chapter 26 Doubts
It felt really good to be in the baths in the monastery. The feel of the hot water on her skin was incredible. She had never been to a hot spring before, but if she ever went to one, this would be the closest thing to it. It was public, and multiple of her peers tended to go there often. The people who were with her were Annette, Hinata, Ino, Hilda, Ingrid, Dorothea, Bernadetta, and Petra. She felt great, especially after her birthday a few days ago. Her smile was not unnoticed by her friends.
"I think a smile fits you much better," said Ino, which surprised Mercedes. She could have sworn that she hid her emotions well on the day of her birthday.
"I had a great day that day. It was better than I thought it would be," Mercedes admitted, thinking about the night she and Sasuke made love. It was different; her outlook had changed. It was as if he touched a part of her soul, a part of her soul that nobody else would ever feel, even if she had lied with him multiple times. The first time was not the same as her birthday. It was a memory that she would always treasure.
"You know, Sasuke is a great boyfriend. You know you're a lucky. Most wouldn't even come close. You're a lucky, woman," said Annette, happy for the happiness that she had experienced.
"You two make a great pair. You know, you were the last person I expected Sasuke-san to ever take an interest in. you brought a side of him that I don't think he knew existed," Hinata added.
She didn't know what Hinata meant when she said that she never asked Sasuke about his past because she didn't want him to relive the painful memories of what had happened with his clan and the nightmares that he experiences. She doesn't know what Sasuke was like before they met. She knew bits and pieces, but not much else.
"What was Sasuke Kun like before he came here?" Mercedes asked Hinata and Ino. They told her bits and pieces, but she wanted to know their perspective.
" You should talk to him; he would know more than I would. The only thing I could say is, he kept to himself. He was a loner; he didn't really stay around many people. He barely talked to anyone. When he wasn't on a mission, he either stayed at his apartment or he trained. Not many people knew what was truly going on with Sasuke except Naruto," Ino answered. This surprised her. Surely Sasuke had more friends than Naruto. There's no way he could have only one friend.
"That sounds tragic," said Petra. Despite not knowing Sasuke, the youngest of the women couldn't help but pick up on the loneliness that Sasuke feels.
"I, Mercedes, had no words. She knew Sasuke was lonely, but she did not expect it to be to this extent. Annette was giving her a look. She thought the same thing.
"Hinata asked Mercedes, 'Can I ask you a question, Ann Chan? What was your first impression of Sasuke San?' Mercedes had never asked her friend that very question. She wanted to kick herself, but then again, when it came to Sasuke, she always blushed whenever his name was mentioned. Nevertheless, she couldn't help but be curious.
"Well, Felix, saw him as an interesting opponent that he would like to spar with," Annette answered. This caused Ingrid to laugh because that's just like him. Petra didn't understand what was funny, but then again, the girl comes from a different land with different customs.
"As for myself, I thought Sasuke was a lot like Felix in that he was overcompensating when it came to hiding his emotions. He was trying to keep everyone at arm's length because he was afraid of getting close to people. That's the impression I got," Annette said honestly. Mercedes had that impression as well, but it was different. Though the man that she had gotten to know in the past few months, did anyone even try, outside of Naruto, to get to truly know Sasuke, truly know why he is the way he is? Did they even try to ask what does he want, what is important to him?
How could Sasuke be treated like he was some sort of royalty when the only things they looked at were surface-level things like his looks and his talent, but nothing else? Nobody even tried to get to know him as a person, except for Naruto, before he met Felix, Annette, Dimitri, and herself, everyone else just looked at what they wanted to see in Sasuke; they didn't care.
"To be honest, I actually expected Sasuke to choose the Black Eagles. I was shocked when he chose the Blue Lions," said Dorothea.
"You weren't the only one. It was a topic of discussion at the monastery about Sasuke choosing the Blue Lions, causing quite an uproar," said Ingrid, remembering everything that happened that day when Sasuke chose Dimitri.
"What about you, Ane?" asked Mercedes. She wanted to know her opinion about which class she thought Sasuke would choose at the time they first met.
