Chapter Seven
Boruto
Hanabi – 15-16
Konohamaru – 16-17
For her 15th birthday, her father finally allowed her to have a proper birthday party. She wasn't allowed to invite the whole village as was for Hinata's wedding, but she was allowed to invite her team and some others. Honestly, she didn't really have that many people to invite, so she was alright with some of Hinata and Naruto's friends coming as well.
The only problem was how heavily pregnant her sister was. Like, literally looking about to pop any second as she tried to reach up to hang a banner over a doorway. Hanabi was constantly having to urge her to sit down and let everyone else take care of things, but her sister always tried to assure that she was perfectly fine. Her swollen feet said otherwise, but Hanabi didn't point that out.
The day before her party, she was completing a mission with her team. Seemed Kakashi was correct when he pointed out that she had essentially become part of a tracking team like her sister. At first, it felt a little insulting. She was strong; she wasn't cocky about it, but it was something she was sure of. She could take out big, mean enemies if she needed to, she could do dangerous missions, she could escort weak old politicians through hostile situations.
But as she completed tougher and tougher tracking missions, she began to appreciate her station. Her, Eiji, and Jun worked together like a dream. They hadn't failed a mission yet, and it seemed Kakashi had noticed, assigning them longer and more complex missions. Sometimes Tora joined them, sometimes she didn't. Hanabi had to admit it was quite thrilling to go on missions without their sensei, as much as she liked her. It was just a whole new level of freedom she was getting a taste of.
Since the wedding, her father had loosened up considerably. Especially when news of Hinata's pregnancy was broken, it was the widest she'd ever seen him smile before. The first time they got to feel the little bugger kick was a happy moment indeed. Hanabi joked that he was practicing the gentle fist in there and was surprised to actually hear their father chuckle. Yes, times were changing.
About two weeks after the wedding and things were returning to a new normal, one in which Hinata and Naruto moved into a house together. Her father surprised her by giving her a thank you letter, to be delivered to the main Sarutobi household. She had asked why he was sending her and not simply mailing it, and was told to have tea with Konohamaru's mother. His mother's reaction to her knock on the door was one of delight, despite Konohamaru not being around.
Hanabi couldn't complain, though, because his mom had some pretty interesting stories to tell about her own father and uncle. She was surprised to find out that Konohamaru's mom had graduated to genin along with her father and uncle. She tried to imagine younger versions of she and her father interacting. She wondered if it was anything like her and Konohamaru, but quickly realized there was certainly no way. Her father was too cold to be like Konohamaru, and Moriko was too warm to be anything like Hanabi. At that time, Hiruzen would have already been Hokage. So perhaps it tracked that they would have some prior relationship.
On another occasion, Moriko reminisced on her days in Anbu, something Hanabi had a hard time imagining. This stout, bright sunshine of a woman? In a porcelain animal mask, intimidating and probably assassinating other ninjas at one point? It seemed preposterous, but she seemed quite prideful of her and her husband's success as Anbu operatives. She had said it was very important to her husband to impress her father, the third Hokage.
Still, Hanabi was left in the dark about what came of Konohamaru's father. She didn't bring it up, however. If Moriko wanted to share that with her, she probably would have done so by now, so how could it be Hanabi's place to bring it up?
Despite her visits to his house, Hanabi didn't see Konohamaru much. Moriko told her he was taking on harder and longer missions while training under Naruto. She said he was working himself to the bone, mastering different jutsu's and working on sealing techniques. Hanabi was actually a little curious to see what he had mastered so far, but didn't want to interrupt his training, so she simply took Moriko's word.
But her birthday was tomorrow, and she still hadn't managed to track him down to invite to the festivities. So once she got back to the village and reported in, she would trek down to visit with Moriko and ask she pass on the message. She was glad to see the sun was still high in the sky as the gates of the Leaf came into view, concluding their mission.
"How much you wanna bet the Sixth isn't even there right now?" Eiji asked sarcastically as they landed on their feet in front of the gates.
"I wouldn't take that bet." Hanabi chuckled as they walked through the village. Once they got to the Hokage tower, they jogged up the stairs to meet Shizune sitting at her desk in front of the doors to the Hokage's office. She looked up at them and gave a smile as Eiji crossed her arms disapprovingly.
"Let me guess, he's not here?" Eiji asked with a frown, receiving a shake of the head from Shizune.
"Sorry, team. Just fill out one of these." Shizune pushed a form to the edge of the desk, which Jun stepped forward to pick up.
"I'll take care of this. Why don't you go find Konohamaru, Hanabi?" Jun offered with a smile, pulling the form to his chest. Hanabi tilted her head questioningly. "You still haven't invited him, have you?"
"How'd you know?" Hanabi asked, setting her hands on her hips as she peered up at him suspiciously.
Eiji shoved at her shoulder playfully. "You're just so obvious when you're all troubled like that."
"What?!" Hanabi gasped, looking incredulously at the other girl. "What's that supposed to mean?"
A giggle came from behind Shizune's desk. "As interesting as this conversation is, perhaps you should take it elsewhere?"
"Go on." Jun nodded towards the door, Hanabi letting out a defeated sigh.
Was she really that easy to read?
Before she went to the Sarutobi household, she checked in with her father briefly, finding servants working diligently on decorating the event room for her birthday. She cringed a little bit at the showiness of it all, hoping it didn't look too lavish for something as silly as a 15th birthday party. She worried a little bit when she saw her sister clutching one of the tables with one hand, her other arm wrapped around her middle as she took some deep breaths.
"You okay, elder sister?" She asked, coming up behind Hinata and looking down at her. She glanced up at her with a weary smile, nodding.
