Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
The village hidden in the leaves was prospering. From an outside perspective, one might not be able to see it immediately, not when there were still so many barren zones and homeless citizens and traumatized families roaming about. But for a village that had quite literally been wiped off the map only to have it's entire population be revitalized only four years ago, Konohagakure was certainly growing. The sky was as ever blue as it always seemed to be over Konoha, with a rare splashing of clouds so white they seemed blinding to look upon. Birds dotted the skies and were carried on the wind, floating, hovering, watching as rebirth occurred beneath them.
Konoha was now built into the giant crater leftover from Pain's attack, though that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Konoha was still entirely surrounded by trees so tall it was hard to see the tops of their canopies; still hidden away amongst the greenest landscape of all the hidden villages. The livestock had come back in full so that there was no absence of deer or rabbits or any small critters running amongst Konoha's borders.
The actual construction of Konoha had been and still was long and taxing work and left the village and all of it's patrons vulnerable, but even with all of this hardship, Konoha's ninja force was still one of the strongest of all the hidden villages, and any and all attacks had so far managed to be fended off. Lady Tsunade had awoken from a coma and was back to leading the village, back to enforcing her strict rules and running the nation she'd grown to love like her own child. She'd overseen massive organizations of ninja and civilian alike to rebuild what once was a great nation, and now four years later the homeless rate was marginally lessened, though not entirely wiped out. Crimes had dropped and morale had heightened, and now in this nation of growth and rebirth more and more children were being born and the structures long lost to the people were renewed and running. Ichiraku Ramen was one such structure, and Uzumaki Naruto wasn't the only person who was happy to see it reopened, though he was certainly the most enthused of the lot.
Buildings stood sturdy and tall, layered particularly in the style Konoha was always praised for, with easily accessible rooftops and wires and cables strung all throughout. The front gates had been rebuilt, with the surrounding wall as tall and foreboding along the perimeter of the village as it had ever been, though the actual gates remained as open and welcoming as they had before the invasion, repainted in a shade of evergreen so deep it could blend right into the surrounding growth. Trees had been planted all throughout the growing village and were already growing tall enough to skim over the rooftops, and the academy itself was surrounded by some that had been given boosted growth thanks to one Tenzou so as to offer plenty of shade and target practice.
And the people themselves were continuing to grow; ninjas, civilians, students and teachers, parents and widows and those who had lost people Pain could not revive. They all leant their talents and their time to the village, working together and finding solidarity in rebuilding the only place they'd ever called home. Men and women alike worked on the construction of buildings all over the village, hammering and nailing and welding and setting beams, working high up until they felt they could run their fingers through the clouds, and down deep into the earth to create safe bunkers and basements and underground tunnels. Stalls were spread periodically over the land to offer rations of food and water, the people working there a mixture of overly generous and justifiably surly depending on the day. Children ran through the streets, unwatched and unsupervised as they kicked up dirt and caused mischief. Some joined together in packs and could be seen around noon one day marking the sides of the newly appointed buildings, mostly the academy and the Hokage tower, before later the same day being passed as they were removing the same markings. Lady Tsunade may have been busy with leading the reconstruction of a broken and vulnerable village, and Shizune may have been busy caring for a broken and vulnerable leader, but there were still adults watching and waiting to scold those youngsters who stepped out of line.
The academy had been re-opened and was already in session, much to the relief of many parents and even those without children, since many troublemakers now were forced off the streets and into an educated setting. The people continued to work and to build and to live, and from it they seemed to grow closer, like a giant land of puzzle pieces strewn over the land finally stitching itself together. Jobs were given and missions were taken and children were educated.
All in all, Konohagakure was a living, breathing entity that never seemed to sleep, or rest, or even hesitate to stop growing. Even when the people laid their heads down to rest at night, preparing their hardened bodies to wake early and repeat the same grueling but rewarding construction the following day, the village itself seemed to work on into the night, rising, strengthening, promising the world it would come back bigger and better and stronger than it ever had.
And yet, even with all of its growth and the blooming camaraderie amongst citizens, Konoha was in a vulnerable position. A very vulnerable position. Other villages had not wasted the opportunity to kick a horse while it was down, and even with the Kazekage's added backup forces from Suna, Konoha had taken several major hits that if anything else had set them even further back. As was expected of invasions and attacks in a time of weakness, lives had been lost and morale had taken the hit almost as if it was a tangible force. But Konoha wasn't known as one of the strongest hidden villages for nothing, and most certainly wouldn't bow or submit to the pressure of bullies who picked on the weak. Especially now that one of the strongest generations of ninja ever to grace the village hidden in the leaves had all at the very least achieved the rank of Jounin.
