A/N: So excited to be back, life changed so much in one year. And I'm so delighted to be back doing something that I love for myself. Hopefully you'll continue to love it, too. Thank you to everyone who reached out with kindness. This chapter is dedicated to you. ;)
—
(sweet berries)
—
Trouble maker.
She could hear them whispering about her boy. Moms. Whispering. Voices low but loud enough for her to hear. Judgment laced their words, poisoning her fragile heart.
Well, she is a single mom.
Someone said as an obvious justification but no less judgmental than the sentence they had given her son.
Kushina felt her temper rise, a vein pulsing on her forehead. She wanted to let the poison out, back at them. Shut. Them. Up. Her baby was right there! But she couldn't, she could not react. Not as the explosive school girl she had once been. Her baby was right there. He had her temper, and she blamed herself for it. She blamed herself for a lot of things.
"Where's Mr. Umino's office again?" She asked while placing a hand on Naruto's back, picking up their pace a little.
"At the end of the hall." was his simple answer. She looked at him from the corner of her dark, violet eyes. If she could hear the damn whispers, she was sure he could too. Yes, Naruto had her temper, and she blamed herself for it. But, he was doing a far better job at ignoring them than she was. Or at least that's what his unbothered face told her.
Yet, she knew.
She knew that his fourteen year old self could not be mature enough to be completely unbothered.
And she hated it.
Kushina hated it because he would not talk about it. Not with her, he wouldn't. But he kept getting himself into fights. He kept being sent to the principal's office. He kept getting into trouble with his teachers. And it broke her heart. She felt helpless.
Her attention was brought back to the school hallways when Naruto suddenly opened a door without knocking.
"Naruto!" She scolded. "Don't just burge in Mr. Umino's office, knock first!"
"Iruka doesn't mind." He simply shrugged his shoulders before making himself welcomed in the cramped teacher's office.
"Ahem," a brunette man with a thin scar running across his gentle face coughed from behind a desk. "Mr. Umino does mind, Naruto, and how many times do I have to tell you to not call me Iruka?" He also scolded the teenager in a still gentle tone. Kushina could tell that the man had probably given up on the issue which made her shake her head in dismay at her son's manners.
"Excuse me, Mr. Umino," Kushina said apologetic as she walked in and joined Naruto who had already spread his limbs on one of the worn chairs in front of Iruka's desk.
"Please, Ms. Uzumaki, take a seat." He directed her with a kind smile. "I hope you are in good health."
"Yes, thank you." She reciprocated his sincere wishes. "Thank you for always taking care of Naruto." He was, after all, the only teacher that seemed to truly care about her boy. Like ever.
"Naruto knows I believe in him." Iruka said, and Kushina saw her son straightening up on his seat, facing away from them. Was that a hint of a blush? "I wanted to take this parent-teacher conference as an opportunity to make you and Naruto an offer."
Kushina blinked a few times, surprised. Then, she looked at Naruto again who seemed to be just as surprised as she was, finally looking at the adults in the room.
"I have Naruto's godfather on the line here," the teacher proceeded while gesturing at his landline, a little green light blinking from it, "since this proposal would involve him as well."
"Hey kit! Hey Kushina!" Jiraya's voice came from the device, a little muffled but clear enough.
"What does the old pervert have to do with this?"
"You damn brat, respect your elders!" Jiraiya swore from the other side of the line.
"Please, Naruto, let's just listen for a moment, okay?" Iruka pleaded before the little mismatched family entered a shouting contest. It had happened before.
Kushina held in her urge to bury her knuckles on the blond head of her son and instead said, "Naruto, dear, it's time to listen."—her calm tone froze the teenage boy who could feel the hidden threat. The vein was popping.
"Okay," Iruka initiated after a moment of silence. "So, I have accepted a teaching position starting next school year at the Leaf Academy, a preparatory high school in Konoha's historical district." He paused before adding, "And I'd like Naruto to come with me."
Kushina blinked a few times, did she hear him right? Naruto. At Leaf Academy?
