Chapter Eleven

Adult

Hanabi – 20
Konohamaru – 21


20 was always a big year for a main family Hyūga. It was a big year for anyone, clearly, but for Hyūga, it was the one time of year they would throw an extravagant party (outside of weddings to the Hero of the Leaf, of course). For how much Hanabi had wanted a party when she turned 15, she really did not want a party this year. Birthdays had never been what they should have been for Hanabi. There was always something that went wrong, she felt. But this one was unavoidable, so she spent the days leading up to it trying to come up with a strategy to keep herself close to Eiji and Jun and avoid as many of politicians she knew her father would be inviting, as possible. Konohamaru certainly wasn't an option…he hadn't been for a long time, but especially after that mission together, they'd seemingly come to a silent agreement it was better they just simply remain distant.

Adulthood loomed over her, and with every passing day, she was growing closer and closer to becoming clan head. Just like she was supposed to. Just like she had known for so many years. Just like she couldn't avoid, despite the kind words others offered her. Like Hinata assuring her she'd be a kind, benevolent leader. Like Tora telling her they couldn't avoid the fire she'd force on them. Like Tadashi offering the simple guarantee that she'd be a fair, sensible head of the Hyūga.

Like Konohamaru comforting her.

That she could change things.

That she was so much greater than she thought.

That she wasn't the monster she thought she was.

Leading up to the big day, Hanabi busied herself with missions. Upon arrival from a particularly long mission a few days prior to her celebration, with Tora and another jōnin, she was greeted by Eiji at the gates, leaning against a panting Yorimaru, hands shoved in her pockets.

"Hanabi, sensei." She nodded at them.

"Hey there, little one." Tora gave a wave.

"What's up?" Hanabi inquired, stopping in front of her teammate as they nodded a goodbye towards the other jōnin who parted from them.

"Jun's in the hospital."

"What?!" Hanabi gasped, eyebrows furrowing as she looked towards their old sensei who had a similarly shocked look. Her heart immediately felt tighter in her chest. "What—what happen—wait, what—" She struggled to straighten her thoughts, grabbing Eiji by the shoulders. "Wait—why aren't you—"

"What happened?" Tora interjected calmly, despite the nervousness behind her tone. Eiji shook her head, peering off towards the hospital. "Have you…seen him?"

"No visitors right now. He got caught in an explosion." Hanabi's stomach twisted at the words. "I wasn't there…but they say it was pretty bad."

"Happened while we were gone?" Tora asked, softly as Eiji's gaze locked down on the ground. Yorimaru whined as he shoved his snout into her palm.

When Hanabi heard a sniffle from the girl, she snaked her hands around the smaller woman's shoulders. The years had put a major height difference between them, and despite being the taller one now, Hanabi still felt dread at her reaction. Eiji had always been the strong one, the one that pushed through, action before words. But here she was, on the verge of tears for their teammate, and it terrified her.

"He doesn't have any family," Eiji whispered against Hanabi's shirt, not returning the embrace but allowing herself to be cradled. Her voice sounded strangled, and it hurt Hanabi in a place she hadn't even realized could feel pain. Her strong teammate—how could she of all people be breaking down?! She should have been the one punching her in the arm and telling her to 'chill out.' Eiji managed a few more strangled words, "they won't let me see him and everyone who did see him keeps saying how bad it was."

"We…we have the best medical ninja, though," Hanabi tried to reason and hold back tears as well. It was her turn to be the strong one. After a moment, Tora joined them in a little huddle, Yorimaru pressing his body into the women.

"That's right."

Tora seemed at a loss for words, too.

The three plus Yorimaru stayed huddled in silence.


"You can find out, though, can't you?" Hanabi pleaded, following Naruto around the house like a lost puppy.

"Hanabi, I can't," he sighed, rubbing at his temples as he cleaned in an attempt to shake her off. "It's classified, everyone has to follow the same rules."

"But not you!" she cried accusingly, "you're the Hero of the Leaf! You get special treatment!"

"I don't!" he snapped, turning towards her with a deep frown. Upon seeing the tears in her eyes as she looked up at him, he softened. "Look, I wish I could. If I could, I'd do it in a heartbeat. I know how it feels to not know." Hanabi took a step back. "I trust Sakura with my life—with your life, Hinata's, Boruto's, Himawari's—so if I can trust her with that, can't you trust her with Jun's?"

"But what if it's something that can't be fixed!" Hanabi felt like a kid again, as if pleading with her father. "What if it's—what if it's his chakra? Or blew his face off? Or—"

"Hey!" Naruto spoke over her and roughly grabbed her by the shoulders. "You're spiraling! Deep breaths with me, one, two—"

"Don't patronize me!" Hanabi ripped away, wrapping her arms around herself to rub at the spots he had grabbed. "You don't care about me!"

"Of course I do!" Naruto's eyes went wide as she stepped backward again. "You're my sister, Hinata's little sister—we both care about you a ton, Hanabi!"

"Yeah, right. If you did, you'd help me," Hanabi snapped, turning away from him. "Hero of the Leaf can't even help his wife's sister check on her best friend. Some hero you are."

With that, she bolted out of the door, leaving Naruto completely dumbfounded.


Hanabi knew she'd regret what she had said to Naruto, but at the moment, she couldn't find it in her to care. She went to the hospital afterward, the third time she had visited that day, only for the front desk to immediately begin shaking their heads upon seeing her.

"Heartless," Hanabi snapped simply before leaving the poor workers in the front.

Somehow, she was taking this worse than Eiji. Eiji had always been the one who was protective over Jun, but this time, seeing how defeated she was about the whole thing, sparked something in Hanabi. If Eiji wasn't going to fight for Jun, she had to.

Tora had left them to report to Kakashi, while Hanabi and Eiji went to the hospital. After being rejected, Eiji told her she'd just hang out in the waiting room to see if they'd let her in at some point. Hanabi had told her she would go see if Naruto could do anything, which he couldn't, and now she was here, standing in front of the door to the Hokage's assistant's office. She sucked in a deep breath and shoved the doors open, meeting Shikamaru's normally lazy eyes that turned to one of irritation upon seeing her.

"Oh no you don't—" he snapped, tearing from his seat, "—you do not go in there! I know why you're here!"

"Don't try to stop me!" she retorted, stomping towards the doors. Suddenly, she froze in place, limbs paralyzed, only allowing the movement of her mouth and eyes. "Oh gods! Let me go!"

"I can't do that, Hanabi." Shikamaru sighed, hands clasped and a deep frown on his face. "Your sensei's in there already, she'll let you know if there's anything you can find out."

"Yeah right." Hanabi gave a dark chuckle. "They won't tell her anything."

"Then they won't tell you anything, either!" he yelled and it made her wince. It wasn't normal to see Nara's show visible anger.

