Run Away and Pursue
Ch. 2 "Explanatory."
I don't own Naruto, but I wish I did.
A/N: To clarify, Naruto and Hinata are in their early 20s.
Hinata Hyuuga slammed the door in his face.
After everything that happened in the past twenty-four hours, Naruto wasn't sure why that even bothered him, but it did.
He was tempted to knock and see if she would open the door again. He had a few questions to ask her himself.
Like—why was she so afraid of being in the spotlight? Why didn't she want the reward? Why did she bolt after seeing a car pull into her driveway make her bolt?
He was tempted, but he didn't dare.
He had other things to worry about—like re-connecting with his long lost son.
Light splashed on the dirt driveway as Naruto hurried back to his SUV that he rented. He eyed the approaching vehicle and wondered if it was possible that he had been followed by the press from the hotel.
He might not understand Hinata's want to stay unknown, but he wished to respect it.
If a reporter did approach, Naruto had no intention on mentioning Hinata's name or on why he was on her property.
Of course, a good reporter would be able to dig up information on who owned the farmhouse and might jump into conclusions on why Naruto brought Keiji there.
To his relief, it was a tow truck that pulled up. A red-haired man got out. He gave a slight nod. "Howdy, is Hinata around?"
"She's inside." Naruto motioned with his head.
"Glad to hear it. I nearly had a coronary when I got to her car and she wasn't anywhere in sight. It's not good to take a stroll tonight."
"I gave her a lift." Naruto placed his hands in his pocket to warm them up.
"Looks like her Ford isn't damaged. Tell her that it's fine to drive it. Though, she needs to chain her tires; better yet, she should change them. Hers are threadbare and not good for driving in parts like these in the winters." He absent mindedly unhooked the Ford.
"I'll let her know."
"'Ppreciate it. Tell her I'll bill her or she can just drop into the shop and pay when she got time." He finished the job and turned to face Naruto again. His eyes narrowed as he caught sight of Keiji peering out the window of the SUV.
There was no doubt he recognized him. There was probably nobody in Sendai who hadn't seen Keiji's image plastered on the front page of the newspapers and on the local and national news.
Naruto braced himself for the comments and questions, the well wishes and speculations that he received since he arrived in the town.
Instead, the driver smiled at Keiji, gave another nod to Naruto and got into his truck. Naruto watched as the truck drove away.
Would he spread the word that Naruto and Keiji had been visiting Hinata?
For her sake, he hoped he wouldn't.
"Let' go give her the message, Dad." Keiji climbed out of the car, brushing against Naruto as he started to walk towards the old farmhouse Hinata was residing in.
Naruto wanted to place a hand on his shoulder, connect with him in that small way, but he knew Keiji would just stiffen, hold himself tense and tight until Naruto backed off. He wouldn't protest verbally, but he wouldn't relax into it either.
Give it time.
That's what the counselor had said, but Naruto had already lost five years of his son's life.
In that time, the bubbly four-year-old had turned into an anxious, unhappy little boy. It was reality, and Naruto had expected much. One he thought he had prepared for.
But how would a father prepare to meet a child he hadn't seen in five years? How did he reconcile memories with reality and balance his own personal needs to connect with Keiji's needs to hold back and wait things out?
Naruto didn't know, so he was simply going with the flow. He took it a minute at a time and prayed that he would figure out things along the way.
He followed Keiji up the porch steps and waited as he rang a doorbell that seemed to not work.
Hinata must've been watching from one of the windows because the old wood door creaked as it swung open. She hovered at the threshold, smiling at Keiji. "I thought you were halfway to town by now."
Naruto knew there was nervousness behind the smile, a tension in her muscle and her mouth that Naruto didn't miss.
"We have a message for you Ms. Hyuuga. We came to deliver it." Keiji replied overly formal, which was one thing Naruto found both amusing and unsettling.
Nine-year-old boys were supposed to be full of mischief and jokes. They were not supposed to speak like aged men.
"Well, then I guess you better come inside and tell me." Hinata motioned for them to enter the house, stepped out of the way, and quickly closed the door as soon as they were in.