"Felix and I believe Sasuke would choose Dimitri we couldn't explain our reasoning we just thought that was the person he would resonate with the most. though we were in the minority"Annette said thinking about that day when they first met Sasuke.
"Everyone thought you would join the Blue Lions, but you chose the opposite," said Petra.
"I wanted to choose my own path. I didn't want to choose the path that my father wanted for me, not to mention Edelgard is an old friend, and she was one of the few people who believed in me. I wanted to go against what everyone would expect from me; it's what Naruto Kun would have done if he were in my place," said Hinata.
"I can't imagine what it would have been like if he were in any other house. I," Mercedes realized she had an audience and turned away blushing.
"You know, Elizabeth, I believe she would like Sasuke," said Annette, referring to her mother.
"Elizabeth you mean?"Hinata knew it was her mother that Annette was referring to.
"Oh yes, she's such a wonderful woman. She makes some of the best sweets I've ever tasted. I know you would love them, Hina," said Annette.
"I wonder what it would be like to have a special someone," said Bernadetta, looking down at herself.
"You'll find your soulmate, Bernadetta. I know you will," said Petra, trying to reassure her friend.
"It feels really good not to have to worry about getting attacked by some enemy and just to relax," said Hilda, dipping her body even deeper into the warm water.
"you got that right this is far better than the scary experience we had to go through on our mission"said Bernadetta.
"Would it be nice if we all went to the beach and had fun?" asked Hilda.
"That doesn't sound like such a bad idea; it sounds like a lot of fun," said Ino.
"I don't know."said Ingrid feeling embarrassed by her body's appearance.
"Oh come on, Ingrid, you have a sexy body. There's no reason to be embarrassed," said Hilda.
"It's not that; it's just showing so much skin," she buried her face deep into the water, trying to hide her embarrassment.
"Oh, my dear Ingrid, you're so adorable," said Dorothea, who went towards her girlfriend and used her body to shield Ingrid's red face.
"Careful now, do you have an audience?" Ino joked.
Both women blushed deeply along with Hinata they couldn't be thinking which she thinks they're thinking? Mercedes decided it wasn't her business it's not like her and Sasuke haven't done something indecent outside should be a hypocrite the thought of it though made her feel wet which wasn't unnoticed by her friends.
"Oh my, it seems like even our angel Mercedes gets horny," said Hilda.
"No, that's," Mercedes felt like she screwed up now they would think she's a pervert.
"It's all right, Mercie Chan, I mean, I am thinking the same thing," said Hinata, turning away, embarrassed. No, wait, did her and Naruto? She wasn't even going to indulge in that idea; there's just no way.
"Can we please not talk about this?" asked Annette, feeling completely embarrassed over the talks of sex.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I keep forgetting we still have a virgin here. We shouldn't be inconsiderate," Ino said apologetically to Annette.
"You know it's nice that we get to do this. Maybe when things are calmer, we can invite the other girls as well," said Hinata suggestively.
"That would be great, though I don't think I would want to be in the hot springs with the banshee," said Mercedes.
"Wow, of all the people, you probably have the most beef with her," said Ino.
"She's loud, obnoxious, annoying, and rude. She treats Sasuke-kun, my boyfriend, like he's some sort of trophy, not to mention she treats her classmates with disrespect. She has no business being here. I wouldn't have nearly as many issues with her if she wasn't such a bitch," said Mercedes, not showing any pretense that she despised her and always has, for the moment she first met her.
"She's hardly the worst of his fangirls, believe me; we're lucky the worst of them aren't here," said Hinata with clenched teeth.
"There's no way there can be anyone worse than the banshee," said Annette in disbelief. "There's someone that makes Sakura look nice."
"Yeah, I have a difficult time believing there's someone that's worse than the banshee. That's just not possible," said Ingrid, not wanting to believe it.
"There can't be anyone more scary than the banshee. That's just not possible. I refuse to believe that," said Bernadetta.
