03. Meanings Behind Things

They were so inviting and open, I just couldn't turn them down.

"Fucking Ino," Naruto grunts, "it's her and her loudmouthed fault." He places his head in his arms, laying down on the table. Detention never took in so much time as today did. And it was annoying Naruto. A lot.

The teacher – Naruto hadn't recognized him, and when they had seen Kakashi-sensei who sent them to this teacher - has just walked out of the classroom to get a cup of coffee and let those kids alone. When they Naruto and Hinata were the only two to have detention today.

Hinata looks at him. "I... I think it is okay, Naruto-kun…" she whispers, fiddling with her fingers. Her voice is soft, and it sooths Naruto a bit.

Naruto rudely moves his head up in her direction, which startles Hinata. "No. It's not okay. That bitch just doesn't know when to shut her damn mouth. I'm so done with her, I swear." He sighs loudly. He then notices she is a little taken aback from his sudden rant and rude voice. "Ah… I'm sorry, Hinata. Didn't mean to act so rude to you."

"It's okay… I think it's unfair, too."

That surprises Naruto. "You do?"

She nods in response. "I heard Kakashi-sensei saying we have to finish the rest of the experiment at home. While… While the others can finish it in class."

"Fuck, that's so unfair. At home? Seriously? Damned Ino, the miss know-it-all." He rolls his eyes. He places his hand under his chin and sighs again. "And she and Sakura are best friends? I don't even want to understand."

Hinata chuckled. "Hm-mm," she agrees. "Sakura and Ino are the craziest of all of them. I can barely keep up with them, but that's okay."

"You're not one to act crazy," Naruto says suddenly, and softly. Hinata starts to blush like crazy. Naruto doesn't notice and continues. "I mean, even though I hate the rich kids, you're the kindest and sweetest of them." He realizes what he said and is a little shocked. His eyes wide-open, he looks at Hinata, who's still blushing. "Oh, erm… I- Ah fuck it, I already said it."

Hinata doesn't react, and to be honest, she doesn't even know what to say to react.

"I'm sorry," he apologizes. "Let's forget what I said. I'm gonna make some homework or whatsoever." He turns his back to her and bends to his bag to grab his math homework. He's so embarrassed by his action that he doesn't want to face Hinata anymore and is avoiding any eye contact with the girl.

"Right," she replies and bends over to her bag, too, to grab her books. Naruto eyes her movements from out the corner of his eyes. He sees she grabs her math book too. "Ah, eh… Naruto-kun?" she asks.

He feels busted, but ignores it and tries to look cool. "Yeah?"

"I noticed that you're good in math… right?" He nods. "Can you… Can you give me some ex- explanations about this chapter? I really don't understand it that well and… and I do want to get a good mark this time if it's possible…?" She looks at him and back to the ground with a little blush on her face. "If- If you want to!" she quickly says after it, but Naruto is already moving his chair and table to her side.

"It's okay, I don't mind it." He opens her book and takes out a paper, pencil and an eraser from his own bag. "What is it that you don't understand?" he asks.

She faces her book and leafs through it. "Ah… This." She points to a few things and Naruto starts explaining what the meaning behind it is, and makes a few practice exercises for her to make. She nods and starts making the exercises. He looks at her and studies her face, seeing something he quite likes. While she is making the exercises, he notices that her tongue is a little out of her mouth.

'Cute,' he thinks and the right corner of his mouth pull up in a half-smirk. And he's so engaged in his thoughts, that he doesn't even see Hinata trying to get his attention.

A hand waves insecurely in front of his face and a voice catches finally his attention. "Na… Naruto-kun," Hinata says. Said boy blinks with his eyes and finally looks at her. "Ah, Naruto-kun… I was thinking... that- that maybe we- I mean… I mean you and I… could…"

"Slow down, Hinata," Naruto says and he places his hand on her shoulder. "Say it again, but now a little more slowly." He retrieves his hand and lets his elbow rest on the table with his chin resting on his palm.

She nods shortly. "I was thinking… you see, since Kakashi-sensei said we had to… ah, finish the project at home… Maybe you and I… could- could finish it at my house?" She's majorly blushing and trying her best to hide it.

Naruto smirks in response. Should he make a witty comment or stay serious? He chooses the witty comment. "Did you just invite me over to your house? Should I count this as our first date?" he teases.