"What are you even doing here?! Where's Shizune?" she asked incredulously, feeling enraged that of all days, the more compassionate Shizune wasn't here.

"Assisting in healing your teammate."

In the midst of their argument, the Hokage's doors opened, and Tora and Kakashi emerged, Tora looking at Hanabi with pity in her eyes. Hanabi squinted at her. "He won't tell you anything, will he?"

"Hanabi…" Tora sighed, bringing her index finger and thumb to the bridge of her nose. "You have to relax and trust the system."

"Fat chance," Hanabi spat back, her muscles fighting the shadow possession.

"Shikamaru, let her go," Tora called, and Shikamaru eyed her suspiciously before looking at Kakashi, who gave a quick nod. With a sigh, he released his fingers, and Hanabi stumbled forward, caught by Tora. "I know you're scared, little lamb—"

"Don't call me that!" Hanabi felt desperate now, she needed somewhere to take her anger out. "I'm not a weak little girl! I—I have to know how Jun is! I can help heal him! Eiji's just sitting in the hospital, she's given up!"

"She hasn't given up," Tora interjected, "she just realizes the best thing to do is wait. Wait for the medics to treat him."

"Why are you all against me?" Hanabi's voice was weak as Tora's grip on her tightened.

"Hanabi," Kakashi cut in, tilting his head down at her, "you and Eiji will be the first contacted when he's allowed visitors."

"That's not good enough!"

At this, Tora let out a frustrated sigh. "You're being a brat, Hanabi! We all care about Jun!"

Hanabi ripped from the older woman's clutching fingers, glowering at her. With a scoff, she turned away, "clearly not."

"Wait!"

Hanabi bolted from the room like the brat she had just been called and ran through the village at full speed.

"No one cares," she huffed under her breath as the wind whipped through her hair.

No one ever cares.


Hanabi spent the day pacing around the village as if she was going insane, trying to think of all the ways she could convince someone to let her in there. Jun was far too important just to put on the backburner—he was her light, her guide, her voice of reason. He was too important, and Eiji was too important to disappoint with a lackluster rebellion. Once the sun started setting, she found herself next to the hospital. Silently, she activated her byakugan and scanned, a frowned upon activity, especially for a hospital, but at the moment, she did not care. There were so many chakra networks, it was hard to pinpoint any in particular. With a sigh, she strained her eyes, trying to see if she could pick out any familiar ones.

Once she landed on that of Sakura's, she immediately began analyzing the chakra networks around her. Many were dim from injury, and then she found it—Jun's normally bright chakra network, looking quite dim. Dangerously dim.

"Jun…" she whispered into the air, her stomach dropping. She sucked in a deep breath and fell onto the bench behind her, her byakugan still active, and decided to wait for night to descend.

About an hour later, she had formulated a plan. She would keep an eye on where she knew Jun was, then quickly climb to the window of his room when all other chakra networks exited, leaving her the opportunity to essentially break in.

She quietly hopped on a few tree branches until she was about the right height to latch onto the wall next to the window she knew Jun was behind. Carefully, she attempted to wiggle her fingers under the sill of the window, and before she could make any progress, she was being yanked back to the ground.

"What the—" she gasped, scrambling to wiggle out of the captor's grasp. She pushed herself to her feet and her byakugan detected yet another familiar network. Quickly, she blinked away the byakugan to find one of the last faces she wanted to see. "Leave me alone, Konohamaru."

"No." Simple. "Naruto asked me to keep an eye on you."

"You of all people?!" She gritted her teeth as she glared up at him, fists clenching. "What an insult."

"Yeah, that kinda stings." He frowned, crossing his arms. "Stop doing this, Hanabi. Just wait like everyone else."

"You're just like everyone else." She pointed an accusing finger at him, nostrils flaring. "You don't give a damn!"

"You really are going off the deep end, aren't you?" he snapped, and it was possibly the cruelest thing he'd ever said to her, and she had to admit it hurt. She took a step back, inhaling shaky breaths. "Naruto already told me everything. There's nothing anyone can do except wait, even you."

"Jun is in there and his chakra network is completely shot. I can see it." She pointed at her eyes, byakugan reactivating. "They're not helping him right! I can!"

"There are Hyūga doctors up there, Hanabi," he offered, his tone a little softer now as he seemed to notice the hurt on her expression.

"But I can help him better," she said through gritted teeth, deactivating the byakugan and turning her head from him. "I need to help him…" A tiny gasp escaped her when he roughly pulled her into his arms, holding her against her will to him. "Stop it, Konohamaru! I don't want your sympathy!"

"I'm not giving you my sympathy," he retorted, his strength overpowering hers as he pinned her to his chest. "I'm helping you. I will always help you. No matter what."

"You can't help me," she said as her voice cracked slightly, "unless you get me up there to help him, you can't help me." Her figure slumped into his as the words fell out of her mouth. "No one can help me."

Silence fell over them as tears began to fall from the bottoms of her eyes, finally giving up on struggling against him. The day had sapped every ounce of her energy, and she found herself feeling weak. Just like everyone else thought about her, just like how Konohamaru must see her now. Being weak.

"You're a good person, Hanabi." The words caught her off guard, causing her to tense slightly. "You care to the point of pain. I know how that is."

"Is that what this is?" she questioned quietly, giving in to bury her forehead further into his jacket, the jōnin flak jacket they had discussed whether he would wear.

"It's why you push me away."

She tore from his grip at those words, as he had made the mistake of loosening his hold. She locked her eyes with his and glared daggers, he winced. "Don't start with that."

"I'm not," he sighed, dropping his hands, "I'm just…it hurts to love someone that much. And sometimes, I think we push people away when we're afraid of it, we don't want to feel it." She finally relaxed, deciding to stay put to listen to him. "You care about Jun so much it hurts. You probably would feel the same if it was Eiji or your sister. And it's making you…" He paused, carefully considering his next words, "…a little rash. You need to know he's okay so you can stop being in pain."

"That makes me seem selfish," she responded, grimacing. Before he could respond, she added, "and I probably am."

"It's not that," he exhaled, trying to take a step forward, but she mimicked him, stepping backward. "It's okay to feel that way. But you have to let them take care of him now. The more you do this, the more they have to worry about you on top of mending Jun."

She hated him.

No. She didn't hate him. She hated that he was right.

Suddenly, her legs gave out and she found herself on her knees, clutching her painfully knotted stomach as the tears returned. Cursing himself for not catching her, he joined her on the ground and gathered her up again, holding her against him. Now, the silence permeated the air, and there was nothing left to say. Hanabi cried for what felt like hours against him before exhaustion took her and she let herself fall asleep in his grip.