"Unfortunately, there are ones that are even worse," said Ino.
"Well, if I have to deal with those screeching fangirls when I'm in Konaha, I won't tolerate them. I don't care if they are from Sasuke kun's Homeland. I'll slap them faster than I did Sakura if they even dare mess with me or my man." Mercedes said with clenched teeth.
"I'll join you as well," said Dorothea, who didn't make it a secret that she couldn't stand the way the Leaf Village runs things or the way they treated Naruto, though Mercedes has yet to learn why they treat him with disdain; she'll likely learn at a later date from Naruto himself when he's ready to share such information.
They saw a few more people enter. One of them was Tenten; the others were Shez, Lysithea, Temari, and Leonie. It was almost all the women; three of them weren't present: Edelgard and Monica. They were spending time alone doing whatever they do in private.
Marianne wasn't present because she was spending her day with Byleth. It was none of Mercedes's business what one of Hinata's friends did on their spare time. From what she has heard from everyone who interacted with Byleth, Eisner was not taking advantage of Marianne. Their love affair was not something that was encouraged, but nobody paid any attention to them because it was no one's business. As long as no harm was being done, it was completely okay with them to spend time alone.
"Oh man, this hits is the spot after training all morning," Leonie said, closing her eyes as she entered the water. She went to where Hilda was and sat across from Hinata.
"We haven't had a chance to talk up until this point, Hinata. You've been here for five months; what a shame," said Leonie.
"Naruto-kun told me quite a bit about you, Leonie-san. It's a pleasure to meet one of Naruto-kun's friends from the Golden Deer," said Hinata warmly to the older woman.
"Your boyfriend has told us quite a bit about you. You know, Naruto is someone that is hard not to like because he has something about him that draws people to him. Claude took an instant liking to him when they first met. It's hard to imagine Naruto anywhere but with the Golden Deer, if you catch my drift?" said Leonie respectfully to Hinata, trying to make a good impression on her because she didn't want to leave a bad impression on her, as she is Naruto's friend.
"He's quite something, definitely someone who is a hard opponent to fight. I haven't won any of our sparring matches," said Shez.
"Maybe you should join our class, Shez. Our professor has a knack for bringing out people's full potential," Ingrid suggested. Shez shut down the idea.
"No, I would rather get stronger in my own way," Shez declined.
"It feels good to relax here. I mean, it feels good to take a break from studying," Lysithea said, dipping most of her body in the water to hide her insecurities about her chest size.
"I literally had to drag her out of her room in order to get her to relax believe me it wasn't easy." Shez said smiling over dragging Lysithea out of her room.
She sat next to Lysithea. Hinata can't help but pick up that look in her. She ignored it; she was probably letting her imagination get the better of her.
"Is it me or are you two?" Hilda didn't get a chance to finish before Ino put her right hand on Hilda's mouth, covering it and preventing her from finishing what she was thinking. She know exactly what Hilda was going to say, and she was glad Ino silenced the last thing she wanted was Lysithea to be embarrassed.
"I'm sorry Hilda where you about to say something?" asked Lysithea confused on why she suddenly stopped.
"Oh, it's nothing," Hilda said nervously, obviously lying, hopefully Lysithea wouldn't ask questions.
"Such a lively bunch we have here. I'm glad I came here with my brothers. Such a nice change of pace. It feels good to be in a more peaceful environment," Temari said, relaxing.
"Aren't you still dating Shikamaru?" Ino asked.
"No," Temari answered, quicker than Hinata anticipated. "Did something happen between those two? She thought they had a good thing going. What had happened?
"I'm just curious why the Blue Lions of all classes?"asked Hinata who did not think that the Blue Lions would be the kind of environment the older woman would like being in.
"Before we entered the monastery, my brothers and I agreed we would all be in separate houses. So we took straws, and whoever got the shortest straw would be in the Blue Lions, and whoever took the longest straw would be in the Black Eagles. Gaara didn't want to be in any house but the Golden Deer, so my brothers and I, with assistance from Gaara, blindfolded ourselves and chose our straws. When we opened our eyes, well, the placements speak for themselves." Temari said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"I know you made quite an impression on Dedue, which is something I didn't think I would see," said Annette.
