As she filled two glasses with water, she peeked her head around the corner slightly, watching as her younger sister wandered around Naruto's apartment. The young girl walked around slowly, holding her hands behind her back, not touching anything, as she looked at the few pictures Naruto had around, eventually stopping to look out his window.
She hadn't seen Hanabi much at all in the past couple of weeks. Of course, after she'd gotten back from the war and after her and her father had arrived back home for the first time, she'd ran to where her sister was and had thrown her arms around her, holding her tightly. It wasn't until Hinata had begun to cry when Hanabi seemed to realize the reason their cousin hadn't followed suit.
Hinata had spent a while with Hanabi at first, especially after the entirety of the clan had been given a three day mourning period to collectively mourn the deaths of all the Hyuuga that had occured during the war. For three days, she hardly let her sister out of her sight. The nightmares had wasted no time in starting after her return, and she was already witnessing countless ways her sister could've died during the war in her dreams.
At night she'd thank her lucky stars that Hanabi had been just barely too young to fight in the war.
There were many people in the world that Hinata held dear, but there were very few people that Hinata loved as much as she loved her younger sister.
"Here," she spoke, walking into the room and handing Hanabi a glass of water.
The girl accepted the water wordlessly, not removing her gaze from the Hokage monument from across the village.
When she turned her pale eyes back into the apartment, her eyebrows were slightly furrowed with curiosity.
"Wouldn't you think the Fourth's son would have a bigger apartment?"
Biting back a tired sigh, Hinata walked over to the couch and sat down, beckoning her naive sister to follow. After the war it became wide-spread knowledge that Naruto, in fact, was the son of the Fourth Hokage who had been presumed killed along with his parents. And while her sister had inherited their mother's pure heart, she'd also inherited their father's social skills.
"I don't know. It doesn't matter though," she spoke, trying hard to get her sister off such a shallow, unimportant subject. "What are you doing here?"
Hanabi shrugged half-heartedly, her fingers lazily tapping against the cool glass. "I missed you." Eyes looking anywhere except Hinata's own, she let a small smile grace her lips as she watched her sister struggle with the emotion that their father had tried so hard to get them both to keep at bay.
"I missed you, too." Hinata smiled a bit wider. "But how did you know I was here?"
"Doesn't everyone?" She asked as she took a sip of her water.
Hinata froze at that statement. A part of her hoped that it wasn't widely-known that she was currently-yet temporarily, she emphasized-staying with Naruto.
"Everyone?" She squeaked out, trying not to let her nervousness at the topic show outwardly.
Hanabi merely nodded once. "Yeah, at the compound."
Although she still didn't like the fact that practically her entire clan knew about it, she was glad that the 'everyone' didn't include the villagers as a whole.
But as a certain thought flew through her mind, she grimaced. "Does anyone know why I've been here?"
Hanabi shook her head. "No. But that isn't stopping people from talking."
"Of course not," she mumbled under her breath.
"Can I ask you a question?" Hanabi asked, suddenly looking her in the eye, a curious look hidden under her normally controlled features.
"You can ask me anything, Hanabi-chan."
"Are you getting married?"
Almost choking on her water, Hinata found herself coughing roughly, placing her glass of water down on the table in front of them before covering her mouth and looking at her sister through her watery eyes. "What?"
"I asked if you and Naruto-san were getting married."
Hinata could feel the heat rising in her face. "I-yes, I know. I heard you. But... why would you ask that?"
She shrugged, "What else would he want to talk to father about?"
Hinata was silent for a long moment, gaping at her younger sister with wide eyes as she tried hard not to let her embarrassment show. "Wait. Naruto's at the compound?"
"Mhm," Hanabi nodded, taking another sip from her glass. "He asked to speak with Father and after Father took him into his office I left to come see you."
Stomach twisting up in knots, she could feel the anxiety rising once she realized that that could very well be the gossip that was floating around the compound. Face still burning red, she shook her head suddenly, forcing a smile on her face. "I'm not getting married, Hanabi-chan. I promise that."
"Okay," she young girl nodded to herself, "but do you promise to tell me when you and Naruto-san do get engaged?"
The innocent and genuine way her sister asked the question caused Hinata to hesitate with her reply. It was as if Hanabi—and perhaps others from the compound—simply assumed that such a thing would happen between the two of them. Hinata could feel the butterflies in her stomach flutter just a little harder, almost causing her to feel slightly nauseous.
"Um, sure."