She knew of the Leaf Academy and its prestigious reputation. It was a school located in a beautiful historical building, surrounded by the best museums, libraries, and galleries that Konoha had to offer. It was a very expensive school that only the wealthy could afford and academically dotted minds attended.
"And how are you planning to take Naruto with you?" Jiraiya voiced Kushina's question. "His grades would not get him an academic scholarship."
"Well, they also have a very strong athletic scholarship program." Kushina was listening. Naruto was listening. "Their star wrestler will be graduating at the end of the school year." Iruka paused to let the information sink in, allowing them to pick up his unsaid words.
"And none of the other kids seem to have matched potential." Jiraiya said, sounding wise and analytical.
Kushina's knuckles turned white, squeezing the straps of her bag.
Naruto's eyes twinkled.
She didn't like it.
Danger, danger, danger.
She didn't like it at all.
Her mind screamed, danger.
"I have arranged for the wrestling coach to meet with you and Naruto at your gym in two months' time, as in a scouting demonstration. Hopefully that would be enough time for you to prepare Naruto." Iruka said to Jiraiya but looking straight at Naruto. "That is, if you want it, Naruto."
He didn't speak. He didn't smile.
But his eyes did. They said it all.
She saw the 'yes' in her baby's eyes.
And nobody was looking at her.
Looking for her.
Danger, that was all so dangerous.
"I–" Naruto started after a pregnant pause, but Jiraiya's muffled voice cut him off.
"Iruka, I think we need a moment." He said slowly. "I'm sorry to ask you this, but could we have your office for a bit?"
Teacher and student were looking at her. Naruto's eyes are losing their shine, eyebrows creasing. He didn't dare look at her. His avoidance was palpable.
Iruka, feeling the tension, promptly granted Jiraiya's request and excused himself. "Take all the time you need."
As the door closed behind him with a click, Jiraiya's voice started, "Kushina…"
And she knew she had already lost.
Violet eyes fluttered open, blinking repeatedly with the sun that woke her up. When had she fallen asleep on her back porch?
"It was just a dream…" She whispered to no one but herself after staring at the top of the trees that skirted her backyard. The leaves danced rithmatic with the lazy breeze, bringing her heart back to a steady pace.
Apparently, she had just taken a nap. Yet, she felt more tired than before. The dream of a memory, so real that it was like reliving it, made her body ache.
Kushina slowly sat up. Long, red hair slowly sliding off her shoulders to fall straight down her back. Her face turned upwards.
"Minato, please, watch over our baby." She whispered to the blue sky, as blue as his eyes used to be. As blue as her baby's eyes.
A small smile formed in her lips. The warm, almost shy breeze caressing her skin almost felt like Minato.
It was time for Naruto to be happy.
Time for her to be happy, too.
—
Hanabi secretly admired how Hinata's hair shone under the morning light as Ino ran a large brush through the long, indigo strands. She wanted to sigh at the beautiful vision that her older sister was, but held back her breath as she remembered she was supposed to be pouting at the older women in the room.
Last week, Hinata had surprised her at home for a Saturday brunch. So Hanabi thought she would return the gesture a week later, on that bright Sunday morning, with a visit to their favorite pancake house. It was with blinking eyes and a gaping mouth that she found Hinata's apartment already had visitors.
Ino and Sakura. Helping Hinata. Her sister. Helping her sister Hinata get ready for a date.
A date.
With Uzumaki freaking Naruto.
The same Uzumaki freaking Naruto her family had been scouting not too long ago.
The same Uzumaki freaking Naruto her father was still stalking online.
The same Uzumaki freaking Naruto her friends were obsessing over on social media.
What the freak Hinata.
How long has that been going?
How did they even meet?
Why hadn't Hinata told her anything?
Unaceptable.
From the corner of her eyes, Hanabi saw Sakura emerging from Hinata's closet with a satisfied look. Even though the trio chatted happily, Hanabi still felt like being a brat. How unfair was it that she was left out of the loop?
"Why don't you stay over today? So when I come back you'll be the first to know how it went." Hinata suggested from her seat in front of the mirror. Hanabi blew a raspberry at Hinata's attention and concern towards her. Arg, and she was so sincere about it, too. Hanabi hated that she could never stay upset at Hinata for long—even when she had just been freaking out internally.
