. He could smell the first hint of rain on the wind, feel the beginning of static tickling his fur; seldom did he see any summer storms so close to home. Sometimes he watched it rain in the distance, sweeping shadows from the clouds falling on Sasuke's mountain, but it was a rare the wind blew his way.
Thinking of the thin yukata Hinata was dressed in, Naruto doubted she would enjoy it in the slightest. But there was no sign of her as he raced down the trail- he caught her scent here and there, found the impression of her feet once or twice, but she had moved carefully through the forest and left few signs in her wake. Nothing like the girl that had carelessly run through the bushes and leapt tree roots only a day ago; that at least would have made her simpler to track. He had just picked up her trail again when the sky opened up, obliterating the last trace of her scent.
Not that it would have done him any good anyway, somehow she had ventured off the path, and he had taken care that the forest would confuse the path to guide her, he had no doubt Hinata was well and truly lost. Any other day he would have been delighted to play the hero, insinuating his way into her good graces in the space of a single afternoon. With the rain pouring down hard enough to sting and the wind chilling even him beneath the protective covering of his fur, his stomach lurched at the thought of her trying to find her way home through it. All of it easily avoided if he had warned her to stick to the trail or left even ten minutes earlier.
Ever the optimist, Naruto shook off his worry and focused instead on honing his sense of Hinata. It was there, still new and faint, but hopefully enough to lead him where she was.
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Muddy, wet, and cold, Hinata pressed herself farther back against the tree whose leaves offered her at least some protection from the driving wind and rain. Her yukata was nearly soaked through after a hectic flight through the storm in a last ditch effort to find shelter. At least she hadn't heard any thunder yet, but the thought of venturing out of cover for more than a few minutes only intensified her shivering. She glanced down at her zori- thoroughly ruined, and some of the stains on her hem didn't look like they would ever come out either. If she met Sakura again before she returned home, Hinata would have to find some way to make it up to her.
After all the magic she had seen today- from sumptuous shrines hidden under the illusion of a wreckage to vanishing trails and a man that had once been a fox, scrubbing an impossible mud stain from her hem seemed mundane. She knelt to brush at it, only managing to get her own hands dirty before thoughtlessly wiping them on her yukata again. Hinata sighed quietly, burying her face in her hands out of habit before abruptly remembering that they were still covered in filth. Which, of course, she had smeared on her face. It startled a laugh out of her. Her skin at least would come clean, and the idea of another hot bath before curling up in warm blankets kept the smile on her face even as she forced herself to get up and leave her shelter once more.
She ought to have seen the shrine by now, but like the trail it had disappeared. Weary, nervous, she finally gave in and put her natural born talent to work, eyes zeroing in on the place she knew it should be- the world twisted, there was no other way to describe it, and her stomach lurched rebelliously. Her head ached like she had been reading in dim light for hours, but for a moment she thought she had glimpsed the trail, at least. Shimmering in and out of existence in a way that would have made her skin crawl if she weren't so desperate for any sign of where she should go, natural or otherwise. Hinata closed her eyes tightly, drew a breath and braced herself- the second time she managed to stay focused… until she glanced down at her hand-
"Hinata!" She spotted Naruto a couple seconds before he plowed into her; instinctively she moved with him, pivoting to avoid falling but pressed far closer to him than she had ever intended to be again.
Hinata pushed away quickly, distantly impressed at how quickly he righted himself, managing to keep his balance despite her unintentionally brusque push.
He shook himself, for all the world like he was still in fox form, and grinned disarmingly. "Sorry, sorry."
"N-not your fault." Hinata clenched her jaw as a shiver ran through her, relieved but too embarrassed to admit it. She couldn't remember ever being so hopelessly lost before, but then if her vision proved anything it was that there was something unnatural about this particular forest. She pushed that to the back of her mind for later.
"I lost the path." She chattered, chuckling nervously. She couldn't help it- he was still standing close enough that she could feel the heat radiating from his skin. Temptation and blessed heat beckoned her, but Hinata carefully refocused her thoughts to ignore it. He hadn't been out long, which meant the shrine had to be close.
"I was worried." He admitted, threading a hand with hers like he had the right. The touch was so casual it took her a moment to realize that she was already neatly tucked into his side, shielded from the worst of the wind.
