It's All About the Timing
The thing about Konoha is — really — it's got to be the most unromantic place in the world!
Not because it was lacking in its mood-setting sights and venues. Not because it was creeping with criminals and freaks that would make any strolling couple fear for their life. And definitely not because it was a rotting shell of what it once was before the war — because Konoha, like its people, flourished.
No.
It's because —
"Eh. Uh — hey, Ino!"
"Naruto?"
"Yeah — hey. Um, do you think — if you're free later — maybe we could —"
"Naruto! Don't you have a mission to go on or something?"
The village is cursed.
That's Hinata's theory, at least.
And it's not like she's going off of nothing. She has years of evidence on her side: Asuma's interrupted proposal to Kurenai, Shikamaru getting caught in his make-out session with Temari (and by Gaara and Kankuro in a surprise visit, no less), the countless times Hinata, herself, has been interrupted in her battles of confessing to Naruto —
And, of course, there's now. Naruto's failed attempt to ask Ino out on a date shines bright on his face, and Kiba Inuzuka is none the wiser. He just sniffs, nose slightly red and irritated from the January bite in the wind, and gives a weary look Naruto's way. Really, it seems he expected the guy to just jump into action at the mention of his upcoming mission. The fact he had such a solemn face, Hinata suspects, is what really throws Kiba off.
Ino smiles, caught in between an uncharacteristically down Uzumaki and a perplexed and slightly concerned Inuzuka. She hums and shakes her head and pats Naruto's shoulder. "Go ahead," she says. "Whatever it was you wanted — it can wait after your mission, right?"
Naruto rubs the back of his neck and laughs such a fake laugh that it makes Hinata's toes curl.
"Right! Sure, no problem."
He runs off shortly after shouting a farewell to both of them, and Hinata turns around and continues her way down the street. She feels slightly bad for eavesdropping, but more so, she feels bad for Naruto.
...
The mission he has isn't a long or dangerous one.
Hinata knows because it's her mission, too.
Their only job is to bring supplies to a small town about a day's journey north of Konoha. They were hit hard by the war and are struggling to this day to get through their winters, so Konoha always gathered a few supply boxes to bring to them throughout the cold seasons.
The carriage they were given to haul all the supplies is pulled by two horses, and if they so choose, they both could sit at the front and rest their feet for a while. But Naruto has no reason to sit and wait around; he walks by the sides of the horses, scratching at his chin and squinting at the canopy above. Sometimes, he'd get so frustrated with his train of thought that he'd just pull at his hair and groan.
Hinata had decided to walk, as well.
She figured it would make him more willing to talk.
And, eventually, he does.
"Hinata, do you think somethin' like fate actually exists?"
She hums long and low like she has absolutely no idea what he's getting at. "Maybe," she says, "but Neji always fought hard against it, and I find that inspiring. Why, Naruto?"
"Ehh. Well . . ." His boots are crunching against snow and frozen grass. The horses snort, like they're two old ladies laughing at the blooming, young love in Naruto's heart. "Recently, it feels like the universe or somethin' has been keeping me from doing something — something I really want to do. Everytime I try, something stops me. Do you think that means something?"
She taps her chin in thought. "Well, I suppose it would depend on the situation —"
"Ino." He leaps onto the carriage and off so that he's walking right next to her. Really, she's a bit flustered. Her heart might have gone back in time, to when she still had a crush on him. "It's Ino. I'm trying to ask her out."
Hinata is a tad startled that he confessed it so openly.
Her pulse trots. She tries to hide her laugh behind her hand.
"Oh my!"
"Hinaaa," Naruto whines, "come on."
"I'm sorry." She grins at him. "That's great, Naruto. I'm so happy for you."
His eyes widen and sparkle against the snow, and he looks around, unsure if he should be as happy as he feels when hearing her words. He's got a boyish grin that makes the winter melt into spring, and Hinata's lungs are filled with flowers and warm wind.
"Don't be happy yet. I haven't even told her." The corners of his mouth twist. "Things keep happening — someone needs me, or it starts raining, or a kid gets lost in the crowd."
They're coming to a bridge. They run ahead of the carriage to make sure it hasn't been damaged by the blizzard a few days ago, and upon finding it safe, they wait for the horses on the other side.
"That is a predicament," Hinata muses.
Naruto gives an exhausted nod. "That's why I'm thinkin' there's a reason. Maybe, I dunno, it's just not meant to happen."