Holding a passed-out Hyūga heiress in his arms as he approached the Hyūga compound certainly invited some ruthless questioning from a lot of byakugan-wielders. He was just relieved when Tadashi was found in the mix, and he looked at him with pleading eyes. The man shushed the other guards and stepped forward, carefully examining the younger Hyūga. "Well?"

"She's alright," he started with a sigh of relief, "it's just…been a day."

"I've heard…our heiress, causing a ruckus all around the village." Tadashi returned the sigh, nodding his head to signal for him to go inside. Konohamaru was a little surprised when he didn't just take her, but didn't complain, and dutifully followed him forward with Hanabi draped over his arms.

To say he was surprised when the man opened her room and let him in was an understatement. He kept his eyes forward as he carefully laid her legs first, then her head, and stepped backward, recognizing her caretaker, Natsu, immediately fretting over her.

"Always a troublemaker," Natsu mumbled irritably as she began working on getting Hanabi comfortable. It was certainly an interesting sight, to see what Hanabi dealt with on a day-to-day basis, with caretakers taking care of all of her needs. He could see why she struggled with feeling weak if this was a normal occurrence.

"Come, Honorable Grandson." He snapped his eyes up, realizing he had been staring for a bit too long, and now Natsu was shooting him a look as she had to pause disrobing the unconscious girl.

"Right, sorry. Thanks." He bowed to Natsu quickly before following Tadashi out. The Hyūga guard wordlessly had him trail him until they were just outside of the compound, and Konohamaru stopped awkwardly next to him. "Well…uhm…take care of her, okay? She's really struggling right now…"

"We're aware." Tadashi nodded, looking contemplative. Then he continued, "thank you, for keeping an eye on her, but we'll be handling it now. Lord Hiashi is meeting with the Uzumaki."

"Oh…right," he breathed, rubbing at the back of his head. "Well, I'll still keep an eye out for her. I care about her."

Tadashi was silent for a moment and Konohamaru felt the need to leave. "You do not need to concern yourself with Lady Hanabi. It would not look well against your…current relationship."

"I—I'm not—" Konohamaru stumbled over his words, completely taken off guard, "—that doesn't matter! Besides…I'm not…well, I'm not in a relationship anymore, anyway. Even if I was, though! I only care about her as a friend!"

"Ah." The simple responses always irked Konohamaru. "Well, in that case, perhaps I should go against my better judgment…" Konohamaru perked an eyebrow as the older Hyūga slid his hand into his robe, then pulled out what looked like an invite. "Lord Hiashi left it to me to decide whether it would be appropriate to invite you. This is for you and your mother, for Hanabi's event."

"Event?" Konohamaru reluctantly took the invite, looking it over. He knew Hanabi's birthday was coming up but didn't realize she'd be having a big party.

"The 20th birthday of a main family Hyūga is a large, formal event. Despite your past with Lady Hanabi…it is customary to invite the Hokage's families."

"Right…" Konohamaru winced slightly at the 'your past' comment but pushed forward. "I'll, uh, let my mom know. Thanks, Tadashi."

With polite bows, Konohamaru took off. He checked his watch. It was nearly midnight. He rubbed at his face tiredly as he began his trek home, feeling unsure of the events that had just transpired.

He had conveniently left out that he had in fact seen Jun's broken body being rushed into the hospital, and it was gruesome. He nearly looked like a mummy with all the bandages he had wrapped around every inch of him. Blood was soaking through bandages where one of his eyes should be, and one of his legs was twisted the wrong way. His clothing was torn in multiple areas, and much of it was drenched in blood. The other jōnin on his team that were carrying him were also covered in splatters of blood.

He knew Hanabi had been out on a mission but didn't know she would have such a visceral reaction to the news. He supposed it made sense, he could see himself having a similar reaction about Moegi or Udon, or Hanabi herself. He was telling the truth when he said it was hard caring about people so much. It's why he never blamed her for pushing him away, just as he did her. Whatever they wanted from each other, they couldn't have, and it would hurt. Just like this hurt. But this was her teammate, and his life hung in the balance. He felt guilty comparing the situations.

Once he reached his home, he pushed the gate to the backyard open and then shut it behind him, choosing to sit on the porch to contemplate. He couldn't handle his mother right now. Her heart was in the right place, but explaining the events of the day he wasn't even truly sure he understood was not appealing right now in the slightest. He fixed his eyes on a lantern hanging from a tree branch in his backyard, setting his elbows on his knees and chin on his clasped fingers.

How he wanted to help her. He told her as much, but it hurt to think she didn't believe him. When Naruto asked him to keep an eye on her, he dropped everything he had planned for the day, including a date he had with his now ex-girlfriend. When asked to reschedule with her, she told him not to bother, because it was becoming too difficult to handle what she told him was his 'obvious obsession with that damn Hyūga.'

He hated that she was right. She was a sweet girl and he enjoyed being around her, but she didn't deserve the pain he was putting her through. He accepted her words without much thought and felt guilty about the pain that flashed over her face when he didn't even try to argue. He had tried to date around to help himself move on, but it never worked out. It always ended up the same, and even his mother, who adored Hanabi, was trying to gently tell him it was getting a little unhealthy.

When Hanabi said she was selfish, it was hard to argue, because he himself felt it. He was selfish when it came to her. He found himself 'casually' walking by the Hyūga compound sometimes, hoping to catch a glimpse of her, but he figured she must be sensing his chakra or something because he hardly saw her. He still spent time around Jun occasionally before this, but always the respectful friend, Jun dodged any questions about Hanabi. They only stumbled into each other when they were visiting Naruto and Hinata and the kids, but neither could seem to interact with the other normally. It was all polite greetings and strained small talk.

Naruto tried to help. They were too obvious to everyone around them. He tried to tell him to talk to her, to figure out a way to be at least friendly, especially since they were both so important to Boruto and Himawari's lives. But Konohamaru found it to be hopeless because if she didn't want him around, he couldn't justify being around. Hinata was always trying to be sneaky by inviting them both over at the same time, but Hanabi had apparently caught on and had been making excuses for why she couldn't visit. That one, in particular, made him feel especially guilty; she was the kids' aunt, and she shouldn't be avoiding them just to avoid him. So he started declining visits as well. It was all so complicated and left him in a kind of pain he knew wasn't healthy.

He fished out the invite from his pocket, carefully peeling it open. He frowned when he saw the event was just a few days from now. Based on Jun's condition, he would probably still be in the hospital. He felt sorry for her, she could never seem to catch a break. Based on the importance of the event, they'd probably be doing everything they could to ensure she was locked down in response to her chaotic behavior.

"Ah, Hanabi…" he whispered to the air as he stared at the invite, the floral patterning around the edges, the formal writing, the pale lavender of the cardstock. He didn't think it suited her, he wondered if she ever had any say in the invites. They'd probably be straight to the point, maybe an orange or red cardstock to fit her fiery personality better. He sighed when he heard his back door slide open, knowing his mother was behind him. "Hey, mom."