She squinted, trying to see if she couldn't catch a glimpse of that warped world again, but when she glanced down her feet were already on the overgrown path once more. Hinata gaped. "How did you-?"
Naruto glanced down, all wide-eyed innocence. Hinata narrowed her eyes in thought. "Is the path the illusion or is the forest?"
Fixated on her question, she forgot everything but her need for the answer. An illusion like this, one that could stand even the test of her sharp eyes? She had never seen anything like it.
"Hmm." He hummed noncommittally, reluctant to answer. Hinata held her breath and hoped, trying not to shake when she noticed the cold again. "I forget which."
"What?"
"Hm?" He was blushing from neck to ears and pointedly avoiding her eyes.
"How-"
"You can see the shrine now." He bobbed his head, gesturing at it. "As long as you stay on the path, you'll be fine. Guess I should've warned you."
Hinata added her last question to a growing pile she wanted answered sooner rather than later. She couldn't blame him if he didn't want to tell her; a fox would want to keep its secrets and he had no cause to trust her anyway since she had been the one to deny the vows they had exchanged. It was reasonable, but try as she might she couldn't hide her disappointment.
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The walk back was closer to a steady lope, but stiff as Hinata was under his arm she made no move to pull away. It had to be the cold; he could feel the tremors racking her even as their brisk pace began to warm her up, but his mouth still went dry when she tucked herself farther into his protective clasp and looped an arm about his waist for balance. The first crack of lightning startled him out of a pleasant reverie and Hinata ran a little faster despite the way she had to fight to keep from losing her zori.
Nothing about her clothing had been designed for a rainy summer afternoon. Naruto should have felt guilty for the surreptitious glances at the all but sheer fabric and the way it clung to generous curves and intriguing hollows, but then he wasn't a saint, and she was his wife. That had to count for something. Not much by Hinata's reckoning, but something.
Distracted, he stumbled and nearly sent them both toppling to the ground with his graceless attempt to right them. Hinata shouldered his weight, hauling him back to his feet and keeping them moving anyway; he thought back to how easily she had shoved him away, the smooth glide she had sunk into effortlessly even when he had caught her off-guard with his embrace. It was such a contrast to her seeming delicacy; he wanted to pry and push, nag and wheedle her until she gave up all her secrets.
He felt it when they passed the barrier, just a light shock of sensation, but he felt Hinata jump next to him like it had passed to her too. Perhaps it had. He glanced at her opal eyes, caught them for a moment as they both slowed to a more comfortable walk, a little winded and wet but otherwise fine. Was she entirely Human? If she wasn't it could explain how she came to have his thread about her finger.
"Bath?" Hinata sputtered hopefully, looking so pitiful it took everything he had not to draw her close again.
He nodded, dragging her up the steps and inside by her hand. He was reluctant to surrender its warmth, and Hinata didn't insist.
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The silence was deafening.
Naruto paced restlessly in their room, muttering to himself, cursing himself, his fate, punctuating it with the occasional groan or fitful scuff of the wood. Obviously he was going to die waiting for Hinata to ask the question he had seen hovering on her lips that morning before they parted ways. He was going to choke on all the words he didn't dare speak yet, but for once he was going to shut up if it killed him. And it would, he was sure.
He had left Hinata in the bath to gather a heavier robe for her to sleep in, one of his since all the clothes Ino and Sakura had left were filmy wisps clearly meant to be removed. Cold as she had looked, he had taken pity and quickly decided none of them would work. Less altruistically, the thought of Hinata wearing his things had him giddy with excitement. Even if they did nothing more than sleep tonight- and judging by the way Hinata's eyes had carefully skirted the futon this morning before she departed, that was exactly what they would be doing- she would still smell like him come morning.
In his home, his bed, and his clothes, Naruto thought smugly.
Hinata had guessed his thoughts. She had taken the heavy robe gingerly, fingers kneading the soft warmth as a pleased hum escaped her. It was a stark gray, hemmed in red flowers whose name he had never cared to learn. For luck, Tenten had said when she gifted it to him. They could both use a little, Naruto thought.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome." The words had tumbled out of his mouth before she even had the chance to finish speaking, his tongue unused to being still so long.
