Changed Fates
By Jennifer Darknight
Yon:
Yoru ni Ninja Shimashou!
"You have returned, Hinata."
Hinata knelt down in front of the Hyuga Head, her head bowed down as she sat on her knees on the colored tatami in the meeting room. She had only been home for five minutes when her father demanded an audience, and she had to go see him without showering or without changing clothes. Usually though you had to cleanse yourself before you met the head of the Hyuga, even if you were his own daughter. Ritual, as it was called.
Naruto-kun would hate it in here, She thought, barely stifling a giggle. Father would probably throw him out of the house before he could put two sentences together.
Hinata's head lifted at just the right moment, her white eyes focusing on the tall, intimidating figure that belonged to her father, Hiashi. It was hard to do that with the mental image of a chibified Naruto flailing as a group of Hyuga guards tried to throw him out of the mansion (but got attacked by about five of his equally chibi Kage Bunshin no Jutsus) engraved in her mind. He sat in the ceremonial man's brown haori with matching hakama, a katana on his hips with two similarly dressed men (her Uncle Makoto of the Bunke, and her Uncle Kokeko of the Souke)sitting on either side of him. Hinata did not smile, but she did not frown. She showed no sign of emotion as she sat up straighter, looking up at her father with a blank expression, despite the terrible feeling she had in the pit of her stomach. The room was too cold, and even though there was a lot of room around her, she felt claustrophobic just sitting there.
"Yes, Father. How have you fared this day?"
Ritual. Always go with the ritual. Hinata's insides squirmed and she wanted to scream, to hide, to poke her fingers and to show her nervousness openly in the way she always did when not in his presence, but if she knew that if she did so, that would be breaking the ritual, and that was something you must not do. Especially in a household as great as the Hyuga. She just had to hold her breath until she left, and then she could react all she wanted.
"Quite well, thank you, Daughter." He shuffled in his seat, and that was the sign for Hinata to look down towards her lap, but she could not change expression, as her father would notice. Hyuga Hiashi noticed everything.
"I noticed that you took your Genin Test early today. How did you fare?"
Fine! Wonderful! I get to stay with Naruto-kun, and nobody looks at me as weak and they treat me like a person! I'm a part of something, and one day I'll be as strong as Neji-niisan, Sasuke-san, and Naruto-kun! I won't let you down, Father!
"I...fared quite well, Father." Keep your head down—keep your head down, Hinata. Don't look up at him. "I...I passed..." Don't lose it now! Don't! Don't stutter! "A-and I'm...a part of...T-Team S-Seven."
Well, so much for reacting after she met with him (and was in the safe confines of an area where he wasn't in the direct vicinity). She was doing so well, too, until the actual matter of conversation was at hand. She was always okay with the pleasantries, but she would crack and look up at him when she was supposed to look down, or cower instead of looking down towards her lap with respect. She would practice this over and over with Aunt Hanako—but she would get it wrong when she would have to put that practice to use. She would have to practice some more to get this right. She couldn't see his expression, but she was sure it was a mixture of two things:
Satisfaction at her success.
Disappointment in destroying the ritual again.
"Team Seven?"
"Y-yes..."
Hinata always thought that her father was...well...sort of like a golem. Tall, strong, steadfast, and unchangeable in anything. Golems were created by something and were manipulated by it, and they did not change no matter how much life tried to, and they would wonder, if they had the capability to do so, why anyone else would not fit in that single mold that he had fit in so nicely. And with his broad shoulders, heavyset jaw, and his deadened expression, it further brought her to that conclusion. Seeing a statue of him move around and dance in her mind almost caused her to laugh, but she held her tongue and waited for him to speak, or at least to dismiss her so the hard knot in her stomach could disappear.
"Uchiha Sasuke is on that team, is he not?" It was more of a statement than a question.
Hinata nodded, her head still bowed. "Y-yes...he is..."
A grunt came from Hyuga Hiashi's lips, and she was unsure if it was a satisfied grunt or a disappointed one. With her father, nothing was really certain.
"Go on. Hanako-san told me to let you know that she wanted to see you. Dignitaries of Rain Village are coming here tonight for dinner, and I expect your attendance."
"Y-yes...Father."
