Day 4
- Knowing Their Favorite Drink -
Hinata wakes up before the sun.
She has another hour before her alarm goes off, but her body is determined, and her legs kick awake and drag her out of dreams of golden horizons and sweltering skies, so she spends most of her early morning unpackaging her weapons and sorting them into their correct spots, sharpening some of the kunai blades that were purposefully left dull for safety reasons. When that's finished, Hinata prepares breakfast and a light lunch to pack, and then she dresses herself in something light and flexible.
For some reason, Uchiha Sasuke has asked her in particular to be his work-out partner. She understands most of it — or, well, some of it, at least. With the one-year mark of his return to Konoha approaching, Sasuke is determined to show the Hokage that he's still on top of his game and able to take any mission over D-Rank. And because Lord Gai happens to be an . . . easy-to-read Hokage, it's not hard to figure out that one of the best ways for one to prove themselves to him is through the art of exercise.
This, Hinata understands.
Rather, it's him coming directly to her that confuses her.
Wouldn't there be anyone else in Konoha he'd rather be with?
From what she understands, most of Konoha 12 and their respective mentors and teachers hold no ill will towards Sasuke. Though his name does not often come up when she has casual conversations with her team or Tenten or Ino, on the off chance he is mentioned, Hinata has never suspected anything rotten between him and the speaker. Kiba speaks of him like he's a recluse weirdo, but not an evil guy. Ino's always the type to gossip, and sometimes, Tenten will mention what Rock Lee has told her about Sasuke's recently-appointed missions. To them, he's just a man. They speak of him like they would about anyone else.
So he has no enemies — at least not in Konoha 12.
So why her? Why Hyuuga Hinata?
Why not Naruto? Or Sakura? Or Kakashi?
A tickle in her mind ponders if it has anything to do with her byakugan. Perhaps he's interested in a more chakra-concentrated session.
Outside, the grays of the sky brighten into a pastel pink.
Nothing will come from pondering in her bedroom, she supposes. So Hinata makes sure her front door is securely locked behind her and that all lights are off in her home before she jogs out to the spot she and Sasuke agreed to meet.
...
Upon Gai's coming into the position of Hokage two years ago, the overall physical health of civilian and shinobi alike escalated dramatically. Many features were added to Konoha, including hiking and jogging treks, inside and outside pools and gyms around the village, and rest stops for anyone in the throws of their work-out sessions. Having been stationed in Suna at the time of Gai's appointment, Hinata was not around to see the planning, construction, and implementation of such features and infrastructure; however, ever since her return to Konoha, the Sixth's effect on Konoha is almost blindingly obvious.
During the breezy run to the jogging track that loops around many of the parks and farms along the southern half of Konoha, Hinata saw that most people were awake and doing stretches on their porches and front steps. Adult and child alike reach their palms to the brightening sky, rising with the sun, basking in the warm glow of day — they move slowly, carefully, and welcome the new morning.
It reminds her of her cousin.
Sometimes, as a child, she would sneak out onto the engawa to watch him waft from position to position in an almost meditative state. Sometimes, she would try to copy his movements behind a paper door.
A while ago, when he was still alive, he had confessed that he had known of her presence. Of course he did. Neji saw everything. But even still, he went on with his meditation. A child who hated the main branch of the Hyuuga clan with all his heart — but still, when his little cousin watched him behind corners and doors, he let her.
Perhaps . . . if he were still alive . . . he'd be out beneath the willow trees to this day.
Perhaps she'd be allowed to join him at his side.
...
When she finds Sasuke where they agreed to meet, she thinks — for a second — that he looks at her like he would Neji. There is a Hyuuga saying that thoughts can manifest in the byakugan. She wonders if he can see Neji in hers.
"Good morning."
" . . . Morning."
But with a mere blink of an eye, he's gone back to looking at her as Hyuuga Hinata, and she tries to shake thoughts of her cousin from her head.
"Is there anything in particular you want to start with?" she asks.
