Naruhina "Always By My Side" ch. 3
When Hinata awoke the next morning, last night's events hit her all at once and she wondered briefly if it had been a dream. Upon seeing the bouquet of flowers in the vase on her night stand, her eyes widened and she blushed at the confirmation. She cheerfully sprang out of bed, skipping around while completing her morning routine.
When she made it to the kitchen Hanabi was eating her breakfast at the table.
"Where's father?" Hinata asked her sister.
"He went to some meeting, but he said he would be back by 9 for your training session." She paused and frowned, "I'm kinda bummed that you're up already, because he said I should to wake you up at 8:30 by any means necessary." She giggled at this while moving her food around on her plate with her fork.
"Well you better remember that whatever you think you can do to me, I will repay you, by any means necessary!" She smiled deviously as her sister looked up with a little shock in her face.
'Oi, that man is going to drive me crazy!' Hinata thought while making her own breakfast.
When 9am rolled around Hinashi found Hinata in the training area already warming up. They worked together for several hours until Hinashi was breathing heavily and decided to end the session around 1pm.
"Tired already father?" Hinata questioned with a sly grin on her face.
"Well if my daughter and her boyfriend hadn't kept me up so late!" He said, smiling back at her.
"No one asked you to stay up and spy on us!" She answered him with a little attitude in her voice.
"Just doing my job, little girl!" He replied with emphasis on little girl.
"Little? I'm almost 16! She answered defiantly, crossing her arms over her chest.
Hinashi had a look of shock on his face as he realized just what this meant for his eldest daughter. "We're almost out of time..." he said quietly almost to himself.
"What?" She asked him curiously.
He replied to her dismissively, "oh nothing, I actually just remembered something I need to take care of." He looked at her with raised eyebrows, "Would you do me a favor Hinata?"
"Sure, what is it father?" She said politely, still curious as to her father's sudden seriousness.
"There is a grocery list by my wallet in the study, would you take Hanabi with you to the store and pick up a few things for us?" He asked.
She relaxed and said, "Of course, what's on the menu for tonight?"
He was lost in thought turning away as he said, "Hmm? Oh well, you'll just have to wait and see!" He said this as he rushed down the corridor.
After obtaining everything on her father's list from the store, Hinata and Hanabi were walking home with their groceries when they ran into a group of Hinata's friends.
"Oi, Hinata!" Her teammate Kiba called out and both girls headed towards the group. Ino and Sakura were there as well as Shikamaru and her other teammate Shino. They all small talked for bit until the conversation ended up on Naruto.
Hinata blushed deeply, but her friends were used to that response.
"Where is he by the way? I haven't seen him since he attacked the ten tails." Shikamaru asked.
Everyone was quiet until Hanabi blurted out, "We saw him last night, he-" She was cut off by Hinata's elbow in her side.
"Ow!" Hanabi whined, "What was that for? Everyone knows he's your boyfriend!"
"Hanabi!" Hinata raised her voice, but she was cut off by Ino yelling, "Speak of the devil! Where have you been Naruto?"
Everyone turned to see Naruto and Kakashi-sensei coming toward them from the opposite direction.
Naruto stopped walking and squinted in their direction. He suddenly turned to Kakaski said something and started to run toward the group.
He nearly tackled Hinata as he picked her up off the ground in a fierce hug and said, "Hey Hinata!"
Unfortunately he had knocked the groceries right out of her hands.
"Woops, sorry about that!" He set her down and made the hand sign for shadow clone jutsu. He summoned 5 clones who quickly got to work picking up the groceries. "Heh, I guess I got a little too excited there," he said sheepishly, "I didn't think I would see you until tomorrow." He blushed.
The clones put the groceries in their bags and handed them back to Hinata, blushing while saying their apologies, "Hey Hinata," "Sorry Hinata," "Here you go," "Sorry about that Hinata," until one by one they disappeared.
"Naruto," Kakashi yelled, "are you coming? I am not waiting on you." He sounded exacerbated.