Hinata's eyes grow wider and wider and she's blushing all over. "Ah! I- I did not- not mean it like that!" she squeaks. She waves loosely with her hand to brush it off.

Naruto starts laughing loudly in response and winks at her. "Haha. I was just joking, Hinata." She stops her movements, her blush goes away, and her hands move back to the table. "You don't have to take it so serious. And nah, finishing the project at yours sounds great." He chuckles.

Hinata puffs her cheeks a little and looks at him. She did absolutely not mean it like that! And joking, huh? She took it very seriously.

"Hm-mm, after detention is over," she says, facing her book again and ignoring the previous happenings. "I also need to find a way what to tell my dad…" she whispers. Naruto looks at her with small question marks. Hinata notices his features looking at her and faces him again. "Ah, I have never had detention before…" she says softly, as if almost ashamed for it. "And my dad will go crazy if he hears that I had detention." Naruto nods in understanding.

"I see," he says. "Don't worry, I'll find a way."

Hinata looks in his eyes with awe. "Would you… Would you seriously do that for me?" she asks.

"Sure, why not? Lab partners gotta save each other's ass, right?" Naruto smiles cheekily.

Hinata flinches at the 'a-word', but still nods. "Thanks, Naruto-kun," she says and brings the corners of her cheeks up in a small smile.

Naruto sends her another wink, which makes Hinata blush. "No problem," he says and

The door is opened rudely, all suddenly and the two teens scare, holding their breaths. "Your time is over." It's Asuma-sensei, their math teacher. "Go home now, and I don't want to see the two of you hanging around the schoolyards anymore." He glares at the two, who nod quickly and pack their bags. When Asuma-sensei leaves, Hinata and Naruto finally breathe out and Naruto can't hold it anymore, so he erupts in a storm of laughter. After a few laughs, and thinking of how contagious his laugh is, a few laughs escape Hinata's lips.

"Come," Naruto says and sticks out his hand, asking Hinata to accept it so he can pull her up. "Let's go to your house and finish the experiment." Hinata accepts his hand and he pulls her up on her feet. He starts to look into her eyes and doesn't let go of her hand yet. The girl starts to blush a bright red and it's only then that Naruto realizes that he's still holding her hand. "Oops, sorry," he apologizes and lets go of her hand. Feeling that he's heating up, he quickly turns around and walks in the direction of the door. 'What the fuck was that, Uzumaki?'

"Ah, yes, let's go." Hinata follows him and hurries a little to walk next to him. They walk past a few classrooms – which are empty, of course – and to their lockers. Hinata walks over to hers and grabs her jacket out of it. Naruto does the same and grabs his leather jacket and puts it on. He notices Hinata isn't there yet, so he already walks to the door.

Naruto stops and when he sees Hinata coming closer, he opens it, and gestures his hand to the door. "Ladies first," he says, in his politest voice.

"Why thank you," Hinata replies with a giggle and bends through her knees, pulling up her skirt a little, making a princess-like bow. Naruto grins and walks after her through the door. She feels that the weather is at a good temperature. "Didn't- Didn't know you could be such a… gentleman," she whispers after Naruto came up to her level again.

"I can have my moments." He grinned at her. "My car is outside the school, I'll drive us to your house. That okay with you?"

She nods but opens her mouth too talk. "It's okay, but do you really want to take all of that effort to my drive to my house? It's only three streets away." They stop walking outside the school's gate.

He brings up his head a little. "So you live close by school?" She nods. "That's better, in comparison to me. But I'm still driving us to your house."

Hinata sees that it's impossible for her to bring up a thing against it. "Ah, fine," she says, giving in.

"You know," he said and they step in his car, "I've always wondered how a richie's house would look like," he told her. "I mean, I've seen the one Sakura lives in, she isn't that rich and hell, I know it through and through since I've been living there since a really long time, but I was still wondering."

Hinata looks at him with big eyes. "You have? Ah, I mean, it- it really isn't that much," she replies. "Here right and then second left. It's the fourth house on our right."