Now that, truly, is a puzzle. Naruto isn't the kind to give up — and it's not that she thinks that he's giving up easily, because she's aware he's been trying for months to get Ino's attention and find the right moment to take her on a date. Rather, she's startled because she thinks she understands why Naruto's giving up: not for his sake, but for Ino's. Because he's probably got it in his head that the reason things aren't meant to be are because of him, because he's not a right fit, because he's not good enough for her.
And that brings winter back upon their shoulders. It makes the sky gray and smoky.
Hinata understands that feeling of unworthiness. She remembers that child, alone at the academy, draped in the shade of the tree as he watches the others go off with their families.
She never wants him to feel that way again.
"You love her, don't you?" Hinata asks.
His face turns pink. "Yeah. Of course."
"Why?"
He smiles, and every reason swirls in the blues of his eyes. It's monstrous — an ocean of reasons. "It's hard to explain."
And she understands, because it's hard to explain a million things in just a few words.
"Then I think I know the perfect time for you to tell her."
"Huh?" His head snaps her way. 'What, really?"
Hinata nods. "Right when we get back from this mission. Don't even go to the Hokage — just find her and tell her."
"But — why is that a good time?"
"Because you're here," she says. "You're here, not there, and you're in love with her. She needs to know as soon as possible."
He still looks a bit concerned. "But —"
"Naruto." Even the horses pause at the firmness of her tone. "Don't let fate decide. Ino is the only one who can give you the answer you need."
His face is swimming in the reasons that flood his eyes. He bites his lip to fight the grin, but it's overpowering and strong, and soon it takes up his whole face. He's nothing but grin and flushed cheeks and fists shaking with excitement, and he's buzzing and barely able to stay still.
"Alright!" he shouts. The horses' heads jump, and birds flock from the canopy. "Let's speed things up, then!"
He grabs the reins of the horses and pulls them along with him, and Hinata laughs and follows.
...
They get back by noon the next day.
The second they step through the gate, Naruto is searching.
"Greenhouse," Hinata tells him. "The one her family owns."
She doesn't even have to use her byakugan. It's a Saturday, which means Ino is hanging around the greenhouse while her family is out buying supplies. She's alone until evening, and this is Naruto's best chance. He nods and sprints in the opposite direction of the Hokage Tower, and Hinata hands the reins to one of the guards before following after him, far enough to not be sensed, but close enough to never lose him in her line of sight.
He's there quickly and efficiently, and he stands in front of the greenhouse and gasps and swallows and sweats in the freezing air. Then, finally, he goes inside. Through the glass, Hinata can see Ino's surprise.
A familiar chakra touches the backs of her ears, and Hinata turns to find Kiba walking in their direction. She jumps in front of him, and he blinks.
"Hinata. Welcome back!" He grins, ruffles her hair, then peeks over her shoulder. "I saw Naruto come this way — do you know where he is? The idiot always forgets to report to the Hokage after his missions. I mean, how does he expect to be Hokage if he can't even do that much?"
He chuckles and tries to walk around her, but she grabs his arm and stops him.
He gives her a look. "Hina—"
"Oh my goodness!" She fakes a gasp. "The report! It slipped my mind!"
"Huh — hey! Hinata, wait!"
She begins to drag him down the road, grip hard and strong on his arm, not allowing him a chance to escape.
"Thank you very much, Kiba. You're a lifesaver. If you hadn't reminded me, the Hokage would have had my head!"
"Oi — what has gotten into you, Hinata!?"
...
They're on a date the next day, so Hinata can only assume it went decently well yesterday.
He took her to Ichiraku's, but that doesn't seem to bother Ino at all. At least, not from what Hinata can see.
And it's not so much that Hinata followed them to spy — rather, she saw them already on their date and decided it was a great day to sit outside. She had run to grab a coffee to warm her hands, and she would occasionally drink from it as she watched the street carefully.
She's not there to spy; though, well, she is curious.
Rather, she's determined to not let anyone get in the way of their date. Hinata liked to see things through, after all. She had already meddled by tugging Kiba away the day before, so she might as well stick to it until the end was in her sights.
So Hinata is enjoying the steam coming from her mug and twirling in the cold air. She is enjoying the crystal sky and the people watching and the —
"Stalker."
Hinata is momentarily pulled away to regard the man at her side. It isn't so much that she was so captured in her watching that she didn't notice him there, but rather she was more concerned about anyone ruining Naruto and Ino's date, so it didn't matter if someone was coming to her.
