So that
Its butterfly wings become wide
and the knot becomes tight
I want you to firmly tie it,
I want you, I want you
to put your arms right here
and leave
your memories far away.
Chouchou Musubi ( Butterfly Knot )
Sung by: Aimer
Kawaki.
Kawaki only took a minute, a minute—to do his business in the toilet, nothing could have gotten wrong in a minute that he didn't look for Kae, right? He has been guarding the Princess from the Land of Bamboo for two weeks, went into that fancy party and nothing had happened.
But no, of course, in the one minute he had been away, he returned to the scene of the ruined classroom, his first instinct was to teleport to Kae's side, checking her condition.
"Oi, Kae, you okay?"
Kawaki's eyes watched over Kae's pale face, and widening pupils, body tremblings, eyes wet with unshed tears. Kae's teal irises moved slowly at him, blank expression slowly contorting into guilt and horror.
"Kawaki-kun, I'm so sorry—It's because of me—" Her words were cut off by a loud shout from Anko-sensei.
On the door to the classroom was Anko-sensei, and a tear-stained face Hana-sensei.
"Everyone, what happened here?" Anko-sensei's expression was fierce, her eyes trailed over the freezing students scattered over the room. Then paused over Yuina and Eho, covered in… blood? Trembling, holding onto a familiar, blood-stained flax-colored jacket—
Himawari!
A glaze of coldness washes over him, he could barely breathe, he left Kae and bolted to Himawari's side.
"Himawari?" His voice shook, he kneeled, hand putting some pressure over the fist-sized hole on the center of her chest.
Faintly he heard murmurs of Anko-sensei speaking with someone next to him, but he ignored them, feeling helpless, the wetness and warmth of Himawari's blood leaking over his hands.
What would he say to Naruto-san!? Hinata-san!? Boruto—!?
He felt a tap on his shoulder and, almost let his hands go from keeping the pressure on Himawari's wound, high on adrenaline, and caught by surprise.
Anko-sensei, along with two shinobi, no—medic-ninja, he observed from the red cross armbands they were wearing, and the stretcher they brought. They stared at him.
"You have to let her go, so we can heal her."
Kawaki's lips pressed into a tight line, but he nodded, and the medical ninja moved, positioning themselves on each side of Himawari, laying her on the ground of the classroom.
Only then, did he pull his hands, the medic-ninjas hand glowed green and hovered over Himawari's wound. Gradually he saw the leaking blood lessening, and he exhaled shakily.
Anko-sensei pulled him with one strong tug to stand, and out of the classroom. Time must have passed without him noticing because somewhen, the class had been emptied. Just as they stepped out of the classroom, Kawaki tugged back Anko-sensei's arm and stood still, firm.
"Who did that?"
Anko-sensei's gaze darkened, "We don't know yet, Yuina-chan said she saw Himawari standing up suddenly during class, activating her byakugan, looking out of the window, and jumping to push Kae away from her seat."
Kawaki's hand trembled, and he was restraining himself from activating his kama, "The one who did this get away?"
He saw her nod her head slowly, face grim. "No one saw. The attack was long-range."
Kawaki could feel his lips curls into a snarl, he gritted his teeth and could feel his forehead creasing, and brows pressed together.
When he finds out who did this—They will pay for this.
Frantic footsteps approached, and he turned his head to see Sakura-san, still in her white hospital coat, running toward them, messy hair, flushed face, sweaty.
"Where is she?"
Wordlessly Kawaki and Anko pointed inside the classroom.
Sakura-san disappeared from view, and Kawaki blinked, looking inside the classroom. Sakura-san was already interrogating the two medic ninjas and ordering them around, one of the medic-ninja immediately scattered away, bumping into him, out of the classroom in hurry.
"Sure you wanna be here, kid? It's not gonna be pretty."
Kawaki scoffed. He was used to this.
"I'll be fine." Anko-sensei stared at him for a long second, before she sighed, shaking her head.
"You do you, kid. I'll do a lookout, outside."
Naruto.
Today was another tiring day, with stacks upon stacks of documents to be reviewed and signed. And then he will have to attend that online meeting to discuss the new policy agreement regarding imported produce tax with Orochimaru—The Otokage, along with the Sound Daimyo.
He hates doing taxes meetings.
Living the dream, right kit?