Even Uzumaki Naruto, who at the very gentle insistence of a pair of hardened feminine fists attached to a lovely, kind woman with pink hair and the additional innocent taunts of one grey haired team leader had finally gotten his butt in gear and taken the tests and completed the trials that legally stated that he was finally not a Genin anymore. Now a happily arrogant Jounin and arguably the strongest ninja in the entire hidden village system, Naruto was amongst the busiest ninja in Konoha. It was a rare thing to ever see the beacon of gold and sapphire within the village, let alone sitting still and doing anything ordinary like eating out, or hanging with friends, or even training. His talents were vital to keeping the peace with other nations, and frequent missions detailing him outside of the village were given and taken. In fact, it had been well over a month since the last time his teammates had seen hide nor hair from the Kyuubi container, and even longer since anyone else from his generation had heard his distinct voice.
In three days, it would be exactly three months since last she saw him.
"Hinata-sama!" a voice called after her, though it didn't sound urgent. Violet tresses shifting, she turned slightly to watch with pupil-less lavender eyes as her cousin strode towards her. Smiling kindly, she hadn't seen him in weeks, she dipped into a polite bow even though she knew he wouldn't appreciate it. And true to her thoughts, when she straightened back to her full height there was a scowl marring Hyūga Neji's pristine features, his lips twisted and his sallow eyes glaring. His deep brunette mane was as tidy and perfect as always, even if his pallid uniform was wrinkled and covered in dirt and scuff marks—clearly he'd been training, most likely with Lee. Hyūga Hinata took a flickering moment to wonder how he did that before he was right in front of her, still scowling even as he dipped into an appropriate bow. She continued to smile at him though her expression became one enough to mirror his look of disapproval. This was an argument as old as time between the cousins, and she knew better than to bring it up in words lest they argue about it all day. He hated when she bowed to him because according to him, it wasn't right for someone of the main family to bow to someone from the branch family. On the other hand, Hinata thought it was polite to bow in greeting to anyone she thought was a superior to her, and Neji was more than qualified.
They'd had a rocky relationship to start, of course, with him growing up and finding his own way with the help of his teammates and most notably one blonde haired bumbling fool of a ninja, who hadn't seemed to know his left from his right but had somehow been able to teach Neji something as profound as the uncertainty of fate and how it was all too easy to make his own. Of course, that had been after Neji had fought Hinata and broken her wrist, swiftly moving to actually kill her in a mere qualification round of the Chuunin exams only to be stopped by four Jounins. Hinata had long since forgiven him and was more than happy to joke about the encounter, though she knew better than to do so since one tall, quiet and brooding ANBU Captain didn't quite feel the same way and had taken it upon himself to live a life trying to make up for it. No matter how many times Hinata told him it was enough, that his friendship was something she valued on a level of blood, he still couldn't seem to forgive himself.
"Neji-nii-san." Hinata greeted him with unveiled joy, beaming up at him much like a very young sibling might welcome their Aniki. It was not exaggerated to say that Hyūga Neji was one of the people Hinata admired most in the world, and seeing his obvious good health made her brighten like a sunrise.
"How was your training?" she wondered, shifting her hold on the basket of fruits she was carrying. Neji surveyed the goods with a knowing look, managing to shake his head only once in exasperation. As the heir of the clan, Hinata had several personal assistants who were in charge of doing all of the household chores that otherwise might've fallen to Hinata. That would most certainly include shopping. She also had a bodyguard, one Ko Hyūga, who was supposed to accompany her almost everywhere she went. As Hinata was currently by herself in the middle of one of the busiest streets of Konoha's shopping districts, Neji would be a fool to assume anything other than that she'd lost K o, too. The stubborn little heiress had never been fond of sitting by like a piece of furniture and had been known to sneak away from her bodyguard whenever she could.
"Passable. Lee is currently on his thirteenth lap around Konoha." He didn't smile, but his eyes held a familiar gleam of amusement that had Hinata shaking her head, a small laugh slipping through her lips.
"Lee-san's determination is as always, very admirable." She returned, gesturing with a turn of her neck for him to walk with her. Neji fell into her stride with ease, keeping quiet as she continued to shop for groceries. Without a word, he slipped his hand under the handle of her basket and removed it from her grasp, securing it on his left arm so it didn't hang between them. She cast him a knowing look but he simply stared at her, expressionless. Neji was a gentleman, through and through, and never ceased to be the essence of polite to her. Sometimes it grated on her nerves, because she felt like he was treating her like a spoiled child. Like a princess. But then she reminded herself that this was just the way Neji was, overprotective and overbearing, but a sweetheart all the same. Though he'd go paler than Sai to hear it.