She stood, quite slowly, her head still bowed as she kept her stance in front of him. Her hands were tight by her side, and her legs were together in a rigid motion. Her eyes still toward the ground she bowed in a seventy-degree angle (the only ones who bowed in a ninety degree angle were Bunke—and even then they didn't do it that much. The only times you really did that were when you stood in front of someone of even greater importance, like the Hokage or Kazekage) before turning sharply (Well, not so much sharply for her; she looked like she was a drunk man turning around after being blitzed than a girl leaving the presence of the great Hyuga Hiashi) and walking out of the room at a pace that was a little too fast for ritual's liking. Well, it was closer to a run, but Hinata wasn't thinking much about it. She hated the feeling she had when she sat in that meeting chamber—she wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible. Everything was so traditional and ornate, and everything looked delicate—something a clumsy girl like her couldn't afford to be near.
The moment she heard the shoji doors shut behind her, twelve-year-old genin Hyuga Hinata let out a soft sigh of relief. She was free from her father's presence for now, and she could breathe easily.
The halls were rather simple, for a mansion of great importance. Nothing was on them, and the only way you could tell each room from the next was if you memorized them by reading a map—Hinata still got lost every now and then, and she would have this horrible habit of being late to meetings and whatnot with her father due to that. She was just glad she found her way to the meeting room this time.
Father would be rather cross if he had to wait for someone like Kakashi-sensei...
Hinata smiled despite herself as she walked forward and turned a bend. She knew where her Aunt Hanako would be waiting, and if she didn't get there fast enough...
She quickened her pace, almost to a light jog as she went on.
....................................................................................................
Neji-niisan's mother, Aunt Hanako, was a very tall woman, especially for a Hyuga. She stood, with her slender build but rather large bust (Hinata would notice several male members of the family looking whenever they passed) at about five feet eleven inches tall, and her waist-length chocolate brown hair made her look even taller than that. She sat in the center of the room, dressed in a pale blue kimono with navy roses embroidered on the cloth, her hair hanging down, as always. Her serene, peaceful expression didn't change much either—unless Neji-niisan did something that was rather unpleasant or uncalled for (and that was a rare occurrence indeed), and then she could look like a Siren who was going to send innocent sailors to their deaths.
Hinata took her seat in front of her, sitting in the traditional style that most Hyuga women sat in—men sat cross-legged, while women sat on their knees. She looked down slightly, and smiled a little as her Aunt gave her her usual quiet scrutiny.
"A-Aunt H-Hanako...you called?"
A small smile came to the older woman's lips. Well, Aunt Hanako wasn't that old...at twenty-six she didn't look much older than seventeen or eighteen. But it wasn't as if Hinata knew that many seventeen or eighteen year olds to compare her Aunt to—she barely had any social relationships with people her own age, let alone people older than she was. Aunt Hanako shuffled in her seat, and her white eyes were gentle as they beheld Hinata.
"Hinata-chan, I heard that you passed your Genin Exam today."
A sudden warmth came to Hinata's heart at the mention of it. Naruto- kun's happy, smiling face came to mind, glowing and shining for all to see...his self-confidence brimming over in his bright aura...Hinata's face was stained with a slight blush, and it was hard to keep her mind focused on her relative when the blond boy's face was invading (although she wasn't complaining) her thoughts.
"Y-Yes..." Hinata said softly, poking her fingers together, as she always did. Aunt Hanako was the only Hyuga who seemed to not care if she did that or not. It was nice to be herself every now and then in her own home. "I-I p-passed Kakashi-sensei's t-test, but...only barely."
An eyebrow rose, and Aunt Hanako let out what seemed to be a giggle. "'Kakashi-sensei'? So that's it..."
Hinata blinked, and tilted her head to the side as she looked at her favorite relative. "D-Do you know...Kakashi-sensei?"
Aunt Hanako nodded. "While I was just becoming a Genin, Kakashi was a Chuunin. He was to my class year what that Sasuke boy is to yours, even though he wasn't in the same classroom. I got married shortly after I got my team, so I never ran into him again. Is he still reading those strange books, like he did when I was in school?"
"S-strange books...?"
"Icha Icha Paradise."
A blush came to Hinata's features, and remembering the book, although thankfully never actually reading it, nodded.
"Y-Yes."
"Why do men read those, I wonder...?"
Naruto-kun doesn't read things like that, and he's a man, Hinata wanted to say. But Aunt Hanako didn't know much of her crush on Naruto-kun. There were things that she liked to keep to herself—okay, a lot of things that she liked to keep to herself.
"I...I don't know..."
