Chapter 6: Conversations and Revelations
Kakashi and Hinata never explicitly discussed who they would tell, but he assumed she would tell Kurenai and her team, if only for his benefit. The last thing they needed were swarms of insects and ravenous dogs chasing down the 6th Hokage through the center of town. What he hadn't anticipated was her informing Shikamaru Nara. The boy was a valuable strategist and easily one of his best—albeit youngest—advisors. It would actually help for him to be in on it, but Kakashi hadn't even the slightest clue that he and Hinata were friendly with one another. That all became very apparent, however, when he arrived at the office only to find Shikamaru already there, early, with his arms crossed as he leaned against the wall beside the office door, a small smirk across his face.
"Yo," he greeted the spikey haired boy, one hand coming to a slight raise.
"I hear congratulations are in order," Shikamaru drawled with a stretch and yawn.
'How does he…'
"Hinata told me last night," he answered as if reading Kakashi's mind.
'Last night?' That had caught him off guard. Still, he opened the office door and prompted Shikamaru to follow him in as he continued to answer the questions only voiced in his mind.
"We spent the night at Kurenai's. She knows, too."
'Spent the night? The two of them?' Though he wouldn't call have called it jealousy, he did wonder if there was something between them that he was missing. 'I'm almost certain Kurenai took time off to leave the village yesterday, so was it just the two of them?'
Seeing Kakashi's narrowed eyes and knowing exactly what his train of thought was, Shikamaru chose to end his torture and let out a breathed chuckle. "Don't get the wrong idea. We're just two people somehow raising someone else's kid," he stated with a shrug.
'Yeaaah, that makes it better.' There was clearly quite a lot about Hinata's personal life that Kakashi knew nothing about. That much was becoming apparent. He took his place at his desk and sighed.
"She may regret this," Kakashi started.
"I told her the same," the Nara replied.
"But there wasn't another way," he justified.
"I told her that, too."
Eyeing Kakashi at his desk, Shikamaru tried to picture the man married. He simply couldn't, at least not with an Icha Icha Paradise book sitting on the man's desk. 'Hasn't he read this book hundreds of times?' He sighed. Somethings would probably never change. This book was as essential to this man's persona as a bag of potato chips was to Chouji's.
"Try not to hurt her," he advised. "Politics or not, she'll take this marriage seriously. Try not to get caught out there. It'll be a pain to deal with more tears."
It was Kakashi's turn to sigh. 'Does everyone doubt my honor?'
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When Hinata left Kurenai's house that afternoon, she had found Sakura waiting for her. That was unusual. The soft smile Sakura offered her, one that was full of sympathy, told Hinata everything she needed to know.
'So…she knows.'
It made sense. Sakura was one of Kakashi's former students, someone he trusted. He would need someone on his side that understood he didn't force her into this arrangement as they called it. But if Sakura knew, she wondered who else might know.
She offered Sakura a smile of her own and chose to skip the formalities.
"Did he tell you?" she asked, though she already knew the answer.
"Yeah," came the simple yet definitive answer.
"D-does…Did he tell…" she struggled to ask. While she couldn't say she no longer loved Naruto—she was sure that part of her always would—she had decided to move on following the war. Twice she had declared her love for him, and twice he chose not to respond. Whether he was sparing her the rejection or hadn't seen her enough as a woman to acknowledge her words for what they were, she didn't really know. What she did know was that his heart would never belong to her. Neji's sacrifice gave her a second chance at life, and she couldn't waste it living the same way she had before. It was time to let go and move on, although marrying Kakashi- sensi, Lord Hokage, wasn't exactly how she planned to do that.
"No, it's just me and it's probably better that way," Sakura confirmed.
Hinata let out a breath of relief. Naruto would find out about the engagement like everyone else, but she would be spared any pitying glances or words of rescue. She couldn't bare the idea of him pitying her the rest of her life. This marriage was her choice—a duty she willingly accepted.
"He's a bit of a perv," Sakura began again, "but he's a good man and even better shinobi. Once you get to know him, I think he'll grow on you."
Hinata smiled some more. "And I haven't even seen his face," she said with a small laugh.
Sakura joined her in laughter. "Ah, we've been a team for six years, and I haven't once seen it either!
"Well, I…I suppose its not all that different from any other arranged marriage either." Though she said that, it would still be nice to see his face.
'I wonder why he covers it…'
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When Hinata told her team, they reacted more aggressively than she anticipated, at least Kiba had. The Inuzuka had punched a deep hole into the truck of a large tree. It wasn't simply anger at the situation, but that Hinata hadn't come to them first. He loved her, in a familial sort of way, but perhaps he could have learned to love her in other ways. He would have done it—for her anyway.
Shino was mostly silent, and it was the silence that bothered Hinata more.
