Prodigals
Chapter 02
In Which They Meet Again
The "Shadow Siblings" exchanged a glance.
"Easy," said Sasuke.
"Too easy," agreed Hinata. Stretching, she began to turn around. "It was just a bait patrol… I think we sh – should… we… I…"
Naruto was staring straight at her.
"I…I…u-um…"
Hinata continued to stutter quietly, transfixed by Naruto's intense sky-blue gaze.
"Hinata," said Sasuke sharply. She blinked slowly a few times before looking at him.
"…wha…? Oh. Sorry."
"Don't start apologizing for everything again like you used to. I'm in no mood, especially not with them here."
"I think you'll be fine with Naruto-kun and Sakura-san. Don't worry too much."
The cold look, however, did not leave his face.
Hinata refused to meet Naruto's eyes, instead concentrating on the ground. Not only was Naruto-kun here, but her team as well. She had made her amends with Kurenai – in fact, they had been sharing her apartment since the Hyuuga's return to the village a week ago – but Hinata was not quite sure how Kiba and Shino would react to her being back.
"WOOF!"
"EeeeEEH!" squeaked the pale woman shrilly as a hulking white dog leapt upon her. Akamaru began to lick her face enthusiastically and repeatedly, until she managed to push his weight off her chest. "Ick! Akamaru, my face is all covered with doggie kisses! And you really need to do something about that breath if you're going to go around giving doggie kisses! Are you listening to me, mister?" There was a nearly unnoticeable, but very much real, twitch developing on Sasuke's eyebrow as he heard Hinata talking in a baby voice to dog she could literally ride on.
"Woof!" he barked happily to Kiba, who was staring at Hinata as well. Instead of being piercing, his gaze was disbelieving.
"There's no way…" he murmured to himself. "That's just… impossible…" He watched as the supposed Hinata-impostor bent down and whispered something to Akamaru. He barked it across the clearing and Kiba's eyes narrowed.
"She has a WHAT?! …Well, you're wrong Akamaru! That just can't be Hinata! …what do you mean, what do I mean? I mean that's not her! … Of course I'm sure! That doesn't smell like her at all, you dummy… "
"Hinata."
She gasped. "Shino-kun!" He had taken the opportunity to quietly slip over while everyone else was staring. A billowing black jacket hung down to his ankles and its hood obscured most of his face. He nodded.
"It is good to have you back, though I still have trouble grasping the fact that you left me alone with Kiba."
Hinata grinned shyly at Shino's dry humor. "It's good to see you too, Shino-kun." Then she pulled him into an enthusiastic hug which, albeit surprised, he returned. Sakura was the next to venture over, voice tentative.
"Sasuke… are you really… I mean, really really… ?"
He nodded once. She smiled.
"Good."
Hinata, who was conversing with Shino quietly, didn't notice Ino until it was too late. The blonde pounced on the smaller woman, squeezing her like a stuffed animal. "Hinata-chan, look at you, you're sooooooo cute!"
"A-ah, thank you, Ino-san…" said Hinata weakly, gasping for breath. Her assaulter seemed to realize this.
"Sorry 'bout that - Just got a little excited about seeing you again." Ino's voice suddenly gained the tough tone of a drill sergeant. "Shikmaru! Chouji! Say hi!"
"Hey, Hinata-san."
"Hm… bothersome…"
"SHIKA!"
"Hi."
"Hello, Shikamaru-san, Chouji-san…"
"Great to have you back, Hinata!" said Sakura, looking more cheerful than Ino had seen her in years.
"Isn't she just adorable, Sakura?" Ino cooed. "She's just the cutest thing ever!"
"Quit it, Yamanaka, you're smothering my teammate."
Hinata smiled happily. "Kiba-kun."
He scuffed the ground, shamefaced. "Sorry I didn't believe you earlier… "
"That's fine. Believe it or not, I've had that reaction before."
Kiba looked at Hinata. Hinata looked at Kiba. He coughed.
"So… we good?"
"Um… yes, I think so."
"Good." Without warning he dragged her into a half-hug, ruffling her hair fondly. "I missed you, Hinata-chan! Lemme tell you, things were reallllly awkward during practice without you…"
"But you still haven't told us the whole story," Shino cut in.
