Hinata could only wish her reunion with Ino and Naruto had been like that, but reality had other plans.
A knock echoed through the room, drawing Ren's curious gaze towards his father, who sat beside him. "Who's at the door?" the young boy inquired.
Sasuke flashed a mysterious smile. "You'll see. Hinata, can you get that for me?" He requested, leaving Hinata puzzled.
Hinata stood still as she opened the door, her eyes met by the two blondes standing before her.
"Hey, Hinata," Naruto greeted, rubbing the back of his head, while casting a side-eye at Ino.
Ino, on the other hand, just stared at her, not uttering a word. Her mixed emotions were evident – a blend of joy at seeing Hinata again and simmering anger. "What the hell, Hinata?" Ino finally burst out.
Hinata took a step back, while Ino moved closer.
"I was okay with you not wanting to be friends because you moved to America, but to not tell me about you having a child? What the hell?"
Naruto gently grabbed Ino's arm. "Babe, you can't be mad at her for that."
"No," Ino retorted, pushing Naruto's hand away. "We were her best friends!" Ino exclaimed.
Hinata closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Tears welled up in her eyes as she gazed at the two. "I'm so sorry," she whispered, her voice choked with emotion. "I'm sorry," she repeated.
Ino crossed her arms and struck a pose, raising a brow at Hinata. "You think that lame apology is going to fix anything?" She pointed at her daughter. "You missed so much, Hinata. I missed so much! We made a promise, do you not remember that?"
Hinata recalled their shared moment as she braided Ino's hair.
"Promise that we will stay friends forever?" Hinata whispered, a hint of nostalgia in her voice.
Ino giggled. "Always and forever," she said, looking at the mirror in front of her.
"I remember," Hinata stuttered out. "Ino, I'm sorry... I promise-"
"Don't promise something you won't keep," Ino interrupted firmly.
"Ino!" Naruto chimed in sternly. "Calm down; you're making Aimi cry."
Ino's shoulders softened as she noticed her crying daughter. She rushed over, picking her up from Naruto's arms. "Oh, my baby!" She cooed, cradling the 2-year-old in her embrace.
Ren and Sasuke entered the front door area, curious about the delay.
"What's taking you guys so long?" Sasuke asked.
"Mama, why are you crying?" Ren inquired, running over.
Hinata wiped away her tears and smiled at her son. "Just surprised to see my old friends, baby," she reassured him.
Ren nodded, and then his gaze shifted to a little blonde girl in her mother's arms. Ren couldn't help but smile. "She's cute!"
Naruto gave Ren a glare. "Sasuke, I swear... If your son touches my baby girl-"
Sasuke smirked.
Hinata sat uncomfortably before Ino as Sasuke and Naruto took the children outside.
Ino sat there with her arms crossed, her gaze fixed on nothing in particular.
"Ino... I'm really, really sorry," Hinata ventured again.
Ino sighed deeply. "I don't want your apology, Hinata! I want an explanation. Why did you discard us like we meant nothing to you when you left for America? Why didn't you tell us about your pregnancy? Did we really matter so little to you? After all these years, I told Naruto to hold onto hope that one day... one day, you'd come back to us. Four years passed, and with each passing day, I grew more resentful. I deserve answers," she said with a tone laced with anger.
Hinata nervously fidgeted with the hem of her shirt. "You're right. When I left for America, I never intended to leave our friendships behind. But then, I found out I was pregnant. I was in a new place, alone, and I didn't know what to do. I was torn. If I had told you and Naruto about it, you would have gone to Sasuke, and at that point, I didn't think Sasuke was ready to be a father-"
"You had no right to decide that for him," Ino interjected firmly.
"I know, I didn't," Hinata admitted, her voice tinged with regret.
"Do you know how much he suffered when you left? I hate to admit this, but Hinata, you two were wrong for each other, yet so right at the same time."
Hinata lifted her gaze to meet Ino's, her eyes darting between Ino's as she continued.