"Can I sleep over?" She answered with a question, crossed arms, and a closed face, not ready to show that her sister had already been forgiven.
"Of course, you can order in whatever you want and I won't spare details."
"I wouldn't give you a choice." She said making her sister's friends giggle at her antics.
"Remind me to never get on your bad side, Hanabi." Ino commented in good humor, winking at the college girl who finally relaxed her features and 'tsked' in response.
"I'm sorry again, Hana." Hinata offered a smile as she finally turned to fully face the younger girl. Hanabi thought she looked beautiful with her hair twisted in a long french braid that trailed down her back, Hinata's delicate features showing more clearly with only her bangs and a few strands framing her face. "With Toneri surprising us last time, I forgot to tell you about Naruto even though all I could think about was him." Hanabi blushed at her sister's open confession as her friends exchanged smiles and knowing looks over Hinata's head. What happened to her sister's shyness and reservedness? She had never talked about Toneri in such a manner during their relationship. Who was Naruto to her sister?
"Wow, it's okay!" Hanabi exclaimed—a little embarrassed, a little surprised. She needed more time to prepare herself for this forward Hinata. "Just tell me everything later." She added to which Hinata agreed with an eager nod.
"There, try these on." Sakura took that chance to hand Hinata the outfit she had selected. "I think these are cute but comfortable for what he has planned."
"Where is he taking you, by the way?" Hanabi inquired, curiosity eating her alive as she analyzed the thick but form fitting crochet top and high waisted jean shorts.
"I actually don't know, but he apparently told Sakura and Ino."
"Just like with you, dear Hanabi, our knucklehead friend also left us out of the loop." Ino shook her head disapprovingly.
"So he made up by sharing his plans with us, so we could help Hina get ready." Sakura completed to which Hinata just giggled on her hand, imagining the conversation between the annoyed girls and an apologetic Naruto.
"Okay, so we'll head out and let you change." Ino said after checking Hinata's hair and the make up. "We'll probably be too embarrassing if we stay to greet him, or whatever." The blonde said, rolling her eyes while air quoting something Naruto had said.
"Yes, you will be too embarrassing for Hina's sake." Hanabi snickered at Sakura's jab at Ino before getting up herself.
"Can one of you give me a ride? I need to grab my computer and an overnight bag if I'm gonna set up camp here today."
"Wait, you think we'll spend the day together?!" Hinata suddenly exclaimed as the idea just rushed through her mind, red rising to her cheeks.
"Sis, didn't you say you don't know how long it will take? And by the looks these two have been exchanging this whole time, I wouldn't be surprised to only see you tomorrow." Hanabi could not help but chuckle at her sister's furious blush.
Perfect sisterly pay back, leaving Hinata all flushed and flustered before making an exit. Life was so sweet.
—
Naruto parked right in front of Hinata's apartment building. The sound of the motorcycle dying off quietly. Very smooth, 'ma. He thought, still not believing that his mother, Uzumaki Kushina, had gifted him the Harley Davidson from her teenage rebellious days. Not only that, but she had also given it a whole makeover to make it up to current market standards.
"You be careful, ya'know! Don't make me regret giving you this weapon!" Her dramatic warning still echoed in his ears, making him laugh every time. Kushina was truly trying to overcome her fears and insecurities as a mother. And he loved her for that.
Naruto smiled large, excited for the day ahead which got even more fun thanks to his mother's gift. He looked forward to taking Hinata away from Konoha for a day. He has come to notice many things about her, one of them being her never tended desire to walk the world. He wanted to give her the opportunity if he could.
Here, was the short text he sent her before getting off the black, shining vehicle while removing his helmet. He wanted to surprise her, hoping she wouldn't be afraid to ride the motorcycle with him. Sakura and Ino assured him she would not.
He was un-strapping from the backseat what would be Hinata's own helmet when he heard the loud security door behind him close shut. He turned around to greet her with a smile, but all and any word he thought of saying got choked in his throat.