She had taken off her coat, and the faded jeans and oversized flannel shirt she wore were as easy and comfortable as her smile. Indigo hair fell around her face that he brushed behind her ear. Her overgrown bangs were swept to a side of her face, threatening to cover one of her eyes, but it was held still by a pin. Naruto caught a whiff of a subtle, flowery perfume as she leaned a shoulder against the wall. She had an effortless beauty. The kind that didn't need make-up and fancy clothes to enhance it.
The kind that Naruto had always found alluring.
"So let's have it. What's the message?" She asked, giving a warm smile toward Keiji's direction.
"Your car is back and not damaged. You can drive it first thing tomorrow." Keiji relayed the driver's words. "You'll get a bill for it, or you can go and pay for it next week."
"I always knew you had a good memory, Keiji. Now if you can just use it to memorize your multiplication tables while you're waiting to get back to school, you'll be all set!" Her tone was gentle, her eyes a soft lavender, her lips deep rose.
All her attention was focused on Keiji and Naruto suddenly understood why his son had been so desperate to visit Hinata. The combination of beauty and attentiveness would be hard for a kid like Keiji to resist. It would be a hard for anyone to resist.
"Maybe you could help me get them memorized?" Keiji asked hopefully, his eyes twinkling.
Hinata smiled again. "I'm sure your father and aunt will want to do that."
"They're going to be busy getting the new house ready. They won't have time to help me." He pouted, shaking his head.
"We'll always have time for you, Keiji." Naruto broke in, hoping he didn't look as dishearten as he felt.
The transition into being a family again was going to be a rough one. He'd known that going into it. He'd hoped.
Hoped that Keiji would be more eager to rebuild what they once had.
"I guess so." But Keiji didn't look like he believed it.
"Guess so? Of course they will! You're the only reason why they're here in Sendai. I'm sure they would rather help you than get a stuffy old house ready." Hinata's response was light but Naruto didn't miss the concern in her eyes.
"Maybe. But you could help me too." Keiji crossed his arms. "If I had three people helping, I would master it and be the best in multiplication in the whole school!"
"You're quite the negotiator, eh? Maybe you'll grow up to be a lawyer." Hinata joked lightly.
A lawyer?
That's what Naruto had been before he opened his Private Investigation firm. It nearly cost him his son.
Prosecuting Lee Haruno and getting him convicted of murder had been the reason that sent Haruno's mother, Sakura, over the edge. At least that's what the FBI agents working the case were thinking.
Sakura Haruno wasn't talking. Whether she would or not, Naruto wouldn't count on it.
"I want to be a detective. Like my father."
The comment surprised Naruto and brought him back to the moment. He had to resist the urge to put a hand on Keiji's shoulder, to tell him how proud that made him feel.
There was no need to ruin the moment by making Keiji go back to his shell just by touching him.
"Sounds like an interesting career choice." Hinata glanced at Naruto, her expression guarded.
Was she bothered by the fact that he was a private investigator? Or was she simply wishing he and Keiji would leave?
"It has been." He offered, not as anxious to go back to the hotel as Hinata would want them to leave.
Keiji's silence during the past few hours had weight Naruto down. Sports, school, friends, every subject he tried to discuss had been met by one-syllable responses or none at all.
Hinata didn't have the problem he did.
"I used to dream about being a private detective." She mused.
"Really?" Keiji's eyes grew wide.
"Sure. I read just about every Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys book there was." She beamed. "I wanted to be a teen detective just like them."
"Were you one?" Keiji's tone held curiosity.
"No. I guess I forgot the dream for a while." Hinata's smile faltered and Naruto wondered what memories had chased them away.
"So you're a teacher instead." Naruto stated more than questioned.
"Training to be one." Hinata looked just beyond the hall. "Speaking of which, I have some sugar cookies in the kitchen that I need a tester for."
"Taste tester?" Keiji seemed intrigued and Hinata offered him a hand, leading him down the hall.
"Sure. If you like them, then the other kids probably will. I'll bring them as a special treat one day."
"When I'm back at school?"
