"Why did you do that?" Hinata asked, rubbing her strained eyes and gazing at the wreckage of the war around her.
It was a dream. A really, really good dream. It was a beautiful day, one with lots of sun and a few clouds like cotton candy floating around in the sky. Neji nii-san was there and so was Hanabi.
"Shhh," Hanabi had hissed at their big brother. Neji nii-san had scowled and reluctantly quieted, hunkering back down into the bush he and Hanabi had more or less rented for espionage purposes.
Hinata would have laughed at their silliness. They both had the Byakugan, but their spying skills were that amateurish? Kiba and Akamaru had done better one day when they had springtime allergies and all the discreetness of a herd of stampeding horses. But then, perhaps she was being too hard on them. Kurenai-sensei had trained Team 8 to be trackers and Neji nii-san had studied under...Guy-sensei.
A smile tugged at her lips and she closed her eyes for a moment, resting her head against someone warm and solid.
Yes, she decided. Perhaps she was being too hard on her siblings. It wasn't like being stealthy worked for everyone. The one she admired the most, he had even less discreetness than a herd of stampeding horses.
The one she admired the most gave her a little pout, as if he'd read her mind. She knew he'd read her mind. He was funny that way, silly that way.
He really should have understood by now that not being discreet was a compliment in her book. Straightforward, no mind games, just a bright orange loudmouth in the best dream, warm and solid.
Her eyes stung.
It was a nice dream. Neji nii-san was there and so was Hanabi and they were about as stealthy as a herd of stampeding horses.
"Why did you do that?" she repeated. "Why did you...?"
"Wake you up?" asked the one she admired the most. He gave her a little pout like he'd read her mind. She knew he'd read her mind, somehow. He was funny that way, silly that way. "Because – "
As if on cue, three warm and solid bodies slammed into her out of nowhere, smelling suspiciously like a petting zoo. A warm, wet tongue licked at her face.
"HINATA."
"We are relieved that you are safe. Why? Because – "
"Hey, butt out, Shino, I was speaking to Hinata first!"
"There is no order in which we are allowed to speak to her. "
"Yes, there is. "
"No, there isn't – "
She laughed at her teammates' silliness and stared up at the sky, sunny with clouds like cotton candy. She smiled and closed her eyes for a moment, her head finding someone warm and solid.
A/N: For the prompt "Why did you do that?" and the hypnosis prompt for KoalaTakingNotes. I know it wasn't Naruto being hypnotized, but the Infinite Tsukuyomi puts people in a trance-like state, doesn't it? So I hope you like this. :)