Naruto did not know what it was… her exposed neck, her braided hair, her outfit, her light application of makeup… whatever it was, she seemed to shine under the sun.
What a lucky bastard he was.
He watched her lips morph from a happy, timid smile to a surprised "o". A discrete blush tinting her cheeks at the sound of his pleased chuckled.
"Hey, 'nata, you look great." He said, applying pressure on his hands against the helmet he was holding. He wanted to touch her so bad.
"Thank you, and hello to you too." She said stopping right in front of him, just a couple of steps away. In her hands, she carried a jacket. Sakura and Ino had prepared her well. "You look good, too." Her timid voice made his stomach stear pleasantly.
"Thanks." He smiled at the complement. He wished he could take credit for his own choice of clothes, but part of the deal was that Sakura and Ino would also dress him up for the day. The pink and blonde duo were just at his apartment last night—selecting for him khaki jeans, brown laced boots, and his nicest white t-shirt. "Shall we go? We gotta hit the freeway before lunch time traffic does." He said, offering her the protective gear.
"Is this really for me?" She asked while taking the helmet from him, her question filled with excitement and anticipation. "I never rode a motorcycle before." She confessed in a quiet voice as a small child does when sharing an important secret.
"You will today!" Naruto chuckled good naturally. He motioned for her to copy him as he put his own helmet on. He closed in the distance by another foot, clipping the strap of her helmet for her and helping her with the jacket—the perfect excuse to brush the skin of her arms and touch the soft, thick braid when pulling it out of the jacket.
Once they were sitting, Hinata did not hesitate to circle his torso with her arms while he put his gloves back on. He smiled at her vote of confidence. Next, the bike was on and taking off.
Naruto shifted his attention to the road, his left hand and foot expertly switching gears. The smile, nonetheless, remained.
Lucky bastard indeed.
—
Even though it was still spring, Konoha seemed to have started summer earlier this year. The speeding wind was welcomed by Hinata as Naruto fell at a comfortable speed once they reached the freeway. She held him a little tighter, so she could lift her head more, watching the scenery change.
She did not care to read the road signs. She found it exhilarating not knowing where she was going. Naruto knew it, and to her that was enough in the moment.
And in the moment—that's where she wanted to be today.
The buildings of Konoha were long gone. More and more trees graced her eyes with bright shades of green. She did not know how much time had passed when the trees suddenly opened room for fields of sunflowers and horses.
"Beautiful!" She exclaimed to no one. She just wanted to say it. Maybe it was the wind or the speed they were going, but Hinata did not want to hold any impulse back.
Before she knew it, Naruto was slowing down while taking an exit. They were now traveling on a narrower road framed by farm fences and trees. Soon, Hinata started spotting large farmhouses and barns. Here and there, people worked on the fields. They all seemed to be growing different types of flowers. Hinata appreciated all the colors growing out of the earth in perfectly lined rows.
Naruto took another exit onto an unpaved road, decreasing their speed even more. Tall, majestic trees hovered high above their heads. The branches of trees from each side of the road seemly hugging each other at the center of their encounter. Sunrays coming through the leaves brought light into the leafy, natural tunnel. Slowly, more vehicles started to gather. Families, couples, groups of friends. Each moving forward or entering side streets that certainly would lead to one of the many farms they had seen on their way here. "We are almost there." She heard him say over his shoulder.
And so they were. Naruto took them through one of the side streets she'd noticed before. The wooden arch welcomed them to Kawatsura Strawberry Farm. Hinata's neck stretched interested, it was strawberry picking season!
Naruto parked next to the other motorcycles. He helped her get down and secured their jackets and his gloves inside the backseat compartment, locking their helmets with straps on top of it.
He straightened up, admiring his handy work briefly. Then, before she could be ready for it, he looked at her with a happy smile. Left arm stretched towards her in invitation to take his hand—the blue in his eyes dancing like ocean waves on a summer's day.
No holding back, Hinata.
With butterflies in her stomach, she reached with her right hand. His fingers enveloped her smaller hand, and she admired his naturally tanned skin contrasting against her porcelain like one. Feeling silly for staring at their hands for too long, she turned to look up at him bashfully. Her heart beat in her ears when she saw how his smile reached his eyes, creasing the skin at their side corners.