"He made you more confident, while you showed him affection. Don't get me wrong, I despised Sasuke throughout the time I've known him, but now, I feel angry for him. I would've been furious if you had decided that I wouldn't be fit as a parent for my child. I don't even understand how he isn't furious with you right now."
Hinata's heart weighed heavy with Ino's words, and she couldn't help but feel a deep pang of remorse. "You're absolutely right, Ino. I should never have made that decision for Sasuke, or for any of you. I should have trusted you all with the truth," she conceded, her voice trembling with guilt.
Ino's expression softened. "We were hurt, Hinata, but we also cared about you. We just couldn't understand why you shut us out like that." She rose from the couch and moved to sit beside Hinata, gently taking her hands in hers. She paused, took a deep breath, and began, "Hinata, as much as I want to harbor resentment, I can't. We both missed out on significant moments in each other's lives. You were supposed to be my maid of honor, but I had to settle for... forehead," she said, scrunching her nose in distaste. "And you should have been there with me when I announced my pregnancy and when I gave birth, and vice versa!" With those words, she pulled Hinata into a warm hug. "Just promise me you won't ever shut us out like that again, okay?"
Hinata nodded, her voice filled with sincerity as she responded, "I won't. I promise."
"And no more secrets between us, okay?" Ino added, gently pulling back from their embrace.
Hinata swallowed hard, a smile forming on her face to the best of her ability. "Yeah, no secrets," she affirmed with determination.
Aimi and Ren were frolicking around the backyard, their laughter filling the air, while Sasuke and Naruto sat on the porch, observing them.
"They'll make up, don't worry," Sasuke assured with a smirk, casting a sidelong glance at Naruto, who was scratching his head.
"I don't know, dude. Ino was super mad. I had to carry her to the car," Naruto replied, his concern evident.
"Well, sometimes Ino can act like a child," Sasuke remarked, raising an eyebrow.
"She does not!" Naruto defended his wife, meeting Sasuke's gaze.
Sasuke gave him a pointed look.
"Shut up, you know nothing," Naruto added, refocusing his attention on the kids.
Ren giggled as Aimi landed on top of his back, prompting Naruto to call out, "Aimi! Let's be gentle with each other's bodies, please!"
Sasuke interjected, "Let them be. They're just kids."
"Kids who need to learn right from wrong now or they turn into-" Naruto paused, causing Sasuke to look at him inquisitively.
"Like me?" Sasuke asked, leaning back.
"Yeah..." Naruto conceded with a smile.
A silence fell between them, broken only by the playful screams of the kids. Eventually, Naruto spoke up again. "Hey, Sasuke..."
"Hn?" Sasuke responded.
"Why weren't you mad at Hinata when you saw her again? She hid your child from you," Naruto inquired.
Sasuke sighed, contemplating his response. "You only live once. Why waste it on being mad at something she thought she was doing right? And I agree with her. I wasn't ready to be a dad," he admitted.
"But wouldn't you at least want to, you know... know?" Naruto pressed further.
"Nah. I wouldn't be the person I am now if I had known earlier," Sasuke replied thoughtfully, his gaze fixed on the children playing before them.
"And what about Itachi?" Naruto inquired. "This is his house, and yet he's nowhere in sight."
Sasuke remained silent for a moment, contemplating his response.
"Sasuke, is he at a hotel? Are you really going to do that to your brother after knowing about his condition?" Naruto pressed, his concern evident.
Sasuke scoffed, his frustration evident. "He was the one who decided it, not me," he retorted.
"Sasuke," Naruto said, his tone taking on a more serious and authoritative note.
Sasuke shot him a glare. "Fine. I'll give him a call, but fuck you for using that tone on me," he grumbled.
Naruto chuckled, undeterred. "Let's go inside and see how the girls are doing," he suggested, turning toward the kids. "Come on, let's head inside!" He called out to them before turning back to Sasuke. "Are you coming?"
Sasuke nodded. "Yeah, in a minute," he replied before taking a moment to collect his thoughts.