Oh, come on! Kurama! Just let me whine in peace…
He heard a bark of laughter from the back of his mind but ignored it.
A familiar presence closing into his office woke him up from his thoughts, Shino? Shouldn't he be teaching right now?
Naruto turned his head to his right where a wall clock was displayed.
11.00
Nowhere nearing lunch break, it's rare for Shino to go anywhere outside the academy during working hours, the guy was dedicated to his profession. Naruto blinked, pulled his chair back, stood up, and approached the window, opening it.
"Who's coming Naruto?" Shikamaru walked with a slouch, but his eyes were on the digital tab he was holding, reading some kind of news.
Naruto merely responded with a shrug, "Shino, but I don't know what he's doing here at this hour…"
Shikamaru glanced up from his tab, into the window, "Oh, looks like you don't have to wonder anymore… why don't you just ask…" Shikamaru trailed off, grin falling into a frown.
Naruto snapped his head to where he was looking, Shino was breathless—he looked terrified.
"Shino? What—"
"—Naruto, calm down, and just follow me, I'll explain on the way."
"What—wait, at least explain—"
"Himawari is wounded, severely."
Words died in his mouth, his lips fell open, and his throat suddenly felt dry. His heart was hammering loudly against his ribcage.
Naruto, move. Your kit needs you.
Naruto snapped his head to Shikamaru, "Shikamaru, I'm leaving the office to you—"
"Just go, Naruto." Shikamaru's expression was scrunched up, he gave him a final push out of the window. Without words, Shino started moving in the direction of the Hospital, and Naruto followed.
Naruto.
Naruto felt like shit, he felt like he was about to puke his meal all over the floor with the information Shino told him.
Himawari took a fatal blow meant for her classmate, he was fucking proud of her for her heroicness—but fuck if he didn't feel like tearing through the still missing perpetrator.
Calm down, Naruto. You're in the hospital. Your killing intent is leaking, I can smell your kit from here… just go straight ahead.
Naruto did, and Sakura was waiting outside the hospital room, she turned her face to look at him. She looks tired.
"Sakura-chan, how is she?"
Sakura bit the bottom of her lips, "Parts of her lungs was gone, the wound was a fist size, Naruto. She's lucky I got there in time."
"She's fine. But she has to be hospitalized, and be monitored for a month." Sakura sighed heavily, massaging her temples.
Naruto finally could breathe, he nodded. "Can I.."
"Yeah, go ahead. Hinata and Kawaki is inside." Sakura stepped aside and opened the door for him.
Inside was a pale blue painted room and gray tiled floor, on the center of it, lay Himawari, with a pale green hospital gown, and bandages all over her torso, an IV tube connected to her left arm. Immediately the smell of antiseptics, and blood—Himawari's, assaulted him.
He tried not to gag at the view.
Hinata sitting on a chair, on Himawari's left, holding her right hand tightly. Kawaki, meanwhile stood stiffly, eyes blank and clothes still covered with dried blood, staring soullessly at Himawari.
"Hey," He said, making Hinata turn her head at him, her glassy eyes, glistening with tears, she blinked and let some roll down her cheeks.
"Naruto."
Just one word, but the way Hinata called his name was so heart-breaking and desperate, he flinched, but still he approached her and hugged her from the side, rubbing her shoulders comfortingly.
Hinata started to sob, "She's… just a girl, she doesn't have kama or Biju," Hinata choked on her tears, and he purposely took a deep breath out loud, and exhaled slowly, repeating it until Hinata's breathing matched him, and she calmed down.
"Sorry, Naruto… I was just so scared…"
He pressed his head to Hinata, "I know, I know… me too.."
He heard Kawaki mutters a soft, "I'll leave…" And Naruto grabbed Kawaki's arm just as he walked past him, pulled him into the hug, and gave him a ruffle on the head.
"That must have been scary for you, I'm sorry,"
Kawaki trembled. "NO! I'm so sorry, it was my—"
"No," Hinata said, cutting Kawaki's words. Extending her right arm to give Kawaki a soft squeeze on the shoulder, "It wasn't your fault, and you helped her by keeping the pressure on her wound, I heard from Sakura-chan."
"Don't blame yourself." If Naruto felt wetness seeping into his shirt, where he know Kawaki's face is. He didn't make a comment.