Aunt Hanako twisted a long strand of brown hair between her fingers. She would do that often, and she always looked so sophisticated whenever she did. That was what you became when you were one of the highest members of the Bunke, though. Her Uncle Hizashi ran the Bunke before he died, and then his wife, Aunt Hanako took over not only the branch, but the upbringing of their son. Neji-niisan didn't turn out badly, either. Jaded perhaps, but not at all a bad person.
"That...is probably a question that shall be saved for a later date." She said, still twisting that strand of hair between her fingers. "But I am curious about this team of yours."
"Ah...t-team Seven?" Dummy, she thought, what team did you think she meant? There is only one Team Seven, after all.
"Yes...Iruka-san came yesterday while you were gone to discuss the team arrangements with me, but I don't remember who your teammates were."
Hinata blushed at the thought of her teammates, despite herself. Everytime her team was mentioned, it seemed, Naruto-kun's face would come into her memory, and then she would daydream and blush more than Sakura did whenever Sasuke-san was mentioned. But why did Iruka-sensei talk to Aunt Hanako about her team? Why didn't he just talk to Father? It was true that she spent a lot of time with her Aunt, but... "Ah...Uzumaki Naruto...a-and...U- Uchiha...Sasuke."
Aunt Hanako's expression didn't change, but Hinata could just feel the amusement that her relative was feeling at the moment. "The Uchiha boy, is it? I'm surprised you made it back in one piece. The girls must be frantic with jealousy."
"Y-yes..." But I really don't care about Sasuke-san like that. I'm just happy that Naruto-kun is here for me. "B-But...Sasuke-san doesn't...see me like that. I don't know...why the girls are...so angry at me."
"It will change. Eventually Sasuke-kun will find a nice girl to settle down with, and then the whole matter will be forgotten."
Aunt Hanako paused, as a rap was sounded on the shoji door. She smiled a little more, and her sweet-sounding voice carried through the room, as if beckoning to the one on the other side.
"Yes?"
"Mother, it's me."
"Come in, Neji-kun."
Hinata always felt tense when Neji-niisan would enter the room, and it was just the same now. His hair was in its usual ponytail, of course, but his shirt was off and a sheen of sweat covered his taut, strong muscles. For thirteen, Neji was very well-built, and although it was strange to say it about one's own cousin, he was very handsome, as well. But, despite what Neji liked to say to all those who spoke of it, he resembled his mother more in looks than he did his father, Uncle Hizashi. Uncle Hizashi was much like Hinata's father—angled, golemlike, and very tense in the facial structure. Neji-niisan looked more elegant, and, dare she say it, 'pretty'. When she first met him as a child, she almost mistook him for a girl, but she wasn't about to let anyone on to that! Especially not him.
He walked past her with a cool indifference that almost made her flinch, and took a seat on the floor in the typical Hyuga man-style, to the right of the Hyuga Heir. He looked at his mother with a board-like expression on his face, and suddenly the room felt a little bit stuffy.
"I was just speaking to Hinata-chan about her Genin Tests," she said. It was always 'Chan'. Out of everyone in the Branch House, only Aunt Hanako would use the affectionate suffix at the end of her name. Everyone else, Neji-niisan included, would use the more respectful (and much more embarrassing) 'sama' suffix. It felt nice, but when she did it in front of someone like Neji-niisan, or Hanabi-chan, it felt somewhat awkward to hear it.
"Oh, yes." Neji-niisan's expression was still blank, but she could feel him looking at her from the corner of his eye.
"I-I...I passed, Neji-niisan." Hinata shuffled in her seat, avoiding all eye-contact with Neji that she could, if only to not have to look at the condescending expression in his white eyes, which she knew that he was giving her.
"So I heard," he said. "Your team got into quite a mess at the Ichiraku. I had to pay for your teammates' little mishap, Hinata-sama."
Hinata winced. Aunt Hanako actually blinked.
"What do you mean, a 'mess at the Ichiraku'?"
"Hinata-sama's teammates got into a fight and ran out on their ramen," Neji-niisan said, saving Hinata from telling the entire story about Sasuke getting stalked by Sakura, Naruto getting jealous, Sasuke insulting him, and then the all-out fight that erupted because of it. Luckily Hinata had paid for her own ramen before dashing off due to embarrassment. "And when our team came by there for lunch, I was the one who had to pay for both my team and Hinata-sama's."
"You were treating for your team again, I assume?"
"Gai-sensei always chooses me for Lunch Duty."
