CCNote: Wow y'all thanks for all the love!

This weekend is the Atami Fish Festival (super excited to eat my way through that) and Daidogei, an international street performance festival is taking place in my city. If you wanna see some of the weird events just let me know in the reviews and I'll send you my snapchat info.

Sidenote: If you have never seen the Naruto Arc that involved the relationship between Izumi Uchiha and Itachi I recommend giving it a look. There are lots of clips on youtube. It's very bittersweet but I kinda like that kind of thing.

To reviewers wondering what happened to Hinata and the twins: You'll find out their fate soon.

As always, please overlook my glaring mistakes and don't forget to write a REVIEW! It only takes less than a minute to make me happy. Enjoy!

B is for Discoveries

Thursday, May 31, 2018, 11:35 am

Shizutezu- 3rd Car

...

Hanabi sighed as she stared at her phone. No signal. Her phone was no better than a brick at this point and honestly, she had half a mind to chuck it. She hadn't been able to speak to any of her friends or family since she and Itachi had gone camping and it bothered her to no end to be disconnected in such an absolute way. With a frown, she reached under her seat for her backpack and slid her phone into one of the side pockets. Maybe once they arrived at their next destination she would be able to check in on everyone. Once her phone was tucked away she crossed her arms and sank down low in her seat, the jostling of the train swaying her back and forth. Itachi was sitting across from her, his nose buried in a book and unbothered by the loud sounds of the train rushing forward along the tracks. Casually he flipped to the next page as Hanabi unconsciously began tapping her foot.

"You're restless this morning." Itachi said flatly and Hanabi ceased her tapping.

"Where are we going this time?" She asked.

So far Itachi was very enigmatic about their summer trip. During their first week, they spent the entire time on a boat in the middle of the ocean with the Uchiha's assistant Kisame. Their second week was spent roughing it in the forest, the concept of camping was so odd but she'd enjoyed it none the less. She'd learned a lot the last few weeks like how to gut a fish and how to tie a proper knot. Her fingers still smelled like smoke from all the times she'd tried to start a fire without matches which was a skill Itachi was surprisingly good at. The last two weeks had been more fun than she'd ever expected but now she was antsy to know what was next. Part of her didn't think Itachi even had much of an idea of where they were going or what they'd do when they go there. It was almost like he had some kind of weird bucket list he wanted to complete.

"You'll see when we get there." He said and flipped to the next page in his book.

Hanabi pouted and crossed her arms. You'll see. That was the Uchiha's answer to everything. Regardless of where they ended up she just hoped that it was somewhere the bed didn't move or had a risk of bugs crawling on her in her sleep. Outside the train window, she watched the tunnel of thick evergreen trees become sparse until they emerged into a field of blue and green.

"Whoa!" Hanabi gasped, nearly pressing her nose again the glass as she took in the sight.

The rolling hills were overrun with wildflowers. Yellows, pinks, and purples...she had no idea what kind of flowers they were but they were absolutely breathtaking. The train increased its speed, blurring the colors of the flowers together. Soon small cottages were dotting the hillside going down into a populous valley. Being that she was so used to the cramped quarters of the city, seeing what amounted to no more than a village was fascinating. It looked exactly like one of the villages drawn inside of a fairy tale. Peeling herself away from the window she looked over at Itachi who was still reading.

"Are we going there?" She asked, pointing out the window at the small village that was growing bigger with their approach.

Itachi looked down at his watch on his wrist before taking a short glance out the window. He didn't appear impressed at all with the view.

"We still have another hour before we have to get off." He said and returned to his book.

Her hopeful mood dropped slightly and they pulled into the village's platform only a few minutes later. The train whistled loudly, alerting everyone to its arrival. She watched from her window as families were reunited, hugging and laughing at jokes that only they shared. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a flash of yellow and her attention was automatically drawn. It was a woman running through the platform, her yellow sundress was a stark contrast against the gray of the station. She seemed to have only one thought in her mind as she launched herself at a dark-haired man who'd just gotten off the train. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed every inch of his face that she could reach. Somehow seeing them so happy made Hanabi feel sad but she couldn't look away from their embrace. As the train pulled away from the station her heart clenched. Absently she rubbed the tension in the center of her chest and turned her head away from the window.