He takes a moment to reply, almost looking confused, like he wasn't expecting her to ask such a question. As he thinks, Hinata's careful to analyze his condition without making it obvious. He seems awake and ready, so she doubts it has anything to do with lack of sleep or anything of the sort. Maybe his head is elsewhere — though that doesn't seem very Sasuke of him.
. . . Though, truthfully, does she even know what is considered Sasuke and un-Sasuke anymore?
"Stretches," he says in a way that is almost careful, like he has forgotten how to pronounce the word and must force his tongue to curve in the right way to voice the syllables, "then we'll run."
Hinata nods, pressing her right hand against the back of her left elbow to stretch it across her chest. Running sounds fine. The wind in her face will be cool, not bellows of heat, and maybe she'll realize (finally) where she is, where she will always be from now on.
...
Even if Sasuke scouted her out specifically to work himself back into the ninja he had been just a few years ago — even if he has been doing nothing but D-Rank missions since his return to Konoha — Uchiha Sasuke is still in incredible shape.
The track snakes through the southern outskirts of Konoha, where fog hugs the fields and pastures. They start with a steady jog on their first round, then speed it up to a sprint on the second; they slow to a breezy walk on the third, then return to jogging by the fourth. Chakra warms their muscles and presses a steady blanket against their lungs, helping them breathe properly.
Hinata finds it refreshing. The swing of her legs, the push of her foot against the ground — it's all familiar and rejuvenating. It reminds her of the runs she'd have with her team before their training sessions with Kurenai. Kiba always had a happy, panting Akamaru at his side. Shino made sure to keep watch of their pacing, occasionally stopping them for water breaks. It's a homely sensation that she has missed dearly since her return from Suna.
Sasuke keeps up like he used to be a part of Team 8. Admittedly, she had feared he would be slightly behind in speed, and Hinata had already made plans in her head to keep her pace at a slightly slower speed without being too obvious. But Sasuke keeps up well, and sometimes he outpaces her, and Hinata's the one that has to pick up the speed to stay at his side.
At the end of their fourth round, they stop under a line of trees and drink water under the shade.
The front of their shirts are damp with sweat, and Sasuke lifts his up to wipe his face dry before taking another swig from his bottle.
"You're doing well," she tells him, smiling as a breeze catches the side of her neck, cooling her down. "I'm impressed."
It's only after those words touch the air does she realize how patronizing they sound. Her shoulders flinch, and she skirts one foot behind the other, readying herself for whatever he might respond with.
The look on his face is not a nasty one.
Actually, it's almost . . . .
"Thanks, sensei."
Wiping his mouth with the side of his wrist, Sasuke stops her panic with a cunning look. Hinata doesn't think she's ever seen something quite like this expression — especially not in their academy days.
But it fits him.
She doesn't know why, exactly, but it does.
"Lord Hokage will have you doing C-Ranks in no time." Her fingers curl, eager to lift and give his shoulder a hearty and encouraging slap; but that seems . . . wrong, so Hinata holds back.
Mouth along the edge of his bottle, Sasuke scoffs. "C-Rank. Thrilling."
That small smile of hers tips into a grin. "One step at a time."
Finished with his water, Sasuke drops it in a recycling bin to the side of the track. "Do you remember the barn with the silo behind it?"
The one they've passed four times today? Yeah. Of course she does.
"Race you there."
Before anything else can be said, Sasuke's sprinting down the track. Hinata quickly jumps into gear, the burn of her legs igniting a wave of excitement in her body.
Isn't he being a bit childish today?
For whatever reason, Hinata can't find a reason to mind it.
...
She's not sure how long it's been happening, but by their seventh circle around the track, Hinata notices a twinge to Sasuke's face that's out of place. It's not the kind of look he gets when he grumbles about the summer heat beating down on them before wiping his face with the front of his shirt, nor is it the one he got when he and Hinata almost twisted their ankles on the same rock jutting out of the ground.
This is a painful twist to his brows that, based on how he turns away from her, he does not want her to see.
Hinata purposefully lags behind him by a few paces, activating her byakugan when she's sure he won't notice.