"Wait, what happened?" asked Ingrid, curious.
"It's nothing," Temari replied, trying to hide her embarrassment.
"Oh, don't be that way. I mean, I wouldn't blame you; he's quite a handsome man," said TenTen.
"I mean yeah I think he's a gentleman and he's not like my ex-boyfriend I don't know why that's a problem?" Temari said embarrassingly.
"Most people here just look at him with hatred because of what happened four years ago," said Annette, referring to something that Hinata had only heard vague mentions of. Even Dimitri wouldn't talk about it when asked.
"It's quite a shame; I don't think he deserves the treatment he gets. It's not his fault what happened," said Temari, not understanding the judgmental looks people cast upon Dedue.
"if you don't mind me asking, what happened?" asked Hinata. This caused everyone from the Blue Lions to tense at the very mention of what had happened. Hinata had no idea why everyone was silent.
"I would rather not talk about it," said Ingrid, who had an upset look.
"Neither would I," said Annette.
"I'm sorry if I upset you; it was never my intention," Hinata said, feeling responsible for the tension in the room.
"You did nothing wrong, Hina. It's just... it's a difficult thing to talk about. Many people lost their lives, including the king. Nobody found out the perpetrators. ." Mercedes hesitated on the last part.
"They blamed the people of Duscur for crimes they did not commit. Many innocent people were killed. There is more I can say, but I don't want to talk about it. I'm sorry," said Annette. Then Hinata looked and saw Ingrid.
"I'm sorry, I have something I have to do," said Ingrid, shocking Hinata as she left suddenly.
"What happened? I didn't mean it." Hinata felt horrible, as if she had done something wrong.
"That's why we don't talk about it it's painful my boyfriend lost his brother and."Hinata didn't need to hear Annette finish.
"I knew about Glenn's death but I didn't know it had to do with what happened in Duscur. I have no words," said Hinata.
"There's a lot that we don't talk about," said Mercedes.
She thought about her own equivalent of what happened in Duscur when her mother was killed by an assassin. She was scared and helpless before the assassin. Her mother was about to kill the hired thug before she suddenly died. No explanation, nothing. Hinata never knew the cause of her mother's death. The only thing she knew for sure was that someone killed her.
The assassin may have put the blade in her mother's heart, but it was the person who ever used the curse mark on her forehead that led to her death by a low-level assassin who put a curse mark on her mother and killed her from a distance. She had wanted to kill this person for so long, but she had no proof that the seal was on her forehead.
"Are you okay?" asked Mercedes, who noticed Hinata spacing out.
"I'm fine, Mercie Chan," Hinata replied, unable to help but think in the back of her mind about the rage she feels when she thinks about her mother's death and the matter of how she died. The atmosphere grew tense, and Hinata left, not wanting to ruin things for everyone.
Things were quiet after Hinata left. Mercedes couldn't help but notice that something was bothering her. She looked at Ino and Tenten; they knew Hinata, possibly they might know why Hinata left. She did.
"I don't know if I should be asking this because it's private, but why did Hina space out just now? Why did she suddenly leave?" Mercedes asked her friend from Konoha. It took a bit for Ino to answer; she was choosing her words carefully about what to tell her and what not to tell her.
"Something happened to her seven years ago, as you know from our history, we were once at war with Kumogakure, or the land of lightning, for everyone else here," she said, referring to everyone not from her homeland.
"What happened exactly?" asked Hilda.
"A war almost started with Hinata's attempted kidnapping," said Ino, who tensed at the mention of Hinata almost getting kidnapped. Mercedes cannot imagine being in that situation.
"I see how she could see what happened to her to be similar to Ingrid. How many people died to protect her?" asked Annette.