….

Thursday, May 31, 2018, 1:20 pm

Makinohara

...

"Who does this belong to?" Hanabi wondered aloud as she put her stuff down by the front door.

"The Uchiha of course." Itachi said as he stepped around her and into the house.

The light colored hardwood floors creaked under their footsteps and the air was a bit stuffy. There was a thin layer of sand over everything that made their footsteps sound gritty when they walked. Most of the furniture was covered with white sheets and there was a thin layer of dust on everything.

"I thought maybe this place belonged to one of your weird friends." Hanabi said and Itachi smirked.

"Ah...I'm sure you'll run into a few of my 'weird friends' while we are here. They always have a habit of appearing when it's most convenient for them." Itachi replied.

The eldest Uchiha pulled open one of the heavy dark curtains on the opposite side of the room to reveal a panel of glass that reached from the floor to the ceiling. Light immediately poured in through the smudged glass, illuminating the dust motes that were floating in the air. Following Itachi's lead, Hanabi began to pull apart the curtains as well and soon the entire main room was flooded with light. Despite the dinginess of the room, it had excellent potential. All of the glass was able to be slide out of the way, leaving the living room to mingle with the modest deck. There wasn't a backyard because the deck immediately led to the beach. The ocean waves were lapping down below causing a fresh breeze to blow through the house for the first time in forever. While she marveled at the ocean, Itachi started rolling up the sleeves of his shirt.

"I hope you're ready to work." He said with a wry smile.

Hanabi grinned back at him, he always said the same thing when he was about to show her something new. She didn't mind working with him, in fact, she enjoyed it. Her father would be appalled at her now all covered in dust and sand, doing tasks that should be left to those lesser than. Hanabi was never one to shy away from being dirty. Part of her actually enjoyed it. It meant that she was useful. Quickly she helped Itachi remove the white sheets from the furniture and pulled them to the deck to be aired out.

….

Thursday, May 31, 2018, 4:21 pm

Makinohara- Uchiha Property

...

"Do you actually know how to turn that thing on without blowing us up?" Hanabi asked skeptically as Itachi stared down at the old gas stove.

"Of course I do."

"Well staring at it isn't going to turn it on."

Itachi flashed her a glare and she had to bite back a laugh. He didn't look intimidating at all with his hair falling out of his ponytail with smudges of dirt on his face and neck. Then again, she'd never understood why he had that 'intimidating' effect on other people in the first place. It had never worked on her. Hanabi's stomach growled causing Itachi's glare to immediately dissipate.

"Let's order pizza for now." He said, pulling his cell phone out of his pocket. "We can figure out the stove situation tomorrow...no signal."

Hanabi frowned and pulled out her phone as well only to be faced with the same dilemma. Her shoulders slumped in defeat. At this rate she wouldn't get to talk to anyone until the summer was over. Itachi put his phone back into his pocket and rolled his tired shoulders.

"There's a little grocery store up the road." He said. "We can probably pick up a few things there. Go change into something clean so people don't think I abuse you."

Hanabi snickered but did as she was told. She made her way to the other side of the small house quickly and opened the door to the only bathroom. Her stomach continued to growl loudly as she pulled on a cleanish yellow t-shirt and a pair of jeans. Most of her clothing felt a bit crunchy since they hadn't had a chance to properly wash them. Washing machines don't fit on small ships and aren't anywhere near camping grounds. Thankfully she was finally going to be able to get a real shower, sleep in a real bed, and wash her clothes properly. Her stomach growled again, urging her to hurry up. The sound only caused Hanabi to chuckle to herself as she redid her hair into a neater ponytail. Perhaps she was being abused.

Satisfied that she was now decent looking she left the bathroom. She could hear the sound of coughing as soon as she made it to the end of the hall. It was a wet cough as though the sufferer had too much congestion in their chest. Curious, she rounded the corner to the kitchen and found Itachi hovering over the obscenely large sink. His fingers gripped the edge of the counter tightly as he took several deep breaths.

