Reunion
For once, the rain had stopped, the normally sunny weather of Konoha had returned. It had been a full day since her reluctant return, and Hinata was ready to resume her daily training regimen. She was somewhat reluctant to leave the tiny inn, somewhat fearful of running into Naruto. And so on the morning of her second day, at approximately 9:00 AM, she gently lifted herself out of the downy bed and absently reached for the black fitted pants and navy long sleeves neatly folded on the nearby chest of drawers. She dressed quickly and double checked the small pouch on her right hip to make sure she had enough kunai and shuriken for at least three hours of practice.
She glanced over quickly at the small mirror in the bathroom adjacent to her closet and sighed. Her long hair was mussed, looking like Alba-chan's nest and the bags under her large eyes told of the restless nights she had spent. She quickly giggled at her disheveled appearance and used her two index fingers to pull her lips into a smile.
'No more crying. Please…'
And so further determined to make it a good day she swiftly spun on her heel and made her way out. The door neatly clicked shut as she exited the room.
Kurenai Yuhi was not a cynical woman by nature, but when she saw the two teammates her charge had been put with, she wondered if the arrangement would really work out. Her bright red eyes scanned the odd trio.
The petite heiress was dressed in an oversized beige coat with a fur lined bottom; she was again fidgeting. The boisterous fanged boy was also wearing a tan jacket, its hood furred with black. His dog lay calmly at his side, waiting. The third boy's face was hidden by a tall grey collar, his sunglasses concealing the rest of his face.
They all sat in the middle of Training Field Eight, a small clearing surrounded by several acacia trees(1), their cone shaped structures casting long shadows.
She decided to start with the scripted icebreaker (recommended for all new genin teams on their first day).
"Okay everyone. I would like each of us to go around and state our names, our likes and dislikes, and future aspirations."
She sighed as she saw the trio stare at each other; all of them waiting for another to speak.
"Well then I will start first. My name is Kurenai Yuhi. I enjoy reading historical fiction and biographies, as well as drinking tea. I hate making judgments before knowing someone and I try to be as open-minded as possible. My future goals include learning at least thirty new genjutsu before the year is up and to make you the best tracking team of your class."
She gave a pointed glance towards her team, knowing who would be the first to speak.
The gruff voice of the Inuzuka boy was the first to be heard, a confident grin spread across his face, exposing abnormally sharp canines and his small white dog barked in agreement.
"My name is Kiba Inuzuka. I like training with Akamaru, training with Akamaru, eating with Akamaru, and playing with Akamaru." He pointed towards the puppy on next to him. It wagged its tail excitedly, yapping again. "I hate people who think they're better than others and my dream is to be known for my strength, maybe I even want to be Hokage one day."
He grinned pointedly at his quiet teammates, his loud manner contrasting with the other two. It was then a surprise when a quiet voice spoke.
"Ah, n-nice to meet you K-Kiba-kun and Akamaru-k-kun." A small smile alighted upon the shy Hyuuga's face as she reached out her hand towards the excited mutt. Kiba merely watched, surprised as Akamaru happily nuzzled into her touch, his tail never ceasing to wag.
Seeing that all the attention was on her, Hinata immediately withdrew into herself, her short hair not nearly long enough to conceal her bright blush. She glanced up from beneath her bangs, amazed to see Kiba giving her an exuberant thumbs-up in encouragement.
"U-umm, m-my name is Hinata H-Hyuuga." She inwardly winced at the weight of her surname, nearly suffocating under all it came with. "I-I like f-flower p-pressing and…"
Here she stopped, her blush reaching impossible levels of red at the thought of WHO she liked. She continued, "I d-dislike unnecessary c-conflict and prejudice. And I d-dream of one day getting stronger and uniting m-my family."
She looked up, surprised at the gaping jaw of Kiba and the raised eyebrows of Shino. They had been stunned by the gradual strengthening of her voice as she stated her goal. She again looked down and resumed fidgeting with her fingers, her long jacket sleeves concealing the action.
"My name is Shino Aburame. I enjoy eating winter melon and adding to my live insect collection. I dislike being forgotten and I wish to one day fight someone strong."
Shino had not once looked at the other two, remaining still and quickly stating his information as a monotone as possible. Kurenai sighed in relief and thought there might be some hope yet; at least until Kiba opened up his mouth again.
"So what techniques can you guys use?"
Hinata hesitated in her answer, hoping and praying that her team would not think her stuck up or boisterous. "I-I use the B-Byakugan and the G-gentle F-fist style."
Kiba's eyes widened again and he stopped scratching Akamaru behind the ears. Shino remained still, but a faint buzzing could be heard coming from his person. Hinata braced herself for the insults, but none came.
"That's cool Hinata, we can spar sometime." Kiba grinned, the red triangles on his cheeks becoming distended in his glee.
"Yes, Hinata. I would like to test my jutsu against your fighting style." Shino's glasses glinted.
Hinata smiled widely, unbelieving at their comments. "W-What about you Shino-kun?"
Shino was quiet for a second, contemplating. "I use my insects to help attack. They stay in my body and come out when I need them."
The squeals of fright or groans of disgust he expected never came. Instead, Hinata merely continued to smile, marveling at the fact and Kiba took it as nonchalantly as well…only Kiba could.
"AWESOME! That's kinda like me and Akamaru!"
"Does Akamaru live in your body?"
"What- NO!"
And Kurenai knew she had nothing to worry about.