"Come get some rest, Kono." He was surprised she hadn't launched into questioning but knew he shouldn't be. For how pushy she could be, she was still very in tune with others' emotions. Silently, he nodded his head, standing to tower over the short woman. She looked up at him with sad eyes and he closed his, letting her pull him into a hug. It surprised him that even at this age, he could still find comfort in his mother's arms.


The day of the party, Hanabi was feeling anything but festive as servants fretted over her.

It was supposed to be her party, but it felt like a show. A show for the village of Hyūga wealth and status. Only the most important people would be there, but at least she was able to invite friends. Well, that was the comfort she took before Jun ended up hospitalized. Now it just felt like a joke. A cruel one, at that. She would have to plaster a fake smile on her face and interact with what she would frankly describe as 'assholes' and could do nothing about it.

You need to know he's okay so you can stop being in pain.

As always, he was right. But this time, she found little comfort in the words.

"There." She looked back up at the mirror at Natsu's conclusion. "You look like a proper heiress."

"Thanks." Her voice was flat. It wasn't sarcastic, just devoid of emotion. She stared at herself in the mirror and grimaced. They had her in a set of lavender formal robes and pinned her hair up into an all too extravagant diamond-encrusted clip. Light makeup on her features, a dazzling pendant around her neck. A ring passed down from her mother, a simple white band. She looked beautiful, and she hated it. She looked beautiful, and Jun was laying in gods know what state in the hospital. It was wrong.

When Eiji told her she wouldn't be coming, she didn't blame her. She told her she would be back at the hospital as soon as possible to wait with her, and if Jun's status changed during the party, she would fight every Hyūga guard in the whole damn compound if she had to, to be there. For now, she just figured she'd rather stop stirring up trouble if she was powerless to do anything, anyway. It felt like the whole village was keeping an eye on her.

The servants escorted her out to where the event was being held, already full of 'stale politicians' as Moriko had once put it. It was her only comfort, to insult them in her head as she beamed at them. She made her way out of a grand hallway into the event room while everyone in the room went silent in acknowledgment of her.

All eyes on her.

Hanabi spent the night feeling numb. She recited line after line, nodding and engaging politely with every single person who came her way. She was given a break when Hinata looped her arm into hers and tugged her away, telling the person she was talking with that she needed to borrow her.

"You deserve a little break, dear sister." Hinata offered a smile and Hanabi struggled to return it. She frowned as they approached Naruto, who was already indulging in sake.

"Here, take one of these." Naruto shoved a sake cup in her hands, then held up his. "It'll help this whole thing along."

"Aren't you mad at me?" Hanabi asked, pointedly as she instinctively grabbed the cup.

Naruto snorted, rolling his eyes. "Of course not. I've said stupider things when I've been all worked up like that."

"That's true." Hinata giggled, gently poking the tip of his nose.

"Little lord!" An exasperated Hyūga servant called from the side as an angry head of blond hair stomped towards them, Himawari undoubtedly being doted on by other Hyūga caretakers elsewhere.

"When'm I gonna getta big party, dad?!" he exclaimed, crossing his arms in frustration as Naruto smirked down at the little look-a-like. "It's my birthday!"

"Boruto!" Hinata snapped quietly, squinting down at the boy.

"Trust me, bud," Hanabi sighed, clinking her glass against Naruto's before both took a shot. She sucked in a breath before continuing, "I'd much rather be celebrating your birthday, today."

"It isn't fair, big sis," he grumbled, now glaring at her, "you're sad."

"Hmm," Hanabi hummed, letting the alcohol warm her belly. "How could you tell?"

"Hanabi…" Hinata sighed, clearly looking frustrated with all three of them. "Come, Boruto."

Boruto groaned in an exaggerated fashion as Hinata escorted him away from the two, and Naruto was already offering her another shot. She eyed it with suspicion before looking out over the crowd of people.

"Fuck it." Naruto chuckled at the slur from the heiress's mouth as she grabbed the shot and swiftly threw it back her throat.

If she had to do this, she might as well be buzzed.


Hanabi let herself be essentially passed around by dignitaries, each seemingly wanting to speak with her, and she easily let out snarky comment after snarky comment.

"Have you met the new Mizukage?"

"Guy with the funny glasses and earmuffs?"

"How did you enjoy the Sand last summer?"

"Hot. Dry. Sandy."

"Well, what do you think about the battle coming to an end in the Rock?"

"I think those guys should probably take the rocks out of their—"

With that, she had an escort in the form of Tadashi, carefully following her around to ensure she wouldn't lose face in her state.

"You can't control me anymore, 'dashi," Hanabi mumbled as he took her to the refreshments, forcing a glass of water into her hands.

The older Hyūga looked tired. "I understand you're going through some things, Lady—"

"Stop there." She held up her hand before guzzling down the entire glass of water in one move, then slammed it back on the table. "Don' wanna hear it."

"Lady Hanabi—"

"'Dashi, just—gods! Leave me alone!"

"Lady—"

"UGH!" Hanabi threw her hands up with a dramatic eye-roll, then turned from him to march away, only to collide straight into none other than Moriko.

"Oh, dear!" As usual, her voice was nothing but pleasant, despite the collision. "My, my, are you alright?"

"Shit!" The slur fell from her mouth as she stared wide-eyed at the woman in front of her. "Moriko—er—Ms. Sarutobi—I'm so sorry—"

"Oh, enough with that," Moriko said, gently as she patted her forearm comfortingly. Hanabi's eyes darted up to catch the eyes of Konohamaru's who were looking down on them with concern from behind his mother. "I see you're celebrating quite well, aren't you?"

"Uhh—" Hanabi audibly gulped, feeling her entire body consumed in heat. This was not what she expected. "What are you…I mean, it's lovely, it's great that you're…here."

"Tadashi invited us," Konohamaru chimed in over his mother's head, and Hanabi shot Tadashi a look over her shoulder. "But I can go…if you want."

Hanabi did her best to repress any outbursts, especially in front of Konohamaru's mother who had been nothing but kind to her. Counting to three in her head, she took a clearly labored breath before shaking her head, willing herself to sober up, as if she had any control over it. "No…no, that won't be necessary. You're both more than welcome. Please excuse me."

With that, she averted her eyes and walked around them to escape the inevitable questioning of her state. She heard Tadashi offer an apology before following after her.

"I was trying to warn you," he whispered behind her and she gritted her teeth.

"You didn't tell me they were invited," she whispered back, angrily as she avoided the bids for her attention, brushing through the crowd of people.

"You should know the Hokage's families are invited, Lady Hanabi."