"I don't know the Hyugas are not very forthcoming with their secrets. The only thing I do know is that many of the branch members of the clan who were assigned to protect her died. It was a slaughter. Hinata witnessed the death of so many people. When I saw her, her right side of her face was covered in blood, and her eyes looked dead." Ino said, shivering at the memory.
"I remember Dimitri looking the same," said Annette.
"It was a tragedy what happened, and Hitomi's mother died protecting Hinata. Such a tragedy that woman didn't deserve to die like that. I'll forever hate that asshole father of hers," Ino said with barely controlled rage whenever she thought about Hinata's father.
"I don't know much about her clan it sounds awful no wonder she avoids the topic like the plague," said Lysithea.
"Shez said, 'I am completely out of the loop.'"
"I'll fill you in another time," said Ino. The atmosphere was tense. Mercedes thought quickly and changed the subject to something else.
"How are classes going for all of you?" Mercedes said, which caused everyone to be relieved that the topic had changed. She would have to ask Hinata about what had happened 7 years ago when the time was right. Right now, she would would have to let her friend still with their pain on their own because she couldn't possibly understand what Hinata and Ingrid went through.
Dimitri was taking a break from training. It had been a good workout despite being his day off. He had no desire to slack off on his training; it kept his mind at ease and kept his mind from wandering, and quieted the voices demanding vengeance. Sasuke was going on his date with Mercedes today. He didn't want to get between their relationship. He felt they both deserved happiness, unlike him.
He walked to where the pond was, where everyone fishes, and noticed Hinata was sitting alone. She was curled up in a ball. Dimitri didn't like seeing her like this. Whatever thoughts that were on his mind, he put them aside in order to comfort his friend.
Hinata said nothing as Dimitri sat next to her. There was a silence between them until Hinata spoke.
"Have you ever felt so worthless that you wish it would have been you instead of never mind, I shouldn't be talking this way."Hinata turned away, ashamed, not wanting Dimitri to see her in this state.
"I know what you're feeling too well every day. I question if I even deserve to be here when there were people far more deserving. There aren't here anymore. I mean a lot of good men and women died to protect me, and I feel like I failed them." Dimitri said weekly. He didn't know why he felt comfortable telling Hinata this, but it felt natural, like he could trust her with one of his biggest insecurities.
"I only know surface-level knowledge about what happened in Duscur. I don't ask anyone about it because nobody wants to relive the traumatic memory. I know what that's like when I think about the day" Hinata couldn't say anything as she cried.
"I'm sorry," Dimitri said sincerely.
"It should have been me, not my mother, I'm nothing like her." Hinata said. Dimitri couldn't stand seeing her like this.
"Hinata, whatever your clan thinks of you, whatever you think of yourself, you are strong. Your mother loved you, I know she did, and I don't think she had any regrets about protecting you." Dimitri said.
"Many people died protecting me, but many couldn't do anything. I was so scared I froze when every other Hyuga fought tooth and nail, even a child. But look what happened? People with families dead, my mother dead, for what? So a week and pathetic."Dimitri wrapped his arms around Hinata; he couldn't take it anymore. She cried in his chest.
"It's not fair; it should have been me." Hinata repeated over and over again. He understood only too well when his father died protecting him. It was like feeling like it should have been him, not his father. It wasn't fair, he thought. He couldn't help but agree.
"Your mother loved you, Hinata, and would not want you to think this way." Dimitri said. Hinata said nothing.
"I wish I had been there for you when you truly needed a friend instead of being alone in that awful place. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you, Hinata. I wasn't strong enough." Dimitri said.
Hinata pulled away and looked at the pond, where a fish was jumping at the center.
"I wish I had been there for you, Dimitri. I can't imagine what happened to you; it was awful. I know you don't want to talk about Duscur. I can't imagine the pain of seeing the death of thousands of people and your father on top of that. The anger I feel, the rage at the person who killed my mother—I want to kill them so bad, but I don't know who did it, and that's the worst part. What's worse, I can't prove how she died either." said Hinata.
"What do you mean?" Dimitri asked.