"Of course." Hinata pushed open a door, leading Keiji into the room beyond.
Naruto followed, feeling like a third wheel. He tried not to let it bother him.
Hinata was a familiar face, a caring adult who listened to Keiji when no one else had. Naruto was a distant memory, a faded dream that Keiji probably thought wasn't real.
A dead man suddenly come back alive.
Naruto would be scared too, if he were in his son's shoes.
He tried to keep that in his mind as he walked into the large kitchen.
It was in a state of chaos. New cabinets, new floor, new paint. No countertop. No appliances. A large watermark stained the ceiling and colorful glass tiles lay on a tabled. A warped cracked door let in cold air and Naruto felt that there were more cracks in the house.
Hinata might not want the reward money, but it was obvious she could use it.
"Excuse the mess." She gave an apologetic smirk. "I'm in the middle of renovations."
She reached into an upper cupboard and pulled out a package of cookies, offering one to Keiji.
"It looks like you did a lot already." Naruto lifted one of the glass tiles, running his finger on the cool smooth surface. "These are going to look good when they are placed."
"I hope so. It took me forever to pick them out."
"You're planning to put them up this weekend?" Naruto placed it back down.
"Maybe, but first I've got a couple of windows and doors to replace and put in."
"By yourself?"
"It's Thanksgiving weekend. My friends are celebrating with family, so that leaves me. If I want to be moved in by Christmas time, I have to work whether I want to or not." She shrugged.
"Why don't I see if I can hire a contractor to come in?"
"No." Her tone was sharp and she peered at Keiji, who already grabbed another cookie. "I appreciate the offer, but I planned to spend the weekend working at my own pace."
Naruto wanted to argue. He wanted to remind Hinata that he owed her everything and that he would be more than happy to make sure the entire house was renovated before the Christmas deadline.
Wanted to, but didn't.
She already stood her ground, so he kept silent while she gave Keiji another cookie.
His son.
Here in the room with him.
He prayed and hoped for this, but there was a part of him that given up.
"Want one?" Hinata asked, holding out the cookie, her hand shaking a bit.
Was she angry? Nervous? Scared?
Something was bothering her; that was obvious. He wanted to ask what, but Keiji hovered a few feet away, slowly chewing his cookie and watching the exchange intently.
"No, thank you." Naruto smiled, hoping to put Hinata at ease.
"I appreciate you bringing me the message about my car. When the tow truck pulled up at my driveway, I was sure it was a reporter who followed you."
"And that would have been bad?"
"That's one way to put it." She offered a brief smile. "I don't suppose you got the name of the driver."
"I'm afraid not. Is it important?"
"Probably not." He could see the slightest frown on her face.
"But?"
"But I'd rather not have the news of your visit spread all over town. If it was Gaara who was the driver, he won't say anything to anyone. If he wasn't—." She trailed off.
"I didn't come here to cause you trouble, Hinata."
"You haven't. I just don't want any part of the media attention. I have a lot to do in the next few weeks, and the last thing I want are reporters camping on my property for a story." Her voice was light and Naruto almost believed that was all there was to her story.
Almost.
He dealt with secrets every day. Big ones. Small ones. He knew when a person was hiding something, and Hinata was.
Right now, he had no choice but to let her keep her secrets, yet Naruto had no intention of letting her suffer because of the part that she played in bringing Keiji back to him.
"Okay."
"What do you mean, 'okay'?" She frowned deeply.
"Just that you have a right to your privacy. Whatever your secrets are, I'm not going to try to uncover them. But if you're in trouble because of what you've done for my family, I will do whatever it takes to help you." Naruto stared right into her eyes.
"Are you in trouble, Ms. Hyuuga?" The cookie in his hand crumbled. Naruto could've kicked himself for giving Keiji more to worry about.
"No, I'm not. Am I, Naruto?" She speared Naruto with a disapproving look.
"That was a figure of speech, Keiji. Ms. Hyuuga isn't the kind to get into trouble."
Somehow, Naruto had a feeling she was in trouble.
He wanted to push for answers and find out what was really going on, but he couldn't. Not with Keiji listening.