Before she could get any further, he grabbed her forearm and stopped her march. She whirled around to glare at him but softened at his slightly pleading look. "I'm not in any position to see them, Tadashi."

"Then let your father." He nodded beside him and she got on her tiptoes to look over his shoulder, finding her father engaging in conversation with Moriko and Konohamaru. "Try to take it easy, Lady Hanabi."

"How can you say that?" There was hurt behind her voice. "I'm never allowed to 'take it easy'," she continued as she air-quoted, "but now, suddenly because I'm drinking on my 20th birthday, I should? Because you all don't want these fancy politicians to see me like this?" Silence fell and Hanabi shook her head. She folded her arms and turned away, casting her gaze downward. "I just want to see Jun. Not these people."

It surprised her that Tadashi had nothing to say in return, simply standing next to her. She sighed when he tried to offer a gentle pat on the shoulder, something that was well-intentioned but did nothing for her right now. "I am sorry, Hanabi."

The lack of title forced her gaze back to him, but he simply looked ahead at the crowd. With a sigh, she nodded and took several deep breaths, willing her tipsy self to calm down. After a few moments, Konohamaru approached from the side and gave Tadashi a pat on the shoulder. "Why don't you take a break, big guy?"

Hanabi eyed him suspiciously, noting two sake glasses in his other hand. Under different circumstances, she might have even made a comment that the once little runt was now even taller than Tadashi, something that seemed impossible before. Tadashi glanced warily at him, then her, and nodded. How he could be so relenting right now, she wasn't sure. She must have worn him down. Tadashi took leave, and Konohamaru lifted one of the sake cups towards her. With a frown, she snarked, "trying to get me drunk?"

"I'm trying to get drunk." He laughed, but it sounded strained. "C'mon. You're 20. Try to enjoy it, even just for a moment."

Hanabi swallowed thickly as she stared at the glass he was wiggling in front of her. Finally, she sighed and took the cup, downing another shot, and she wasn't quite sure how many she had.


After being accosted by yet another lord or lady or someone or another, Konohamaru yanked her to the middle of the room and forced her to dance with him. 'Forced' being used lightly, because, in all actuality, she was feeling very loose and didn't put up much of a fight.

"Any excuse for your hands on me, huh?" she quipped as he rested his palms on her waist. She couldn't help but enjoy the way his cheeks went rosy when he was tipsy and the way his smile lines never left his eyes. She got on her tiptoes to lean in closer and whispered, "hopefully your girlfriend won't be jealous."

"You mean my ex?" He perked an eyebrow, and she lowered her eyes at him, falling back onto her heels.

"What is that, the tenth one? Never took you for a player, Konohamaru." She squinted at him suspiciously when he let out a loud laugh.

"Ten? You give me way too much credit. Try third. Besides, don't you have a boyfriend now?" he asked pointedly, leaning his face a little closer to hers.

She frowned and looked away. "No. Father is always trying to set me up in some way or another, but I've successfully dodged all attempts."

"Aw, c'mon," he started, the alcohol clearly speaking for him, "you don't want some fancy lord to come sweep you off your feet?" To this, she kept her lips pursed. "Come be your right-hand Hyūga? Make you swoon with condescending words and fine dining? Make you—"

"Enough," she snapped, pressing a hand against his chest. "You know I don't want that. At all."

"I know." His toothy grin came back as he leaned in closer, his voice dropping an octave. "I know what it is you want."

This caught her off guard. When did he get so bold? Trying to imply that she wanted him?

What an asshole!

"You think you know? Tell me, Sarutobi," she said, sharply gripping the flap of his suit to let him know she meant business, or as much as she could because being wrapped up in his arms put her at a slight disadvantage. Her eyes followed one of his hands as it retracted from her hip and slid into his coat pocket, revealing a slender box.

"Your gift!" He presented it to her proudly.

She rolled her eyes as she stepped away from him. "Another kunai, I bet." She regretted the words as soon as she saw a little look of hurt flash across his face, and quickly corrected, "well! I do love our kunai. Where'd you get this one? I heard you went to the Tea Village, I wonder what kind of…" she trailed off after opening the lid to reveal a long, silver necklace, and at the bottom, a pendant with a shimmering, blue gem. "Is that…aquamarine?"

"Yeah. For your birth month."

"How…" She paused, eyes darting over it. "How did you afford this?!"

"Don't worry about it." He waved her off before shoving his hands in his pockets. "I just wanted to get you something nice. Nicer than another kunai." He emphasized the last part.

"I didn't mean anything by it…" she whispered, staring at the box in her clutched grip. "I can't accept this."

"You can, and you will," he retorted before pulling the necklace out of the box and darting behind her. Before she could move away, he already had it unclasped and laced around her neck. She shivered at the cool touch of metal against her collarbone, replacing the necklace she had on before he had pulled it off. As he finished clasping it, he laid the other necklace in the box and came forward, grabbing her by the shoulders to steady her so she wouldn't wiggle away. She looked up at him as he stared at her intently before the grin returned. "Gorgeous."

"M-me?" she stuttered, taking a step back as his eyes returned to hers.

With a little snort, "no! The necklace! OW—" He coughed when she landed a hit on his shoulder, more surprised than anything, but still laughed. "Of course you!"

She softened at the compliment, turning away so her hair would curtain her face. "Stop…"

"You really do look amazing tonight." She stiffened at the genuine flattery. "If there's one thing Hyūga know how to do, it's dress up nice." He chuckled as she rolled her eyes and folded her arms in a pout. He dipped his eyes to the finger on top of her forearm, spotting the white band. He gingerly reached out to brush his fingertips against it. "This looks nice with it."

"The ring?" she questioned, carefully pulling it in front of her face. He nodded, smiling and she sucked in her lips, eyes dipping. "It was my mother's…"

"Oh," he exhaled, his tone shifting immediately. He cautiously rubbed the back of his neck, shifting his weight onto one foot as she let out a little sigh, dropping the hand. "It's…it's beautiful."

"Mm…" she hummed, not feeling embarrassed over that specific comment. She brought the hand back up, clasping her other fingers over it to twist around the base of her finger. She tilted her head.

Mother…

"I never knew her." She frowned, gulping, unaware of his clearly shrinking state.

"That long ago, huh?" he asked, softly, stepping a little closer. She nodded with a shaky sigh.

Why she was so freely sharing this information right now, she wasn't sure. Must have been the booze. "No one will tell me how she died…elder sister says she simply died of sadness," she scoffed, briefly lifting her eyes to find a pained look on his face, clearly unsure of how to respond to her, making her realize the strange predicament she was putting him in. She shook her head, waving her hand now. "Sorry…didn't mean to…"

"No." She suppressed a little gasp as he stepped forward, grasping her hands with his. It forced her eyes to meet his, raw with emotion, with sympathy, and it made her feel…too weak. Not weak enough.