Hinata smiled gently as she broke through the brush, nostalgia filling her as she finally reached Training Ground Eight. The tall trees had not changed and the clear bubbling of the stream could be heard. But added to that was the grunts of someone training, the deep barking of a dog, and the faint buzzing of…something. She stopped, afraid of the consequences of a reunion. 'I can't…not yet.'
But before she could turn back, she heard an increase in excited barking, coming closer and closer to the tree she was perched in.
"What is it Akamaru?" Kiba sniffed the air, trying to catch a whiff of the intruder.
"My insects are humming. They know this chakra."
And at the same moment, Shino realized whose chakra it was and Kiba smelled the familiar scent of Hibiscus and cinnamon.
Hinata knew she was caught. Resignedly, she leapt from the leafy canopy and landed softly in front of her old teammates, her indigo hair streaming behind her. She look at them; her lilac eyes hesitant, apologetic, and brimming with turmoil.
"Hello Kiba-kun, Akamaru, and Shino-kun."
"K-kiba-kun, Shino-kun, i-if we…i-if w-we don't-" Hinata muttered quietly, her hands grasping the ends of her flak jacket, scared that if she said what she wanted, it would come true.
Kiba put a firm hand on her shoulder, stopping her. "Hinata. I know what you're going to say, and the answer is no."
She glanced up at him, not completely satisfied with the answer. "B-But.."
"Neither of us is going to die, got it. We've got each other's backs."
Shino looked over at the pair, curious as to why the conversation had even started. "Hinata, I agree with Kiba. Why do I believe him? Because we are Team Kurenai."
"W-What?" She asked confused. Kiba grinned and repeated.
"Because we're Team Kurenai, we won't die, and we won't have to say all that mushy stuff, so just stop worrying and focus! We're here to protect Naruto and each other."
And Hinata found herself believing them. But just to make sure, she lightly grasped Kiba's hand on her shoulder and reached for the hem of Shino's jacket. Just to make sure.
The trio stood together, in a rare moment of affection, rallying in the strength of each other to give them courage to what was ahead.
"You're here." It was all Kiba could manage, his hand seeking the warmth of Akamaru's bulk for support. The sound of his leather jacket resonated with his movement.
Shino remained mercifully silent, the only sound coming from him an agitated buzzing.
"I'm sorry." And all Hinata could do was a nod, her small smile slipping of her face as she waited for the onslaught. And she was not disappointed.
"Sorry…" Kiba repeated incredulously. He looked disbelieving from Shino's silent tall figure to the whining Akamaru. He laughed humorlessly. "Sorry…SORRY?!"
Hinata flinched, but never looked up from the ground. It felt disturbingly familiar, as if she had not changed. 'I'm tired of looking at the ground…but..'
"Five freaking years! Five years and all you can say is SORRY!?" Kiba roared, letting loose all of the anger and pain and frustration of those years of not knowing. And inside, Shino felt just a bit better, letting his more expressive friend shout what he could not.
"Kib-"
"No. You didn't write, didn't even TRY TO CONTACT US!" He shouted, causing Akamaru to bark in alarm and Shino's insects to buzz further. His fists clenched and unclenched.
"I mean, we blamed it on Naruto, blamed it on your family, blamed on ourselves…" He trailed off, broken. And for once, his bright dark eyes were dull and they stared down at the new Hinata, fully taking in the changes.
Still so petite and seemingly delicate, her hip-length hair was now cut into flowing layers, and her eyes were still as large and as expressive as they were before. But before him stood the Hinata that had once been hidden behind layers of pain and insecurity, and even though she was looking down now, he could see. She was sorry, but she wasn't regretting what she had done. And it was the straightness of her spine and the lack of regret that made him brokenly state.
"You've changed."
For some reason, these words, the very opposite of what Naruto had told her, broke her and remade her, in ways she had not thought possible. These words made her long for times past when she was still shy, but a part of Team Kurenai. They also made her sure that she had made the right decision in not telling them or contacting them, because these two…they…
"You would have followed me." She finally looked up at the two tall boys. 'No they're men now.'
Shino turned towards her more, the buzzing of the insects signaling his turmoil. His shift wordlessly spoke his question. Explain.
"I don't regret leaving. If I had told you why or even where, you would have tracked me down and dragged me back."
She clenched her own fists. "And I couldn't tell you what or why even though there was so many times where I wanted to. So many letters that I started…"
Akamaru whined, torn between the trembling of his master's touch and the want to greet the long-absent Hinata. Shino's bugs had calmed and all was silent, except for the bubbling stream.
And through the tension, Hinata did not notice the approaching Shino. Only when a heavy hand was placed on her head did she notice. She looked at Shino's face, now uncovered except for rectangular dark sunglasses. He gave an encouraging nod, and Hinata let the tears fall, despite her earlier resolve in her tiny room at the inn.
Shino's gently hand was joined by a gentle nuzzling at her arm, Akamaru's large white head seeking to comfort.
And finally, resigned and pained, Kiba approached the small group, wrapping Hinata in a warm hug. Unexpectedly, she dove into his chest sobbing louder. Not everything was okay, and not everything was fixed or forgiven. But there in the middle of the sunny clearing, near a recently grown arbor vitae (2), Team Kurenai had been reunited.
And that was all that mattered.
A/N: Aww Team 8 reunion. No Naruhina yet. Sorry for the slow updates, but it was Thanksgiving weekend and finals week is coming up so I better start studying. Also more will be revealed in the next chapter! Thanks again to everyone who reviewed. There is a reason as to why Hinata would not contact them…so please be patient my lovelies!
Acacia tree- a yellow flowering tree- friendship
Arbor vitae- a cypress like deciduous tree- unchanging friendship