"Itachi?" Hanabi asked worriedly. "Itachi, are you alright?"

He didn't answer her right away. It was almost like he hadn't heard her at all. The Uchiha's back straightened and he turned on the faucet. He splashed some of the cold water onto his face and whipped away the moisture with the edge of his shirt. When he turned to her there was a bright smile on his face and for a moment Hanabi thought she was hallucinating. Had he even been coughing at all?

"Let's go. These kinds of shops always keep odd hours."

….

Friday, June 1, 2018, 12:11 am

Makinohara- Uchiha Property

...

Hanabi squinted, the sky was impossibly bright here. There was not a cloud in the sky. Absolutely nothing marred the expansive blue canvas above them. Itachi had found an old beach umbrella while they'd been cleaning and with only a little nudge she'd been able to convince him to go down to the beach. It had taken some time for them to find their swimsuits under all of the stuff they'd packed but once they had they were off to enjoy the beach. They were currently under the shade of the umbrella, the waves lapping at the sand not too far away from them and bringing with it a cool breeze. The Hyuuga was seated near the edge of the umbrella's shadow, digging her toes into the sand and wiggling them. They'd never taken family vacations but she had always envied her friends and their stories when they came back to school. They told tales of fun on the beach and getting tans. Of summer romance and heartbreaks. Bleh.

That kind of stuff never really interested her. She had other things to grab her attention like fighting. She almost missed losing to Sasuke all the time. Would Konohamaru stand a better chance against Sasuke than her? She'd always felt that Sasuke was particularly harsh on her because she always knew which buttons to press to get him riled up. Konohamaru was much nicer than she was. Maybe that would make the Uchiha let down his guard. Hanabi's heart clenched at the thought of seeing Konohamaru land a punch on Sasuke and not in a good way. They hadn't spoken since the night she'd left his family's fancy boat party. The night she found out her big sister was willing to sell herself just for her to have seat at that snooty table. The Hyuuga attempted to rub the uncomfortable feeling in her chest with the heel of her hand but the tension lingered.

'Konohamaru...' She sighed internally and pulled her knees up to her chest.

She then rested her chin on top of her knees and observed the activity going on around her. There were quite a few others frolicking along the stretch of beach although there was a wide breadth given to the area around the Uchiha property. It was almost like there was an invisible wall that separated them from the rest of the beach. A volleyball game was going on further down the beach and part of her longed to play. With as much physical activity she'd had since traveling with Itachi one would think she might want to rest like he was. Itachi was content to lay out on the beach towel, another book enrapturing his attention.

"If you wish to go play you should do so." Itachi said without looking up from his book.

"You sound like an old man." Hanabi snorted.

"Perhaps." He shrugged, placing his book to the side and finally sitting upright. "The other kids might let you play with them if you remember your manners and ask politely."

"I know how to be polite thank you very much!"

Itachi raised a skeptical eyebrow and she couldn't help but smirk. Being 'polite' wasn't her thing but she did know how to do it. She wasn't raised in a barn.

"In any case, you should go join them. It will be good for you to spend time around others your own age."

"You're just trying to get rid of me." Hanabi teased and Itachi only poked her forehead before laying back down again.

"Go."

"Fine. I'm going." Hanabi huffed and stood up. "But not because you told me to."

Itachi closed his eyes and lazily waved her away.

"Remember not to kick anyone. That's not how you make friends."

Hanabi turned red and covered her face with her hands. She'd only kicked Kisame out of reflex when he tried to wake her up for breakfast their first morning on the boat. The guy was just so creepy and took her by surprise. It wasn't her fault all of Itachi's friends were weird! The Hyuuga peaked through her fingers to see Itachi looking up at her with a wry smirk on his lips. He had enjoyed seeing Kisame with a black eye for the duration of their time on the boat.

"Be back before sunset."

"Yea yea." Hanabi said with a roll of her eyes and turned away.

