"So the exams are finally over." It had been a long, eventful struggle for all of the aspiring shinobi of Konoha, and Anko was proud to be a part of their future, if only in a very minor role. She let out a soft sigh and watched the clouds' shadows pass over the world outside her window. They had all come a long way, but they had so much more to achieve. They were still, in many senses of the word, naive.
Her mind trailed away from the future of the new generation as a whole and focused more on one specific child. Haruhi had grown quite a bit in the past five years and she was as impressed as she was saddened. Every child growing up must lose something, she mused, but it seemed as if Haruhi's mind kept her focused only on the things she had yet to gain. It was only unfortunate that, after five years, not only had Haruhi rejected the idea of confessing her feelings to the other girl, but she had distanced herself quite a bit. Still, Anko was happy to see that the two were still good friends. Too many childhood relations were strained over the years.
That was why she seemed so shocked when the brunette appeared at her door that day. Of course, she invited Haruhi in and offered her a cup of tea, to which the younger one refused. Leaning lightly against the counter, Anko studied the girl's disposition. She looked, in a word, tired.
"What's on your mind?" Anko asked, pressing the matter only lightly. Sometimes Haruhi needed a bit of prodding to reveal what was really troubling her.
"I don't know what to do, Anko." Instead of facing her confidant directly, Haruhi's head bowed and her eyes searched the table in front of her. "Hinata says she's worried about me because I don't act the same anymore, but how am I supposed to?" She had never known that the simple realization of something could affect ones personality so much.
A soft smile settled upon Anko's lips as she crossed the kitchen and placed a hand on the younger one's head. "I can't tell you what to do," she stated. "Only you can decide for yourself what the right course of action is. However, ask yourself this: Is it better to let your relationship fade when you can easily resolve the matter? You've never been a timid girl, Haruhi, I know that much."
What was Anko telling her to do? Take a chance? It didn't seem likely that Hinata would hate her for it, but at the same time it was just as unthinkable that the Hyuuga girl would return the feelings. She gave a heavy sigh and let her forehead hit the table. Anko's advice had always been good, but her doubts led to hesitation that shouldn't have existed. Still, the emotions that built up inside her every time she thought of Hinata couldn't be pushed aside forever and she really didn't want to chance losing her best friend.
"Thank you," she murmured softly, standing from her seat, her eyes still avoiding Anko's.
The older female nodded silently and watched as Haruhi let herself out. "Poor girl," she decided, crossing her arms over her chest. "But she'll be alright."
"On a mission?!" What the hell?! Haruhi glared forcefully at the solemn-faced boy in front of her. Of all the times...
Neji stared back, as confused as he was annoyed. He had answered a simple question of 'where's Hinata?' and been subjected to what could only be classified as a small fit in return. "She'll return soon enough." It wasn't a serious mission and little to no danger was involved, so what was this girl getting so worked up about.
"She'll return soon...ugh!" Spinning on her heel, Haruhi marched away from the silent Hyuuga. A mission. He didn't specify what kind or how long it would take-- 'soon' was subjective and could mean many things. For all she knew, another year was soon to Neji.
Her mind muddled in thoughts of her absent friend and what exactly she had been intending to do, Haruhi slowly lost her inspiration. She had been so sure that confessing was the right thing, after her short talk with Anko, but now...now she wasn't so sure. Cursing her self-doubt, not at all used to being so unsure of things, she turned her eyes up to equally-gray skies. It looked like rain, definitely, and that fact brought a small smile to Haruhi's lips. She loved the rain-- everything about it-- and thought perhaps it would help to clear her mind a little.
The first drops of cool liquid pattered against the ground just as the solitary girl found the shade of a tree to duck under. She slipped down to the ground and watched as a light drizzle erupted into an onslaught of spring showers. She grinned faintly as a few children splashed through the puddles in their race for shelter, screaming and laughing wildly at something she couldn't understand-- children had the oddest sense of humor.
A short time passed serenely, the rushing sound of falling water swiftly carrying away her earlier thoughts and worries. Right now, if only for the moment, it seemed as if everything would be alright, no matter how things unfolded. Half-lidded eyes scanned the darkened scenery and soon realized that no one else would be out in a rainstorm like this. The streets were empty and it seemed as if the entire world was hers for the taking. Still, she wished perhaps just one more person was sitting next to her.
Then a flash of muted color, barely distinguishable against the already-dull background, caught her eye and frantic, hushed words drifted to her ears. Squinting slightly through the sheets of rain, she made out the faint outline of three figures dashing through the weather, two of them carrying what looked to be a fourth person. Then, she saw a flash of red break through the dreary surroundings: Kurenai. Alarmed, Haruhi immediately shot to her feet and bolted out into the rain in pursuit of Team Eight.
"Hinata..." It was what she had feared. Now sitting in a quiet hospital room, her hair and clothes soaked from the downpour, Haruhi reflected back over the information that had been thrown at her by a distressed Kurenai and a concerned doctor.
