Dreamcatcher
By Airyo
Sunrise, Sunflower - 2
Hinata peered out through the leaves of the tree she was currently hiding in. She had a few hours yet before her teacher would think to look for her. Itachi had revealed his irritation with Team 7's fondness for trees before, though she could only appreciate the suggestion.
From her vantage point, she could see all the people who used the intersection that connected the Uchiha and Hyuuga roads. Traffic was picking up again, now that it was a few hours after lunchtime.
Even from this distance, it was hard to miss Akamaru, now that the dog was so large his paws were the size of dinner plates. With a jolt, Hinata realized Team 8 was returning from their most recent rotation. Hikaru had left not a month after Hinata began training with Itachi.
Has it already been four months?
Shino and Kiba walked with Hikaru. Hinata felt a familiar twinge as she watched them laugh together. In another universe, it would have been her down there. She had asked Kurenai to fail her out of fear that she would spill Hyuuga secrets, but what if she had trusted her team?
The familiar feeling of unworthiness crept up her throat. Feeling small and overwhelmed, Hinata didn't notice Sakura's approach from the direction of the Uchiha district until she was directly underneath Hinata's tree.
"Oh, Hinata! Hi. I didn't sense you at all." Without waiting for an invitation, she leaped up to the branch Hinata was seated on.
"Hi Sakura-san," Hinata greeted softly. She shifted to the side to make room for the pink-haired girl, and Tora let out a content little purr before curling back into a furball in her lap.
"Just call me Sakura. Is that who I think it is?" she said as she settled down next to her. "He's...so calm." Tora opened one eye, and dismissed the medic with a lazy flick of his tail.
Sakura made a face at the cat, who had already tucked his head back under one paw. Hinata giggled lightly.
"Well, summon or not," she said, "all cats like Tsuru-san's grilled tuna."
Sakura blinked. "You figured it out already?" She shook her head with a laugh. "It took Team 7 at least four rounds in before Sasuke even bothered trying to look for a genjutsu." She gestured to the Konoha forehead protector around Tora's head that was usually disguised as a little bow.
Tora was far too wily to be a simple tomcat. The feline was actually the summon of one of the retired kunoichi who now ran a weapons stall down at the markets and always boasted about her friendship with the Daimyo's wife. The whole Tora setup was just a training exercise to give the genin teams a chance to blow off some steam. It had been child's play to convince Tora he should accept Hinata's bribe and give them both a chance to rest.
"Well...I'm sensitive to genjutsu," the Hyuuga said, with a blush of pride. She gently scratched the top of Tora's head.
"Don't be modest," Sakura said. "If that's your reason, what's Sasuke's excuse?"
"I'm not sure," Hinata said frankly. After a moment, she looked at Sakura nervously. "Are you going to tell Itachi I'm here?"
The other woman laughed. "Don't worry - I'm not going to tell our sensei when I know just how hard he is pushing you. Take what breaks you can." Hinata was about ask just how Sakura knew, but somehow, but then she remembered that Sakura had also been Itachi's student.
Our sensei.
Perhaps Sakura didn't realize it, but how she said it made them sound like comrades.
Sakura and Hinata fell quiet as Team 8 passed under their tree, who remained unaware of the two kunoichi. Shino and Kiba waved to Hikaru, who then let herself into the side gate of the Hyuuga complex. The two young men (and the dog) continued on their way.
This time, as she watched their receding backs, Hinata didn't feel the twinge, only a faint regret that she hadn't had the chance to fight with them. But she already had her own team.
"So is Itachi-sensei treating you okay? You tell me if he's gone off on some tangent - he does that sometimes."
Hinata turned and smiled slightly at the healer.
"I can handle it. But thank you, Sakura."