Naruto pulled her to walk side by side towards the ticket booth at the beautiful, large wooden entrance of the red barn, adorned by overgrown vines.
"Jiraiya and I discovered this farmers' town when we first headed out of Konoha." He told her, falling in line behind a family composed of mother, father, and three little girls. "Of course we did not stop to enjoy any attractions here, he had other plans for me."
"Like carrying tons of hay for the farmers?" She ventured a guess.
"Yeap, ha ha, in exchange for lodging and a hot plate of food." He chuckled amused at her precise guess.
The little girl resting her head on her father's shoulder looked up when he laughed. The young adults noticed her staring intently at Naruto. Not shy at all, she beamed at their attention, and pointed at her own smiling cheeks.
"Do you like my whiskers?" Naruto asked her, her parents emerged in a conversation about their plans for the day while the other two sisters played tag around them.
The little girl confirmed with a nod poking her own cheeks again, making Hinata laugh softly. Naruto then opened his lips in the biggest, toothiest smile he could manage, closing his eyes like a cartoon cat in the process. The little girl giggled against her father's neck, turning around to hide at the same Hinata hid her own giggles behind her free hand.
Naruto turned back to face Hinata and to comment on what had just happened, but stopped midway. Hinata doesn't know what she did or what kind of face she showed him, but a soft hue of red blushed his 'whiskers'. It was only when she felt the smoothness of the skin on his left cheek under her finger tips that she realized what she was doing.
She pulled back almost immediately, an apology ready on her lips. But before she could bring herself to say anything without stuttering, the family in front of them moved forward, and so did he—pulling her forward with him and stopping her apology.
"They are birthmarks." He offered an explanation after they had stopped again. "My whisker marks, they are unusual. People usually think they are tattoos." He looked at her with a kind smile, brushing his thumb against the skin of her hand that he was still holding. It was okay, he was telling her she didn't have to apologize without really saying a word about it.
"She likes them," she referred to the small girl that was now poking her father's cheeks. "I do, too."
And there it was again, that soft hue blushing his cheeks and ears.
—
After their little moment while making line, Naruto was able to purchase them admission, giving them permission to venture into the vast strawberry field the farm had to offer.
Naruto was determined to make her laugh as they explored the rows of delicious looking berries. He watched Hinata pick the reddest, sweetest ones in between the many laughs he was getting out of her. Sometimes, she would joke back or make a funny face at his dramatic interpretations, getting him to laugh in turn as well.
Slowly, their buckets filled up, and Hinata marveled in anticipation to try the sweet taste of the strawberries.
"They have a restaurant inside the barn, where you can wash what you picked and order some other baked goods." He informed her, pointing at the red building down the earthy path, back the way they came.
"That sounds wonderful!" She said, lifting their buckets. "I'll try to eat as many as I can!"
"You don't have to," She amused him so much. "They weigh the buckets before and after, so you only pay what you can eat or want to carry home."
"Still, I'll try!" She exclaimed determined as they made their way towards the barn. "I've never seen strawberries this red and beautiful. You cannot find those in the city."
"Hmm, a lot of things are better if you get them from their original source." He agreed with a nod. "Fishing your own fish, picking your own mushrooms and herbs, grilling on an open wood fire…" he listed, engulfed by memories of uncomfortable nights under the sky but occasionally delicious food.
"Do you think of having children, and taking them camping?" She asked curiously. She thought he had been brilliant with the little girl earlier.
"Hmm," he paused to really ponder the question, taking it seriously. "I haven't thought too much about having children." He admitted honestly. "I've always been so focused on my goals of fighting and making it pro…" He looked at her with uncertainty, but of course she wasn't judging him. Hinata just listened intently like she always did. "But if I do have children one day, I'd like to have at least two. One is too lonesome." He said turning away, he didn't mean to get too serious, but Hinata had that effect on him. He just wanted to tell her everything.