"When did you become so much taller than me?" Hinata questioned with a breathy giggle, straightening up.
Hanabi frowned, grabbing a nearby chair to push her older, yet shorter sister into. "You know you don't have to do all this, especially in your state."
Hinata waved her away. "I'll have a little break, but really, I'm alright."
"So stubborn…" Hanabi muttered with a little eye-roll, leaning down to peck her older sister on the top of the head before taking off. She hoped she wouldn't push herself too far.
Within moments, she was in front of a large door with that clan symbol she had become so accustomed to seeing lately. As if the woman on the other side had sensed her, the door was swinging open just as Hanabi raised her fist to knock. Immediately gathered into a hug by the older Sarutobi, Hanabi stumbled in with a little laugh.
"Did you grow a few more centimeters since last week?" Moriko asked playfully as she directed her to the living space. Hanabi had been hearing that more and more, she supposed she must have had a growth spurt. She did find herself finally matching Eiji in height, the idea of being taller than her older teammate made her giddy. Moriko had always been fairly short, though, so surpassing her in height wasn't all that out of left field. "Lucky for Konohamaru he seemed to pick up his height from his father!"
"Oh, right." Hanabi snickered as she accepted a cup of tea. "Lord Third wasn't all that tall, was he?"
"Definitely not, neither was my mother." Moriko smiled as she took a seat next to her. "What brings you, dear?"
"I was hoping you could give this to Konohamaru." Hanabi fished into her robes to pull out a little invite, extending it to towards the woman who looked over it with interest. "I'm having just…a little party for my birthday, tomorrow."
"Oh! Of course!" She perked up handing the invite back to Hanabi to her confusion. "Why don't you give it to him yourself? He should be home any minute now."
"Oh?" Hanabi questioned, and as if on cue, the front door opened to reveal Konohamaru. For whatever reason, she felt her chest tighten as he walked in, pulling at the scarf around his neck.
Blue scarf? He's wearing it again.
"I'm home, ma," he called as he glanced towards the two, then did a double take upon seeing Hanabi. "Oh—hey, Hanabi."
"Hello, Lord Eighth," she teased as she mockingly bowed in her seat, setting her tea down just as Moriko got up. He gave her a knowing smirk as he kicked off his sandals.
His voice actually surprised her. It had been maybe a month since she had last spoken to him—it was deep. Had his voice dropped? Something about it sent a chill up her spine as she attempted to shake the thought from her mind.
"I think I hear the timer for dinner." Moriko patted Konohamaru on the upper arm as she brushed passed him. Somehow, his mother was always finding ways to leave them alone together.
"This is a nice surprise?" Konohamaru's tone was questioning as he stopped fiddling with his scarf to join her on his couch.
She covered her mouth to shield a giggle. "I don't know, is it?"
"Maybe not that surprising." He chuckled, pulling his sleeves up on either arm before resting his elbows on his knees. "You like hanging out with my mom that much, huh?"
"She's good company." Hanabi shrugged, picking her tea back up. He eyed her suspiciously, and she could feel it on her cheek. She stalled for a moment by sipping the beverage, though his eyes had dipped to her lap. She gasped when he plucked the invite from her fingers, pulling it up to his face. "Hey!"
"This for me?" he asked as he pulled the flap open, holding it from her reach as she tried to grab it back. She didn't even know why she was trying to get it back, it was for him, but something about the audacity of him just assuming irritated her. He chuckled as she struggled to set her cup down and lean over him, reaching. When he stood, she got up as well, then was met with the nasty realization that he had shot up in height.
"Good gods, Konohamaru!" She gasped as she tried to jump up toward his hand. "What's your mom putting in your ramen, huh? Growth hormones?"
"Look at that!" He laughed, resting his free hand on the top of her head. "I'm like a whole head taller than you now!"
She sighed in frustration as she batted away his hand, folding her arms. "And I thought I was catching up."
"Well, you do look taller." He leaned down to come face to face with her, that stupid grin on his face. She huffed as she turned away from him, trying to let her hair fall over her cheeks to conceal what she knew had to be a blush creeping up. She recoiled from him when he poked at her side, a little laugh falling out of him. "Big bro Naruto says it's super easy to make your sister blush. Guess it runs in the family."
"Shut up!" she snapped, balling her fists up to her sides.
"Sorry, sorry," he conceded, holding his hands up as she turned to face him, the veins around her eyes popping. "Don't wanna get hit by that." He pointed at her balled-up hand, his face actually turning a little white. Pleased with his response, she relaxed her hands and dōjutsu, but still rolled her eyes.
"Whatever, yes. It's for you," she grumbled. She watched anxiously as he pulled out the invite, that smile spreading wider as his eyes darted over it.
"Alright, you finally get a party?" he asked as he looked up from the invite, then back down at it. "This is pretty cute."
"My sister made them," she said through gritted teeth, knowing he was taunting her.
"I really think it's cute! Can I not think it's cute?" he asked in mock offense, clutching the invite to his chest.
She glared at him as she tried to snatch the invite back. "You know what? You're not invited anymore!"
"Sorry!" he yelped with a laugh. "Again, sorry, sorry!" He pushed the invite into the breast pocket of his jacket, patting it affectionately. "I'll be there. You wanna stay for dinner?"
"No." She shook her head, holding a hand up. "I should get back, my sister's doing all this prep while super pregnant."
"Oh, yeah. Naruto was complaining about that." He chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow, then, birthday girl." He beamed down at her as he gripped the handle of the sliding door, pulling it open for her. Finally, she offered a return smile, relaxing. "Wait, I didn't get you anything!"