"Good," the young girl smiled and Hinata couldn't help but smile back. Her little sister's smiles were hard to come by, so she cherished each and every one. Hanabi's smiles could make her day. "Now are you going to tell me why he's there?"
Hinata shook her head, "I really don't—" but as she allowed herself to think for a few more seconds, Hinata's jaw dropped, "oh, shoot."
"What?"
"I think I know what he's speaking to Father about…"
As Hinata's voice trailed off suddenly, it was as if Hanabi could immediately tell.
"It's about Neji, isn't it?"
She nodded, biting her lip slightly. Of course, it was a good idea to have Naruto speak with her father about it, but the thought made her nervous. Her initial reluctance was beginning to make her more and more anxious with each passing minute.
Not long after, Hanabi excused herself, bashfully admitting that she was late for a training session back at the compound and should probably have already left. After hugging her younger sister goodbye and promising not to stay away from home from too much longer, Hinata found herself up and pacing back and forth around the apartment.
She didn't understand why she was so nervous about it. It would be fine. Naruto would talk to her father—calmly and maturely, she hoped—then he'd come back here and tell her about it. And hopefully, things would work out in their favor. For Neji's sake.
Hinata continued pacing for several more minutes, until her nerves got the best of her.
Jacket and sandals on, she left the apartment, ready and willing to return to the compound. She needed to talk to Naruto. She needed to know the words he and her father had exchanged.
Walking briskly through the village, she took a moment to herself to bask in the warm sunlight of the late morning.
Turning a corner she took a double take, head turning sharply, when she thought she'd seen something; or rather someone.
But when her eyes caught sight of none other than Sasuke slinking by under the cover of the shadows on the edge of the road, her feet stopped. She didn't know why but she was suddenly overcome with an urge to talk to him, as strange as it might be.
As far as she understood it, Sasuke didn't go out during the day very often, but here he was, trying to remain unseen as he scanned the vegetables of a nearby produce stand. Hinata frowned slightly as she watched the man tending to the stand regard Sasuke with cold, unwelcoming eyes. But of course Sasuke paid the man no mind.
"I'm happy to have him back, y'know?" Naruto had admitted to her. "But I just… I wish that things could go back to normal."
"Even doing something small, like sitting with Sasuke and Sakura at Ichiraku's…"
The memory of the nostalgic, blissful look Naruto had maintained while speaking was cemented into her mind.
"Even that would be good enough for me."
Before she could rethink her actions, she headed straight for him, her brisk walk resuming briefly.
"Hello, Sasuke."
The tall, dark ex-teammate of Naruto's turned his head slightly, eyeing her with his uncovered eye carefully. Hinata watched as he also scanned the immediate area—looking for someone else, Naruto maybe?—but when he saw that she was by herself he turned back to the vegetables before him.
Despite his unfriendly demeanor, Hinata knew she wasn't going to let this burst of boldness slip through her fingers.
She tried again.
"How are you?" Hands folded behind her back she leaned forward slightly, watching as he picked up some celery to examine it. When he didn't reply, she tried once more. "Getting some grocery shopping done?"
At this, she could hear him sigh audibly. As she tried to ignore her nervousness, she watched as he put the celery down and turned toward her slowly. He'd always been intimidating, but even as he eyed her up and down she held her ground, ignoring the dark presence he seemed to emanate.
"What do you want?" He asked rudely, not bothering with pleasantries. Hinata flinched slightly at his tone but recovered quickly. He was just as combative as everyone said he was, but if she could get through to Neji all those years ago, she knew she could handle Sasuke's testiness.
She shrugged as nonchalantly as she could. "I-I'm just trying to make conversation."
"Why?" His words were abrupt, loud. "Did Sakura put you up to this?"
Confusion flashing over her features, she scrunched her eyebrows together as she pondered his words.
"No, why would you think that?"
Sasuke studied her face for a long moment before his glare turned into a discontented frown. Turning back toward the produce stand, Hinata heard him mumble under his breath. "Forget it."
In the back of her mind, her curious side was tempted to ask why he thought that, but then she reminded herself that it was none of her business. She wasn't there to pry, just to plant an idea in his head, no matter how small it was.
"I just wanted to say 'hello'!" She assured him, smiling pleasantly once more. "And I wanted to ask you if you've seen Naruto?"
He turned back toward her, eyebrow raised, "I thought he was with you."
She shook her head, "No, I haven't seen him since this morning. That's why I started looking for you."
"Haven't seen him."
"Oh," she frowned, trying hard to force a look of disappointment on her face. "I just figured you guys would be together. Since you're best friends and all."