He stayed with her for the entirety of her shopping, not saying much but not needing to. She paid generously for the items she needed and graciously spoke with the people who asked her about her family and her life. Hinata was easily identifiable what with her strangely lavender eyes as opposed to the popular pale Hyūga white, and even more telling of her identity, the ominous presence of one tall brunette Jounin that never seemed to be apart from her for long. Hinata would never realize it being that she was too shy and introverted and plain insecure to see it, but Neji's presence served as more than just a buffer between the mistreatment and abuse that sometimes befell the heiress simply because she was an heiress, but also put a stop to many curious suitors. Just thinking of the reaction he might get if he told her that was a small part of the reason Hiashi-sama encouraged his presence around the heiress made Neji want to smirk. She'd be all blushing cheeks and stuttered denials.
Neji cared deeply for his cousin and was not unaware of just how protective he had become of the little lady. She had bloomed into quite the woman and he'd been quick to notice that apparently the curves she tried so hard to hide under baggy clothes only served to intensify the male population's curiosity about her. He could have sweat-dropped at the injustice of it all, if he was a lesser man. Of course the exact action of trying to become more invisible would only serve as a spotlight upon poor Hinata, not that she'd ever know it. Neji glanced over her head and met the curious gaze of one such suitor who instantly froze in his gazing when met with a steely, unblinking pair of white eyes. Not breaking stride, Neji's eyelid twitched once and it was enough for the man to abruptly decide he had business on the other side of the market. Hinata glanced up at him curiously, but seemed unaware of what had transpired and so she only smiled when he met her gaze again.
They were fast approaching the Hokage tower and Neji remembered that he was due for a mission statement in just under a half hour. Hinata had bags hanging from her right arm and turned to gesture for him to hand over her basket, though he did nothing of the sort. She glanced up at him and frowned, settling her weight on one generously curved hip.
"Neji-nii-san, I can take it from here. Lady Tsunade has a mission for you today, right?" He wasn't surprised that she knew that, not since Hinata seemed to always know where he was and what he was doing. He supposed it was her way of watching over him, quite like his way of watching her with his ability to find her anywhere in the village within seconds so that he could spend time with her.
Nodding his head, he reached forward to take the bags from her other arm, but she shrugged them away, frowning even more at him. She opened her mouth to say more, but he stopped her with a subtle twitch of his neck.
"I will see you home, Hinata-sama."
"Neji-nii-san." He didn't respond, though he didn't try to grab for her bags again either. He knew that sometimes she could be as stubborn as a mule, but if he were the kind of person who succumbed to tenacity then he never would've survived on a team with Tenten. Sighing, Hinata finally relented and turned in the direction of the Hyūga estates, brushing her hair off her neck carelessly. The wind was picking up and it was having a field day with her unbound waist-length tresses, blowing them around into her face and knotting them at the ends. Though some of his hair was unbound, it somehow never seemed to get knotted quite like Hinata's did. He ignored her as she fought to control her violet mane, smirking as her fingers got tangled and caught in a section that caused her to hiss. This was the side of Hinata that Neji found he liked most; the one where she was completely carefree and didn't seem to realize anyone was looking at her. If Hiashi-sama had been present to see his heiress fussing with her hair and muttering under her breath like a child, his face would've quickly bypassed the red stage and hurried on to a color closer to Hinata's hair. She finally untangled the knot only to find more along the way, so she sighed and gave up, blowing air sassily up at her princess-cut bangs in frustration. She flicked her gaze over to his smirking face and sighed again, shaking her head.
This was Hinata Hyūga, carefree, relaxed, and adorable. She was completely unaware of the looks people were sending her and she didn't seem to realize how childish her ministrations seemed to make her look. And yet Neji knew that even if she looked quite the pre-teen at the moment, should someone choose to attack in an instant she'd turn from a mewling kitten to fearless wildcat, strong and swift and sure. She worked harder than almost anyone he knew, though Rock Lee was an animal his own when it came to hard work.
The sun was high in the sky by the time they made it back to the Hyūga estates, telling them it was around noon and that they'd returned just in time for the lunch that would already be made, though Neji had other matters to attend to. The Hyūga estate looked as foreboding as it was internally: with stark plainly paneled walls and no visibility within the grounds, unless of course one's Byakugan was activated. It was tall and imposing and had a single tree in the middle of the compound that could be seen from every angle. As they stopped before the front gates, they turned to one another and Neji finally handed over her basket of fruits, opening his mouth to chastise her for going to the market alone when suddenly the gates flew open and a very flustered looking Ko glared out at them.