As soon as he had arrived, Kiba fled back out into the storm to retrieve Tsunade, who rather willingly left her paperwork behind in the interest of healing Hinata the best she could. After the Hokage did all that she could do, she informed Haruhi that the rest would be up to Hinata and that it might be helpful for her to stay by the injured shinobi's side for the night. As if Haruhi intended to do anything but that.
So, now came the hardest part-- the waiting. No one knew when Hinata would wake up-- if she would, though Haruhi absolutely refused to believe she wouldn't-- or if there were damages beyond repair. It was only a escort mission, Kurenai had said, this shouldn't have happened. Not to Hinata. Not to Hinata, Haruhi could agree with that. She knew, though, as everyone did, that even the apparently easiest of missions could turn drastically wrong in the blink of an eye. The others weren't uninjured, but Hinata definitely took the bulk of the damage.
Haruhi had been angry at first-- at herself, at Hinata's teammates, at the attackers that had ambushed the squad-- but concern slowly melted the rage into grief. She still had so many things to say to the unconscious Hyuuga and now the risk of her never being able to say those things reared its dreadful head. She grasped Hinata's unmoving hand in her own and murmured softly things that she had been too afraid (too stubborn) to say to listening ears.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, "that to tell you what was on my mind. I didn't mean to push you away, it's just that I..." Her hand tightened against Hinata's considerably as her gaze dropped from the other girl's face to the small space of floor between herself and the bed. "I love you, Hinata."
At first, Haruhi thought it was just her imagination, but the hand clutched in her own twitched and wrapped itself around her fingers. She watched as Hinata's eyes fluttered open and adjusted to the waking world. She remained frozen to the spot, unable to talk or move-- disarmed completely with relief.
"Ha-Haruhi-chan?" Her voice was softer than normal, her throat dry from the strain of shouting much more than she was used to during the attack. A faint smile pulled at her lips as she recognized the confirming voice as her best friend's. Her hand relaxed in Haruhi's grip and her eyes moved to the rainy weather outside. "I thought...I heard your voice," she murmured. "It must have been a dream."
"You heard me?" Suddenly, Haruhi was nervous. Had Hinata heard her speaking? But she was unconscious.
"You said that everything would be alright. That...I would wake up soon."
Haruhi recognized the comforting words as Tsunade's last before the Hokage departed. Giving a small sigh of relief, she smiled and withdrew her hand from Hinata's. "Hinata..." No. This wasn't the time and it wasn't the place. She knew now that she had more time as long as she didn't waste it. For now, her friend only needed to focus on recovering.
"What is it?" Blank eyes stared up into wild gray.
"Get better soon," Haruhi said lamely and stood from her seat. "I'll come visit you again tomorrow."
Before she could speak again, quite confused by the sudden departure, Hinata watched the other girl walk calmly but quickly from the room. She sighed softly and pushed herself up into a sitting position as the first rays of sunlight struck through the clear panes of her window.
The next day, as promised, Haruhi was at her friend's bedside once again. She plopped down with a heavy sigh and slid a glance to Hinata. "Maybe I should go get ambushed," she muttered. "It'd be a lot easier than cleaning a house."
Hinata couldn't help the smile that broke out across her lips. "Tsunade-san said that I'll be able to leave soon," she informed the other girl. "She just wants to make sure that everything is alright."
Before Haruhi could speak again, the door swung open and let in a small group that consisted of Hinata's teammates. Kiba was the first to enter and raised his free hand in greeting. "Hinata! How're you feeling?" Tucked comfortably in his other arm, Akamaru barked his own hello.
Behind him, Shino and Kurenai followed suit, both nodding an acknowledgment to Haruhi as they did. "We're not interrupting anything, are we?" the eldest asked, casting a glance between the two girls.
"Of course not!" Haruhi assured her immediately and loudly. She grinned and sat back in her chair. "I was just checkin' up on Hinata."
"You're feeling better?" the black-haired woman asked, turning her attention to the bed-ridden girl.
The bluenette nodded lightly. "It was nice of you all to come and see me."
"It's customary, when one's teammate is in the hospital," Shino informed her.
"And we were concerned," Kiba added, a little put off by the other boy's laid-back attitude.
Hinata laughed lightly and Haruhi struggled to hide the smile she felt at hearing such a pleasant sound. "Well, it's gettin' pretty crowded in here. I'll see ya later, Hinata."
"Oh, you don't have to leave just because of-"
"It's fine, it's fine," she assured the jounin, waving a hand. She slipped past the three and headed to the door. "I have stuff to do, anyway."
Oblivious as ever, Kiba waved a farewell to the departing shinobi. "Later!"
"See ya," Haruhi said before shutting the door firmly behind her. Letting out a soft sigh, she wondered if her behavior was, perhaps, just a bit too strange. It would all be explained in due time, she told herself, so there was no need to rush.
Ehh, this chapter drug on forever when I was writing it. Ah, but next chapter we finally get a confession out of this girl! Well, a confession to Hinata, anyway, which is all we need. Read on~