"There wasn't any other way," Hinata explained.
"I know," said Shino. It was the second time he felt majorly left out, the first being the time the other males of the group went after Sasuke without him. This had stung more. Like Kiba, he would have done anything to help Hinata. She meant the world to him, and love could be a choice he reasoned.
"If that bastard does anything to hurt you, I'll—" Kiba started.
" We," Shino interjected.
" We," Kiba continued, "will kill him." Akamaru barked in agreement with his master and bug-using friend.
Hinata winced. "That…that may be unwise."
"Fuck logic," Kiba asserted.
When Hinata had left and only the three remained in their usual training grounds surrounded by the forest, they reflected on how much she had grown.
"It is her choice," Shino reasoned. Kiba reluctantly agreed.
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In the evening, Kakashi invited Naruto and Sakura out for ramen. He would break the news to Naruto, and Sakura would pretend it was the first she was hearing of it. Though Teuchi and Ayame were overjoyed with the news they were overhearing, Naruto's reaction was quite the opposite, much like Kakashi expected. Repulsion would probably describe it best.
"You pervy old man!" he accused. "How could you take advantage of Hinata! She just lost Neji and you just—you just prayed on her?"
Sakura tried to assure him that she had heard from Hinata and that it wasn't the case, but he wouldn't hear it and stormed off to confront her, only she wasn't home. It was Hanabi who answered the door, but before she could get more than two words out, Naruto had cut her off demanding to speak to Hinata and set her straight.
Unlike Naruto, Hanabi wasn't oblivious to Hinata's feelings and found it rather presumptuous of the boy to come barging into their estate shouting utter nonsense and profanities about the Hokage and his "ancient" self.
"Well unfortunately" Hanabi yelled back, "she had her heart broken by some idiot her age and fell in love with a more mature, older man! Now if you'll excuse us, we have a wedding to plan!"
And just like that, the gates to the Hyuuga Compound were slammed in Naruto's face.
The blonde was left standing alone wondering just who this mysterious man was who had broken Hinata's heart.
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A meeting with the council was held the following day. Hiashi and select members from the Hyuuga clan were also in attendance. Naturally, Hinata was present and at Kakashi's side the way a fiancée was expected to be. Initially, there was shock from the council who felt cutoff from the decisions and personal ongoings in the life of their leader. While relationships were hardly ever of concern, it was a matter of interest when the bride was sought after by a daimyo, whose audience had already been requested. But thanks to the persuasive words of Shikamaru, who implored them to understand the reasons behind the secrecy, they had come around.
Shikamaru had expressed that he was one of the very few who realized that Hinata had become the most important person to the Hokage following the second loss of both his best friend and teacher. After seeing Asuma return from the grave and watching Neji die in her place, Hinata understood better than anyone what Kakashi was going through. Yet with their age gap and his official position, they were hesitant to pursue anything. He, as a friend and colleague to both, was caught in the middle and tried to mind his own business. However, when he informed Kakashi of all the proposals coming in from the Sand Village, Kakashi realized that it was only a matter of time before someone else captured her heart, and the rest was history.
Hiashi corroborated the story and added that Kakashi sought his permission upon Hinata turning legal age, and who better for a son-in-law than the son of the legendary White Fang, the Hokage himself. The formal engagement was signed in his presence just after Hinata's birthday and it was he who had informed the groom-to-be of the daimyo's intentions and requested that matters be made clear. Ko, Hinata's long time caretaker and childhood guard, was shocked at the revelation.
It was all lies—farfetched lies as far as Kakashi was concerned, and a complete drag to have to present this story to the council per the lazy Nara—but they all took the bait and that was all that mattered. The daimyo's offer would be unanimously rejected by the council and Hyuuga clan and a simple wedding would be held in early summer at the behest of both bride and groom who denied anything extravagant.
Many in the council voiced satisfaction that the Hatake line would continue, and with Hyuuga blood no less, a benefit to the village. Others voiced their relief that the man may have found some happiness after all he had been through as a shinobi of the Leaf. It was the thought of children that was the most daunting for Hinata though.
'Kakashi may not have expectations, but the council certainly does.'
She briefly wondered what children between them would look like, but the thought left her red and a little woozy when she considered just how those children would have to be created.
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True to Kakashi's expectations of Guy, word of his engagement to the white-eyed Hinata had spread like wildfire through the village. While some had looked at Kakashi with distain for taking a bride so much younger than himself, and likely having defiled her, others commended his choice in a most suitable bride. Word was sure to reach the daimyo before the date of their meeting, but there was a chance that would work in their favor, providing credibility to their story. With a date for his audience with the daimyo confirmed, Kakashi requested that Hinata accompany him.
Glancing at his blushing bride to be, he wondered if things would really work out between them.
-End Chapter 6-