"Don't worry about a present." She hummed as she exited, waving a hand back at him.
Konohamaru scoffed, "yeah, right, my mom'll never let me live it down if I don't." He stumbled forward to catch up with her since she didn't stop to indulge him. "What should I get you?" She rolled her eyes, shaking her head as he jogged in front of her then walked back to face her. He leaned his face in close to hers again, smirking. "What does a princess's heart desire, huh?"
"Oh stop!" she groaned, shoving her palms against his chest to force him further from her, eliciting a cocky laugh from the boy. She shot him a look before nudging her head back towards his home. "You better get home for dinner, Kono."
With a little snicker, he finally conceded, patting her shoulder as she passed him. She looked over her shoulder to find him jogging back towards his home, but not before turning to call after her with an exaggerated wave, "it doesn't bother me when you call me that, ya know!"
Her heart lifted at the tease. She turned to face forward so he wouldn't catch her blushing again.
When Hinata went into labor, Hanabi was hardly surprised.
Naruto was busy hanging up some streamers when Hinata buckled next to Hanabi, who immediately caught her sister before she could fall.
"What's wrong?!" Hanabi asked, panicked as her sister clutched her stomach.
"Nothing, nothing…just some phantom contractions. It's normal," she spoke breathlessly, grabbing Hanabi's forearms for stability. She looked up to see Naruto chatting casually with her father, seemingly unaware of his wife's struggle. Then she felt it—something wet on her toe.
"Oh gods." Hanabi's eyes went wide as she looked down at the floor, and Hinata gasped as well.
"Okay, maybe it's a little more," Hinata said, weakly as she looked up at Hanabi.
"Naruto!" Hanabi screamed, still holding her sister as she looked back at him. She watched him laughing over something he told her father before glancing up at the sisters, and his face fell.
"Oh—shit!" Naruto bolted over, grabbing Hinata by the arms. "Is that—did your water break?!"
"Obviously!" Hanabi snapped furiously, gesturing at the puddle of the floor. "Hospital, now!"
"Oh Hanabi, I'm so sorry." Hinata's voice sounded choked with a sob, but Hanabi waved her hands. Immediately, she began pushing them toward the exit.
"No apologizing! Hospital!" Hanabi commanded, which Naruto readily nodded along with, swooping Hinata up in a bridal position.
Hiashi was by their side within the moment, adding, "we'll join you shortly with your things, Hinata."
"No, father!" Hinata cried before Naruto could take off with her. "Let Hanabi have her party, please—"
"It's fine!" Hanabi bellowed. "Naruto, take her!"
"Right!" Naruto ignored Hinata's protests as Hanabi sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.
She turned to her father, looking up at him with determined eyes. "I'll go get elder sister's things and meet you there, father."
Her father raised his eyebrows down at her, lips twitching slightly before he spoke. "You're taking this quite maturely, Hanabi."
"Well it's my nephew, isn't it?" Hanabi pointed out, folding her arms. "It's the best gift I could have asked for!" She glanced up to find a little smile on his lips and it made her heart raise. Shaking her head, she tugged on her father's sleeve to pull him towards the exit. "I'll be there as soon as I can."
With that, her father nodded toward several guards, and they were making way to the hospital. Hanabi jogged to her room to fish out the spare key to Hinata and Naruto's home, then made her way across the village to grab her sister's overnight bag she had helped her prep a few weeks ago. As she leaped from the rooftops, she heard her name called from below. She stopped and activated her byakugan, recognizing the chakra signatures of her teammates. Quickly, she hopped down.
"Sorry guys," she huffed breathlessly, holding up the key. "Parties canceled. My sister just went into labor."
"Aw man!" Eiji exclaimed, throwing her hands up. "Right when we get to party?"
"That's wonderful." Jun's opposing demeanor stepped in, smiling down at Hanabi. "Well, we can always get together another day, right?"
"Right." Hanabi nodded with a strained smile. She was a little disappointed, she had to admit. But it was out of her control, and meeting her baby nephew was more than worth it.
"Ah, fine. Congrats, by the way." Eiji gave her a quick thumbs up. "On becoming an aunt! It's pretty great." She beamed, causing Hanabi to giggle. Eiji had been an aunt as long as she knew her, she often spoke fondly of her nieces and nephews.
Jun added, "we'll find Moegi and Udon and let them know."
"If you could, that'd be great." Hanabi nodded. "And Konohamaru."
"Can't forget about Ko-no-ha-ma-ru~" Eiji sang playfully, earning a glare from Hanabi as she cackled. "Sorry," she said as she wiped a phantom tear from the corner of her eye, "it's just too easy."
"Whatever," Hanabi muttered, crouching to leap away.
"Tell your sister we said congratulations," Jun finished with a wide smile, and Hanabi returned it with a nod, then leapt back up onto the rooftops.
Hanabi turned 15 in the Leaf hospital, sitting next to her father and several other fussy Hyūga, fretting over the birth of the newest Hyūga boy (officially to be known as an Uzumaki, but that didn't matter to Hanabi). She casually twirled her obsidian kunai with her index finger, feeling rather bored as they waited for news on the birth. She politely declined to be present for the birth of the baby, unsure of whether her stomach could take it. Her father would be called when he crowned, and she would finally have some time alone. She wasn't sure if she ever wanted to have kids, but she would make sure to remember to put her father in his place if he tried to insist on being there for the birth. Gross.
Throughout the day, several people stopped by the hospital to wish them well. Hanabi found it a little uncomfortable to be told congratulations by so many people she didn't know but took it in stride. Moegi had been by earlier in the day with a plushie she had picked up on her way, asking Hanabi to give it to the baby. Hanabi wasn't quite sure it was all that appropriate to try to give a plushie to a newborn infant, but would still offer it to her sister.