It was a lot noisier on the more populated stretch of the beach. The faint shrieks of children playing in the waves were much louder here and somehow the sun seemed to burn hotter. There were women slathering on tanning oil and sunbathing without a care in the world. Hanabi tried her best not to look but it was hard. Her own body was nowhere near as curvaceous as some of these women. They looked like they'd just stepped out of a swimsuit magazine. Their bright bikinis put her own swimsuit to shame. Suddenly she felt like she was overdressed in comparison.

She had only brought a black one piece for her trip. It was simple, no frills or excessive cuts. Over her suit, she'd put on one of Itachi's many white t-shirts. It was much too big for her and almost came down to her knees but she didn't mind it. She burned easily in the sun so she figured wearing it would be another layer of protection without being too hot. Inwardly she cursed her Hyuuga genes and tugged down on the brim of her black baseball cap to bring it lower over her eyes. She should have stayed with Itachi.

Pushing down her insecurity she headed towards the water so that she could stick her feet in. The water was much colder than she had expected but it felt nice in contrast to the weather. A small group of children splashed each other next to her and Hanabi laughed when all of them were doused by a big wave. When they all reemerged from the water their hair was sticking to their faces and spitting out salt water. It was cute-

"Hey, you! Watch out!" A familiar voice called and Hanabi spun around searching for the owner.

BAM

Something hard hit her in the middle of her forehead and sent her tumbling backward into the water. She hissed as her butt fell hard in the shallow end of the water however she wasn't able to collect herself fully before a small wave washed over her. Now it was the other children's' turn to laugh at her as she spat out a mouthful of salt water. She wiped her hair out of her eyes and grimaced at the fact that she was now going to have to wash her hair again.

"Hey! Sorry about that are you alright?" That familiar voice shouted again. "I thought you heard- Hanabi?"

Upon hearing her name Hanabi looked up and her mouth fell open. Konohamaru was there in the flesh and he looked just as surprised to see her. His skin was slightly darker from being in the sun but it suited him. She wondered how far the tan went and her eyes bulged when she realized just how low Konohamaru's dark blue swim trunks were hanging on his hips. Her mouth went dry. She had to be going crazy. Had she been so bored that she had dreamed him up? Had she been out in the sun for too long and was now going crazy? That was a thing right? If this was a hallucination, it was a very vivid one.

"Hanabi what are you-" Konohamaru started to say but was interrupted by a female voice coming up to them.

"I got the ball back!" She said cheerfully and bounded up to Konohamaru's side with the volleyball that had hit Hanabi.

The girl looked to be the same age as them with bright orange hair and dark eyes. Those same eyes were looking down at her curiously and suddenly Hanabi was very aware of the fact that she was still sitting in the water. Quickly she stood up and tried not to show how awkward she was feeling on the inside.

"Konohamaru who is this?" The girl asked and the boy scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

"This is Hanabi...my...ugh...a friend." He said and the girl nodded.

Friend...the word cut deeper than Hanabi would have ever imagined that it would. They were not friends.

"I see, well then Hanabi, it's nice to meet a friend of Konohamaru's all the way out here! My name is Moegi. I'm Konohamaru's girlfriend."

The one named Moegi reached out a tanned hand for Hanabi to shake but the Hyuuga didn't reciprocate the gesture. If she touched Moegi it was likely she'd break her hand and that wasn't very polite now was it? Hanabi kept her face impassive as she rung out the water from the end of her t-shirt. Moegi, of course, wasn't wearing a t-shirt. Her perfectly tanned body was on display in a small pink bikini, her breasts pressed against Konohamaru's side. No matter how friendly the girl tried to sound or how big she smiled, she was marking her territory.

"Girlfriend huh?" Hanabi said as she bent down to pick her hat up out of the water. "I didn't realize Konohamaru was allowed to have one of those."

Moegi dropped her ignored hand but the big smile on her face stayed plastered on. She ran a hand through her bright orange hair and gave a small laugh to Hanabi's statement before looking up at Konohamaru.

"I guess everyone knows how picky you are huh?"

"Hey, are you guys going to get back here or what?!" One of the volleyball players up the beach yelled.

