Beautiful People

Chapter 23: My Epilogue

beta: strawberries and napkins

…

Dear Sakura,

How have you been? I've been doing well, life has been getting better and better. I'm putting some pictures of all of us this year in a big scrapbook, and then I'll put you two both up, for a special occasion. The biggest thing I've learned this year was all about beauty, and spending everyday with Lia now has really shown me the beauty in people. She's been doing well, by the way. She's out planting some apple trees that I'm sure when they are full grown will make the complex look amazing.

My Dad loves apples now, who knew?

And after confronting the Hokage about the situation of Konoha's poverty-stricken areas, Lia and I have been fully able to start a program that literally jumpstarts Konoha's economy, by having Konoha merchants buying Konoha goods. It's been really good, so good that maybe someday I'll be able to buy back Lia's farm. I'm not sure if I want to do that though, I really want her to stay with me forever.

And can you believe it, after the program was green-lit by the Hokage, both Sasuke and Naruto volunteered themselves free and even got a nice little place out there where we can visit them. Sasuke is surprisingly good at growing tomato plants, and it goes the same for Naruto with orange trees, ha.

All three of us, Neji, Lia, and I, it makes everyday fun. I never have time anymore to spend time in the mirror, picking out all the things wrong with me. I'm learning about how living life without examining yourself, because it forces you to accept the way you are. In fact, I've taken the vanity mirror out of my room, and discarded of all the scissors. As a result, my hair's gotten to be pretty long again.

I don't think Neji likes it as much now, considering we fight over hair products all the time.

And did I mention? Neji spends every summer in Suna now, with Gaara. They've become quite close now, and I'm getting better at watching my cousin being courted by Suna's Kazekage. It's adorable and pretty weird at the same time.

I've also spent lots of time with Kiba, if you can believe it, Team Eight is better than ever. And he and Shino are doing just fine, if you know what I mean.

Ino too. She's gotten way into her florist business, and with Lia's advice the place is doing really well, and she's been good emotionally too. We hardly speak about our journals anymore, and tend to stray away from speaking about the past. Because that's what it is, the past, so it'll stay that way.

We're all moving on.

But don't worry, we miss you a lot and hope everything is going well in Suna too. I miss my best friend and Neji and Lia miss you too. Write back soon, okay?

Hinata

"Hinata, what are you doing? C'mon, Neji is ready to go, and to be honest, so am I!" Lia smiled, draping her arm across my shoulders. I smiled back.

"What's that? Journal entry?"

I shook my head. "Letter to Sakura, but I'm ready now. I'm sure Sasuke and Naruto have been waiting all day for our arrival, so let's get moving." I patted her on the head and then quickly folded the letter into my pocket. I'll have to remind myself later to give it to a post-man.

For now, though, it's time to go and visit my two other best friends, Sasuke and Naruto. I bent down and slung my luggage bag over my shoulder, giving Lia a bright smile.

"I'm ready."

As usual, it takes us around a day and half by foot, but we like to catch wandering merchant travelers going by, and that cuts the time it takes to travel nearly in half. It's very nice, seeing all the places and stops that Sasuke and I had originally traveled, and a couple times I've even teared up inside.

I turned to my left, where Lia was clutching my hand tightly. She was tearing up too. I smiled, and grabbed Neji's hand, and together all three of us walked through the busy pathways of the boom town, until we wandered up the hill and past Lia's farm, currently unoccupied.

"Soon, very soon." I whispered in her ear with a reassuring smile.

Neji nodded. "Yeah, soon."

"Okay," she whispered back and buried her face in my shoulder, wiping her tears on my sleeve. And then we quietly trekked with only the sound of grass crushing beneath our feet. My mind was thinking a million thoughts, it's been such a long time since I've seen either Naruto or Sasuke that I wonder how things are going along.

I miss seeing them, all homey looking, and I miss Naruto's loud voice or the invitation to Ichiraku's, the same way I missed how Sasuke would visit the complex every other day to see me, or the gentle way he and Lia would bicker over my attention.

I sighed, trying to fight my smile away. I could see their little home was in the distance, and I couldn't help how my feet suddenly started galloping wildly to close the distance, pulling both my cousin and Lia with me. The only excuse I could make was just a feral need to see the people I love the most.

Neji was tripping over his own feet, swearing loudly when his foot hit a rock that I managed to avoid. "What's the rush?" he called.

"Sasuke! Naruto! We'reeee here!" Lia called out over him, doing a better job of keeping up with me. I joined in the calling too, and soon enough, the closer we got, the louder our calling until I dropped both their hands and went straight for the door, throwing my whole body into it.

Fortunately, the door turned into something soft and warm, and smelled like sugar-baked cookies. I hugged him tightly, and then looked up expectantly. Of course.

"Hey, Hina-chan!" Naruto smiled down at me. I grinned.

"I missed you guys."

The house hasn't changed too much since the last visit, and it's become fairly easy to see the distinctions between Naruto and Sasuke's 'space'. There's a good combination of mess and neatness that gives the place a homey look.