Naruto nods for both things. "Yeah, I have. But I always thought quickly behind it that I didn't really care. But now when I'm actually seeing one, it seems I do care." He chuckles and turns left. His eyes pop out of his skull. "You call these things houses?! Mansions, are it. Mansions, I tell you!" Hinata suppresses a laugh and shakes a little when Naruto abruptly stops the car in front of her house. "I swear, these things are fucking big ass mansions."

Hinata shakes her head and steps out of the car. She starts to walk in the direction of her house, Naruto following her, locking the car. "My dad will probably be home, like I said," she starts. "So please behave, okay?" She almost sounds begging, which startles Naruto, in an amusing way.

"I you want to, then of course, I'll try my best to behave." He grins at her when she turns around and pulls his thumb up high, in which Hinata rolls her eyes.

"We can go through the back door," Hinata mumbles and takes the lead, Naruto following after her again. "H- Hello, Hanabi!" Said girl immediately started to chat back to her sister about everything and nothing. Naruto hasn't turned around the corner of the house yet, but he figures that she's talking to her little sister, Hanabi. He had heard Sakura saying before about how 'they didn't even looked like sisters, the eyes gave it away'.

And when he turned around the corner, and really, really stepped into the backyard, Hanabi fell silent. As did Naruto.

"Wow. Who's the pierced guy with the awesome leather jacket? Don't tell me he's your boyfriend?!" the little sister exclaims.

"Wow, big ass mansion and a big ass garden. What's more to expect?!" Naruto exclaims.

Both exclamations were heard at the same time.

Hinata scares from both the sentences and turns firstly, angrily to Naruto. "Naruto-kun!" He immediately zips his mouth, signing that remembers what she has asked him before they entered the backyard. "Hanabi, show your respect!" Hinata hisses at her sister while Naruto is taken aback. He didn't know that Hinata could be so scary. "Ah, I'm sorry, Naruto-kun. This is my little sister, Hanabi. Hanabi, this is Naruto-kun, from school. He's my new lab partner."

Hanabi walks up to him and stands in front of him. She has to pull up her face to look him directly in the eyes. "Naruto-kun, huh?" He nods in response. When Hanabi starts to walk rounds around him, he starts to get a little nervous. She stops again, right in front of – or under – his face. "Nice to meet you. The name's Hanabi," she extends her hand, which he accepts, "and I totally love your piercings. You sure that the two of you aren't dating?" She pulls her other hand up to his head, wanting to touch the piercings.

But Naruto moves his head. He's startled. He absolutely didn't expect this. "Ah, thanks. And nice to meet you, too, Hanabi," he says and smirks. He sees that the only difference between the sisters is the chestnut-brown hair that Hanabi has. "And no, I'm not your sister's boyfriend, just a regular lab partner."

Hanabi giggles. "Yet," she muses softly. "Regular lab partner? I think a regular one wouldn't have these awesome piercings – oh! Do you also have a tattoo?!" It looks like her eyes are sparkling, which makes Naruto laugh.

"That's true, though." He already likes the kid. "Yeah, I have a few."

"Awesome!" She bolds her fists. "Can I see, can I see?" she asks eagerly.

He laughs at her eagerness and nods. "Haha, 'course, why not," he says, and starts to pull off his leather jacket. "But this might take a while, since every tattoo I have has a story of its own." Hanabi shrugs. It doesn't matter to her, as long as she gets to see them, it is fine by her.

"Na- Naruto-kun!" Hinata nudges his arm. "Remember why you even came here?"

Right, he totally forgot about her. He starts to blush out of embarrassment. That he had forgotten about her! He quickly gets the blush off his face and shakes his head. "Right. I remember," he says. "Just a second, gotta let your interested sister show my amazing tattoos." He smirks. "Sorry."

Hinata doesn't dare to say a thing against it, and just nods in response. "I will go inside, okay? What do you want to drink?" She starts to walk away.

"Coke is fine," he says and turns his attention back to Hanabi. "Look," he continues, pointing to the inside of his left wrist, "this one I got in memoire of my parents, mostly for my mom, because she loved whirlpools – and I read somewhere that it was her family crest. They died in a car crash," he whispers. Hanabi looks at him, understanding, as if she understands what he's saying. "And this one," he says, showing his right arm, pulling up the arm of his uniform, changing the subject, "I got for fun, for my friends and family and everything I love." Hanabi studies the arm carefully and looks in awe. "Here you see that same whirlpool again. There is a cherry blossom – resembling Sakura, you might know her, if I'm right?"