The source of his pain is rather obvious.
Chakra gathers at the end of his missing arm, burning sensitive nerves as it searches for a limb it will never find. Exercise naturally builds up chakra, so it was only a matter of time before it started bothering him.
Hinata hadn't even realized . . . .
Missing arm. Rinnegan eye.
Once again, she's reminded that this Uchiha Sasuke is practically a stranger to her.
"Sasuke," she calls. When he turns to her, his face is void of any pain, and her chest tightens. "I'd like to take a break and meditate, if that's alright with you."
...
There's a spot by the southern gate that's hidden in the depths of a man-made forest. There's nothing spectacular about it aside from its isolation from town, but that's all Hinata really needs at present.
The canopy seeps with sunlight as they push past brush to come upon the small opening in the back. The grass is trimmed, marking this a spot that someone visits often; but they're not here, and Hinata knows this is public grounds, so she thinks it's a good spot to have their meditation session.
She is falling into her usual pose when Sasuke suddenly returns to the brush on the outskirts of the opening.
"I'll be back."
That's all he says before disappearing, leaving her behind.
And so she . . . sits there, a little stumped. It's almost blinding. You're with someone, then you're not, and there's no transition in between to help you adapt to the sudden change. It's like standing under a waterfall, or soaring through space. It's too loud or too quiet, and there isn't much to do — because when he was around, she was watching his chakra, and she was searching for any pain in his posture, and she was getting familiar with the press of his presence against her side. But now she's counting blades of grass and watching ants come in and out of her view.
He's only gone for two minutes, if even that.
He comes to her side and presses something cold against her forehead.
Lemon water.
Isn't . . .
Isn't this supposed to be the other way around?
"Thank . . . you," she whispers, taking the bottle in hand.
He sits next to her, crossing his legs to copy her pose. "I wasn't able to find any . . . ."
And then he trails off.
Still, she knows what he was going to say.
Sugar packets. He couldn't find any of those pink sugar packets that she always stirs into her lemon water.
And — of course he would know that. Their entire childhood — friendship? Acquaintanceship? — was her writing him silly, little notes on those things. He kept them all and put them in a jar. Hell, the first time they saw each other since he left Konoha all those years ago, he gave her back the packet with the last note she ever wrote for him. It was the same as Sasuke knowing the names of his teammates — it was obvious.
But . . . bringing it up still shakes her to the core.
It's whiplash.
She flies back and forth between knowing him and knowing nothing about him. The same man with the missing arm and the strange eyes is also the one who knows that strange habit of hers that she's had since she was a child. He's the same one who brings her a bottle of lemon water, purposefully switching the tides.
This is Uchiha Sasuke — the man who hasn't talked to her in eight months, whose first words to her in that long span of time were "Come back safely. I'll be waiting." He walks her to her house. He looks at weapons with her. He asks her to be his work-out partner.
It all melts and meshes together into something strange and uncanny, and Hinata looks at all of it, and she wonders, "What does he want from me?"
It couldn't be as simple as him wanting to rekindle that old connection between them, right?
. . . R-Right?
...
"You weren't injured. Good."
He'd been worried about her. That's what that meant, right?
"You're joking."
"You took that seriously?"
He was being friendly and playful — like that was the type of relationship they normally had.
"I wanted to be with you."
He wanted to be around her. He —
"Welcome home."
He . . . welcomed her home.
He welcomed her home, and it felt genuine. It felt real. It felt like she was actually home.
He did. This strange man named Uchiha Sasuke.
And she thinks . . . he wants to be friends with her.
A giddy, galloping warmth takes hold of her body. It's sweltering outside, and she's slick with sweat and grime, but Hinata feels comfortable. Content. Happy, even.
She has to hold in her laughter as she unscrews the lid and takes a sip from her lemon water. It's sour, her tongue unused to the sugarless beverage. But her mind touches on an old memory from way back when. Sasuke was leaving, and she gave her last pink sugar packet to him, and he shook in his loneliness as she drank her lemon water in silence.