Hinata.
It has been a week. The doctors, Sakura-chan, and even Tsunade-san had visited. Himawari was recovering fine. They said.
She should have been awake days ago.
So why hasn't she?
Hinata leaned closer to her baby girl and kissed her on the cheek softly, "Wake up soon, my sunflower."
Naruto.
Naruto slumped over his seat, a laptop on his lap. Hinata has to go home and clean up and take care of the house. Hinata had stayed over in the hospital, accompanying Himawari for the past days, and now he's taking turns watching over their child.
He was still the Hokage, so here he is, taking his work to the hospital.
He had failed Boruto, but with Himawari… He hopes he's not too late.
Okay… His butt felt sore though. Maybe he can take a minute break.
Just as Naruto stood up with a groan, placing the closed laptop on the chair to stretch his arms up, his eyes caught movements from his side.
Did… Himawari's hand just twitched?
Better check closer, kit…
Naruto leaned closer, to his daughter, eyes squinting.
Himawari turned, and she let out a soft groan. Slowly, her eyes fluttered open, with a wince, Himawari tried to sit, her gaze still unfocused. He put his left arm behind her back and her right arm over her front, intending to help her sit.
But Himawari's eyes suddenly focused on him, and suddenly her byakugan was activated, and there was a disgusted scowl on her face.
"Don't touch me, you demon!"
Naruto was thrown back against the wall with a loud thud, there were pinpricks of pain and numbness spreading on the side of his stomach, he touched it and saw red.
Uh, Kurama? Help?
On it, kit. Naruto heard him sigh.
The wound on his side was burning and soon enough, was healed completely, leaving an unblemished tanned skin and only a hole on his top.
He turned his eyes to look at his child. His eyebrows lowered, and his gaze turned sad.
What did Sakura-chan call this thing, again? PTD?
PTSD. Post Traumatic Syndrome. Kurama helpfully added.
Naruto nodded, and he tried to put his arms up and put on a disarming smile. "Himawari… don't be scared, it's just your dad,"
Himawari's chakra was weird he noted inside, it was infused with violet chakra, shaped like a flutter of butterflies. Her scowl was twisted further into a snarl at his words.
Himawari narrowed her eyes at him, "Do you think me a fool, pretending to be my father? Demon!"
Ouch, hearing it from civilians he didn't know was somewhat tolerable. His own daughter? Ow.
Naruto tilted his head curiously to the side, seeing his daughter has finally calmed down. She seemed confused, and she was… Looking over her fingers, and feet…?
"Mirror, I need a mirror," Himawari concluded, then she tore the IV tube away from her arm and jumped down from the bed, and oh for the sake of sage of the six paths! Is that blood seeping underneath her hospital gown!?
Naruto sighed, and he made two clones. He looked at the clone on his right, "Okay, you explain what happened and call Sakura."
Then he turned his eyes to his other clone, "You, with me."
He and the second clone simultaneously turned their gaze into Himawari, who, upon the stare immediately entered Juuken's defense stance, and activated her byakugan, ready to fight him.
"I'm sorry, Hima."
He teleported behind her, and swiftly knocked her out, while his clone, was ready to support Himawari before she fell and reopened her wound further.
Naruto frowned watching over his daughter's passed-out form, carefully laying her back on the bed. The door to the room was slammed open, and Sakura, red-faced barged in.
"How did she reopen her wounds!?" Pulling a helpless-looking and absolutely terrified Naruto-clone on her tow.
Instead of answering the question, Naruto turned his blue eyes, frowning and staring straight into Sakura's green ones. "I think she has amnesia."
ENDNOTES
I swear, I was supposed to be resting or finishing my illustrations wip, or the next chapter for Ablaze, yet here I am. On a writing spree, like a mad-woman, possessed.
I've always had this idea of Shinobu being reincarnated as Himawari, mostly prompted by their same Japanese Voice Actor: Hayami Saori. What kick-started me to write this was the newest episode of Boruto. Episode #262.
I only watch Boruto for Himawari content, I swear.
Where is Boruto in this chapter? Oh, he's… um, away. On a mission, out of Konoha for weeks. He will appear eventually.
P.S:
I wrote this as a total whim, I might or might not update it, and probably will drop it without ever finishing it. Who knows?