She had scurried away quickly, pulling the door to behind her with a finality that suggested she expected him to ask if he could join. The message was plain enough that even he had understood it and retreated, scrubbing the last of the wetness from his shorter hair ruthlessly before shrugging out of his clothes and into something drier. The sun hadn't even begun to set, meaning it would be the two of them, cooped up indoors for hours longer before either could excuse themselves to sleep. Naruto was sure Hinata didn't find the prospect half as charming as he did. He'd just have to change her mind.
Finally a worthy challenge. He strode out of his room, making for the smaller rooms in the back. There was a chest somewhere of things he had enjoyed as a child, tops and playing cards, dice and a few other trinkets.
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She couldn't stay in the bath forever, no matter how tempting it sounded. For one thing, Naruto had to be nearly as cold as she and for another she had already monopolized the bath enough. Hinata eyed her pruned fingertips and dutifully forced herself to climb out with a last longing glance at the water. It felt more than a little decadent, lounging in the bath at this hour of the day, listening to raindrops patter on the roof above her and the rumble of thunder in the distance. Her stomach too was beginning to make itself heard. No wonder, late as it was.
The robe was heavy, rougher on her skin than the kimono of last night but not unpleasant. Obviously it had been tailored for Naruto, and fell loosely about her, the sleeves swallowing up her hands. She burrowed into it, tucking one sleeve into the other and snuggling into the fabric as much as she could. Hinata tried not to consider the picture she must make, overwhelmed no matter how she fixed the fabric. She wasn't blind to the suggestiveness of it either, and feeling the blush heating her face at the thought she waited a few minutes more before leaving the safety of the room.
"Naruto?" Hinata cleared her throat and tried again, louder, "Naruto!"
An ominous thud reached her ears, and Hinata headed for the source of the sound without hesitating. Before she had made it across to the corridor Naruto came skittering out, bright-eyed and obviously suppressing a grin. Was it all in her mind or were the whiskers on his cheeks a little more obvious?
"Need something?"
He was practically hopping from foot to foot, plainly excited. Hinata felt her lips struggling to curve into a smile and quickly straightened her face. The last thing she should do was encourage him.
"The bath is still warm." He had already changed into a tan yukata that did nothing to flatter him. Hinata frowned, recognizing its age in way it fit him- the sleeves a little too short, the hem not quite in the right place and the shoulder seams fighting a battle they were bound to lose any day now. Was she wearing his only good clothes? She drew it tighter, clenching her fists and willing herself not to feel guilty for a gift freely given.
"I'm fine."
"But-" She felt even worse for taking so long, small again, indebted.
"I'll use it tonight." Naruto offered, giddy and impatient.
"Are you all right?" Hinata dared to close the distance between them, gathering up the robe so it wouldn't catch beneath her feet.
"Better." Naruto finally gave free rein to the grin that had been threatening. "I found a few things while I was digging around."
He said it casually, but Hinata sensed she was supposed to interject a question into the silence. "What did you find?"
She didn't mean it for an invitation to take her hand, but he caught it anyway, towing her behind him so that she once more found herself following in his footsteps. She was becoming strangely comfortable with it, even caught herself enjoying the brief contact; Naruto's grip was sturdy, firm and reassuring in a world that had gone topsy-turvy sometime between last night and today.
Of course the moment she realized it she tried to pull away, and of course her stomach chose an already tense moment to growl loudly enough that it didn't take Naruto's sharp ears to catch it- though he did.
"I-"
"Right, food!"
He didn't even pause, just spun them in a circle and started off again, his surprise shelved for more immediate needs. Hinata saw her chance and took it, carefully extricating her hand from his and lengthening her strides to catch up to him, wincing when she caught the robe and stumbled.
"You can keep that." Naruto offered, nodding at the robe. "I have others."
"Are they all…" Hinata searched for a tactful way to say it, but Naruto's head was cocked expectantly and she was too flustered to think. "Are they all like that?"
Naruto glanced at the yukata he was wearing when she nodded toward it, but either he didn't understand her question or was willfully misinterpreting it. "Mostly. I have a few warmer things, but I don't know where I put some of them." He grinned sheepishly, running a hand through his hair. "Most of them, actually."