Uchiha Sasuke — friends. With her.
Frankly, all he had to do was ask.
...
After a nice, relaxing moment of meditation, Hinata pulls out her lunch.
Sasuke stares at it like it's a marvel. It doesn't take a genius to realize he had totally forgotten to bring his own.
Luckily, Hinata brought two pairs of chopsticks with her.
...
For the next week, they meet up at the same time every morning on the same track.
After realizing why Sasuke had been consistently showing up in her life after months of nothing, Hinata finds it easier to relax around him. Perhaps to a detrimental point, for there are a few times where she catches herself treating him like Kiba or Shino.
One time, they brought sunscreen with them, and she found he missed a spot around his forehead. It filled her with memories of Kiba missing the exact same spot, sometimes earning a painful sunburn that would last for days and put him in a sour mood. Laughing at the memories, she leaned over, swiped a dollop of sunscreen from her own tube, and rubbed it against that patch of unprotected skin before she knew what she was doing. The thing that yanked her out of her spell were those mismatched eyes turned towards her, watching carefully. She had nearly flown herself into a fit of apologies when he said, in that smooth, almost amused tone of his, "Thanks, sensei."
The nickname that now seemed common between them calmed her nerves, and Hinata realized that she didn't really have to apologize for such things with a friend.
Another time, after they had gone to do a few laps in one of the nearby pools, he came from behind to throw his towel over her head, scrubbing at her head in a manner that was more keen to mess up her hair than dry it. This was a tactic Shino often liked to use on her when she would beat him in their races in the pool, so she did what she always would with him and grabbed Sasuke by the shoulder, throwing him into the deep end of the pool.
The thing is, though — Shino expected it.
Sasuke didn't.
Needless to say, out of guilt alone, Hinata jumped in with him, and they had to start the drying process all over again.
...
Sometimes, Sasuke was keen on taking her to breakfast.
"I forgot to bring food," he would lie. Sasuke doesn't have a bad memory. Hinata knew he was forgetting on purpose.
But, then again, she would also magically forget to make a meal big enough for the both of them sometimes, so they would simply have to grab something to eat between jogs.
She thinks there's something about Sasuke that finds sharing a meal important. Back then, when they were genin, she would often spot him at Ichiraku's with Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi. Even if Naruto got on his nerves and Sakura sometimes creeped him out, he always stayed to finish his food, and she figured it's because . . . back then, they were all he had. They were the only people he could share a meal with.
So Hinata doesn't mind his little fibs. She just nods and agrees, and they both walk into town, searching for those cheaper spots where she could find something sweet and he could swipe pink sugar packets off the table when the waiting staff wasn't around.
...
Yesterday, Sai joined them for their morning jog.
"I hope you don't mind," he had murmured to her as they waited for Sasuke to fill his bottle at one of the water fountains stationed around the track. "I know it would be better to be alone with him."
This stumped Hinata. Be alone? Do I give off that impression? Sai was an observant man, after all. He took time to carefully read the situation so that he knows how to appropriately react. If he said that it seemed like she wanted to be alone with Sasuke, then . . . did she?
Looking into herself, Hinata couldn't find any negative feelings regarding Sai joining their work-out session. Though she did not know him well, she knew Sai was a good, honest man. And it seemed that he and Sasuke had a comfortable friendship, so she had no mind to dismiss him as a simple stranger.
So what did he mean about that, then?
She would think about this as Sasuke returned, water full and ready. She would think about it as they made their rounds, Sai and Sasuke jogging just slightly ahead of her, talking amongst themselves every so often.
That night, she thought about it.
She remembered that lonely feeling that took over when Sasuke had left the opening that first day they had gone exercising together.
Did it have anything to do with that?
She fell asleep confused and irked, without answers.
...
Today, she sleeps in. The sun is already above the horizon by the time she stirs out of bed, climbing into the shower to rub the sleep out of her eyes.
They don't have a scheduled session today.