In the semi-darkness of the living room, we gathered around the worn tatami mat and lit candles around us for the setting sun. None of us were hungry; we just wanted to talk.

"How are the plants coming along?" Lia asks, distractedly, because she was busy gripping my arm tightly, as if I was going to fly away if she didn't keep my steady.

Sasuke's eyes flash at her dangerously, but thankfully he doesn't say anything about it. "Winter is coming soon, and so growing is going to come to a stop soon, but we've gotten a lot of service for them lately."

He looks at me seriously and speaks in that tone I know too well. "Things are running smoothly." Neji hums loudly and shuffles in our bag, taking out a packet of paper, beginning to write without another word. I leaned over, a bit taken back by the official document he was writing on, a survey report back to the Hokage.

Naruto didn't seem to pick up on any of the atmospheres; instead he nearly yanked me out of Lia's vice grip and into his lap with a crushing hug. The smell of his musk was so overwhelming and yet comforting at the same time. I clung to his shirt helplessly; until the sound of Lia's loud throat-clearing stirred me out of it again.

"Soooo, Naruto, what ya got us planned to do tomorrow?" She smiled at him mischievously. I looked up, and Naruto was smiling right back at her.

"We're going out picking fruit, of course!"

When I wake up early in the middle of night, it's not even because I have nightmares, or because of normal reasons like using the bathroom or getting water. I wake up in the middle of the night now because of my fixation on always being awake. It's become very hard for me to fall asleep after my violent awakening, so when it does happen, I get a glass of something and sit down to think.

I don't always make it back to my room. I don't say much, but I know she's there. Lia.

She likes to wait until we all fall asleep, and then she takes over the bathroom, spending hour after late hour in that mirror, picking at her face, mutilating it with her stubby fingers.

I could see how some people would find it disgusting, but all I could see was the dire urge of her trying to wipe off a memory that kept getting bigger. I could picture myself, staring in the mirror as I chopped my hair off piece-by-piece, and how I looked then, maybe like her. It's just acne, I know. The way I know that people would assume that it was just my hair, but it was more. It was so much more than that.

She's staring at her reflection with puffy eyes and sore cheeks, reddening with squeezing, and I stifle a sob because there isn't much I can do for her. I know what to do, I just don't know how to explain to her what to do, and I feel like a failure that couldn't save even a tiny soul.

When I return back to my room, I search for the letter buried deep in my luggage and clutch it tightly between my fingers, praying on whoever was listening that hour, to bring Sakura home swiftly.

So that I could learn what to do.

I wake up early, and sneak my way past Lia's temporary room and into Neji's, just so I could see how he's doing. I haven't really had any time to talk to him alone anymore, about what he's doing or what he's thinking about. Sometimes I think it annoys him the way it annoys Sasuke and Naruto that Lia clings very tightly to me, but I do try very hard to make everyone happy.

I pick out something light, a mid-length peasant skirt, a blank white shirt, and I tie my hair back into a low ponytail.

As soon as I open the door, I see him, sitting on the edge of the creaky bed, playing with his thumbs. He doesn't even look up when I enter the room; his eyes are so distanced and faraway from everything.

"Hey," I say shyly, smoothing out the comforter before taking a seat beside him on the bed. A bit too close I guess, because he flinched before looking at me.

"Hey, I didn't hear you come in." He sighed and placed a hand on my knee, squeezing it. "How have you been?"

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" I say teasingly, and we lock eyes for a moment. I'm very happy, but at the same time I feel guilty. The time I used to spend following Neji around, throwing all my problems on him, that part of me is gone. But now I feel more distant from him than ever.

Neji smiled lightly, and gives me another squeeze. "The work we're doing here is good…"

I nod, smiling.

"Really good. In fact, it's so good that the entire economy is doing better than ever. Others are starting to look into it…like Suna."

And then I pause, and furrow my brow, confused. This was Neji speaking in circles again, and of course I couldn't grasp it. I didn't even get a chance to think about it, because before I even knew it, the door flew open and Sasuke and Lia rushed in, arguing with each other about where I am.

And I thought seeing Naruto and Sasuke fight was pretty bad.

I look at Neji, but he averts his gaze right as Lia hops into my lap with a grin and Sasuke's hand is squeezing my shoulder. The place where Neji's gentle hand rested on me no

w feels extremely cold.

"Naruto's outside, we're ready."

I nod, grasp Lia's hand, and we move on.

To others, it may just be simple harvesting. Picking a few tomatoes and oranges, but it's harder than it looks. Sasuke split us all up into groups—Naruto and Lia, Sasuke and I, and Neji asked to ask to work by himself.

I look over the field, using my hand to cover my eyes so I can see Naruto and Lia chase each other around the field, darting in-between orange trees laughing. I giggle too, and nudge Sasuke to look over. He gives a wry smile.

"They're going to bruise all those oranges," he says, plucking a juicy plump tomato right from the plant, examining it closely.

I pluck one too, and put it in my basket without so much as a glance. "So, how has it been just you and Naruto living out here together?"