A couple of hours until midnight was when her father was called in as Hinata prepared to 'push'. Hanabi shuddered at the thought, trying to block out any graphic imagery. She breathed a sigh of relief when she was finally left somewhat alone. She still had her relatives around her, but she felt a little more at ease with her father gone. It was then that Konohamaru showed up, looking breathless with several gift boxes piled in his arms. She perked an eyebrow as he darted his eyes around the room, landing on her after a beat.
"Hey!" He breathed, jogging towards her, then falling into the seat next to her.
"Why are you all out of breath?" she questioned, turning towards him.
"My mom sent me all over the village looking for these damn presents," he sighed, holding up some of the boxes. "Had to do that, get home, wrap them, bolt over here, convince the front desk to let me in—it's just been a day."
"For you." Hanabi chuckled, glancing at the boxes before looking back up at him. "All this for my nephew, hm?"
"Some of it." Konohamaru shrugged, sifting through the presents. She peered over, seeing his messy scribbles on some of them addressed to Hinata, some to Naruto. "She insisted we get something for everyone. Look, this is for your dad. How crazy is that?" He lifted a long box up to wave in her face. Hanabi laughed again, she could envision Moriko fussing over getting congratulatory presents for everyone.
"She's thoughtful, that much is clear," she offered with a smile. He shook his head, a little smile betraying him before he looked back up at her. She squinted when he seemingly froze, staring at…what, she wasn't quite sure. Her nose? Her lips? Certainly not her eyes.
"I…I didn't get you anything," he admitted, his eyes dropping to his lap.
Again, she rolled her eyes. "What did I say about that? I don't want anything!"
"Really?" he asked, looking up at her somewhat feebly. "Nothing?"
"Nothing," she repeated, shaking her head. "I get to meet my nephew, it's more than I could have asked for." To this, the corners of his lips upturned. "I'm gonna be an aunt!"
"A damn good one, too." He chuckled, shoulders relaxing. She snickered at the compliment, feeling a little more at ease now. "You gonna teach him how to close all my chakra points, too?"
To this, she scoffed, "you gonna teach him that insane wheel of chakra?"
"The rasengan?" he questioned, tilting his head towards her. She nodded. "Ah, I dunno, maybe. Naruto might teach him that."
"Oof." Hanabi came to a realization, eyes widening. "That kids gonna be a menace."
"Oh, for sure." Konohamaru laughed, running his fingers through his hair. Her eyes followed his hand as it combed through his hair, and for some reason, she found herself staring. He hadn't just gotten taller, everything about him was…a little bigger. She only noticed it when she paid attention to his hands, they looked larger. His arms did, too. And he was donning the blue scarf again, and that made her heart feel a little softer. It suited him. "Hanabi?"
She blinked as she tore her eyes from the hand now resting on his knee, looking up at him. "What?"
"You didn't hear anything I said." His smirk grew as she shook her head.
"Sorry, a lot on my mind."
Silently, he simply nodded, leaning back in his seat. She glanced at him and bit her lips together, grabbing her elbows as she leaned forward. Her knees bounced anxiously as she awaited someone to come tell them the news that the baby had been born. She glanced up at a clock, finding the time reading 11:05 pm. The kid only had about an hour to get out of there to share a birthday with her. The thought amused her. She looked to her right to see Konohamaru resting his chin on his palm, eyes drifting closed. She hummed quietly as she reached a hand towards the back of his head, gently tugging at the knot of his headband. He opened his eyes to look at her as she undid the tie, catching the headband before it fell.
"Might as well relax, huh?" she asked gently as she folded the headband and set it in his lap. He gave her a crooked smile and nodded, letting his eyes shut once more. Gingerly, she brushed the loose strands of hair back from his eyes and retracted her hands, resting them in her lap as she admired his features. If he didn't have his eyes open, it couldn't hurt to get a better look, could it? She was surprised to see the baby fat on his cheeks he had just a year ago had seemingly melted off, revealing a defined jawline. His cheekbones were higher than she realized, and she thought he was really starting to resemble Asuma, with lighter hair. She wondered if he would try to grow out his facial hair.
"I know you're staring." She gasped quietly at the reveal, a cocky smirk on his lips but his eyes were still shut. "You know I don't mind if you stare at me when I'm not falling asleep, too, right?"
"Hush," she whispered, cheeks flushing as she turned away from him. "You're too egotistical for your own good, Sarutobi."
"Maybe." He chuckled, leaning over to rest his head on her shoulder. She froze at the gesture, feeling the plush of his cheek on the edge of her shoulder as he got comfortable. "I think you like it, though, Hyūga."
"Hmm," she hummed, not knowing how to respond. Within minutes, he was seemingly drifting off to sleep, making a pillow out of her. She wasn't sure if she wanted to shove him off to teach him a lesson or lay her own head against his, feeling like sleep was going to overtake her as well. She opted to reluctantly lean her head on his, letting out a little sigh, followed by a yawn.
"Lady Hanabi." A gentle shake of her shoulder roused her back up, her eyes darting back at the clock. 11:58. She blinked her eyes to meet those of Natsu, smiling sweetly down at her. "The baby's been born. Come."
"Oh!" Hanabi gasped, tearing her shoulder from Konohamaru's resting head. He flinched as he was awoken, steadying himself as he looked up at her. "Sorry! The baby's here!"
"It is?" Konohamaru let out a great yawn as he stretched his arms.
