The Secrets We Keep

Ino's garden was lit up with hundreds of tiny fairy lights, suspended from branches on trees, wound around bushes, peeping out from the flowerbeds. They gave the garden a warm glow, and cast elongated shadows across the grass. The low murmur of voices could be heard from over the garden fence, as could the clink of glasses, occasional bursts of laughter.
On the grass, below a gnarled and old tree, sat the Kazekage and his sister. Alongside the sand siblings sat Sasuke. He was listening intently to whatever Gaara was saying, leaning in slightly as he did so. Temari, only half listening, glanced over at Shikamaru, a half smile playing upon her lips, recalling her last visit to this garden. Shikamaru almost blushed at the expression on the blonde ninja's face as she looked over at him. He turned away, trying to concentrate on what Kiba was saying, but he couldn't.
"Excuse me." He said, rising from his seat and heading off towards the bottom of the garden. He needed to cool off.
Hinata sat by Kiba's side, watching as he spoke animatedly to Choji. She barely heard the words, feeling numb inside. Although she tried to smile, she knew if Kiba looked into her eyes he would know there was something wrong. But there were more important things going on at the moment, bigger than her problem. She looked over at Sasuke, pity filling her. Her situation seemed so much easier all of a sudden. She sighed, looking over to Neji, standing with Naruto, Sakura and Ino. He didn't seem to be too involved in the conversation either, instead looking off into the distance.
"Don't you think so Hinata-chan?"
Hinata was jolted from her daydreams to find Kiba looking at her expectantly. She shook her head.
"Sorry, Kiba-kun, I was in a world of my own." She smiled weakly at him, accepting the glass of sake Choji was handing to her.
Draining it in one go, she got up from her kneeling position, and walked slowly away, down the path towards the pond. Maybe she could find some peace to think here.
Getting closer to the pond, she was aware of someone else's presence.
"Byakugan!" she muttered.
Blinking, she quickly deactivated her bloodline limit, and turned on her heel, back towards everyone else.

*

"What was that noise?" Temari looked back over her shoulder towards the pathway.
"Nothing, nothing!" Shikamaru pulled her closer to him, continuing to take off her dress.

Akamaru bounded up to Hinata as she re-emerged from the undergrowth.
"Is Kiba looking for me?" She asked the large white dog, and he immediately ran ahead of her, barking as he did so.
Kiba came trundling towards her, slightly unsteady on his legs, due to the copious amounts of alcohol.
"Nata! Nata! I looked up and you were gone! I got a bit worried!" Kiba shouted, flapping his arms up and down.
Hinata smiled and pulled him close to her, even though he smelt powerfully of cheap wine.
I wish I could stay like this with you forever. Hinata thought, as she snuggled closer to him. Over Kiba's shoulder, she spotted Neji, staring at them from where he leant against a tree.

*

Sakura watched as Choji and Kiba carried Naruto from the house. Too much sake hadn't been good for him, and mixed with the home-brewed wine, it had been deadly. She turned to gather his things. What was the point in staying if he was gone?
Walking through the house towards the back garden again, she decided to get a drink of water from the kitchen. Voices could still be heard from outside.
A moment to relax alone. she thought to herself. Once in the kitchen, she immediately headed for the sink, rinsed out a glass and filled it up. Behind her, someone coughed.
She span around quickly, to be confronted by Sasuke, standing looking at her.
"Sakura…" he said.
She gripped the edge of the sink behind her, looking away, anything not to look into those eyes.
He stepped forwards, his hand reaching out to her. She was frozen to the spot; why couldn't she just run, get away from him? She hadn't wanted to see him.
Too late to move, his hand touched her cheek, cold as ice. He sighed.
"I-I didn't know how to tell you." He said.
Sakura closed her eyes and breathed in deeply.
"I thought you would understand." He continued, "Understand why I left. You of all people."
He removed his hand, and Sakura's knees stopped shaking.
"You…" she breathed in again. "You…you really are annoying!"
His eyes widened, and she ran from the room, from the house, towards Naruto's.
Anywhere, anywhere Sasuke wasn't.

*

Hinata looked down at the beautiful gift Kiba had just given to her. Held in her hand was a necklace: a delicate silver chain, attached to a smooth, pebble-like gem, pale lilac in colour. Her cheeks flushed.
"This is too much Kiba. It's wonderful." She said, kissing him quickly on the lips.
He smiled and helped fasten his present around her neck.
"It looks great. I knew it would suit you!"
Hinata smiled back at him, wanting just to throw herself into his arms and stay there always. She fought back the tears that pricked at her eyes, and squeezed Kiba's hand tightly.
"Hinata-sama?" Neji walked over to the couple briskly, "It's time to go home."
"But Neji-niisan, we haven't been here long, surely another hour won't hurt…"
"We have to go right now!"
Hinata looked stricken. Neji didn't usually explode like this.
But under these circumstances, who wouldn't? She thought to herself.
"Nata-chan, must you go right now? Can I at least walk you home?" Kiba stood, holding out a hand to help Hinata from her seat.
"No, she has to come with me right away!" Neji was getting agitated.
"Look, Neji! I wasn't talking to you, I was talking to Hinata! You don't need to answer for her!" Kiba looked angry, his temper flaring.
"Kiba-kun, it's okay…" Hinata's voice was too quiet.
"Shut up, Inuzuka! As if I could trust you to walk her home in your drunken state. I will be escorting her myself." Neji retorted.
Kiba's face was red with rage, and Akamaru's fur was bristling as he stood by his best friend. The ninja took a step towards the Hyuuga, hand hovering above his shuriken pouch.
"What do you think you're doing, dog-boy? Think you can beat a member of the Hyuuga clan? Drunk, and with that mangy beast?"
"That 'mangy beast' is my best friend! You'll pay Hyuuga!" Kiba growled angrily, taking another step towards his foe.
"STOP!"
The two young men turned suddenly to see where this loud shout had come from. Hinata stood before them, tears streaming down her face, hair falling from her bun.
"Stop it!" she said again, quieter this time, "I don't want this. I will walk home alone."
She turned to leave, the tears still flowing down her porcelain cheeks.
"Hinata! Hinata-chan!" Kiba ran after her, catching hold of her arm as she reached the garden gate.
She turned to look at him.
"What's wrong Nata-chan? Please tell me what's bothering you, you haven't been yourself all night."
Kiba! Loving, caring and naïve Kiba… How I wish I could tell you everything. But I just don't know how to.
Akamaru licked Hinata's hand and whined next to Kiba. The ninja patted his dog on the head absentmindedly, before pulling Hinata to him.
"Whatever's wrong, I'm sure I can sort it out for you." He whispered, bringing his face close to hers.
Hinata felt the tears fall faster as she looked into his eyes, so sincere, so full of love for her.
"I'm not sure it can be sorted at all." She told him, as Neji came up behind Kiba, "Neji will walk me home, and I will see you tomorrow. We can train together."
Kiba nodded slowly, kissing her chastely. He watched her leave, and then called to Akamaru.
"Let's go home." He said.

*

"What happened after I got carried home?" Naruto slurred as Sakura slipped into his bed.
"Oh you're alive then?" she looked down at him, "Baka!" and she playfully hit him on the head.
"So what happened? D-did Sasuke talk to you at all?"
Sakura switched off the light and snuggled herself into him.
"Um… No. No he didn't."
"Ah, okay. G'night Sakura-chan. I love you."
"I…love you too, Naruto-kun."