She laughed nervously. "Well, yes, about that, um, not everything has been declassified by Tsunade-sama yet and I mean Sasuke really should be with me when I do explain…"
She glanced over and finally saw the peculiar silence occurring between Naruto and Sasuke. Everyone else stopped to stare.
Both of them wore inexpressive masks, devoid of any emotion. Though he didn't show it, Sasuke was surprised Naruto had mastered this art while he was away.
Suddenly, Naruto grinned his good old-fashioned foxy grin, much to the surprise of everybody, and clapped him across the back.
"Good to have you back, ya bastard!" Sasuke's lips only lifted up a tiny bit, but the blonde noticed.
"It's good to be back, dead last."
-
The reunited Nine made their way back to the village with a new, odd rapport about them. It was as though they were all kids again, without the troubles and worries of missing nin and jounin. Hinata was back, without the stutter but still with the Ino-termed "adorability factor"; Sasuke was back, apparently reformed and here to stay for a good long time; and finally, Naruto was back, the one they had lost over the years the two had been gone. It was a new day for all of them and for the Village Hidden in the Leaves.
Nobody was exactly the same, however.
Shikamaru had been promoted to lead tactician of the Leaf Village at the tender age of 17. Ino was studying under Morino Ibiki in matters of interrogation and Chouji had opened a successful Korean BBQ restaurant on the side of his ninja career with his cousin. Shino had already been promoted to the rank of special jounin and had a definite go at ANBU while Kiba quickly boasted of his accomplishment of a 5 to 1 solo mission success record. Sakura had risen in the ranks at the hospital, becoming second only to Shizune and the Hokage herself. Naruto didn't say much, instead anxiously asking the two about what they had been doing.
Hinata only smiled at him, closing her eyes serenely. Sasuke shrugged.
"The old lady classified it, didn't she?" muttered Naruto.
"Sorry to say, but true," replied Hinata. "You'll have to talk to her about it, hm?"
"Can't you guys tell me anything?"
Hinata bit her lip before smirking slightly. "There were some pretty interesting incidents with Sasuke…"
"Shut up."
"…But I can't seem to recall them right now! Crazy, isn't it…"
Naruto bent to whisper in Hinata's ear; but it was stage whisper clearly meant for Sasuke's ears.
"So, Hinata-chan, any of these incidents involve, say… some alcohol?" He saw her smile mischievously.
"Perhaps…"
Sakura noted that the two acted strangely close, though they hadn't seen each other in six years and weren't very close before Hinata's disappearance. She brushed it off as maturation on both their parts. Her thoughts revolved around Sasuke more often than not. Suddenly she frowned. Why were the two traveling together? Certainly they could reveal that much.
"So… why were you two with each other all this time?" asked Sakura softly. "I mean, you could have come home, right?"
"Let's just say that we were on the same page," muttered Sasuke. "For about the last three years, I guess it's been."
"Coming back to the village is so strange because I'm used to being around Sasuke all the time," Hinata added, skirting around Sakura's question. "We were always in each other's company before we came home."
"My condolences," Kiba said with a solemn face. Hinata laughed.
"You guys aren't… together or anything, are you?" asked Ino, looking with suspicious eyes at the two of them.
"No, they most certainly are not," said Kurenai from in front of them. She had appeared out of nowhere.
"Sensei, are you still upset?" asked Hinata with amusement.
Kakashi poofed right next to her. "We are not upset."
"You have to admit, that was pretty damn funny," Sasuke said, smirking.
"I don't know about you guys, but 'Sasuke' and 'funny' just aren't meshing for me," said Naruto as he scratched his head. The others nodded in agreement. Sasuke glowered. Naruto smirked back. "Now that's the Sasuke we know and love to despise! Or rave about, depending on your gender…"
"It all started when Iruka-sensei took us out for ramen at Ichiraku," said Hinata, smiling at the memory. "Then all the jounin started turning up – it was kind of strange. It was like a little impromptu party. Then – who was it who asked?"
"Asuma."
"Okay, right, right. So Asuma-san asks, 'why were you two traveling together, anyway?' and Sasuke says…"
"The baby's due next spring."
Silence. Complete and utter silence. Genma's senbon clattered loudly to the floor. Even Gai was speechless, ramen spilling down his chin.