He almost tripped over when he felt her hand in his—her initiation of the contact catching him by surprise. He hoped she did not notice his misstep and kept walking as if it didn't happen, not wanting her to retrieve her touch from him. He made sure to give her hand a gentle squeeze, acknowledging her gesture.
"And you?" He tried to sound normal, but his throat had gotten dry.
"After my mother passed away when I was six, I had always wanted a family of my own." She said, not sadly but calmly. He had never heard her mention her mom before. Without stopping their walk, he turned a bit towards her. He wanted to see her face as she talked about something obviously important to her. "I don't know how many I'd like to have, but I know I want to make a little child's life whole like she did mine, for as long as I can." She ended with a tender smile, her eyes distant.
"And take them camping?" Naruto added, getting her to release a sweet giggle.
"Yes! I like to show them all the things I enjoy and try new things with them, too!"
"You will." He said, finally getting her to look at him—his confident tone and smile making her squeeze his hand back.
A few moments later, they were sitting under fairy lights inside the barn surrounded by people's amicable chatter. Their strawberries weighted and washed, now sitting inside a beautiful glass bowl next to their iced teas, fluffy cakes, and sandwiches made of freshly baked bread.
They continued to converse as Hinata sliced the berries carefully. Naruto enjoyed her company more than any other girl he had ever spent time with—more than any person he had ever spent time with. The feeling was intimidating, but he welcomed it. He wanted more. He wanted more of her.
"One time, Hanabi was being so naughty, father sent her to bed without the strawberry cake she tried to have before dinner." Hinata told him as they were walking each other through their most fond memories. "She snuck into my room in the middle of the night, crying. I got so scared, thinking she had gotten hurt or something, but then I saw it," Her own chuckle interrupting herself. "The shameful evidence of whipped cream and jam all over her face and hands." She pushed a plate of cake decorated with their own strawberries towards him.
He didn't know what was sweeter, the berry or Hinata's caring actions. "What did your dad do?"
"Nothing." Hinata looked at him dead serious. "I woke up Neji, and we all drove to the nearest twenty-four bakery. We got an almost identical cake, and ate the whole thing until there was just 'Hanabi's slice' left." She said making air quotes, getting Naruto to burst into laughter.
"You guys were all naughty!" He said pointing an accusatory fork towards her.
"We stuck together." She said proudly, eating a mouthful of cake and berries.
"Nah, that's not bad at all actually." He said after his body calmed down. Even her crimes were adorable. "Sasuke and I finally became friends after almost hitting the lights out of each other."
"How's that?" There it was again, her curiosity, never judgmental of the crazy things he would tell her.
"I met Sasuke and everyone else freshman year of highschool at the Leaf Academy." Funny how he had never made that clear to her, but maybe she already knew since she had known all his friends in college and just connected the dots by now. "I got in as a scholarship recipient for the wrestling team, not because of academics. My old teacher Iruka referred me to their admissions committee and wrestling coach. Iruka was accepting a job there and, I don't know, believed I could do something better with myself."
Hinata swallowed another bite of her dessert, listening attentively, "What do you mean?"
He laughed humorlessly as he placed his fork down, "I was terrible, Hinata." She looked doubtful at him. He had told her about his pranks before, but she doubted that he had ever been a terrible person. "Really, I was! I got into fights all the time, disrespected my teachers, skipped classes… Other moms hated me! So my classmates stayed away from me except when they thought it was a good idea to pick on me, so I talked back a lot," He paused, "often with my fists."
He felt her small hand again on his. He turned his palm up, so he could hold her fingers in his. She let him. "All of that does not make you terrible." She said softly. "They were bad things to do, I won't argue with that, but they don't make you a bad person."
He didn't speak for a while, feeling the softness of her fingers which had closed in on his. His azure eyes searched hers, trying to find any hint of mockery or insincerity. But, of course, he found none.
"You are too kind." He said with a grateful smile. "How did you survive college sharing a room with Ino and Sakura?" He got her to laugh openly.
"Hey, don't change the subject, you need to finish your story first."