She was killed with the Birdcage Seal. My mother had it. I know she did. I don't know how she had it, but I saw it briefly when she died. I knew it was a member of the clan that did it. I don't know who did it. I never found out. I ever found out who did it I would kill them," Hinata said darkly.
"What kind of barbaric practice is that?" Dimitri asked. He only understood surface-level information about the curse mark known as "The Birdcage Seal. It was a mark on someone's forehead that made the person with the seal on their head essentially a slave, their lives controllable at will. it disgusted him, that's such a system existed—slavery in all that name.
"I don't know it's barbaric, but I was looked down upon because I refuse to use it on anyone. I treated those in the branch house the same way I would treat everyone else. They despise me because I'm not like them," said Hinata, revealing something he didn't really know regarding the clan. Despite being there for a few months, 7 years ago, he knew next to nothing.
"I've only heard second-hand accounts from my father, who went to school with multiple Hyugas, but I never knew more than that. He didn't say much; he was friends with someone who didn't want to talk about the clan because they hated the clan that much," said Dimitri, wondering who the person was who was this friend?
"you're better off not knowing the less you know about my clan, the better." Hinata said.
"I saw Ingrid run off earlier crying; she could use your support, Hinata." Dimitri said, which caused her to look in the direction of the Black Eagles' training ring.
" Yes, you're right. I can't stay here crying and feeling sorry for myself. Ingrid Chan needs me," Hinata said as she left Dimitri alone.
What happened in the near kidnapping of Hinata and the tragedy of Duscur? Why does he feel like they are connected in some way? He cannot help but feel like the same people who were responsible for that tragedy were also responsible for Duscur. He can't prove it; he has no solid proof, but he firmly believes the same person who wronged Hinata also wronged the people of Duscur.
Dimitri went to the Blue Lions training ring and saw Sasuke doing some training exercises with his sword. He said nothing and watched Sasuke train in silence. Sasuke was far better at handling his sword ever since he started training with Catherine. There were fewer openings in his technique. It was definitely the perfect distraction.
Sasuke stopped when he noticed Dimitri was watching.
"Is something troubling you Dimitri?" asked Sasuke not turning around as he resumed his training exercises Dimitri was amazed by Sasuke's improvements in his techniques he could watch for hours but he knew there wasn't time Sasuke wouldn't want him to watch him train after he was done with the rest of his session he put his training sword back to where all the practice weapons are and sat down on his chair and picked up a bottle of water that was nearby and took a drink Dimitri decided he would sit down to the chair next to him. the two said nothing as Sasuke looked like he was looking to find the right words to say.
"Something's bothering you, Dimitri. It's just us. What's wrong?" asked Sasuke, concerned.
"It's nothing, actually, if it isn't too much to ask. I'd like to spar with you," Dimitri said.
Sasuke went back to where his training sword was and gave Dimitri a lance. They went to the respective sides of the arena: Sasuke to the right, Dimitri to the left. He needed something to keep his mind occupied; he didn't want to think about the tragedy.
Things were silent until Dimitri made the first move in their sparring sessions. Dimitri usually won nearly all of them. Sasuke and him were closing the gaps between them. Sasuke was not struggling as much as he used to. Dimitri had to train even harder so he wouldn't fall behind. Dimitri tried to strike Sasuke's right leg, but Sasuke blocked. Then, with the bottom tip of his weapon, he went to Sasuke's left leg. Sasuke barely managed to prevent himself from losing his balance. He jumped a few feet away from Dimitri to give them both distance. Dimitri wouldn't relent; he went to attack Sasuke's right abdomen. He wasn't able to get his hit in that area as he usually did. Sasuke was able to block with ease.
He tried to change his tactics and use his lance to catch Sasuke off guard. With a quick motion, he swung hard at Sasuke's left shoulder. Sasuke quickly managed to block, but barely.
But Dimitri didn't realize he left an opening. Sasuke kicked his stomach, and then he went behind him and aimed his wooden sword at Dimitri's neck.