"Can Konohamaru come?" Hanabi asked hopefully just as Naruto came up behind Natsu.
"Yeah, of course! Come on." Naruto beamed down at the two despite the tiredness behind his eyes. Instinctively, she grabbed Konohamaru's hand and yanked him up, pulling him behind her as she followed Naruto to the room her sister was in.
Her breath caught in her throat as she stood in the doorway, a bundle of blankets in Hinata's arms containing her nephew. Despite the exhaustion on her sister's face, a smile still graced her features. "He's here." Hanabi bolted forward, and within a moment, both teenagers were on either side of the bed, staring down at the purple face of Hinata and Naruto's son, little whiskers on either cheek and blond hair poking out from the top of his head. "Boruto."
"Boruto…" Hanabi whispered, reaching down to brush her fingertips on the boy's forehead. She giggled as the infant recoiled, scrunching up his nose, unwilling to open his eyes. "Does he have…"
"His eyes are blue," Hinata finished for her. Hanabi nodded with an audible gulp, pulling her hand back. "Do you want to hold him, Hanabi?"
"I…" Hanabi's breathing became shuddered as she stared down at the bundle. "I do…but what if I hurt him?"
"You won't." Hinata beamed up at her as Naruto approached from behind.
Naruto gathered the boy in his arms before turning to Hanabi. "Don't worry sis, you got this!" Hanabi almost stumbled as the tiny human was thrust into her arms, instinctively raising to grasp him. Suddenly, she was holding this little creature in her arms, her nephew. She was surprised by how light he was, wondering whether he was too light? She glanced around before Konohamaru grabbed a chair for her, gently guiding her into it as her eyes became locked on the boy. A wide smile overtook her features as the infant let out a little cough, scrunching up his nose.
Hanabi cooed affectionately, "did you cough? That was a big cough." The words fell out of her naturally, surprising herself with how much she already loved this little being. She barely registered Konohamaru's presence behind her as he leaned over her shoulder, similarly admiring the baby. She leaned in to place a soft kiss on the baby's forehead before continuing. "Oh, little man, you have no idea how loved you are already."
Konohamaru chuckled above her, causing her to look up at him. She couldn't contain the giddiness on her face, a wide, silly smile. He spoke softly, "he's already stealing your thunder, huh?"
"Oh, that's okay." Her pitch raised as she spoke in a soft, babyish voice, looking back down and nuzzling her nose against Boruto's. "You can steal my thunder any time, Boruto."
Konohamaru felt something sickly sweet stirring in his gut as he watched Hanabi dote on the newest Uzumaki. Something about the way she softened, the way she spoke, the love filling her features. It was intoxicating to him, and he was a little ashamed to admit he was admiring her more than he was his mentor's just-born son. The moment the bundle was deposited into her arms, she looked like she was melting, and something was nudging him to come closer to her. Her sweet nature wasn't something he always got to see, but it suited her.
As she bounced the baby gently, he quickly grabbed a chair for her, figuring she'd be more comfortable sitting with the delicate package. He couldn't help but linger near her, leaning over the back of the chair to look down at the little blond-haired baby. Her little tease about his cough sent his heart racing. Damnit, she was too cute in this moment, and she had no clue.
"Oh, little man, you have no idea how loved you are already." He smirked at the comment, glancing up at Hinata and Naruto as they watched Hanabi with similarly endearing smiles.
He glanced back down at her to find her beaming up at him, and he wished he could have taken a picture of it. It was so rare to see her with that smile of pure happiness, he wanted to freeze it. His voice went quiet, "he's already stealing your thunder, huh?"
He watched as she giggled, looking back down at Boruto. "Oh, that's okay." Now her voice was higher, speaking in the baby tone that he heard his mother and Kurenai use on Mirai. He thought it was patronizing of them, but somehow, it sounded adorably endearing from her. She leaned in to nuzzle her nose with the baby and it was so sugary sweet, he thought his heart might rot from saccharine overdose. "You can steal my thunder any time, Boruto."
He chuckled at the comment, reaching his hand down to brush his fingertips against the boy's wisps of blond hair. His chest tightened as she glanced up at him and then back at the baby. "That's your uncle Konohamaru…maybe you'll call him big bro like he does your daddy." He let out a breathy laugh, hoping Naruto and Hinata didn't notice the burgundy on his cheeks. "And I'm your aunt Hanabi, but you can call me big sis."
"Big bro and big sis?" Naruto commented with a laugh, approaching the two. "Lucky kid!"
"That's right," Konohamaru agreed as Naruto reached down to grasp the baby back, turning to him. He lifted his arms to offer the baby and Konohamaru sucked in a shaky breath, nodding as he held out his arms. As soon as the baby was secured in his arms, Hanabi had already gotten out of the seat and guided him down, leaning over him.
"You're a natural, Kono," Hinata commented from her bed with a tired giggle. Hanabi glanced behind her before looking back at Konohamaru who smiled awkwardly at the comment, focusing his attention down on the infant.
"Is that right? You're a natural, Kono?" she whispered as she leaned in closer to him, causing him to involuntarily shiver. It actually sounded natural when she said it that way.
He shrugged as he pulled Boruto a little closer. "I've been watching Mirai for a few years now, so I guess? He's really not as fussy as Mirai was, though…"
"I think we'll live to regret those words," Hanabi teased, still painfully close to Konohamaru as she leaned over his front. He chuckled at the comment, leaning in to press a little kiss on top of the boy's head. Shortly afterward, he did indeed begin fussing, a little whine escaping the baby. "See?" Hanabi boasted happily as she stepped away, letting Naruto scoop him back up. Konohamaru let out a breath of relief as he stood up, stretching his arms back out.