Kakashi was the first to recover. "…what did you – did you just –?"
Hinata turned and looked at Sasuke, sighing tenderly. "Yeah…"
"Hinata!" Kurenai gasped. "How could you keep that from me?"
"Sensei, we're in love!" exclaimed the pale girl, letting a theatrically pained look crossing her features. "You act like it's a bad thing!"
"…w-well, it's not I g-guess, it's just a bit of a… um… a shock…I suppose…"
"Great! So, if it's a girl, we've decided on –"
"Keiko."
"And if it's a boy, we'll call him –"
"Orochitachibutomaru."
"Isn't it wonderful?" cooed the Hyuuga, ignoring the stares of incredulity entirely. "And the godparents will be Orochimaru-jisan and Itachi-niisan. Oh gosh, I'm so excited…"
Sasuke nodded at her, allowing the corners of his lips to turn up a tiny smidge. This did not go unnoticed by anyone. Sighing contentedly once more, Hinata turned around at the counter.
"One miso ramen, please," she ordered, heedless of the group of gaping ninjas behind her.
Kakashi and Kurenai exchanged a glance.
"Did you –"
"No. WAY."
"Then –"
"Don't ask me."
WHUMP.
Iruka had just fainted, falling off his chair like a dead weight.
Naruto and Kiba were laughing raucously and even Shino cracked a grin. Sakura could only manage a weak smile, thankful beyond belief.
"I just want you to know that that moment, the one in which all of you were looking at us, believing that I was actually bearing Sasuke's child, pretty much made my year."
Kurenai scowled at her with no real venom. "That was not funny at all, young lady. I thought I had taught you better."
"Don't be cross, sensei, it's a terribly immature of you," Hinata lectured primly. They both grinned.
"Seriously… Sasuke and I… goodness, it's like you don't think I have standards or something…"
"You know what? That was unnecessary. That was really unnecessary."
"Poor baby."
"Shut up."
-
Kurenai and Kakashi had poofed away when they reached the gates, reminding Sasuke to meet with the Hokage later that day for "the thing she needs to talk with you about." He would not elaborate when pressured by Naruto. In the silence that followed, Ino was quick to suggest they go out and party at Chouji's restaurant, Korean Barbeque Palace, a proposal that Kiba and Naruto rapidly seconded.
They had almost reached the little but intensely popular bistro. Ino and Kiba led the way, followed by Chouji, Shikmaru, Shino, Sasuke, and Sakura. Hinata found herself drifting towards the back.
"I do not smell like wet dog, Ino!"
"Ya do too! I'm sure anyone without heightened senses like yours can smell that! C'mon, guys, hasn't he always been this way?"
"Well…"
"Er…"
"…"
"…troublesome…"
"…how far to the restaurant?"
Kiba glowered. "Thanks for the moral support, really appreciate it."
"Anytime," Shino shot back at him. Unseen by either of them, Hinata was smiling, simply enjoying seeing both of them again. She slowly began to lag behind, nostalgia catching up with her as she matched pace with Naruto unknowingly. She watched as almost everyone filtered into the restaurant.
Out of nowhere, Naruto tugged sharply on her wrist, turning her around.
"Hey." He looked down into her eyes with a dead serious look on his face and pulled her into an embrace. Hinata could only stand there in shock, her head resting against his chest.
"U-um…" Naruto smelled very much like ramen noodles and something rather earthy and masculine that was simply his. Hinata felt a blush creeping up onto her cheeks and willed it away.
"I'm glad you're back, Hinata. I missed you," he whispered into her ear. Naruto, stop it this instance! This is distracting and completely uncalled for!
…and yet, very pleasant.
"Yeah," she replied, a little breathless for no particular reason as he pulled away. His eyes were very blue, she noted, and went very well his current foxy grin. "Um, shall we go inside?"
"You betcha."
Hmmm, can you guess what the main pairing is? I am having such trouble deciding… (smirk)
Anyway... no plot whatsoever. But we'll get to that later. Next chapter: how Sasuke and Hinata regain their status as Konoha shinobi.
Thanks for all those sweet reviews, guys! Happy Singles Awareness Day. e-Hugs!
-FPC