"Just a minute! Hold your horses!" Moegi called over her shoulder before turning an apologetic smile in Hanabi's direction. "Sorry about that. Hey, do you want to join us?"

Konohamaru tensed at Moegi's invitation but the girl didn't seem to notice. Hanabi registered the change in him immediately and her own body stiffened. She looked out at the net she'd been admiring for so long, envious of the people who had been happily playing around it, but the idea of joining them now left a sour taste in her mouth. Somehow it felt like she wasn't being invited out of genuine interest. It was just a platitude. An olive branch to a friend of Konohamaru's. Above all else, she was a Hyuuga and Hyuugas do not accept handouts. It wasn't like Konohamaru was jumping at the bit to spend time with her anyway.

"Another time." Hanabi said blandly as she placed her baseball cap back on her head. "I'll see you around, friend."

….

Saturday, June 2, 2018, 5:23 pm

Ren's

...

"Hi! My name is Izumi and I'll be your...your...ah...your server for t-this evening!"

The slender woman bowed clumsily to them, her entire face flushing red with embarrassment. Her long brown hair was tied back in a ponytail that swung with every move of her head. When she rose from her bow Hanabi noticed the small black mole just below her right eye, the only blemish on her otherwise smooth face.

'No.' Hanabi thought as she studied the woman's face closer. 'It wasn't a blemish. It was...cute.'

"What can I get for you this evening?" She asked, her voice cracking at the end.

Across the table, Itachi put down his menu and rested his chin lazily on the heel of his hand.

"Do you see anything you want?" He asked the Hyuuga and Hanabi shook her head.

All she knew was that she was starving. She and Itachi had yet to figure out how to turn on the gas stove in the house which regulated them to cold premade meals at the grocery store. The smells wafting from this tiny beach diner were too good to pass up. They'd followed their noses inside but now their eyes were faced with an overwhelming menu with too many things to try. Itachi's dark eyes slid from her up to the waitress who grew tense under his attention. Hanabi half expected the woman to bolt.

"What do you prefer?" He asked and Izumi's face turned even redder but she did her best to maintain some sense of decorum.

Hanabi blinked. In a way, the woman vaguely reminded her of Hinata. Unwittingly pretty, unreasonably embarrassed. At the thought of her older sister, she mentally smacked her forehead. She'd left her phone back in the house!

"Our tempura is the most popular dish-" Izumi started to say but Itachi looked mildly dissatisfied with her answer. "Or-or many say they like the grilled flounder."

"I'm not asking what other people like." Itachi said simply. "I'm asking what you like."

"Oh! M-m-me...um..."

"Itachi." Hanabi interrupted, already starting to slide out of her booth. "I left my phone at the house. I need to go get it and try to see if I can make a call."

After being off the grid for nearly two and a half weeks her cousin Neji had likely sent out an international search party to look for her. He was probably driving everyone crazy.

"I'll order something for you. Can you bring mine as well?" Itachi asked and Hanabi nodded her head and scooted past Izumi to get out of the cramped shop.

Once she was outside Hanabi looked to her left and to her right before getting a sense of which was she was supposed to be going. The Uchiha property wasn't very far from this part of the beachside community. It wouldn't take her long at all to get there and back. Quickly she made her way up the sandy sidewalk with the hope that the small diner might be the place where their phones would pick up a signal.

"Hey, do you remember that girl from yesterday?" A squeaky voice asked.

Hanabi would have kept on walking if she hadn't heard Moegi's voice respond.

"Yea, what about her?"

Hanabi tensed. They could be talking about anyone right? Their voices weren't far away, if anything they were getting closer. Panicked she slipped into a nearby shop to avoid running into Moegi and her friends. The bell above the door jingled loudly as she rushed in. The entire shop smelled like gunpowder but it was completely empty. She let out a breath of relief as she watched Mogei and two of her friends come around the corner from the store's glass display. Quickly she ducked down before they could see her too but cursed when the shop's bell jingled again. Carefully Hanabi slipped down one of the back aisles when she heard the girl's voices fill the shop. Her back hit shelf causing a small box to fall to the floor with a loud smack. She kicked the box away and held her breath, praying that the girls didn't come down her aisle.