"Hinata-sama," he breathed in relief, even going so far as to wipe an invisible trail of sweat from his forehead. "I just returned to the estate and found you missing! When I asked Ami-san where you were, do you know what she said?" it was obvious that each of them knew exactly what Hinata's personal assistant had said, though they were wise enough to keep quiet as a steaming Ko continued.
"She said, 'wasn't she with you?'" and here Ko crossed his arms over his chest, sighing as he suddenly seemed to notice that Neji was with her. Hinata was frowning, not wanting to make Ko mad but not happy about getting him into trouble either.
"At least Neji-san was with you." He finally said, shrugging his muscled shoulders. He moved forward and took the bags and basket from Hinata's arms, thanking Neji for watching over her and waiting for the taller man to nod in acceptance before he shuffled Hinata into the compound, saying something about a summons.
"Ah, Neji-san, are you coming in for lunch?" Ko asked, concern coloring his brow. Though he wasn't much older than Neji, he was a caretaker down to his bones and looked after Hinata as if she were his own sister. If anything, Neji could appreciate that.
"I have been summoned." He said instead, lifting a hand to announce his leave. He turned to head towards the tower, already wondering what his mission would entail and where he'd be sent off to. Just as he was about to leap onto the nearest roof to ensure a quicker trail to the Hokage tower, he heard the shuffling of feet behind him and looked over his shoulder to see Hinata peeking past the gate at him, whispering his name. He turned to regard her, tilting his head when he saw her blush slightly.
"Will you let me know when you leave? I'd like to continue training until you do…if that's okay." Instantly Neji nodded his head before lifting his hand to wave once more, and then he was gone. She smiled, turning back to a frowning Ko to apologize for running off, though they both were more than aware that she would do it again. And again. But her mood couldn't be darkened, not when she had the possibility of another training session with her nii-san planned. She wasn't sure exactly how long ago it had started, but she could clearly remember the first sparring session and how battered she'd become because of it. Neji had found her training by herself on the training grounds, alone because missions had momentarily taken her team from her and she'd only just returned from her own mission. After asking her why she'd train alone and receiving an unsatisfactory answer of I didn't want to bother anyone, he'd swiftly attacked her and from then on they'd taken to being sparring partners.
Neji was so obviously more skilled than her that the majority of the time she returned home with bruises and soreness and a headache, but a smile nonetheless. Because she was learning. It was no secret that Neji was a prodigy and now that she'd experienced it personally she was even more in awe of his talents. It was no wonder he'd made ANBU Captain; his skills were swift and deadly and, quite frankly, terrifying. But sparring against him, though painful, was always a lesson and she never came out of a fight with him without useful knowledge. He made her quicker, stronger, and more aware of her surroundings. It was a well-known fact throughout the clan that even though Neji was the strongest, the fastest, and all around the best, Hinata Hyūga had one trump card: her visual range.
There were rumors that she could stand in the center of the village and see everything, from the Hokage pacing in her office to the ninja approaching the front gates. Outstanding rumors or not, her range was something no one could touch and she was justly proud of it, since she'd spent years honing it. Years in which she'd stretched her vision so far she'd had headaches for weeks; years in which she'd focused that stretched vision on items so tiny it was akin to trying to read fine print without a light source. But as most everything that came with practice, she'd gotten better at it, so much so that it no longer hurt for her to scan out and see even the smallest of creatures kilometers out. Because of her talent, she'd become one of the most valuable trackers in the entire village, working on par with Inuzuka Kiba and Akamaru with their naturally amazing tracking senses, and Abarame Shino and his sensitive bugs. In fact, her squad was renowned for their tracking abilities and were often specifically chosen for important retrieval missions.
But Hyūga techniques were not specialized for long-distance fighting, quite the opposite, in fact. So even though she could see enemy nin miles before they were upon her, she had to make sure that she was prepared for them. She could see everything they tried to do up close, but what good was seeing their moves if she was too slow to block them? That was where Neji's training came in to play. He was training her harshly, with grueling spars and no mercy taijutsu. It was unspoken but she seemed to understand that he wanted to get her to the point where she would be able to blend right into his ANBU squad. It was a tall expectation, for sure, but if Neji-nii-san had enough faith in her to get there, then how could she not?
A/N: Hello all, thanks for stopping by to check out my first multi-chapter story! I'm very nervous about this process but given that I've been punched in the gut with NaruHina feels, I've decided to put my thoughts and attempts at creativity out into the world. Please critique me to your heart's content and feel free to ~encourage~ more from me if you so desire it. Also now will be the official warning: this story's rating might be changed to M much farther down the line. We'll see how I react to the events of much later chapters. : )