Naruto had to bide his time, wait until he had a chance to speak to Hinata alone, and then he'd try to get to the bottom of things. In the meantime, the best thing to do was clear out of the house before word of his visit spread out and she was going to be pestered by the press she wanted to avoid so much.
"You done with those cookies, sport? Because I think it's time to head home."
"Can I have one more?"
Naruto wanted to say yes. He wanted to give Keiji everything in a vain attempt to make up for all the years he was unable to give him anything.
That wasn't the way to rebuild their relationship, though.
He had a lifetime to live with his son, and rules had to be set now rather than later.
That meant being a father than a friend.
"You already had three. I think that's enough already."
"But I like them!" Keiji whined.
"Then we'll pick some up at the store tomorrow."
"Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and your parents are coming. We can't get cookies when they're here, can we?"
Your parents. Not Granddad and Grandma.
There was no connection between Keiji and his grandparents. No share holidays or birthdays that the boy could remember; nothing to make them more than strangers. But it still hurt to hear Keiji refer to his grandparents in such an unemotional way.
"Sure we can. We'll just go in the morning before they arrive. Even if we can't, I'm sure Grandma won't mind doing a store run for us."
"Okay." Keiji gave in easily enough; but that was the way he dealt with everything now-a-days. Whether it was his nature, a learned habit, or a response to a stressful and upsetting situation, Naruto didn't know.
Would probably never know.
"Ready?" Naruto held out his hand, his heart aching as Keiji skirted by and walked out of the kitchen.
"It must be wonderful to have your son back—and difficult to know he's not quite yours yet." Hinata neatly describing what Naruto felt.
Jubilation. Sorrow. Joy. Pain.
All of it mixed together in a confusing mass of emotions that Naruto could only control at times.
"It is. But we'll make it through. We'll get back to some kind of normal and eventually feel like a family again."
"I know you will. Keiji is a wonderful little boy. He's going to be just fine." She walked out of the kitchen and Naruto followed, wishing he was as confident as Hinata seemed to be.
Time and patience were the key.
Naruto just needed to keep that in mind as he navigated the new life he and Keiji were forging together.
"You two be careful out there." Hinata opened the door, stepping behind it so she wouldn't be visible to anyone outside.
Was she hiding from someone?
If so, Naruto wanted to know who.
He was tempted to go back to the hotel, log on to the internet and search Hinata Hyuuga. Try to figure out what her secrets were and how much he should be worried about her.
Doing that would be a lot more easier than trying to figure out the path that had taken Keiji from a chubby happy toddler to a quiet solemn child. Figuring out where Keiji had been, who he'd known; how it was possible that a kid whose picture had been on milk cartons and billboards, whose story had been in newspapers and on television, had escaped detection for so long, was something Naruto had to do.
For his sake. For Keiji's sake.
Naruto had learned a lot in the past decade. He learned that grief wasn't fatal. He learned that life continued no matter how much a person might not want it to. Losing his wife had taught him that. Losing Keiji reinforced it. Now he'd been given a second chance, and he wouldn't waste it burying his head in the sand and ignore what his son went through.
He opened the car door for Keiji, waited as he climbed in and shut it.
As he rounded the SUV, he stared at Hinata's farmhouse. She closed the front door, but light spilled out from a downstairs window.
As Naruto watched, a figure passed in front of it.
Quickly. Furtively.
Hinata.
The woman who listened to Keiji, who cared enough to go to the police when no one else had; had secrets she didn't want to share. He was sure of that.
Maybe he should leave her to them, but Hinata had stepped in when others had stepped back.
She listened to Keiji's story about having another name and another home and she had acted on what she heard. She was the reason why his family was back together.
That was something Naruto would never forget and could never repay.
If what she had done caused her any trouble, he would help her.
If she let him.
Based on the way she acted when they met, Naruto doubted.
He got in the car and backed out of the driveway, Keiji was silent in the back seat.
As Naruto drove away to the hotel, he felt a chill run down his spine as he looked in the rearview mirror and saw the farmhouse get smaller as they drove and added distance between them.
Another Chapter!
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