"You're being ridiculous Saya." Hanabi heard Moegi say and the girl named Saya sucked her teeth.

"You said she had weird white eyes right?" Saya prodded.

"Yea but that doesn't mean anything-"

"You're being naive Moe." Another voice chimed in which Hanabi could only infer belonged to the other girl Moegi had walked in with. "My cousin goes to that school. She says that it was known by everyone that Konohamaru was interested in some Hyuuga girl."

"You have no idea if she's a Hyuuga or even if she is that Hyuuga." Moegi defended but even she didn't sound convinced by her own words. "Hyuugas don't come here anyway."

"Well, that one did." Saya replied. "Maybe she's chasing after him. She could be some kind of stalker trying to get him back."

"She knows we are together. I don't think she'd do something like try to break us up."

Hanabi frowned. She was most certainly not a stalker. It was by some twist of fate that she and Konohamaru had even managed to cross paths. There was some rustling of boxes as the girls riffled through the store's merchandise and their conversation continued.

"All we are saying is to keep an eye out. Konohamaru is a good match. You don't want a snobby Hyuuga snatching him away." The other girl advised.

"She didn't come across as snobby, maybe standoffish but...I think she's lonely. I don't think she has any friends here."

"Well, that's not your problem." Saya sniffed and there was a thud as Hanabi presumed she placed a heavy basket on the counter.

The girls rang a bell near the counter and there was some shuffling around until a cashier could be heard approaching.

"Oh ho!" A cheery male voice enthused and the girls giggled. "You must be having an extra special bonfire tonight. That will be...on the house tell your father I said hi Moegi."

"Thanks, Deidra! You're the best!"

"Be careful hun, those are some powerful explosions!"

"Yea, yea, we will be careful, bye!"

The girls' giggles matched the chiming of the bell above the door as they left the shop. Finally, there was silence. Hanabi peeked her head out to the aisle to confirm that she was now alone. The toe of her shoe hit the box she knocked over previously and she picked it up.

"Sparklers." Hanabi mumbled to herself.

"Is anyone there?" The shopkeeper called out and Hanabi squeaked. "Hello?"

Reluctantly Hanabi stepped out from the aisle and the shopkeeper smiled at her like he knew her. He ran a hand through his long blonde hair and cocked his head to the side.

"Hanabi! I was wondering when I'd get the chance to finally see you, hun." Deidra grinned. "Itachi's a selfish bastard who keeps all the girls to himself."

Hanabi's eyes narrowed, who the hell is this guy and how did he know who she was?

"And you are?" She asked suspiciously and the man laughed.

"I am an artist!" He said, flipping his blonde hair over his shoulder. Hanabi was unimpressed. The man's smile faltered a bit. "Kisame said you were a tough nut. I didn't realize you were this tough."

Hanabi blushed which made Deidra laugh more heartily than she felt was warranted.

'He must be another one of Itachi's weird friends.' Hanabi groaned inwardly.

"I'm about to close up for the day. Take those sparklers with you and tell Itachi he needs to visit me soon before I come looking for him myself."

….

Saturday, June 2, 2018, 6:45 pm

Makinohara- Uchiha Property

...

Hanabi sighed as she watched the bonfire off in the distance. It wasn't much to look at from this distance but occasionally they clumsily set off some of Deidra's fireworks. The explosions lit up the night sky with bright oranges and reds. Sometimes the ocean breeze carried the faint sounds of the merriment down to her small stretch of the beach and it made her chest feel tight. Konohamaru was down there with those girls from earlier. He was with Moegi.

Did he think about her at all? Was he thinking about her right now? Hanabi sniffed as she swung her legs listlessly back and forth off the edge of the deck. Probably not. He was too busy having fun with his pretty new girlfriend and her equally pretty friends to likely give her a second thought. Hanabi shook her head. She had no right to think so spitefully of Moegi. Her friends might be bitter birds in her ear but the girl had defended Hanabi in the shop. The Hyuuga snorted to herself as she tore her eyes away from the fire in the distant.