Aunt Hanako sighed, and shook her head. "It's because you're antisocial."
"Social skills are unnecessary, Mother. You and I both know that."
Aunt Hanako said nothing. Instead, she threw a glance towards Hinata, whose face was resembling that of a strawberry at the moment. She just wanted to hide under the table in the sitting room and never come out for the rest of eternity. She cowered a little under the older woman's gaze.
"Hinata-chan, dinner should be ready soon. Will you be joining us? Or has your father required you to sit in on his meeting with the Dignitaries tonight?"
"I-I have...to sit in tonight...but...um...thank you..."
Aunt Hanako smiled a little larger than she usually did, tucking some spare strands behind her ear. "Please don't worry. We can always do it tomorrow night, if you're not too tired from your missions."
For the umpteenth time that day, Hinata smiled. "Y-yes..." she said, not as uncertain as she usually sounded, "T-That would be nice..."
......................................................................................................................
"Okay, we're in."
"This is Hinata-chan's room? It's so clean."
"Let's think about that later, Dobe. We need to wake her up."
"Eh?!"
"What the hell, Uchiha? Come on, I'm the Chuunin here—I'm the one giving orders!"
"Whatever, Peach Fuzz."
"What did you call me, you bastard?!"
"Oi, Oi, Sasuke! Go on and wake her up already!"
"Naruto, give me that."
Hinata woke that night to the sound of something blaring in her right ear. Yelping in surprise and fright, she jumped out of bed, hitting her head against the bedpost as she hit the ground and fell on her face.
She jumped to her feet, ready to rush to her dresser and pull out a kunai on whoever it was that surprised her so much to make her escape from her great dream about her, Naruto, and Sasuke performing one of the most deadly missions in Konoha History. She was at the part when Naruto-kun was about to confess his undying love for her, too! Why did she always have to get woken up at the good parts?!
She looked around her, frantic...
Only to meet a pair of wide blue eyes, staring into her own.
Hinata squeaked, and stepped back.
"Oi, Hinata-chan! Didn't know that you were such a heavy sleeper!"
Na-Naruto-kun...? In my room?
She had to be dreaming again. She had to have been having a dream within another dream. But if this was a dream, Momoko-sempai wouldn't have been standing beside Naruto-kun, nor would Sasuke-san have been holding a blowhorn in his hands, glaring daggers at the other two. Hinata's eyes widened for a moment, and the expression of utter confusion clouded her features. She glanced at her clock, and then to the three who were standing in her room. Then at her clock again.
According to it, it was about two in the morning. But maybe that was why Naruto-kun was standing there in a pair of orange pajama pants and a white short-sleeved-shirt instead of his normal orange sweatpants and jacket. Sasuke-san at least was fully dressed, if not a bit disheveled. Momoko-sempai was standing beside Naruto-kun with the traditional Chuunin uniform with the flak jacket and the plain black pants, her hitai-ate in its usual place around her head.
"Anou...Nani...shiteru no desu ka?" Hinata asked, her voice low not just because she was naturally quiet, but also due to lack of sleep.
Naruto-kun grinned. "We're gonna be performing our first mission tonight!" he announced, puffing out his chest with pride.
"Mission...?" Hinata held her hands up over her face, covering her mouth so as not to have anyone see the blush on her cheeks. "But it's...Two in the morning..."
She looked to Momoko-sempai, who was grinning like a madwoman who had just had a nice large dose of one of those amphetamines that the medic-nins sometimes get in trouble for taking for their own personal enjoyment.
"Sometimes Ninjas are called out this early in the morning for missions." She said, "And tonight is a good taste of what you'll have to deal with in the real Ninja world."
Momoko-sempai looked to Sasuke-san and grimaced. "I don't like the idea of taking him out, but I was asked to take all of Team Seven out, not just you and Naruto-kun."
Sasuke-san grunted and turned away. "Do what you like."
"That's right. You say that."
Hinata's heart did a fluttering motion at the thought of doing her first mission, but as she looked at the clock again, her heart plummeted. She was not going to be able to get up in the morning for training the next day. But Ninjas did this, right? She looked back and forth between the three, and she could feel a smile coming on her face.
"Wh...when do we start?"
Momoko's grin became wider. "When you get some proper clothes on, little missy. The pink nemaki is cute and all, but I don't think the skimpiness of the skirt is really going to do, since we'll see your lacy purple panties with that pink ribbon..."