"Oh yeah." He scratched his cheek with his free index finger. "I definitely struggled with my attention span in school as I do now, another reason Sasuke hated me at first. I made his job so frustrating." He laughed at the memories of Sasuke's butt face. "Because of my athletic scholarship, I had to keep at least passing grades in all my classes. With my bad academic history, Sasuke was assigned as my peer tutor."
"Oh, I see." Hinata giggled. "He always refused to help anyone in college with their classes. I don't think he's very patient with the teaching process."
"Again, you're too kind, ya'know! Sasuke wanted to strangle me every single day!" He let her hand go to demonstrate the not so gentle gesture on an invisible neck.
"So when did he actually act on his strangling impulses?" She asked with a bemused smile.
"One day he came late for our appointment, and I started complaining, of course. I can really get into someone's nerves if I want to."
"Right, you talk a lot." Gosh, he'll never tire of how she effortlessly matched his sense of humor with perfect timing.
"Exactly," He bit on another berry, savoring the fruit for a moment before continuing, "but that day he wasn't having it. He grabbed me by the collar and started yelling at my face how much his life was shit and how I made his day even shittier." He lowered his voice when a table of elderly women looked at him a little scandalized. "Sorry, sorry!" He quickly apologized, making Hinata think how cute he looked flustered.
"But you didn't stay quiet, did you?" She nudged him to continue.
"No way, I grabbed him, too. Next thing I know we were both yelling and throwing punches at each other. It was like we were competing to see who had the crappiest life. Who had the most reason to be angry. I don't know how long we were at it for, or how no one heard us. But by the end of it, we were friends." He ended his tale, still pondering about it. "I don't know, I guess we were both frustrated at where we were in life, with different issues but all related to family, and needed to let it all out." He smiled big at her, and Hinata lost herself in the brightness that Naruto was. "We came to respect each other, and stuck together, like you guys."
She smiled tenderly at his conclusion, feeling connected to him because of his last words. "Naruto," she called him after some time and they had stopped eating, "do you feel like it has only been like two months since we've met?"
"Honestly?" He inquired of her to which she nodded positively. "No, it feels like we've known each other for much longer."
"Like school friends or childhood neighbors, right?"
"Yes! So you feel the same way?" He jumped on his seat, leaning his body forward over the table.
"I do…" Hinata paused. "Do you find it weird? Or like… scary?"
"Hmm…" He took some time studying her features. She did not look distressed, but seemed to be trying to make sense of things—just like he tried many times before whenever thinking of her. "Yes and no. I," he took a deep breath, "I think it's scary or weird because of how surprising it is. It's new. I never had this type of connection with anyone before. But I like weird." He finished, his words strong and filled with confidence.
Hinata stayed quiet, allowing herself to feel her lungs expand with air as her heart expanded with his words.
"Me too. I like it." I like you.
They exchanged smiles full of meaning—neither wanting to break the moment with unnecessary words.
His tall figure stood up after several minutes, reaching for her hand again. He seemed to have liked holding her hand as much as she did, she thought. They were doing a lot of that today. She hoped they would not stop.
"Let's get out of here." Her eyes danced with his inviting smile, excited to where he would take her next.
—
She touched the cold water of the lake, feeling the freshness envelop her fingers and palm. She smiled contently at her own reflection in the crystalline water. Little fish swam below them, and dragonflies would hove over the water, leaving small ripples on the water's surface when flying away.
Naruto paddled slowly with no rush to get them anywhere. He rarely slowed down in life, but watching Hinata so at ease made him want to do so. With a wiggle of her bare toes and a long, content sigh, she stretched her body back to a straight yet relaxed sitting position across from him.
He stopped their lazy trajectory and secured each paddle inside the boat, careful to not get their shoes wet. He also had his boots removed earlier, his pants rolled halfway up his calves—they had enjoyed dipping their feet in the shallow waters of the lake before boarding the small, rented boat.
"Does your hair get even lighter during summer?" She asked observing the tips of his blond locks reflecting the sun in an almost white halo.
"I think so." He replied, running a hand through it. "Sometimes I think your hair is black, but now I can really see the blue in it." He offered his own observation about her.
"I really like it because it's the same as my mother's." She commented with affection, her fingers playing with the tips of her braid. "Is your mom as blond as you, too?"