"She doesn't even know me and yet she was nice enough to stand up for me." Hanabi mumbled under her breath.

Somehow that kindness, even though it was small, made her feel sick. Part of her had hoped that Moegi was a bitch like her friends. It would make it easier to dislike her. It would make her feel better about these unresolved feelings she had towards Konohamaru. But this was her own fault wasn't it? She was the one who had pushed him away after the boat party. Even after Neji had told her that he'd been by to see her she did not seek him out. She didn't call him and he didn't call her. When they saw each other again after winter break she returned with a cast on her wrist and he had a wall. Rumors of their breakup spread like wildfire around the school as well as the conspiracies about the reasons behind it.

They'd never broken up. Not properly at least. No one had said the words. 'I don't want you anymore' or 'let's be friends'. He never looked in her direction and eventually, she'd stopped hoping that he would. At some point, she'd heard that Konohamaru wasn't actually allowed to associate with her in any capacity anymore. Of all the rumors that she'd heard that was the only one that actually hurt. It meant that she had been right that night at the party...

"You did not return." A deep voice said and Hanabi looked up. Itachi was staring down at her with a curious look in his dark eyes.

"I wasn't hungry anymore." She replied.

The Uchiha nodded his head and leaned up against the railing of the deck. Silence fell between them but it was something Hanabi had grown comfortable with. Itachi didn't pry into her business like Neji. He didn't judge her the way she secretly suspected Sasuke did. The only other person she was this comfortable around was her sister and even that relationship was a bit strained. After those hurtful things she'd said to Hinata...she'd been too ashamed to even apologize. Her sister didn't need or want an apology either which only made Hanabi feel more guilty. Guilty because she didn't mean those terrible things. Guilty that she would never be able to be as selfless as Hinata.

Hinata was everything she wanted to be. Soft and kind. Everyone loved her as soon as they met her. Hanabi, on the other hand, was nothing but rough edges and sharp words. Men fell over themselves to get a look at the former Hyuuga heiress, rumored to be the prettiest Hyuuga in a generation. No one had had such flowery words for the younger Hyuuga. Hanabi picked at the scab on her knee. It wasn't like she would take that kindly to flattery anyway. She would likely become suspicious of anyone who attempted it. The teenager frowned to herself, she possessed too much of her father's unyielding nature.

With a sigh, she looked out once more at the bonfire. Moegi seemed to have a pleasant enough personality and she was very pretty. She looked comfortable standing next to Konohamaru while Hanabi had always felt like a rock. A hard, stubborn rock with weird white eyes. Another firework went off and the whoops of excitement went up with it.

"Chi..." Hanabi started, biting her lower lip a bit at the embarrassing question in her head. "Do...do you think I'm pretty?"

She could feel Itachi's eyes scrutinizing the top of her head. When he remained silent she shook her head. The next firework was set off, this time lighting up the sky with bright red bursts of energy.

"Nevermind you don't have to answer something silly like that."

"Hana-" he started to say but his voice cracked and a wet cough racked his body.

He turned away from the railing, covering his mouth as he continued to cough violently. Hanabi sprang up to her feet and caught him in her arms as soon his body started to crumple forward. His head fell into the crook of her neck, his weight pressing down against her smaller frame. Thankfully she was used to handling men much larger than she was otherwise she would have fallen. Droplets of something warm hit her collarbone but she didn't recoil. If anything it made her pull his shaking body closer. Instinctively she rubbed Itachi's back and eventually the coughing subsided. As he struggled to catch his breath again that's when she smelled it. A coppery smell that she was all too familiar with. Another firework exploded in the night sky and Itachi pulled away from her. He tried to wipe his mouth subtly with the back of his hand but Hanabi had already seen it. Blood.

"Itachi." She whispered and the Uchiha shook his head.

"I'm sorry you had to see that."

To be continued...

C is for Fatherhood

He doubted that he would be a good parent. Yet, when she smiled at him, he couldn't help but wish for a daughter. One that had her mother's pale eyes and soft smile...