Lord Gai had assigned Sasuke a D-Rank mission in the morning. Understanding that D-Rank missions are slightly rare nowadays because of the new wave of genin entering the ninja world, they had both agreed to skip exercise today. Sasuke hadn't looked very pleased about it when they discussed it over breakfast yesterday. Sai had a knowing look, and Hinata had tried to figure out what such an expression could mean.
When her shower is finished and she is dry and dressed, Hinata leaves for her kitchen, where she ponders what to do with her free time as she plucks breakfast from the fridge. All her weapons are unpacked and stored. The house is clean, and Kiba and Shino are out on a mission, so she can't go out to see them.
Perhaps she should visit Kurenai and Mirai. With Mirai approaching her third birthday, she's become more and more of a hassle for a single parent to take care of, and Shikamaru's appointmentship to "Assistant of the Hokage's Advisor" has made him too busy to stop by and babysit as often as he used to do.
Plans set in her mind, Hinata quickly finishes her food before escaping into the sweltering morning.
On her journey to Kurenai's home, she ganders down streets and on top of roofs to search for a familiar man with strange eyes and hair that could use a trim. She hopes he remembered to bring water with him. She hopes he's able to stay under shade for whatever job he's working today.
...
Kurenai is ecstatic to have her over, and little Mirai, a bundle of energy, is quick to grab Hinata's hands and drag her into the corner of the living room where all her toys are located. With tea set out on the small table between seats, they sip their chamomile and chat about anything they can think of. Kurenai tangles her fingers through Mirai's hair when she sits by the foot of her chair. She has the smile of a mother that is somehow unique to any other kind of smile. She glows in the chipperness of her daughter.
"When will you be having children, Hinata?" she asks, and then twists her mouth shut, knowing such a subject is tricky for Hinata.
Three faces come to her mind, neither one leaving a good taste in her mouth. But she doesn't want Kurenai to feel guilty, so she's quick to ignore the sting in her heart. "I'll let you know once I find someone worthy enough to have your godchild."
At that, Kurenai gaggles and pats the back of Hinata's hand. "Kami, help him," she sighs, "for he will have a lot to live up to in order to be worthy of my Hinata."
...
They're a few hours into catching up when Hinata's growling stomach reminds them that it's about time for lunch. They filter into the kitchen, looking over what they can make, when the lights above flicker.
"They're working on the light poles outside." The statement begins in a soft, casual tone, but then something sparks in Kurenai's eye, and she turns on her heel to Hinata. "Actually, now that I mentioned it — you wouldn't believe who I saw working out there today."
Hinata laughs. She speaks as if the Hokage himself is out there in his robes. "Who?"
"Sasuke." Oh? Hinata tilts her head. That's what he's doing today? "Mrs. Watanuki — she lives across the street — and she nearly had a fit when she saw him. Me, well, if you asked me a few years ago, I would have never imagined that boy working a job like that."
Hinata nods for the sake of acknowledgment, but her mind wanders to the heat rampaging outside. It doesn't sound like he'll be under any shade, then. Hopefully he remembered to cover himself in sunblock. It would also be bad if he didn't bring himself anything to eat today.
But, surely, he did.
They didn't meet up today. He'd pack himself lunch.
"Kurenai, I think I'll run to the store real quick."
Kurenai hums in wonder as Hinata beelines for her sandals by the front door. "Is there something in particular you want?"
"Something like that. I won't be long."
She waves to Mirai, then leaves. Her eyes follow the black slopes of the powerlines as she runs for the store just down the block.
...
She grabs onion and eggs and chicken thigh first, dropping them into the blue, plastic basket hanging from her wrist. Then, she skips to the other side of the store to grab a tube of sunblock before going to the checkout counter, where she hardly waits long enough to grab her change before she's out the door.
When she is back in Kurenai's kitchen, she's already tying her hair back and washing her hands in the sink before Kurenai, looking over the ingredients, understands what she wants to make.
"Oyakodon?"
Nodding, Hinata pulls out a knife and cutting board to start cutting the onions. "For Sasuke."