"No, my dad was." He said simply, and she knew exactly what she heard.
"I'm sorry for your loss." Hinata really meant it, he knew she did.
"I'm sorry for your loss, too." He smiled softly at her, which she corresponded without reservations.
"I think maybe we would've traveled more if she hadn't passed." Hinata didn't normally talk much about her mother with anyone, really. But she felt like Naruto would appreciate it. She had no idea until now that he had also lost a parent. The more she discovered about him, the more their weird connection made sense.
"I thought the Hyugas would travel more with all the business locations your family has." He commented, offering her a water bottle and taking a sip of his own.
"For business, only." Hinata replied. "Which limits them to inside the fire country, too. We do own a helicopter that gets us to places quickly, but father is very careful with company's expenses, strictly professional. We don't use it for leisure or recreation. Sometimes Neji and I will take it for quick scouting trips. We rarely stay the night anywhere."
"Always so kind, I'll say it again, ya'know." He chuckled. "Your father is stingy."
"Yes." She giggled in her hand. "Don't say that to him if you don't wanna hear a lecture on the riches of modesty living. Hanabi has heard her share." Hinata uncovered her lips, now openly laughing.
He chuckled along before saying, "I hope you are enjoying today. It's nothing exotic."
"It's been wonderful, Naruto. So beautiful." Hinata said, crossing her wrists on the top of her knees as she looked around the lake. Other small boats gliding in the distance. Children laughing somewhere far away. Ducks quacking every now and then. She turned back to him and with her eyes and lips said, "Thank you."
"You're welcome, Hi-na-ta." She loved when he said her name that way.
—
"Thank you, Teuchi, Ayame!" They both waved at the older man and his daughter who invited them to come back soon.
After traveling back to Konoha, Naruto and Hinata decided to visit Ichiraku for some ramen—not wanting to part quite yet, dinner seemed like the perfect excuse.
When Naruto parked in front of her apartment just a few minutes later, he surprised her by coming off the motorcycle and asking, "Can I walk you up to your door? I promise I won't keep you any longer after that, you must be tired."
"I'd love for you to walk with me." She said admiring his face painted by the orange sunset.
They walked up the stairs quietly, avoiding the elevator purposely—stretching their time together.
When they reached her doormat, Hinata turned her back to the door. Her head tilted up, wanting to see his face clearly when she smiled with a blush.
"I had so much fun, Naruto, thank you again." Naruto's heart thumped against his ribcage. His hand found hers easily now, after a long day of practice.
"I'm glad you enjoyed it. I did, too." He said in a quiet voice.
Naruto watched Hinata chew her bottom pink lip for a moment. He lowered his head slowly, not wanting to make any sudden movements. Her lids dropped halfway, and he thought he could not be reading this wrong.
"'Nata…" he whispered the nickname when her dark lashes enclosed her pearlescent eyes completely. "I…can I…" the question lingered unfinished as he heard her inhaling slowly.
"Yes." Her breath brushed his lips, his eyes shutting completely.
"What's taking them SO long?" Lock noises and an impatient voice reached their ears from behind Hinata. "Where—oh my god!"
Naruto shot his eyes open, body frozen in place, coming face to face with Hinata's mortified face staring right back at him, just as unmovable.
Seems like the bastard had just run out of luck.
—
to be continued.
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Kawatsura Strawberry Farm is a real farm near Tokyo. The description is not based on it though. I just borrowed the name, and let my imagination run wild.
A/N: I was so eager to post this chapter that I did not proofread it. I apologize for any gross mistakes. Please, let me know if you catch anything.
I loved writing this chapter so much. I'm surprised at how much I've been enjoying writing Hanabi. Can't wait to read your reviews. I wanted to bring some of Naruto's past in the beginning, but let me tell you, once I started with their date, I wanted nothing else to take the focus away from them. I'm aiming for at least monthly updates. Like I alluded in my note at the beginning, I'm returning to writing as a form of self-care. But I'll keep my author's notes short, so there won't be more delays.
Don't forget to leave a review. :)
Until next time, stay safe!