Hinata couldn't even pretend polite surprise, and seeing the grim look that flashed across her face, Naruto laughed aloud.
"I have a few months before winter."
"You'll need them for…"
Just like that the casual rapport they had only just begun to build vanished. He would need his warm clothes for autumn when the chill began to set in, around the time she was due to leave.
"I'm not sure what we have to eat." Naruto leapt into the void without a second thought, "If I know my friends, probably not much meat." Shikamaru had packed away nearly as much as Choji last night, and he could have sworn Temari was trying to put both of them to shame. "But I know there are plenty of vegetables." Gag. "Maybe some dried fish. Definitely rice."
"We could make vegetable soup, pair the fish with the rice." Hinata offered, visibly shaking off her thoughts. Naruto took it for the gesture of peace it was meant to be.
"It's your call. Better for both of us if you leave the knife work to me and keep me the hell away from the fire."
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A couple singed finger and a little too much seasoning later found them seated at the same grand table of the night before, lonelier now without the extra company. Naruto nursed his fingertips between snatching playful bites from Hinata's plate. Not that he didn't have enough food, only she had forgot herself enough to snap her chopsticks at him the first time he had snatched a mushroom and he was determined to provoke her again.
"We should've gone fishing today. It's raining now, but tomorrow will do, I guess. Where were you heading, anyway? Not that it matters as long as you stay on the path, but I could've found you sooner if I knew which direction you were headed in. I could show you around."
Hinata, uncaring of the extra spice or the too crunchy vegetables let his words pass her by while she ate. Her stomach had been twisting with nervousness their first night together, and she hadn't had much appetite that day either. It had been too long since her last decent meal for her to care whether it was a particularly good one. Both of them were mediocre cooks… in Naruto's case that was generous. His last words caught her attention though.
"You found me very quickly."
She wasn't sure what nagged her about that, but evidently she had hit on something because Naruto clammed up again, making a show of stuffing his face.
"I should have expected the path would be hidden. I suppose you would have been discovered sooner if not for that."
Back to neutral ground. Naruto seized on the lifeline with all the enthusiasm of a dying man. Somehow he doubted Hinata would take it well if he casually admitted their bond ran far deeper than marriage vows. That had already gone poorly enough.
"Ehehe. You can ask Sakura about that when she comes around again. She knows more about the illusions around this place than I do." He ran a hand through his hair, a gesture Hinata was beginning to recognize for embarrassment. "I didn't set any of them. They've been there practically forever."
"Around the time this place was built?" Hinata glanced around.
"I don't know. Like I said, forever."
"Then you didn't build it," she pressed. Naruto wondered why she had fixated on it, but looking into her unique eyes he had a glimmer of a suspicion.
"No. I've lived here my whole life, but even I don't know who built it."
"Hm." Hinata took a thoughtful bite of her food and immediately regretted it. Naruto had a heavy hand with the spices; some foods were better swallowed quickly over savored. She wondered who had taught him, but the more questions she asked the more the conversation dwindled. Hinata wanted him to talk, wanted him to go back to asking his prying questions and telling his stories, it made him feel more human, more approachable.
"Earlier you said you had something to show me."
Immediately he lit up again. "I found some old things I thought you'd like: cards, toys, things like that."
Hinata couldn't remember the last time she had played with any of her toys. When they were children, she and Neji used to play with her kamifusen, batting it back and forth until finally it had given up the ghost, too worn for them to play with any longer. Not long after, Shuriken had become her toys, kunai and other things very unforgiving of a young child's clumsy hands. It was her turn to fall silent.
Naruto cocked his head, chopsticks sneaking over to nab the last bite of rice from her bowl. Hinata snatched it away quickly, hurriedly shoving it into her mouth over the sound of Naruto's laughter; a diversion, she realized, and it had worked.
"Cards like hanafuda?"
The smile she got in return was distressingly fox-like, a warning if ever she had seen one. "Exactly."
Hinata smiled back, knowing he had an ulterior motive and certain she could avoid it. She was going to win.
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A.N.
I remarked elsewhere that I was just going to avalanche update everything, but it's been awhile so have a chapter! And have another one sooner than this one. :)