But then she notices it's the unlikely case of Sasuke Uchiha that has scouted her out from the busy street, and Hinata is a little surprised. They had hardly talked before the war — and while the post-war standing of Konoha has made them coworkers and teammates on many occasions, Sasuke seldom seeked her out. They did not hate each other; actually, Hinata's rather fond of his little quirks that he, himself, doesn't seem to notice. Like how he tugs at the hairs around his ears when he's thinking hard, or how his chakra level automatically lowers when he enters a room he's unfamiliar with, or how —
"You're that desperate, Hyuuga?"
. . . Or how he says her family name like it's poison. A sweet poison. One you both hate and like, but in either case, it's still poison, and you're still wary.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Uchiha." So, in a little sport of payback, she simply draws out that Mr. in front of his name, as if the twenty-six year old has suddenly gained another three decades.
His skin rises in dots, and he sneers, and she knows it's not because of the cold.
He moves, as if to cross the road and talk to Naruto.
Hinata leans a bit forward in the bench. "Mr. Uchiha, how about you sit here with me for a moment."
He gives her a look over his shoulder. "Why would I do that?"
Perhaps he thinks she's messing around with him. "I'll get you something."
Sasuke snorts, not listening to her request at all. Hinata places her coffee on the bench before standing and getting between him and Ichiraku's. He looks down at her, already drained of patience, but she holds her ground.
"Please," she whispers. "If you must speak with him, please wait a moment. He's on a date."
Sasuke turns his attention towards the ramen bar. The banners hanging from the ceiling block the view, but they can both see the backs of Ino and Naruto. They sit close to each other. Sometimes, Naruto's foot rests against Ino's stool; other times, Ino leans in, and their shoulders touch for a moment.
Hinata is filled with joy. Things seem to be going well, indeed.
Sasuke, however —
"With the Yamanaka?"
He says her name like it's bitter poison, and Hinata is momentarily blinded by her shock.
"Is . . . there a problem?"
"There are other options."
She gapes at his rudeness. "Ino's perfect for him!"
"Too much alike," he mutters. "He'd be better with someone who will quiet him down." He gives her another look. "Like you."
And Hinata is sure that was a purposeful jab at her. She has no idea what has got him in the mood to pick a fight with her — she wasn't lying when she said they didn't dislike each other and were on relatively good terms — but either way, she will not have it. When he tries to walk around her and continue on his way to ruin a perfectly nice date, she grabs the front of his collar and yanks him back, which must have startled him enough because he nearly stumbles for a moment.
Afterwards, he straightens, and he grabs that hand that's at his collar and glares at her.
"Release me."
"Leave them alone."
"I'm not saying it twice."
Her grip stays firm.
He grabs her wrist and pulls it hard, and her grip loosens. Her nails sink into the fabric of his shirt's collar, and he pulls again, and there's a slight, ripping sound. They both stare at the tear. Hinata's shocked. Sasuke is pissed.
"Now you've done it."
Sasuke takes hold of the underside of her arm, and with chakra coursing through his arm, he throws her up into the air. She's able to land on Ichiraku's roof without much difficulty, kneeling down like an animal ready to attack. He stares at her from the street, then makes his way to Naruto —
Then freezes as a kunai flies past his head. He turns just in time to watch it wedge itself into a crack in the road.
A passerby gapes, having nearly stepped in the spot where the kunai landed.
Sasuke glares up at her, and she twirls another kunai around her index before throwing it at him. This one, he blocks with his own rather than dodges, and the clang of metal catches more attention from civilians.
Sasuke's chakra begins to pour into him. It roars and snaps. If it grows any more, Naruto will notice.
The smirk on his face tells Hinata he's doing so on purpose, and she stands. "Don't —"
And then she is falling.
The sun is warm enough to melt the snow, but the wind that roars from up there is cold enough to freeze it, so the roof is nothing but a slide of ice, and Hinata can't find any traction. All she can do is push her feet off the sloping roof, launching herself further into the air, before ultimately falling into the middle of the street.
Thankfully, the fall is not bad.
Sasuke was kind enough to cushion it.
...
And that's a sight that definitely catches the attention of the people of Konoha: the ex-avenger and powerful Sasuke Uchiha under the brilliant and well-known Hinata Hyuuga. Some even get closer to watch how their cloudy breaths mix together.