"I think he needs a feeding," one of the nurses said gently from the side, nudging the two towards the exit.
"Right!" Konohamaru nodded awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head. "We'll go."
"I'll be back in the morning, elder sister," Hanabi assured, glancing at her father. He watched as they seemingly exchanged a wordless conversation, and he was surprised to find her leaving by herself.
"Your dad's staying?" he asked as the door shut behind them.
She rolled her eyes. "I know elder sister probably would like him to go, but he wants to stay overnight."
"Huh," he muttered, contemplatively. He was alone with Hanabi now, past midnight. What a strange scenario to be in. He shrugged before looking back down at her as they walked the halls of the hospital. "I'll walk you home, then."
"That's not necessary." She shook her head, but he just laughed.
"Well, I want to," he responded, honestly, grabbing the door to the front of the hospital for her. She looked up at him with a little smile before rolling her eyes, though she didn't look upset, so he'd take it.
Tag.
He debated with himself as they walked, her gushing about how cute Boruto was. He was trying to listen, he really was, but he couldn't get the image of her being so adorably affectionate out of his head. It was messing with his brain and he didn't even know why. The way she handled him with such tender care, the genuine feeling of love emanating from her. He enjoyed seeing it, he wished he could see it more.
"And those little whiskers, did you notice he has two on each side?"
"Huh?" Konohamaru snapped up at the question, lightly shaking his head. "Oh, no I didn't really. I'll have to get a better look at him later."
"You can come with me tomorrow!" whe declared with a lightness in her voice he didn't often hear. It made him stiffen. "If you want to. I can't wait to see that little guy again!"
"Oh…yeah." He nodded, willing his feet forward.
"I bet your mom would like to see him, too." She beamed up at him, her legs swinging a little higher as she walked. He chuckled.
"I dunno if they could handle my mom. Maybe in a few days," he said, grinning down at her. For a moment, their eyes were locked, and it made him wonder what she was thinking of. That beaming smile on her face was still present as her eyes scanned his face. As they passed his home on their way to the Hyūga compound, he made a split decision.
It was 12:45 in the morning and Konohamaru Sarutobi was grabbing Hanabi Hyūga and pushing her against the fencing around his home. Taking his chance, he grabbed her by the cheeks and pressed himself against her, then leaned in to catch her lips with his before she could protest. The little gasp that left her made him nervous, but that quickly melted away as she returned the kiss, their teeth awkwardly clashing for a moment. He focused all his attention on her lips, barely registering the fact her fingers were wrapping around his wrists. All he could envision was that sweet girl in the hospital room, and how soft that sweet girl's lips were against his.
After a moment, he pulled away, determined to make eye contact with her. Her lips were parted for air and her entire face looked red. He got a silly sense of satisfaction knowing he caused that. She finally opened her eyes to look up at him, blown wider than he had ever seen. His hands were still firmly encasing her cheeks and her fingers were still laced around his wrists and he would give everything he had to pause the moment in time. He would give even more to have her press her lips against his.
After sucking in a shuddered breath, he managed a smile down at her. "Tag, right?" he exhaled, and he didn't miss the sharp breath she took at the words. Slowly, he loosened his hands around her cheeks, releasing her, and she did as well, not responding. Quickly, he planted a quick kiss against her forehead before taking a step back. "Happy birthday, Hanabi."
Hanabi felt frozen as Konohamaru jogged up the steps behind her, unlocking his home and leaving her stuck against his fence. She blinked her bleary eyes, wondering what she just experienced.
Tag, right?
So he did understand. As her body loosened, something like excitement bubbled inside of her.
Glancing around briefly as if nervous someone had seen her (which of course, at midnight, no one had) before she broke into a run towards the compound, relieved it wasn't too much farther away. As she tried to enter, the guard posted outside stopped her, eagerly asking about the baby.
"Wow, everyone's excited about him, huh?" She laughed as she skidded to a stop, returning back to the guard. "He's healthy! Everything's normal."
"And the byakugan?" the guard asked further, hopefully. Hanabi's lips dipped to a frown.
It was always a possibility he might not be born with the byakugan, especially with one parent not possessing it themselves. She had held out hope that the Hyūga genes would push through but wasn't surprised to be told the little boy was blue-eyed like his father. She shrugged, turning away from the older Hyūga. "Not apparent." Quickly, she added, "yet."
"Oh." The dejection in the guard's voice was noticeable. "Thank you for informing me. We can't wait to meet him."
"Yeah." Hanabi nodded awkwardly, stepping backward. "Night."
"Goodnight, Lady Hanabi."
She took off on a quick walk back to her side of the compound, breathing a sigh of relief as she entered the empty living space.
That was uncomfortable…
It had taken her mind off of the kiss she had just shared with Konohamaru, but only for a moment. She quickly kicked off her sandals before skipping to her room and sliding the door open. Like a giddy little girl, she fell backward onto her bed and let out a loud sigh of contentment, reaching towards her hip to clutch the handle of the obsidian kunai she carried with her wherever she went. She pulled it up to her eyes and admired it as she traced the blunt edge.
Her chest was swelling. Even if she hadn't gotten the party she was promised, it was still an amazing day.
Her luck couldn't be allowed to run so freely, however. The next day, Konohamaru wasn't at home so she couldn't take him with her to the hospital to revisit the newborn baby. A little disappointed, but she didn't let it get her down.
Until weeks went by without seeing him, apparently having been shipped off with Udon on an extra-long mission that she wasn't given the details of, just that it was important.