"Be right there!" Naruto yelled back to him. Then under his breath he said to Hinata, "heh, he gets a little cranky when he's hungry." He chuckled and smiled at Hinata before lightly touching her shoulder and shyly saying, "We're still on for tomorrow, right?"
Hinata nodded and said, "Y-Yes, s-see you then." She smiled.
"Alright!" He exclaimed. "See ya!" He started walking backwards, not wanting to take his eyes off the girl and smiled again before he jogged back to Kakashi.
"What the heck just happened?" Sakura said as everyone turned their attention to Hinata in shock.
"W-well," Hinata stuttered as she looked down at the ground blushing.
"Are you two finally a thing now?" Kiba asked with surprise in his voice.
"Mm, uh..." She murmured.
"Are y'all going on a date tomorrow?" Ino asked excitedly.
Hinata reluctantly nodded.
"Your first date? congratulations to you Hinata!" Shino said in his formal voice.
"Well, they actually had a date last night, and father said they were sitting so close together he had to...Ow!" Hanabi was elbowed once again before Hinata grabbed her by the arm and headed toward the Hyuga compound.
"Uh, well, gotta go guys, sorry!" Hinata managed to say over her shoulder while dragging her sister away.
Everyone burst out laughing as the two girls hurried away.
"Well, I'll be," Shikamaru said, "Way to go Naruto!" He chuckled along with his friends.
"Are you going to kill me Hinata?" Hanabi said on the way home.
"Ha, no!" She laughed, "But I'll pay you back when you least expect it!"
"Oh, good I... wait, what?" Hanabi had a frightened look on her face again.
"Could be tomorrow, could be 5 years from now, but when I get you back, oh you'll be paid back, ten fold!" Hinata said with a terrifying look on her face and even though she started laughing, it was not comforting to Hanabi.
When they walked into the kitchen, their father was sitting at the table. He stood as he said with little emotion, "Hanabi, please put away the groceries. Hinata, please join me for a walk."
Hinata was actually trembling, she could tell it was bad news.
"A lovely afternoon isn't it? It is really beginning to feel like fall." Her father said as she stepped outside with him.
"I know we're not out here to talk about the weather, what is it father?" Hinata asked with a worried look on her face.
Hinashi sighed, "Well, you've got me there." He smiled, and a long silence passed before he spoke again. "Oh Hinata, I'm sorry I never mentioned this to you before, I had hoped the elders would do away with such an archaic tradition, but... because you are the successor to the Hyuga clan, a females successor, you must be betrothed by your sixteenth birthday to ensure the prosperity and the future of our clan."
Hinata just stared at him, confused with her mind racing.
"But that's not all," he continued, "they've already chosen a suitor for you." He said with his anger evident. She looked at him incredulously and started to say something, but he held his hand up telling her to wait, "I know," he continued, "but the worst part is that he's twice your age, he's nearly my age!" He said shaking his head. "It's disgusting."
"But why father?" She said as she started to cry.
"He's some high ranked Hyuga official from the land of stone, they want to reestablish our alliance, it's purely political, bureaucratic bullshit!" He said with a raised voice as he clenched his fists.
They stood there for a while, silently frozen in thought.
"I know you haven't been together long enough, but I told them about you and Naruto," Hinashi finally spoke, "unfortunately, a few of the elders do not approve of him, saying that because he is a Jinchuriki it would endanger our clan. There was even talk of some sort of punishment, though I can't imagine what or why even, it's ridiculous!" He stamped his feet.
She thought for a moment before she said, "Father, if Naruto and I cant be together, then it wouldn't matter anyway. No punishment could even compare to the thought of living such a lie without him."
Hinashi was taken aback at this remark and couldn't help but smile. "I see." He said, "I just wish we had more time." He paused for a long moment before speaking again "I truly wish your mother were here, she would know what to do." He said this wistfully as he leaned on the railing overlooking the training area where they had spared this morning. "We'll figure it out Hinata...just know that all I want is for you to be happy."
"Thank you father" she said quietly. He hugged her tightly for a long moment before they both went back inside to prepare dinner.