A mother hides the eyes of her child away.
A few, young men watch in sweltering curiosity.
When Hinata lifts herself, her hair a mess, her jacket lopsided, her spine bent in just the right angle to be considered seductive, the watching crowd hums. Her hands lay purposefully (well . . . they suppose it must be purposeful) on his chest, and when Sasuke stirs, he tries to lift his back off the frozen road, as well.
He moves, as if to speak. When Hinata's hand lifts to cover his mouth, the crowd holds their breath.
She turns her head, looking behind her — at the people in Ichiraku, simply enjoying their lunch, not an idea as to what has just transpired behind them.
One of the men with a noticeable flush on his face nearly has the mind to tell them. "You should have seen it," he wants to tell them. "Ms. Hinata had that Uchiha pinned to the street!"
But he's stopped still in his tracks when an activated byakugan turns his way. She motions her hand, silently telling everyone to continue on their way, and they do so (though a bit unwillingly). A few men whisper to one another. They think they'll have dreams of this, only they'll be the ones replacing that lucky Uchiha bastard.
...
When Hinata gets off of him, she apologizes first: "I'm very sorry, Mr. Uchiha. I hope I didn't hurt you."
Then she offers him help, which he obviously ignores.
And while he's patting the snow off his back, she stands guard. She watches him, expecting him to try to get to Naruto again.
He frowns and shakes the ice out of his hair.
"Brat."
She turns again, making sure they didn't hear him, before leaning in and cupping her hands around her mouth. "Ass."
His eyes dilate a tad. She doesn't think it's out of anger. Well, it's true Hinata doesn't know much about Sasuke Uchiha, but she doesn't think he's angry right now. If she had to guess, he's stuck between two emotions, and he's not sure which to pick. Annoyed or amused? He's on that rope, and he's balanced, but for how long?
With a sigh, he leaves with his cold hand stuffed in his pockets.
When Hinata returns to her bench, her coffee is cold, so she just sits with nothing to do and keeps watch for any more troublemakers.
...
It's a week later. She hasn't had to play lookout for any more of their dates. They seem to do fine on their own without her guarding, and when she passes by them every now and then in the streets, Naruto is nothing but grins, and Ino is in full bloom despite the murky weather.
And Hinata's satisfied.
For a while, at least.
But then she spots Temari sitting out in the little park just across the street from the hospital, wrapped up in two coats and still shivering. She's not leaving, despite the cold, and is looking around impatiently, as if waiting for someone.
Hinata has a good guess who that may be, so she lowers her chakra level and leans against the streetlamp, out of view, but able to see both ways of the street in case someone comes to bother her.
"At it again, huh?"
She doesn't have to look to know that Sasuke Uchiha has himself balanced on the light above her. Night is falling fast. The light blinks on, streaming a bright, golden glow onto her. He hops down, not making a sound, and stares off at Temari, who is pacing circles around the swing set.
"I'm guessing you won't let me talk to her about her upcoming mission."
"Go ahead," she says. "Make it quick. She's waiting for someone."
He gives her a skeptical look before stepping out of the circle of light that envelops her.
Loud footfalls come rushing down the street, and just like that, Hinata grabs Sasuke's arm and pulls him back.
"Too slow."
"So annoying," he grits.
Shikamaru finds Temari in the park, out of breath and a little lopsided. Temari stops pacing, now completely frozen in front of him. She says something, but neither Hinata nor Sasuke can hear. They're too far away.
When she looks back at Sasuke, she finally notices the shirt he's wearing. The same one from a week before, and the collar is still torn up.
"You never fixed it?" she asks.
It takes him a second to understand what she means by that. "I don't know how."
Her guilt is spilling down her spine, making it curl, ashamed. "I'm sorry," she says. "I can fix it, if you'll let me."
"It's just a tear," he drawls. "It won't kill me."
She almost forgot how absolutely bull-headed he is. Really, she's surprised he hasn't tried to interrupt Temari and Shikamaru again.
"It won't," she says, "but I was the one who ruined it. Let me at least try to patch it up."
Sasuke is quiet for a while. He's tugging at the hair around his ears, so she knows he's thinking hard about this — which is a little surprising. It's only a tear. What is there that he has to think hard about?
The streets are clear, save from an Uchiha and a Hyuuga.
Shikamaru and Temari are huddled together. Her face is white, and there's hardly any fog leaving his mouth.