As the months went by, Hanabi added a new routine to her schedule: visiting Boruto. She always tried to stop by after training when she wasn't on missions to see the little guy. It amazed her how much she could love such a dumb little creature—one that cried at the drop of a hat, one that couldn't form a single word, one that she had been fortunate enough to witness the first smile of. When her peek-a-boo drew a little upturn of the boy's lips, she could have melted directly into the ground.
She didn't know that Hinata was telling a white lie when she told her it was his first smile. It was too good seeing her little sister so giddy.
Then, she was back to being called away on diplomatic travels with her father. She was irritated that she had to accompany him to meet with the new feudal lord of the Land of Fire. She was told they were meeting the successor, by the name of Ikkyuu, and was surprised to meet a very mild-mannered man. Admittedly, he was far less stuffy than the other feudal lords, so she supposed she didn't mind. She also got to meet his newborn baby, and it made her miss Boruto.
However, to her dismay, she had a feeling she was being set up with the man's little brother, a boy maybe two years her senior. He was similar in personality to the man, just more energetic. She supposed he was nice enough, but she couldn't get Konohamaru out of her head whenever she thought romantically about anyone. It was silly, she knew, but such were the wills of teenage hormones as Natsu so eloquently put it one day. She hadn't revealed her 'little crush' on the boy to her, but apparently, it was just common knowledge, which annoyed her. She wondered how she was so easy to see through.
She found herself embarking on several trips to the lord's residency over the course of a year, being forced to spend time with the older boy. It wasn't the most enjoyable, but she endured, determined to leave a good impression on her father so he would continue indulging in her adventures with her team outside of their political assignments.
Then her 16th birthday rolled around, and she got to have a proper party. She had spent the first half of the day celebrating Boruto's birthday with her sister, Naruto, her father, and a few other Hyūga and Hinata and Naruto's friends. The boy was barely 1, though, so he was off for a nap by the middle of the day, which is when Hanabi would return for her own party. It figured that Konohamaru was out on a mission that day, Hanabi finding her luck dwindling every day. Not only that, but her party was attended by several dignitaries that her father had invited, and it really put a damper on the whole idea of a 'fun, teenage party'. To make it worse, the feudal lord of Fire was there with his brother, and she found herself trapped having to entertain the boy.
"So this your team?" he inquired curiously as she led him to Jun and Eiji, both eyeing him suspiciously, Eiji a little more than Jun.
"What are you, like 20?" Eiji scoffed.
Jun cleared his throat as he pinched at her arm and whispered, "don't be rude, Eiji."
"Uhm, guys, this is Richi." Hanabi held out her hands to gesture to him as he bowed. "These are my teammates, Eiji and Jun, and Yorimaru."
"Pleasure." Richi smiled, Jun returning the bow.
"He's the brother of the feudal lord," she continued unenthusiastically, trying not to roll her eyes.
Jun nodded. "Interesting, do you do work under your brother?"
"Eh, not really." The boy shrugged, glancing back at the older man. "He's pretty picky about stuff, doesn't want me around all that often. I'm more interested in you guys, shinobi!" Eiji perked an eyebrow as he weaved inexplicable hand signs, clearly not really knowing what he was doing. "Jutsu, right?"
"Uh, sure," Eiji muttered, squinting suspiciously up at him.
Hanabi found herself feeling embarrassed for him, even though he didn't look ashamed of what he was doing. Did he not realize he was being kind of offensive? He chuckled, glancing at Yorimaru. "Can the dog do jutsu, too? Like tricks?"
"No," Eiji snapped, her ears looking red. "I mean, yes. But not tricks, he's my partner, if you gotta know."
"Yorimaru is a nin dog," Jun clarified, taking over for Eiji.
"Nin dog," Richi repeated with a laugh, Yorimaru growling quietly. "Surprised they let it into the Hyūga place, huh?"
"He's my teammate." Hanabi frowned up at the boy, feeling more irritated by the second.
How she wished she could just enjoy her birthday party without having to be the heiress, for once.
"I think Konohamaru's back in the village." Eiji changed the subject, turning her body towards Hanabi.
Hanabi raised her eyebrows and bit her lips together before asking, "oh yeah? How long has he been back?"
"I could smell him about an hour ago, must've just gotten back."
"Oh, that's great. He'll probably come," Jun said with a high smile toward Hanabi.
Suddenly, she felt anxious. She didn't want this damn imperial to meet Konohamaru.
Just my luck.
"Who's Konohamaru?" Richi questioned, tilting his head.
Hanabi sighed, "uhm, our third Hokage's grandson. He's our friend."
"He's really Hanabi's friend," Eiji interjected with a smirk. Hanabi eyed her as she bounced on the balls of her feet. "They're really close. You were just at his mom's, weren't you, Hanabi?"
"Uh—" Hanabi choked on her own breath at the questioning, Richi looking down at her expectantly. "I mean—"
"Oh, I think I sense him," Jun cut in, looking over his shoulder.
"Smell? Sense?" Richi bellowed out a laugh as he glanced between the two. "And then you have like, see-through vision. Man, that's crazy!" The three exchanged a look as the boy shook his head in amusement, oblivious to their discomfort. Right on time, Konohamaru came through the entrance, glancing around the room before beaming toward Hanabi. He jogged over, shoving a present into her hands.
"Hey, guys!" He seemingly ignored the stranger with them. "Man, it's been a while. You got taller, Hanabi!" She looked up at him with a small smile, realizing that she indeed was quite a bit taller than when he last saw her, but so was he. She glanced around and giggled at the fact Eiji looked very short in between the group. Konohamaru looked at Eiji and with a mischievous grin said, "and you seem to be stunted."