Hinata promptly ran into her closet, and closed and locked the door.
............................................................................................................
It took about ten minutes of convincing, a high-quality lockpick (thanks to Sasuke-san), and shoving Naruto-kun out the window (also thanks to Sasuke-san) before Hinata got out of that closet to get dressed in some proper clothes and go out with Momoko-sempai and the rest of Team Seven, crawling out her window before running down the streets of Konoha.
Hinata sighed to herself, clutching her jacket close to her as she looked over at Naruto-kun, who was too busy sitting in his own excitement to see her eyes fix on his own blue ones. Momoko-sempai gave her a strange look out of the corner of her eye, so the Hyuga Heir looked down towards her feet, blushing profusely as she ran on.
"Oi, Momo-chan!" Naruto-kun called out as the group turned a bend. "What's our mission, huh?"
Momoko-sempai stopped, clutching the duffel bag that was slung over her shoulder (how did Hinata not notice these things?!) before setting it down, opening it up and showing part of the contents for all to see.
Naruto-kun grinned.
Sasuke-san grimaced.
Hinata just blinked.
It was an...egg carton?
"Ano...Momoko-sempai?"
"Yeah, Hinata-chan?"
"Wh-what are...we going to...do with...those eggs?"
Momoko-sempai looked at the carton, then at her bag, then at the three younger genins who were standing in front of her.
"Oh, these? Pelt them at houses, of course!"
"Wh-what?!"
Sasuke-san groaned and shook his head. "I don't believe this...you mean the Hokage had you wake us up at two in the morning, drag us out here, just to have us throw eggs at houses?"
I doubt that's really the case, Hinata thought. But I'd better not say anything. Momoko-sempai can be scary when she's mad...
"Look, it was the old man that gave the orders, not me!" Momoko- sempai shot back at him. "Besides, it's not like it's exactly above you, you know. Or should I remind you about the 'possum incident' eight years ago?"
A deep crimson covered Sasuke-san's face, and he glared daggers at Momoko-sempai, almost daring her to say another word. Fortunately for both of them, they didn't get a chance to speak.
Naruto-kun was already prattling off. He hadn't been paying attention to Momoko-sempai and Sasuke-san's exchange—he was too busy examining the contents of the bag. "Oi, oi! Whose houses do we get to hit, huh?!"
"SHHHH!" Momoko-sempai put a finger to her lips, and looked around with a nervous glint in her hunter-green eyes. "Not so loud! Even if this was assigned by the Hokage, a mission is a mission! We can't let the guys know that we're egging their houses!"
"Awwwwwww...that's no fun!"
"Deal with it, Naru. We gotta make this as silent as possible."
"How are we gonna egg houses if we've gotta be silent?"
"Easy."
Momoko-sempai sighed, opened a carton of eggs, and took out one of the round things. She rolled it around in her hands for a few moments, and then smiled at herself before chunking it in Naruto's direction at full speed.
Naruto-kun ducked, but the egg missed anyway. Her aim wasn't for him, it seemed.
Instead, it hit Sasuke-san in the head, right in his spiky hair. The egg yolk was already oozing out of it, and getting into his raven strands and most likely causing a complete mess. It was dark, and Hinata couldn't see the damage too well. Her hands flew to her mouth, and she let out a small gasp as Sasuke, now realizing what had just happened, ran his fingers into the yolk, looking at Momoko-sempai with a dark look in his eye.
Naruto-kun pointed at Sasuke-san and laughed hysterically.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! Oi, Sasuke! What the hell was that?! You can't even dodge a single stupid egg?!"
A fist connected with the back of Naruto-kun's head as Sasuke threw him a death glare—the one that he threw at everyone, including Hinata. The Hyuga girl slunk back a little bit, feeling a steel weight in the pit of her stomach. She didn't like seeing Sasuke when he was angry, and if she said anything, anything at all, she was risking having his anger focused on her. And that was something she did not want.
"You should learn to shut up, dobe." Sasuke said.
Naruto-kun seethed, and threw a punch of his own in Sasuke's direction, only for the Uchiha to dodge without any effort, grabbing Naruto- kun's arm and throwing him to the side judo-style. He then looked to Momoko- sempai, who was still recovering after throwing that egg and hitting him.
Momoko-sempai also looked confused. Well, a mixture of that and triumph at the fact that she had thrown an egg at Uchiha Sasuke and didn't miss. She put one hand over her mouth, and her face was suddenly blank as she looked at him.