"Peaceful." He says automatically, and when I give him a teasing look, he splutters and averts his gaze. "I mean, without anyone other than me to talk to, he's become pretty mellow…"

"You could never tell. He must be socially deprived." I chuckle, glanced back over, watching Naruto chuck two oranges straight at Lia's head. They both miss.

Sasuke glares at me. "Then I suppose Lia's been giving you a handful of things to talk about?" I shrug, pluck another tomato, and toss it into the basket.

"It's really nice having her around, always someone to talk to about personal stuff, and to protect and make sure she's okay…"

Sasuke puts his hand on his hip, his lips firmly pressed together. "Then why don't you bring her here more often? Naruto wouldn't mind the help."

I think for a moment, and shrug again. He stares at me incredulously for a moment, and then turns his entire back to me, mumbling something that melts my heart.

"I wouldn't mind the help either."

I smile, and in response, I chuck a tomato at his head, starting our own fruit war.

We get together a good helping of each fruit, both oranges and tomatoes, but unfortunately I forget that tomatoes are easily bruised, and half of the ones in my basket become very lumpy and unattractive.

Naruto just shrugs and ruffles my hair lovingly. "That's alright, it's the taste that counts, really."

"And that fact that the Uchiha's name is on it won't hurt the sales either…" Lia grumbles, but loud enough for Sasuke to hear. I can't help but laugh at his flushed face. And I try to distract myself from the obvious—that Neji hasn't come back yet.

I know that he's not in any danger, I did a quick check with my Byakugan and I could see him, a little while away from the house, that's he just sitting out there, doing nothing.

Lia told me that it'd be best if I didn't bother him, and even Sasuke agreed with her. For that, I stayed where I was and helped examine and package up the ones that looks edible and un-bruised. It wasn't until we had a huge leftover of ugly oranges and tomatoes that Naruto suggested it would be cool to make a really weird fruit salad. Oranges, tomatoes, and sweet onions with vinaigrettes dressings. I was the only one a bit wary about eating it.

I've never seen Sasuke get so into cooking before. Lia too. Usually she just lazes around the house until dinner is ready.

I tried to jump in it too, but Naruto had just suddenly yanked on my arm and dragged me out of the kitchen without either of them noticing.

"You should go see what's on Neji's mind," he said in a hushed whisper, slowly pulling me to the front door.

I stuttered. "B-But I thought that maybe he just needed some time..."

"Maybe he needs his cousin to ask him what's up, hmm?"

I couldn't argue with him there. I sighed. He ruffled my hair again with those large tan hands of his. I blushed and nodded, giving Naruto a quick hug before I slipped out through the door and sprinted across the open field, letting the wind kick up the skirt I was wearing.

And as expected, Neji was sitting in the same spot as we had left him, hours ago. Only he was just sitting on the grass, leaning back, enjoying the breeze as his hair whipped back and forth. I pulled out my band, and let mine whip around too as I took a seat next to him.

He didn't even flinch.

We just sat there, watching the sun go down. It's must've been at least an hour but it only felt like minutes…and then…

"I'm moving to Suna."

I wasn't even aware I was crying until Neji had moved forward and embraced me, wiping my tears away with his thumb. I had nothing to say. I couldn't be sad, because I knew that this is what he wanted, what everyone wants, to be with who they love. Suna would be able to benefit from having Neji direct the program over there and yet I feel like the only one who lost in this situation.

And I could do nothing but smile and be happy. So I sniffled and said with a teary smile,

"Then will you deliver a letter for me? It's important to me that she gets it."

Dear Sakura,

If you're reading this now, then I hope you've been watching over my cousin for me, since I can't do it myself anymore. Is he married yet? I hope Gaara pops that question soon. And how has the program been running so far over there? Every time I buy a new bottle of Suna Aloe Vera lotion, I think of you and Neji. I can't wait for your time to be up and for you to come home, so you, Lia, and I can lie around and do girly things. I talk about you all the time, and Lia is really excited to get to know you. We'd be good friends.

Plus Neji. I miss him so much.

Ino is doing well too; she misses you so intensely, it's making the violets a special shade of blue that's been selling like crazy. Pretty weird. Shikamaru and Choji are keeping her well enough company though, and maybe we can all go out for a barbecue sometime.

Sasuke and Naruto miss you too. I'm doing my best, but I know that they really miss having their 'Team Seven' together and planting good fruit. They bicker over me for my attention so much it's very adorable. You have some great friends.

Naruto too, he wanted me to tell you that he says, 'I love you Sakura! Buy an Uzumaki orange.' Isn't he the silliest? But you should, they are very good.

Anyway, we all can't wait to hear from you soon. Sakura, I love and miss you. Enjoy the journal; it's one hell of an emotional ride. Makes a good life story, they all do.

P.S. Have you ever had an orange, onion, and tomato salad before? Sasuke makes the best salad I've ever tasted.

Hinata

Thanks for reading along! Finals reviews are much appreciated.

Speical thanks to my beta – strawberries and napkins for helping along with the story since chapter four, she's been the biggest help and inspiration that a girl can ask for. And thanks to all the faithful reviewers, who stayed from start to finish. During the summer I'll be starting some more stories, so if you would like to, add me to your author alert and stay tuned!