"Real nice!" Eiji shoved her foot into his shin, causing him to laugh and stumble backward.
As if just realizing someone was there, his eyes landed on Richi, who was looking at him with expectantly raised eyebrows. "Ah, who's this? Sorry, I'm Konohamaru."
"Oh, I heard." Richi offered a tight smile as Konohamaru bowed politely to him, though he did not return the gesture. "Madoka Richi. I'm here with Hanabi."
"Oh?" Konohamaru's voice fell flat as he glanced between the two.
Hanabi felt paralyzed. This could not be going any worse.
"I mean—kind of, he's the feudal lord's brother and you know—" Hanabi panicked as she tried to clarify without coming off rude, "—how these things work, we're close in age so they kind of just pair us up, right?" She looked up at the boy hopefully, who simply shrugged.
"I enjoy your company, personally," he said, and she knew in the back of her head, she should appreciate the compliment, but it just sounded poisonous right now. Maybe that was the intention. She looked back at Konohamaru whose smile had quickly faded.
"I see." Konohamaru finally nodded before pointing at the present in Hanabi's hands. "Well, I'll leave you guys alone, I just came to drop that off."
"You're leaving already?" Jun frowned on Hanabi's behalf.
"What the hell?" Eiji snapped, crossing her arms with a huff.
"I gotta go report in, check in on my mom and Kurenai, Mirai, got a gift for Boruto…" She couldn't tell if he was lying to escape this incredibly awkward scenario. "Just a bad time, is all. But I'll see you guys around, right?"
"Indeed." Jun nodded, engaging in a quick handshake and pat with him. Pushing through the obvious discomfort, he turned to Hanabi and offered a weak smile.
"Happy birthday." Reluctantly, he looked up at the older boy and nodded briefly at him. Hanabi felt irked that at any other time, he'd probably offer a hug at the very least, but was obviously put off by Richi's presence and was seemingly holding back. "Nice to meet you, Roach."
Before Richi could correct him, he had seemingly disappeared. Hanabi bit back a laugh at the obvious sign of disrespect, not tempting fate. With annoyance in his tone, he turned to Hanabi to say, "he was…interesting. Does he do anything cool like you guys?"
"Like smell?" Eiji asked with a tautness to her voice.
"Hmm…well, he's a very naturally skilled shinobi." Jun looked up as if in thought, and Hanabi had to feel relief that her teammates were taking the lead in this conversation. The tension in the air was thick enough to choke someone. "As Lord Third's grandson, he's quite talented in many jutsu's, and is the pupil of our own village's hero."
"That right?" he asked with a frown. "So, nothing cool."
"The Rasengan is pretty cool," Eiji commented with a shrug, defending Konohamaru despite his tease of her earlier.
"Do you agree, Hanabi? This Rasengan is cool?" She shuddered at his callous tone, folding her arms uncomfortably.
"I mean, yes?" she answered honestly.
"Perhaps I'll get to see it sometime," the boy mused.
Oh, how she wished she could escape this.
"My brother seems to be gesturing for me…" he muttered before turning from the group, taking off without another word.
Hanabi let out the longest breath she felt she had ever held.
"That guy sucks," Eiji whispered agitatedly.
"He wasn't very pleasant…" Jun agreed quietly.
Hanabi shook her head, shoulders falling slightly. "All comes with the great honor of being the heiress…"
Thankfully, Richi seemed to choose to hang back with his brother and nephew, leaving Hanabi to relax with her friends, albeit with the feeling that he was watching her the entire time. In the meantime, she had given the present from Konohamaru to Natsu for safekeeping, not feeling it right to toss it with all the other gifts.
Despite the unfortunate events of the night and the presence of so many older dignitaries, Hanabi managed to have a good time. When the night came to an end and she returned to her room, she saw the long, skinny gift box sitting on top of her bed in the middle. It was silly to feel so excited about a present she insisted he not get her, she was just too curious as to what it was he came up with to get her. Quickly, she sat down next to the box and picked it up, noting its lack of heft. She pulled at the ribbon, then gingerly lifted the lid to reveal a kunai, one that looked more beautiful than she had ever seen. It was a shiny silver with a very skinny, but sturdy handle. It had a swirling green patterning on the blade itself, and two points at the end. A little knot of rope at the end of the circular handle had frayed edges, a bit of a darker green than the patterning.
Carefully, she pulled it out and held it up towards the light, admiring the way it shimmered. Despite looking like solid metal, it was incredibly light. She wondered what alloy it might be made of. She hooked her index finger into the circular handle and let it spin, surprised at how easily it encircled her finger. Based on its features, she just knew it would fly through the air like butter. She looked back down in the little gift box to find a folded note. She set the kunai down and fingered the note open.
Celestial Wind Kunai
Part of a set
From the Land of Wind
Part of a set? She smiled at the idea that they might be building some sort of collection that they both shared. He had good taste, too. It was gorgeous, and the name suited it nicely. She made a mental note to keep an eye out for kunai sets when she went on missions to other lands. She was determined to seek out Konohamaru the next day in an effort to apologize for the awkwardness of her party as well as thank him for the gift she didn't ask for but still appreciated. She couldn't wait to tell him how beautiful she thought the weapon was and compliment his good taste.
Alas, it felt like her luck had effectively run out when she knocked on his door and his mother greeted her, apologizing for his absence. And as the weeks went by, she felt like he was avoiding her. After a few months, she was sure he was avoiding her. Maybe it was karma for what she'd done to him. But as the days went by, it became easier to accept that maybe he just didn't want to be around her anymore.
And she had to remind herself that she was a Hyūga.
Hyūga pushed forward with their head held high.
So she did.