"Um...you were supposed to dodge." Momoko-sempai said.
"But I didn't." said Sasuke flatly.
"But you should have. You're the Great Uchiha Sasuke." She shot back.
He didn't say anything. Instead he walked to the bag and fished through it. Hinata tilted her head to the side and ran to Naruto-kun, who had just recovered from being thrown moments before. She knelt down, looking at the blond boy who glared at the Uchiha, who was still looking through the duffel bag at Momoko-sempai's feet.
"What the fuck's his problem?" Naruto-kun growled, jumping to his feet. "Why's he always have to act so cool all the time..."
Splat.
Hinata gasped for the third time that night, and looked at the back of Naruto-kun's head, on which an egg was sitting, the yolk flowing into his beautiful blond locks. It was sort of depressing to see such lovely hair pelted by eggs, but at the same time...
It was sort of funny.
Naruto-kun turned to Sasuke, feeling the back of his head and contorting his face in an expression that was hard to understand. On one side, he looked angered that Sasuke would throw the egg at him. But at the same time, he also looked...rather...amused. Hinata didn't do anything. She just looked on.
"Oi..."
"Payback for laughing, dobe."
Of course, Momoko-sempai's hair didn't go untarnished, either. She saw one big yellow mess on her forehead, flowing down her face and dribbling off her chin. Her dark brown locks were smeared with the yellow stuff, and she was holding a carton in her hands, egg ready to fly.
Just as Naruto-kun launched himself at Sasuke, who was also holding a carton of eggs in his hands, Momoko-sempai launched an egg assault, sailing over Sasuke and Naruto-kun and landing two inches away from where Hinata was standing. She backed up a little, and then looked toward Momoko-sempai.
Her face was fixed in a huge grin, and her green eyes were flashing, almost...maniacally. She picked up another egg, and threw it. Hinata backed up a little more, towards the wall of a nearby house, and the egg just missed her by about a few centimeters. She looked down at the fallen culinary item, and up at her again. She saw her expression, and then backed up against the wall.
Another flew, and she barely got away from it.
Something clicked in her mind, and then Hinata knew.
Team Seven's Annual Egg Fight had officially begun.
...........................................................................................................
"Oi, Momo-chan! No fair, no fair! Attacking Hinata-chan when she was defenseless!" Naruto-kun threw Momoko-sempai a rude glance as he picked some of the extra eggshell off of his clothes. Sasuke-san had decided to go home to wash his clothes and rest up for the next day's training, but Hinata and Naruto-kun went with Momoko-sempai to her apartment, where Hinata could get changed and clean her clothes without her father asking anything, and Naruto-kun could score free ramen off of Momoko-sempai for dumping an entire carton of eggs over his head. But Hinata didn't get much better—Momoko-sempai had decided to corner her and pelt her with eggs until Naruto-kun threw three eggs at once towards the Chuunin's head—which was about ten minutes or so. Luckily she wore an old sweatshirt of hers (which she never wore) instead of her usual jacket, so she didn't have to worry about eggs staining it. Washed or no, her father would definitely ask questions if he saw her in egg-stained apparel.
"It was a free-for-all egg battle, Naru! I couldn't just let her come out unscathed!" Momoko-sempai set down the finished ramen in front of Naruto-kun, who stopped chattering for a moment and downed it all in one sloppy gulp. Hinata hid her amazement at how quickly the blond could eat, but still blushed at the mere sight of his sparkling blue eyes. Even looking as disheveled, sticky, and egg-covered as he was, Naruto-kun still had his handsome charm to him.
And the fact that he was complaining about her getting pelted made her face become even more red. After all, it wasn't every day that someone you liked got upset because you had eggs thrown at you in an egging war. Everyone was supposed to get egged, but then...
He worries about everyone, Hinata thought. He even worried about Sasuke-kun when Momoko-sempai hit him in his...place...with several eggs in succession, despite the fact that he laughed for several moments afterward. But, they are both boys, so I guess Naruto-kun would understand that better than I would...
"But still," he whined, "She's a girl."
Momoko-sempai's eyes darkened. "So am I."
"Yeah, but...Hinata-chan's all quiet and nice."
He didn't notice Hinata's face turn a brighter shade of red. Her heart started to beat faster, and she hid her face behind her hands, so that the poor boy wouldn't have to see her like this. It was so embarrassing!
Quiet...and nice? Naruto-kun thinks that I'm...