"I guess," Sasuke finally says.
Hinata smiles. "Are you free tonight? I'll follow you home."
"Stalker."
Her hands fly over her mouth to muffle her gasp. "I am not."
Sasuke snorts. Suddenly, the air between them feels comfortable, and Hinata wonders what kind of face he's making. But before she can look, there's movement from the park, and she turns her head just in time to see Shikamaru fall on his knees. Temari squeaks, leaning over him, hands pressed against his back. Panic rises in Hinata's body, and even Sasuke turns from nonchalant to alert.
She steps forward, byakugan activating, ready to jump into action if she sees anything wrong —
But . . .
But what she sees, instead . . . .
"Is it bad?" Sasuke asks under his breath.
Hinata feels cold — beyond the winter chill. It's not a bad cold. It's sort of comforting, like a fan blowing on you when it's summer and you've been out all day.
Her mouth can't form the words, so she just nods.
Sasuke pulls out a scroll from his coat. "Then I'll give this to —"
He's not even allowed to finish. Hinata grabs his arm, her grip strong enough to crack his bones if she so chooses, and drags him down the street.
He hisses, "Hyuuga —"
"She's pregnant."
His arm had tensed up, as if he was ready to fight out of her hold, but those words made his arm fall limp. He lets her drag him further down the street, and when they turn a corner, he sighs and pockets the scroll.
"Looks like the Hokage has to find a new kunoichi."
...
They drop by a store that's getting ready to close to pick up a small sewing kit, and then they're off to Sasuke's estate. She is no longer holding his arm, but rather she is walking at his side, letting him lead her the way. The revolution is still stuck in her head, and guilt is quick to overwhelm her.
That wasn't for her to see.
Not at all.
"Pregnant," Sasuke muses into the air. The mist stays longer than normal, and his voice is heavy against the snow surrounding them. "They're not even married." He looks back at her, blinks, and frowns. "Don't give me that look."
Now she's the one blinking. Her fingers touch her face, feeling for any sort of odd expression. "I don't have a look."
"You do. You're looking at me like I'm an idiot." His nose scrunches up. "I know because it looks like the one Sakura gives Naruto when he's chugging down his seventh bowl of ramen."
Hinata rubs her sleeves over her face, trying to wipe that expression off. "Women get pregnant," she says, "no matter if they're married or not."
"I know that," he says, voice just the slightest bit pitched. "I was joking."
She cannot help but snort. "You? Joking?"
He stops walking. She nearly runs into his shoulder, and she's scared she had offended him. He walks to the side of the street and looks up before kicking the trunk of one of the trees hard, and that makes Hinata flinch and really start to regret what she had said. She's on the verge of apologizing when —
From above, snow falls right on top of her.
She squeaks and tries to brush it off. Her back arches when some of it starts sliding down her skin.
And through the mess of cold ice in her eyes, she sees Sasuke looking at her, proud.
"Sometimes."
...
They're in the Uchiha estate now. Sasuke had given her a towel, which now hangs around her neck as she sits, crisscrossed, and works on fixing up his torn shirt.
It's not as big as she had expected it to be. The estate, that is. Sasuke had to build it from the ground up after the war had destroyed most of it, and now that it's finished and she's currently inside of it, she's quietly comparing it to the old Uchiha estate that she used to visit when she was very young.
It's more spacious, this new estate. The halls are longer. So are the yards. But the homes, themselves, are small. There are no unnecessary rooms that exist for the sole reason to show-off.
Everything about this estate has purpose.
It is so, very Sasuke.
She's nearly done with his shirt when he settles on the floor in front of her and says, quite literally out of nowhere, "Karin's pregnant, as well."
Rip!
Her hands jump, and some of her work is ruined as she unintentionally rips it apart.
Her head snaps up to Sasuke. "Really?"
"I don't lie," he drones.
Her face heats up, and she hurries to redo what she had ruined. "Does Naruto know?"
"That's the thing." He leans in, just a bit. "She had sent me to tell him, but for some reason, I wasn't allowed to talk to him." Wait. "I'll let you guess why."
Riiip!
"O-Oh my goodness. Mr. Uchiha, stop!"
"I'm not doing anything, Hyuuga."
...
Needless to say, early the next morning, Hinata finds herself in Karin's home, bowing low and apologizing.
And, again, she doesn't have to look to know Sasuke is behind her, smirking, completely satisfied with himself.
Chapter 1 - End