"Don't look at me like that, Konohamaru," she whispered, faintly. He tilted his head.

"What way is that?"

"Like…like I'm…" The sentence died in her throat.

"Don't apologize for talking about her." His tone was impossibly soft, and she wondered how he did it. "Even if you didn't know her…she deserves to be remembered some way, right?"

Her jaw flexed as she curled her fingers around the hands that were unrelenting in their grip on her own. She felt that familiar sensation of burning coming from behind her eyes, that tell-tale sign that tears were coming. But she didn't want to cry right now. She wanted… "You're right…I just don't want to…right now."

He nodded and she dipped her head away, letting her hair curtain her face. His fingers slid over her chin again like they did that night three years ago and she bit her lips together, letting him pull her to face him. With his words, he was clearly trying to move the night forward, despite her awkward drunken confessions, "I know you're itching to thank me, so how about I take you to lunch tomorrow?"

"Lunch?" she questioned, furrowing her eyebrows.

He nodded. "You're gonna need it after all that sake."

To this, she rolled her eyes, wondering how he so effortlessly got her to change her tune. "Oh please! You're not just trying to take me on a date, now?"

"Wouldn't dare." He held up his hands, leaving her chin. Her fingers reached to rub against the smooth crystalline surface of the gem and she finally sighed.

"Only if you get me another shot of sake."

"Done."


At some point, the party ended, and somehow, Hanabi was stumbling through Senju Park with Konohamaru, drunkenly rambling to one another.

"And then I—then I accidentally called her busu," Konohamaru snorted with laughter and Hanabi audibly gasped. "She was so pissed…"

"No kidding, I'd murder you! Calling her a dog!" Hanabi slapped him on the shoulder and he shook with more laughter.

"I didn't mean to!" he defended, hands up. "Her name is just so similar, Budou? Come on! And…besides, I could never accidentally call you that."

"Oh yeah?" she teased, poking him a tad harder than normal in the chest. The physical affection, even a jab, made him smile and she had to return it.

Hanabi had only drunk once before when they had all became jōnin and it ended with Kiba catching them. Now that it was acceptable for her to drink, she had probably, admittedly, had too much. But the warmth in her stomach and the lightness she felt were quite nice. She felt free, like she could do anything, say anything, go anywhere. Nothing was holding her back right now.

"And what would you call me, huh?" she pressed, smirking up at the surprised look on his face.

"Hmm…" He cupped his chin in his hand, looking up as if deep in thought. Then, he snapped and pointed at her. "Little lamb!"

"No!" She stomped her foot but still bellowed out laughter, causing him to break out into laughter as well. The stomp caught the tip of her sandal on a patch of overgrown grass and caused her to stumble forward, and in Konohamaru's attempt at catching her, brought him down, too. They both laughed as she grabbed his forearms, swinging him so that he would take the brunt of the fall, and landed on top of him. "Look what you did!"

"Look what I did," he repeated with a sly smirk. Suddenly, Hanabi realized she was essentially straddling Konohamaru, and he had his hands on her hips, looking up at her with something she hadn't quite seen in his eyes before.

"Uhm—" she stuttered, gripping the grass beneath her hands that were flat on the ground on either side of his head. Quickly, she shook her head and attempted to roll off, but one of his hands gripped around her waist and pulled her back, causing a gasp. She wasn't sure if her face was feeling hot from the alcohol or something else. "Kono…?"

Even as he raised his head off the ground, she still didn't quite process what was happening. His face was mere centimeters away when he whispered, "just one more."

For whatever reason, this drew a surprised giggle out of her, and she beamed mischievously down at him, pleasant bubbling arising in her chest. "What do you mean by that?"

"I think you know." His little tease was short-lived as he brushed his lips against hers, and for whatever reason, the gentleness and barely-there touch sent a spike through her, made her lips tingle in an almost painful way, but it felt good. His breath mixing with hers, the tip of her nose brushing against his as he grazed back and forth. Her thighs tightened around his middle instinctively and he responded by inching his arms around her further, until he was wrapped tightly around her, pulling her chest flush against his.

With a shuddered breath, she managed to murmur against his lips, "not going to wish me happy birthday this time?"

"Are you happy, Hanabi?"

No.

But I am right now.

"Having fun?"

Both of them snapped their gaze from one another at a spiteful-sounding voice in the distance. Hanabi refocused her eyes to make out a shorter figure with a giant dog sitting next to her and instinctively ripped herself off of Konohamaru.

"Eiji!" Hanabi called, now on her hands and knees facing her.

"I'm so glad you're having a great time, Hanabi." The words dripped with malice. "While your teammate is dying."

"No, Eiji, it's not—" Konohamaru tried to interject as well, scrambling to his feet, "—it's not—"

"Shut up!" Eiji snapped without looking away from Hanabi. "Thought I'd at least wish you a happy birthday, check on you since you never came back to the hospital." A chuckle that sounded anything but friendly was heard. "But here you are, getting drunk and making out with your boy toy. Don't let me spoil your fun."

"Wait!" Hanabi cried as she tried to stand, seemingly tripping over her robes, her sandals, rocks, and whatever else could bring her down. Eiji turned on her heel and began walking away while Konohamaru grabbed Hanabi's elbow to help her up. "Eiji, please! Wait!"

"Eiji!" Konohamaru tried to call as well while also trying to hold Hanabi upright.

She suddenly felt dizzy. "Damnit Konohamaru!" she snapped, ripping her elbow from him, only to fall over again. He tried to kneel down and pick her back up, but she shoved at him. "Stop trying to help! I fucked up!"

"You—you didn't—" His voice was shaky as he ostensibly tried to fix it. "It's going to be okay, it's—"

"Please!" He stopped at the wetness in her voice. "Please! I have to…just—help me to the hospital, if you want to help!"

"Hanabi…" He sighed as he tried to reach out a hand, only for her to recoil. "You really shouldn't go to the hospital in your state…"

Damn these tears. When did I start crying so much?!

"Please—please don't cry." Once again, he tried to reach out and Hanabi had to wonder how ridiculous they must look right now, on the grass of Senju Park, drunk and yelling and fumbling around.

This was about the point her memory went fuzzy. The last thing she remembered was curling up with her knees to her chest and drunkenly crying in what probably looked like a completely pitiful show.

Now, she was being rudely awakened by none other than the sun streaming over her tightly clamped eyes. She threw her forearm over them and groaned, gripping a sheet with her other hand. The feel of her silk sheets in her hand jolted her up, causing her to painfully peel her eyes open, revealing her room.

She really had to stop passing out—from being drunk, exhausted, or otherwise. It was incredibly unsettling to end up in a place she hadn't last remembered being in.