All animosity left Momoko-sempai's face in an instant. She glanced at Naruto-kun from her place behind the stove, and winked in his direction.
"Ah, sou. 'Ojisama wa ohimesama o mamori no koto' tte?"
That was it. Hinata wanted to crawl into a deep hole and just rot in there for the rest of her life. Her stomach was doing flip-flops, and her face was burning redder than the embers of a bonfire. She looked to Naruto- kun, and then to Momoko-sempai. Then to Naruto-kun again.
At least she wasn't the only one who was blushing—his cheeks were a fair shade of red, too.
"Ano...Momoko-sempai..."
Another wink was thrown in Hinata's direction. That just caused her to feel even more flustered, and her stomach tied into even more knots, causing a wave of anxious nausea to rush through her. Her heart pounded, and Naruto-kun looked down at his new bowl of ramen (Momoko-sempai put one down as she was talking) and started slurping it up.
"Oh, come on. You can't tell me that you don't look the part. Naruto looks like the brash, blond-haired prince, and Hinata-chan is the dark- haired, shy princess from the Ancient kingdom. Both are from Warrior lands, but the beautiful princess hates the concept of killing people, so the brave Naruto decides to give his entire life to protecting her!" Stars filled Momoko-sempai's eyes, and Hinata could have sworn that there was a pastel background with bubbles and hearts dancing behind her, much like her favorite shoujo romance manga. "It's so romantic!"
"What would you be?" asked Naruto-kun. His face had now only changed to a slight tinge of pink, as he was interested in Momoko-sempai's story, now. Hinata couldn't help but imagine him sitting on that white horse, saving her from danger whenever she needed it, smiling at her and carrying him in her arms bridal-style...
"Me?" Momoko-sempai blushed a little bit herself, and she held her face in her hands like a ten-year-old schoolgirl who was talking about her childhood crush. "I'd be the Castle Librarian who falls in love with Princess Hinata's cousin, who is as skilled with the sword as he is handsome..."
Neji-niisan...Of course.
Naruto-kun made a face. "Mleh. Sounds like Sasuke."
Momoko-sempai lifted a finger and grinned. "Nah. Sasuke would be the Dark Knight who would try to steal Princess Hinata away, but the powerful Naruto would defeat him in a most intense battle."
A grin came to the blond's features, and Hinata's heart did a somersault inside, before doing a pirouette and dancing around like a bunch of butterflies. His grin was so cute and infectious. It was hard not to smile yourself when basking in his sunlit presence. "Hell yeah! I'd kick Sasuke's ass any day!"
"Heh. I'm looking forward to seeing it." Momoko-sempai turned off the stove and spun around, heading out of the kitchen and across the living room in her usual quick stride. "Anyway, I'm gonna take my shower first. You guys wait here 'til I'm done."
And then she was gone.
Hinata started to panic, although she was pretty sure that she wasn't showing it outwardly. She was alone in a room with Naruto-kun, and the only one who could save her from fainting was Momoko-sempai, and she was in the shower. They weren't sitting next to each other (Hinata was on the couch, and Naruto-kun was sitting at the kitchen table, long since finished with his bowl of ramen), so her emotional attack was lessened somewhat, but not much.
This was her chance...but...she didn't know what to say! What should she say, what should she do? She was his teammate, but she didn't know anything that she could say to him to bring up some conversation. Or at least to ebb away the feelings that were welling up inside her.
"Heh, heh! That was a lot of fun, wasn't it Hinata-chan?" Hinata looked up from her lap and over toward the object of her affections, who was grinning his wide grin in her direction. She tried to fight down the blush that was forming on her cheeks, but it was no use.
"Uh...uh-huh." She sputtered out, cursing herself for her own lack of words. "It's...been...quite a day, hasn't it?"
Naruto-kun nodded. How was she able to say this much to him without fainting? "Yep. First we get Kakashi-sensei's weird test, and then I get to pelt Sasuke with eggs and make him go home looking like shit! Man, I could get used to this!"
Today was wonderful, Naruto-kun...I loved all the time I spent with you.
"Heh, heh...Ano sa, Ano sa, Hinata-chan! What was that thing you did with your eyes before? That was cool!"
"What I...did...with my eyes?"