Hanabi nods. She knows all too well who Haruno Sakura is. The pink-haired girl is one of the best friends of her older sister and has been there a lot for the two of them after the accident.

"Her family practically raised me after the accident and she has become like a sister to me. Her parents resemble the other two flowers. About a year ago, I saved a fox from a really old and grumpy man. His name is Kurama, and these kanji are his, and that fox resembles him. The thing means the world to me." He snickers sarcastically. "Here we go back to my parents. These are their kanjis, Uzumaki Kushina and Namikaze Minato." He stops for a little. "Anyways, the rest I wanted to fill up with some colors and patterns I really liked. Got some more, but I'll show you those some other time."

Hanabi had stayed quiet the whole time he was speaking, and now she finally dared to talk. "That's… wonderful…" she whispers. "I didn't… know that tattoos could have such deep and meaningful meanings…"

"Of course they have," Naruto replies. "Otherwise you'll be having them for no reason, and with a meaning behind it, they'll mean more to you than regular ones. Plus, it's stupid to have something so permanent like tattoos with no meaning behind them, don't you think too?" Hanabi stays quiet and Naruto actually wonders where she's thinking about. "Ah, let's get back inside. I think your sister has been waiting for us long enough now, hasn't she?" Naruto pulls on his jacket again.

The small girls snaps out of her thoughts and giggles. "True," she says, now grinning. "Let's go." She starts to walk and Naruto follows her. "Hinata! You can have your boyfriend all for yourself again!" she yells teasingly and smirks. Her smirk becomes wider when she hears her sister hurry to them, yelling and embarrassed. Hanabi grabs Naruto's arm and pulls him through the door that leads them to the Hyuuga's dining room – which is huge. They see Hinata already sitting at the dining table, quickly looking up when the two enter.

"Hanabi, is that you?" a dark voice comes out of the living room, which scares Naruto a little. That must be their father. Loud footsteps come closer and the door that splits the dining room and the living room in two opens and there reveals a tall man himself. "Oh, who might you be?" He eyes Naruto suspiciously, and Naruto sees his eyes flash from one piercing to another. "Not my daughter's boyfriend, I suppose, hearing Hanabi's teasing scream from earlier?"

Without the meaning of, Naruto starts to sweat, suddenly feeling really uncomfortable and uneasy. "Hello, sir," he starts politely. "And ah, no. Just her lab partner," Naruto says firm, not daring to move an inch. "I came here to finish the experiment with Hinata; we had to finish it at home and she had suggested to do it here."

The man of the house squints his eyes, and Naruto starts to sweat even more. "Why are you sweating? Is there something you need to tell me? Something that you are hiding from me?"

"N- No, sir."

"Hm, I think there is…"

"Sir! I promise there's nothing that-"

"You're hot!" Naruto chokes and Hinata runs red on her face. "Of course you are," the father continues, as if nothing happened, "you're wearing a leather jacket during one of the warmest days of autumn, take the damn thing off." He laughs at his own joke. Hanabi and Naruto facepalm themselves, while Hinata is blushing and taken aback with the word use of her father. "My name is Hyuuga Hiashi, and welcome to our humble home, son. Feel free to act like it's your home."

Naruto bows politely, but has to rethink about his offer. He doesn't think he'll ever appear here again, the dad scares him. "Thanks. The name's Uzumaki Naruto. Nice to meet you too, Hyuuga-san." Hinata blushes even more because of how polite Naruto is acting in front of her father.

"Please, call me Hiashi!" Hiashi replies quickly, waving his hands. "My wife is making some lovely Italian pasta, would you like to stay over for dinner?"

Naruto thought for a while. Maybe staying here wasn't actually going to be as bad as he thought it'd be. "I'd love to," he says, grinning, and following Hinata up the stairs.

Hiashi smiles and also leaves the room

"Keep it safe up there!" Hanabi's scream is audible through the house, and directed at Naruto and Hinata.

The man could almost see the embarrassed face of his daughter in front of him, and a laugh escapes his lips. Something in his eyes had changed when he heard the last name of the boy his oldest daughter had invited to come over. He settled himself in his comfy chair and started to think.

"Uzumaki, huh?" he whispers to himself.