She heard Sasuke scoff as he turned back toward the stand, but he didn't snap at her to leave, so she pushed her luck.
"Naruto really does think of you as his brother, you know? He never once gave up on you, not once all these years," she let out a light laugh, "That must feel nice."
He may not listen to the words and pleas of his closest friends, but perhaps her words—words from a practical stranger—could get him to think things through. Sure, it was a long-shot, but it was worth it.
For Naruto.
"Naruto and Sakura both. The village thought it was ridiculous. But they never gave up on you. And now that you're back I've never seen them so happy."
He scoffed again.
"Sakura may not show it, but she's so relieved you're back. She's been so worried." Hinata leaned forward, pretending to examine the fruits and vegetables at the stand as well. "It must feel good to have people waiting for you back home like that." Turning up toward him she smiled at him. "Anyways, I've got to go find Naruto. If you see him can you tell him that I'm looking for him?"
She waited for a response and after a long moment of staring at her, he nodded.
"Thanks!"
And with that, she turned on her heel and began briskly walking away.
The farther and farther away from Sasuke she got the more antsy she got. And as she began to think about what she'd just done her nerves suddenly snuck up on her. She'd just confronted Uchiha Sasuke out of nowhere.
Uchiha Sasuke.
As her boldness faded she began to panic. What on earth had she been thinking?!
But as she tried to rationalize her actions, she felt as if she owed it to Naruto to at least try to get Sasuke to think about all that had been done for him. Besides, it was all over now so there really wasn't anything that could be done anymore. It had happened, so now all she could do would be sit by and wait to see if anything would come from it.
She was a few blocks from the Hyuuga compound when she activated her byakugan, curious to see if Naruto and her father were still talking to one another. She had to admit she was insanely nervous at seeing her father again, but she'd already spent a few days away from home, more than enough time to calm down.
As she scanned the compound, she stopped walking when she couldn't find Naruto's presence anywhere. She found her father where she expected him to be, sitting in his office, speaking with someone who stood in the doorway who wasn't Naruto.
Searching a little more, just to be positive that he wasn't there, she deactivated her byakugan and then stood there for a moment. Hanabi had said that Naruto had gone to the compound to speak with their father? Had they already finished talking?
Turning around abruptly she began to quickly make her way back to Naruto's apartment. Her brisk walk quickly turned into a jog, and her jog transforming into a full-blown sprint.
As she ran she distinctly remembered passing by Sasuke, and didn't miss the strange look he shot her as she flew by. She didn't have time to stop or even care though. Only activating her byakugan long enough to confirm that, yes, he was at the apartment, she deactivated her doujutsu and pushed her legs harder.
Before she could even get to the door of his apartment, he swung the door open just in time for her to fly through the threshold at alarming speed.
Skidding to an embarrassingly rocky stop, she steadied herself and turned toward him, her hair spinning over her shoulder as she stared at him with her mouth open, and eyes hopeful.
Her eyes immediately found his and she panicked inwardly, her stomach sinking. His eyes were bloodshot and red.
Naruto had been crying.
Her hands that had been resting at her sides shot up to cup her mouth and, hopefully, keep her gasp in; to no avail. With slow steps she began to make her way toward him, hands still over her mouth, struggling to hold back tears.
There was no way. How could her father not have listened to Naruto? The savior of their entire world?! For her, for her teammates and comrades…
For Neji.
But she was taken aback when suddenly Naruto's expressionless face broke out into the most dazzling smile she'd ever seen in her life. She stopped abruptly, her hands sinking down slightly, clutching them together over her chest. He was a mix of emotions, with his eyes full of tears and his smile making her heart beat accelerate with every additional second she spent staring at him.
She didn't speak; she was too afraid to ask, despite his grin. But when he nodded his head once, letting out a small laugh, she gasped.
Clearing the distance between them in a blink of an eye, Hinata just about jumped into his arms with zero hesitation. Naruto, as if expecting this from her, simply hugged her back tightly, his arms wrapped around her waist and keeping her suspended about a foot in the air.
"You did it," she finally breathed out, her voice cracking with emotion, "you did it. You really did it!" Burying her head into his shoulder she inhaled and exhaled deeply, trying hard to keep her tears from spilling.
"Yeah," he laughed softly, leaning his head against hers, "yeah."
Without thinking she leaned back slightly, only far enough so that she could see his face. The moment he made eye contact with her, still holding her tightly around her midsection, she did the only thing she could think of doing.
She kissed him.