"Yeah!" Naruto-kun hopped off the seat and stood. "When we were waiting for Kakashi-sensei on the day we got our teams, you did this thing with your eyes. You did this seal-thingy," he moved his hands in a rather awkward motion, just to illustrate his point, "And then there were these lines around your eyes, like this" he drew some lines around his own eyes with his fingers, and put on this mock-serious expression that almost made Hinata burst out laughing—it just was so awkward and funny. But she wouldn't dare laugh, lest she hurt his feelings. "What was that?"
"It's..." How could she explain this? "An ability that runs...in my family. W-we channel Chakra...into our eyes, and...we can see things...that you couldn't see...normally."
"Like ghosts and stuff? Cool! So you could see when an enemy-nin comes miles away, huh?!"
"I-it's a little...more than that...but, yes. I could. I...I'm not too good at it, but...I'm training with it..."
Naruto-kun's eyes sparkled, and Hinata felt her heart almost stop. They were looking at her. Almost like he was looking into her, really. With those deep, beautiful, blue orbs, which looked like the ocean, that stretched for miles on out in its infinite glory. Hinata could lose herself in them, they were so pretty...
"Oi, Hinata-chan! You okay?"
She looked down towards her feet, her face reddening even more. She nodded, and hoped he didn't notice her spacing out.
"Ye-yes...I'm fine. Thank you, Naruto-kun."
"Hey, no problem!" That smile. That same sunny smile was on his face. "What're teammates for, huh? Ano sa, Ano sa, Hinata-chan!"
Hinata glanced up a little bit, barely meeting Naruto-kun's animated, intense gaze.
"Ha-hai?"
"Let's kick ass on our missions tomorrow. We can't let Sasuke get all the glory, can we?"
Suddenly the door to the bathroom opened a few rooms down, and Momoko- sempai's voice sounded through the room, sending both twelve-year-olds to their senses:
"Oi! Hinata-chan! Your turn to take a shower! I got some dry clothes for you to wear until I clean the clothes you got egg on."
Hinata nodded, bowing to Naruto-kun before trotting down the hall towards the bathroom, a feeling of relief washing over her. Relief at getting a chance for her heart to stop pounding, mind you. She passed Momoko-sempai, dressed in a fluffy pink bathrobe with a towel on her hair as she walked towards the bathroom and was prepared to close the door.
"Oi! Naru!" Momoko-sempai said. It was barely audible, but she could still hear it.
"Momo-chan! You're wearing PINK!"
"Well, I am a girl. What, you thought Hinata was the only person who walks around wearing pink nemaki and purple panties with pink ribbons? Dream on."
Hinata's face burned, and she rushed inside the room and bolted the door shut. She couldn't bear to come out now—not while Naruto-kun knew the color of her...
Wait. That wasn't true.
Hers were blue with a green ribbon.
Why would someone lie about the color of someone's panties?
"Ano sa, ano sa, Momo-chan?"
"Yeah, Naru?"
"You didn't really take us out on a mission, did you?"
"Nope."
"I knew it! The old man would never ask us to do something that cool!"
Naruto-kun...
...Hinata still wasn't getting out of that bathroom.
A/N: YES! Done with chapter four! It took me a while to write it, but it's done now! After another chapter about Team Seven's first REAL mission (Which will come out soon, hopefully), I'll start on the Tazuna Arc, which should take a couple chapters or so to do. I'm sorry if this chapter is sort of sporadic and short, but I wanted to get so much on paper with so little time to do it in, so please forgive me. That there was the first fluff (or really, fluff-ish) scene in the entire fanfic, and there will be much more later. And this chapter itself was inspired by a true event, which I wanted to incorporate the characters in. I might make an edit and write the egg fight in itself, but that won't be until I get the Tazuna Arc out of the way, which will take a while for my poor brain. ;-;
Anyway, about the phrase "Ojisama wa Ohimesama o mamori no koto." In Japanese, that means "For the Prince to protect the Princess". It's a phrase that Momoko will spout out every now and then, so I'll translate it now so you can remember it later. And you just got introduced to Neji's mother, Hanako! I don't know much about his mother, so I created my version of what I pictured her to be like. She, like Momoko, will have an important role later, not only for the sake of getting Naruto and Hinata together (although that's a lot of it), but also to drive the story. I'm not going to spoil anything, but you'll see. Trust me!
And if anyone's curious about the 'possum incident' that was mentioned in this chapter, it will be explained in due time. Just not now--actually, don't even expect it to come up again until much later in the story. But trust me, it will be explained.
But click that pretty little button down there and review. I would be so happy if you did!