"You are better than this, Dimitri. You are distracted; you would not lose to me this easily otherwise." Sasuke said as he withdrew his practice sword from Dimitri's neck. He put his weapon away, and Dimitri had no idea what to say to Sasuke.
"Dimitri, I have to admit that your words on our mission about Lonato, justice, and revenge have left me puzzled. I'm still trying to understand the connection between them. Where do we draw the line between right and wrong?" Sasuke paused, waiting for Dimitri's response.
"When you told me about slaughtering your clan I couldn't help but think about how the Uchiha clan massacre and the tragedy of Duscurs are similar in scale. We both witnessed a genocide and both feel that we must make the people pay for what happened. I couldn't help but think: do we really have a right? Are we hypocritical for judging those like Lonato who believe their cause is justice? Isn't my cause and yours not justice as well? How is that any different from his?" Dimitri asked Sasuke.
"There is no difference, Dimitri, you're Justice, my Justice, Lonato's. We desire the same thing: revenge for the fallen. There's one thing I will say: Lonato was mistaken about." Sasuke said, which caused Dimitri to look at Sasuke and wonder what he meant.
"What would that be?" Dimitri asked Sasuke.
"I've heard multiple stories and multiple perspectives about what happened to his son. I don't know for sure if he was innocent, but I do know this: his words, his lies, and slander caused Catherine San to never be able to return to her homeland. She was branded a criminal; he used his own connections to claim she was involved in the tragedy. As a result, she can't return home. The church she's loyal to is a reason where else was she going to go other than here?" Sasuke said, looking at the sky.
"I didn't think you would take the Church's side, Sasuke, why?"asked Dimitri.
"Who took Mercie and her mother in? Who provided them with a home? Who sheltered them? Who gave them a place to live? Who helped them? It certainly wasn't the empire where she was born. A scumbag of a man drove her out and made her homeless at the age of 10. No, I don't see any reason to take the words of someone that doesn't know the full story." Sasuke said it was surprising to Dimitri just how high of a regard he holds the church despite only being in this place for a few months. The church had an impact on him, or more accurately Mercedes has.
"I understand where you're coming from, Sasuke. I know the church has its faults, just like every institution, but it's hard not to think about whether we went too far in doing what we did. Was there another way?"Dimitri asked, the same question he'd been asking ever since the day Lonato died.
Sasuke turned away; it was difficult for Dimitri to know what he was thinking.
"I don't know," Sasuke said, his voice laced with a hint of uncertainty. "That's a question I cannot answer."
Before Dimitri could ask another question, Mercedes entered the room, and he knew this conversation had to be cut short due to appearances.
He noticed a faint smile on Sasuke's face when Mercedes was in the same room as him. Dimitri decided to leave the two alone. He decided to spend the rest of his day training, alone, anything to keep his mind off the mission and the tragedy, anything not to hear their voices.
Ingrid was breathing heavily as she destroyed the practice dummies in front of her. Just thinking about what had happened to Glenn made her so angry, and not to mention, she felt dirty about her feelings towards the people of Duscur. How could she possibly face Naruto or Hinata if they knew about her feelings? Would they look at her differently?
She didn't think deeply about her feelings towards the people of Duscur; she didn't think it mattered. She didn't want her personal feelings to interfere with her classes. She wanted to keep it to herself, but that conversation in the bath with the girls—she couldn't just hide her feelings with so many people. She needed to take her feelings out on something, anything, rather than say something she would regret later.
She knew in her heart that it wasn't fair to blame the people of Duscur; they couldn't have all been responsible for what had happened, but it was still hard not to hate them, considering them one of the people she had lost the day Glenn died. 6 years before that, she lost her brother at the hands of Itachi Uchiha, who murdered Roderick in cold blood. It was one thing after another; she wanted just to get away from it all.
She heard footsteps and looked; it was none other than Hinata. She didn't want Hinata to see her in this state. She couldn't appear weak in front of her.
"I'm sorry for leaving so suddenly," she said to her girlfriend.
"I'm sorry if I upset you, Ingrid," Hinata said.
The two said nothing she had no idea what to say.