"Sasuke?"
She expected more questions, but Kurenai is soon at her side, measuring the correct amount of rice before pouring in the water to wash it. They're efficient in cooking the chicken and preparing the rice. When it's finished, they pack the rice in a separate compartment from the oyakodon, and then place that in a plastic bag for easy carrying.
Kurenai is washing the dishes with a nostalgic smile on her face as Hinata once again gets ready to go into the summer heat.
"You know," she says, "oyakodon was the first dish I ever made Asuma."
Hinata takes a momentary pause, understanding how the situation must look from Kurenai's perspective.
"Please understand," she says. "He's working in that heat, and I'm scared he didn't bring anything to eat."
Kurenai only smiles as Hinata grabs a water bottle from the fridge, stuffing it into the bag, before she ventures outside once more.
...
It's not hard to find Sasuke.
All she has to do is look up, and she finds him all the way up on one of the poles, stood on a ladder with a harness wrapped around him and the pole to keep him in place. He's dressed in something she doesn't recognize, and a bulky, dark glove is worn on his hand. A man is watching him from below, and when he spots her, he calls up to Sasuke.
When he looks down and sees her, he's climbing down the ladder before she can tell him to take her time.
"I wasn't expecting to see you." He has to bite the fingertip of his glove to pull it off of his hand. If Hinata was anyone else, she might have been disgusted at the sight.
"I was visiting Kurenai. She lives in this neighborhood." Looking at him closer, he looks the part for this kind of job. His uniform is a dark blue, and he's wearing a heavy belt with tools she wouldn't even be able to guess the names of. Again, she's presented with a Sasuke she does not know. "Thank you for your work."
He says nothing, instead diverting his attention to the plastic bag in her grasp.
"Oh!" Now's not the time to be distracted, Hinata. "Um. I wasn't sure if you remembered lunch."
"Did you make that for me?"
She smiles and hands it to him. He has to set the bag on a bench before he can dig in and see what's inside.
"Kurenai helped me," she says. "And I brought sunscreen as well — just in case. Not that I think you're incapable of taking care of yourself, of course."
Opening the container inside, Sasuke is presented with the savory smells of rice and chicken and egg.
"Oyakodon," he murmurs.
Hinata tries to keep her hands from messing with one another. "I hope it's something you'll eat. I wasn't sure, but most people like oyakodon, so I . . . ."
Realizing that she's rambling, Hinata drifts off.
"Thank you."
They're simple words, but they're enough to make her spirits soar. "You're welcome, Sasuke."
He sits on the bench to eat, leaving enough room for her to join him. So she does. He's precise with his chopsticks. He always is, and it's something she's noticed during their many breakfast gatherings, as well — but there's something about this Sasuke, dressed in these unfamiliar clothes, eating with a refined air, that makes her stare longer than necessary.
"Is it dangerous?" she asks, motioning her shoulder to the pole he had been working on.
Sasuke watches her from the corner of his eye. "Worried?"
"A little." A ninja's job is dangerous — but she's used to that kind of danger, and she knows Sasuke's skilled enough to handle it, too. But working with electricity — that's unfamiliar and unpredictable, and she doesn't want him to get hurt.
But for some reason, Sasuke seems pleased as he goes back to eating. "I've done this job a few times. They trained me about five months ago."
Nerves eased a little, Hinata relaxes against the back of the bench. "Still," she says, "it's a shame it's a D-Rank. I thought we were making progress with Lord Hokage."
A light chuckle escapes Sasuke. "I don't mind. I get to see you every day."
Her heart skips, falls, and lands flat and wounded.
That . . . .
What is the meaning behind those words, exactly?
She doesn't think it's — well, surely it's not that kind of meaning.
Sasuke's her friend.
That's what all this has been building up to, right? Friendship.
So he must . . . talk to all of his friends in such a way. It seems odd, but Uchiha Sasuke is an evolving man, and things are both normal and abnormal for him nowadays.
He's just being friendly.
Hinata has to believe this.
She has to.