With a grunt, she threw the sheets off of herself and swung her legs over. She pulled a hand through her tangled hair and glanced at her nightstand, finding a glass of water and a little note. Sighing, she reached over to grasp the note while the other hand rubbed at her crusty eyes.

Ichiraku's at 12.
I have something important to tell you.

"The nerve…" she grumbled to herself, slowly recalling bits and pieces of the night before.

With a tired groan, she threw herself back on the bed and rubbed her hands over her face. It wasn't Konohamaru's fault, she knew that. He didn't deserve her impossible-to-placate moods. She was having a tough time and she had to recognize that he was just trying to help, in his own way. And they had both drunk too much last night. Before Eiji had come to interrupt them, she was on the verge of doing something she told herself never to do again—kiss Konohamaru. Though, some might call what they did last night a kiss anyway.

Two years was quite a lot of time to spend away from someone you thought you were close to.

She crumpled the note in one hand and glanced at her clock. It was nearing noon already. She wasn't sure she had ever slept so late in recent years. Seemed her caretakers were being kind this morning. She wondered if she embarrassed everyone last night with her behavior. She struggled to give a damn.

Important to tell you.

The curiosity would get the better of her. Quickly, she changed from last night's formal robes (as she apparently couldn't be bothered to change into a nightgown) and ran a comb through her hair before tying it up. She glanced down at her vanity to find the aquamarine pendant laid carefully in the middle. Twisting her lips, she reached out to run her fingers over the chain before sliding them under the gem. She had always been fairly particular about her jewelry if she chose to wear it, but this…

Decidedly, she pulled it around her neck and fastened it, straightening it to the middle of her collarbone. With that, she tried to scurry out of the compound unnoticed. Thankfully, she was able to pull on her sandals and skip out without anyone eyeing her too much. Must have gotten the hint that it was not a good time to try to reel her in right now.

With the note still in her hand, she strolled through the twists and turns of the village, offering polite smiles to those she passed despite the pounding in her head. When she arrived at Ichiraku's, she found Konohamaru already sitting with an empty seat next to him. She pulled out the crumpled note and tried to straighten it out. Slowly, she approached the empty seat and slid the wrinkled note on the bar in front of him, causing his eyes to glance up at hers. With a tired smile, he patted the seat next to him.

"What's so important?" Hanabi immediately started without sitting, crossing her arms.

Konohamaru gave a weak chuckle before tugging at the sleeve of her robe, "just sit, please? Can we get food in our stomachs first?"

"Fine…" Hanabi sighed, pulling herself into the seat. She looked up in surprise when Ayame set two bowls down in front of them, hers apparently being ready before she ordered. She looked down at it suspiciously. "Vegetable ramen? How did you know?"

"I've watched you order before." He shrugged, grabbing a pair of chopsticks to break in half. He did a quick double take at her neck and finally smiled widely for the first time in the day. "You're wearing it." At this, she cracked a small smile and nodded, breaking her own chopsticks in half.

After they slurped down their ramen, she set her bowl up above and Hanabi turned in her seat to him, looking expectantly. The way he was avoiding her gaze unsettled her, instead picking at the little remnants of Bok choy and chili flake in his bowl. Gently, she pushed her foot into his shin without the intention to harm, and he finally looked up. The smile he had on his face looked so strained. "What's up?"

"Sorry about last night," he started, and she shook her head.

"Don't be," Hanabi sighed, reaching out to squeeze his forearm. "It was my fault…I shouldn't have been so sloppy. You were just trying to help me."

"I was…" Konohamaru sighed in agreement, dipping his eyes back down as he returned the gesture, resting his hand on hers. "But I didn't do a very good job. I tried to talk to Eiji a couple of hours ago, but she locked me out."

"It'll be alright," she tried, wondering how she was on the other side of comfort this time. "It's me who has to apologize to her. And I'm going to, today."

He nodded while staring at his bowl. "I know she'll forgive you. You're hard to dislike."

"Some people might disagree," she tried to tease, and all he could offer was a tiny upturn of his lips. Racking her brain, trying to figure out the best way to proceed, she decided an apology was long overdue. "Konohamaru? I…I'm sorry, too."

"For what?" There was genuine confusion behind his voice as he looked up at her.

"Everything. How I've been acting. How I left your home that day, after you and your mother offered me hospitality, that mission…what I said to you, how I've been pushing you away, all of it."

He turned in his seat and pulled his forearm away, instead enveloping her one hand with both of his. With urgency, he shook his head. "Don't be, Hanabi. I can't imagine being in your position."

"Still…" Hanabi whispered, her hand tightening in his. "You're always trying to help me and I always screw it up." She saw him open his mouth to protest, so she held up her free hand to pause him. "I just…I missed you. I wish I hadn't pushed you away." The way his face began to fall made her question herself, but she pushed on, "I like being around you. I…I want us to be okay, again."

After a moment of silence, his grip on her hands weakened and he pulled one hand away to rub over his face. "Gods…" he mumbled, dropping his head as he still held her hand with his other. She raised her eyebrows at him, frowning.

"Did I say something wrong?" she asked, weakly, trying to meet his eyes. It wasn't usually her trying to get his attention.

"No, no, no," he replied immediately, shaking his head, "everything your saying is everything I wanted to hear…just…"

"Just?" she asked, gripping his hand tighter now to the point she might've been digging her fingernails into his hand. What was wrong? She dreaded to think it might be another girl, even though it wasn't her place to be worried about such things. But the idea he might be pushing her away, too, now…

Konohamaru heaved a large sigh as he bunched the hand on his face into a fist, bumping it against his forehead. He placed his hand back down and finally fixed his gaze on her. "You know how my parents were Anbu, right?" Her stomach dropped at the words, but she nodded regardless. "I told myself a long time ago that I'd serve, too." Oh. Oh no. "My application was accepted. I asked Kakashi if I could start after your birthday, just in case…and, I start training tomorrow."

"Excuse me?" was all she could muster as she blinked at him in disbelief.

"And you know that means…" he trailed off as if he didn't want to finish the sentence.

"You'll be gone. All the time," she finished, her expression slowly turning to one of anger. "Is that what was so important? To tell me you're leaving m—" She paused, gritting her teeth and correcting herself, "you're going to be gone?"

"It seemed like the right time to enlist," he reasoned as she pulled her hand out of his to her chest, as if guarding her heart.

"Yeah, it's great timing," she said sarcastically, balling her hands into fists. "After everything I just said…this? This is what you're telling me?"

The pendant. It's a goodbye gift.

She frantically reached behind her and unclasped the pendant before grabbing the gem and shoving it into his chest. With a surprised sound, he instinctively reached up to grab it. "I don't want your pity gift."

"That's not—!" He reached out towards her as she shoved herself out of the seat. She quickly grabbed her coin purse, grabbing a handful of currency to place down while he stood as well. "Hanabi! Just listen—"

"Good luck, Konohamaru," she said, quietly after depositing the money on the counter. She turned to him, pausing at the defeated look on his face. She shook her head and willed herself not to leave things as sour as they usually were. "You'll be great."

"Please don't give this back." His voice was a little plea as he held out his hand with the pendant in it, trying to offer it back. She eyed it as he continued, "keep it…just, if you want, you could…think of me, when you wear it…if you wear it."

Don't walk away. Don't do this again. Don't push him away farther than he's already gotten.

Don't let that awful Hyūga mentality take control.

Reluctantly, she took it from his hand and nodded. "I'll wear it." His little breath of relief made her feel guilty. She cursed the Hyūga in her that made her so cold, something she had to actively fight against. She clenched her jaw, wishing she had something to give him now.

She reached a hand up at her ponytail to tug at it for a moment before an idea lit her up. Quickly, she pulled one of the ribbons out of her hair and stepped towards him. He looked down at her hands curiously as she tucked it into the front pocket of his flak jacket, then patted it. "And you can think of me." Before he could respond, she leaned up to plant a kiss on his cheek. With that, she turned to the exit to leave and finished, "I have to go see Eiji."

As Konohamaru bid Teuchi farewell, Ayame approached from behind and clicked her tongue.

"Well, that was pretty dramatic," she snickered.

Teuchi folded his arms and nodded. "You're tellin' me."


On her way to the hospital, she had no time for her thoughts. A medical nin had caught up to her and informed her that Jun was awake and taking visitors, and she wasn't quite sure she had ever run so fast in her life. Within seconds, she was bursting through the hospital doors, demanding his room number. The frazzled staff directed her and she skipped the elevators, bolting up the stairs until she was on the fourth floor, and nearly skidded past the number they had given her.

As she stood in front of the door, she felt her heart beat against her ribcage, now feeling frozen. Her fist hovered next to the slab of wood in front of her as she tried to will herself to knock. She felt terrified suddenly, terrified of what was on the other side of the door. What if he was unrecognizable? What if he was unable to speak? What if he was scarred all over?

Before she could finish her thoughts, the door swung open to reveal Eiji. Hanabi blinked down at her, unable to breathe as the shorter girl looked up at her with folded arms.

"You look worse than Jun."

"Can I…can I come in?"

"That's a stupid question."

Eiji stepped out of her way and Hanabi swallowed thickly, biting the inside of her cheek. She willed her feet forward until the end of the bed came into view and almost stopped.

"Hanabi?"

Her heart swelled at her teammate's voice and it forced her forward, she rounded the corner to reveal his pink head of hair.

"Jun…" she whispered, tears welling up in her eyes as she looked him over. It was hard to tell the entire extent of the damage as he lay under the white hospital sheets, but he was awake and looking at her with a smile. His right eye had a fresh bandage over it and both of his arms were completely covered in bandages. But he was alive. Finally, she crumbled, stumbling towards him and falling into the bed next to him.

"Oof—" he breathed painfully and she recoiled immediately, repeating apology after apology. He held up a hand to silence her. "Hanabi."

"Jun, oh gods." Her voice shook as tears began falling. "I'm so sorry I wasn't there—I'm so sorry I wasn't here when you—"

"Please don't apologize." He reached out to grab her hand as Eiji rounded the other side of the bed, sitting on the edge next to him. Quickly, she nodded, bringing her free hand to swipe the tears on her cheeks away. "I'm okay."

"Not really, but you're alive," Eiji quipped next to him and Hanabi had to wonder how she was able to joke at a time like this. But when Jun laughed at the comment, she realized how.

"That is true." Jun looked at Eiji and offered a genuine smile before looking back at Hanabi. "I should be sorry. I missed your birthday party."

"No!" Hanabi launched, shaking her head. "That doesn't matter! None of that matters! I could care less about my birthday, all I wanted was to come see you!"

"I heard." He chuckled weakly, pulling his hand back from hers to cough into his elbow. Hanabi frowned at how hoarse he sounded. "Heard you made a lot of trouble."

"I don't know when the roles reversed," Eiji teased, eliciting another little laugh from Jun. Hanabi's eyes dipped to Jun's other hand and she noted that it was interlaced with Eiji's underneath the sheet. She brushed it off, shaking her head as she carefully sat on the other side of Jun.

"What happened, Jun? Can you tell us anything?" Hanabi asked quietly, leaning in a little closer.

Jun's laugh quickly subsided, and a somewhat dark expression took over his features. "I…I'm not supposed to tell anyone…"

She definitely sensed the hesitancy in his voice and it made her stomach drop. It must have been significant.

"But I think I need to tell you."

Her body went tense at his tone. It was so serious, and it wasn't like Jun to break protocol, even for his teammates.

"Hanabi…they were looking for you."

"What?" Eiji asked in the loudest whisper possible, a commendable feat for her. Jun shushed her briefly before turning back to Hanabi, who had gone white.

"They thought I'd be with you, then?" Hanabi asked, the lump in her throat growing. Jun nodded grimly. "You almost died because of me…and I wasn't even there?"

"Don't put it like that." Jun's expression softened, eyebrows furrowing. "I'm a jōnin. This level of danger is expected, Hanabi."

"But they almost killed you, Jun," she tried, but he shook his head.

"I'm alive aren't I?"

"Sure, but—"

"But nothing," he cut in, forcing quiet. "It's you who I'm worried about. Please, be careful."

"Shit…" Eiji whispered, dropping her eyes into her lap. Hanabi's lips thinned into a line, staring down at her broken teammate. Finally, Eiji broke the tension by laying down next to Jun, then reaching her hand out for Hanabi. She looked at her warily. "C'mere, dummy."

"You're not…" mad at me? Eiji shot her a look that told her to not continue. Jun ignored the interaction and instead held out his arm as invitation. Eventually, Hanabi relented with a sigh, crawling into the bed next to Jun as gently as possible so as not to move him unnecessarily.

Laying in a bed with a boy and another girl was never something Hanabi thought she'd be doing, but these were her teammates, and it provided comfort on a level she hadn't felt in a long time. As Jun wrapped his arms around the two and both rested their heads on his shoulders, she let herself relax, willing her mind to slow down the whirlwind of thoughts.

Someone's targeting me. They tried to kill Jun to get to me. Eiji's not mad anymore. Jun's alive. Konohamaru's joining Anbu.

So many things to process at once, she could barely think straight. She wished she could turn her brain off.

"We'll be alright," Jun whispered over them, and for whatever reason, hearing it from Jun grounded her, "everything comes to pass, sometime."