"Can we talk in private?" Ingrid asked Hinata.
"Of course," Hinata replied.
Before they headed to Ingrid's quarters, Ingrid and Hinata cleaned up the training area to make sure it was clean for the next person who wanted to train. They walked in silence until they were alone in Ingrid's quarters. This was the first time Ingrid and Hinata were alone in her quarters. Now that she thinks about it, it was strange. The two women sat on Ingrid's bed. Ingrid had no idea what to say; she had barely talked about Glenn with Naruto.
It was almost 10 minutes before Ingrid broke the silence.
"Am I a bad person, Hinata?" Ingrid asked this question, which shocked Hinata, as she even asked this question.
"I don't know how you could be a bad person, Ingrid Chan?"Hinata asked.
"I know it's wrong, but I hate them. Am I a bad person for feeling this way?" Ingrid asked Hinata, feeling ashamed for having these feelings.
"No, recognizing you having them, feeling ashamed of your feelings, isn't the same thing as outright bigotry. I don't think you're a bad person, Ingrid Chan, for feeling the way you do. I don't know what I would do if I were in your place. I don't think it's fair to the people of Duscur, but I understand why you would feel that way, even though I don't condone it."
Hinata answered, "I don't think it's fair to the people of Duscur, but I understand why you would feel that way, even though I don't condone it." Ingrid couldn't help but love Hinata more, even if she admits a part of herself that she's ashamed of, that people would judge her for; she doesn't judge her at all, but listens instead and tries to be understanding.
"I don't like having these feelings. I didn't think about it until I came here and met people of other cultures. I'd even recognize the prejudice that I have. Did I always feel this way? Is it systematic in my homeland? I don't know. I don't like the feeling." Ingrid said
Thinking about how different things had come since she met people of other cultures, that maybe her Homeland was not as great as she once thought. That perhaps there's a lot of things wrong with her home. Did she always look down on outsiders prior to her coming to the monastery? She had no idea. She didn't even consider thinking about these things until she enrolled in the Black Eagles, where her kind of bigotry wouldn't be tolerated, but they still welcomed her. Petra was someone from another land, yet she treated everyone with kindness and respect. Why couldn't she do the same to the people of Duscur? What made them so different?
"You were at least willing to admit openly the shame that you feel. That's a start of being better."
"Do you truly hate the people of Duscur, or is that something you were told to do or were raised with?" Ingrid hadn't thought about that before until Hinata asked that question. Did she truly hate them? It was a difficult question to answer. She didn't want them dead; she didn't want to see them treated inhumanely. But why did she still have that apprehension whenever they were mentioned?
"I don't know," Ingrid admitted out loud.
"Hinata said, 'In some ways, I feel like a hypocrite because the people of Kumogakure—I hate them. I will never not hate them. What they have done to my family, what they have done to my mother, what they tried to do with me—I can never see them as anything more than a bunch of barbarians.'" It shocked Ingrid; she didn't think Hinata was capable of having any prejudices towards anyone or any group of people. It did not make her feel better, but it was shocking to hear the venom in her voice when she talked about Kumogakure.
"Hinata I" Ingrid had no words; what was she going to say? The venom in her voice when the topic of Kumogakure—there was no way Ingrid could talk her out of hating them.
"I know what you're thinking. Yes, I can hate people so much that I hold them with such venom that I can't stomach being around them. If they had succeeded in kidnapping me, they would have raped me and turned me into a breeding stock. That's what they would have done. That's all I think about when I think about those people." Hinata said, trying to control her emotions.
"I just didn't know. I'm sorry for making you relive those memories."Ingrid said apologetically.
"You have nothing to apologize for," Hinata said, "I just wanted you to know that you're not alone, my beloved knight." Their faces were inches from each other.
"Thank you for being there for me in my times of weakness," said Ingrid. She felt Hinata's hand on her right cheek.
"Of course, I would do anything for you, Ingrid," Hinata said as he kissed her. It didn't matter what the world thought of them at the moment; she wasn't being judged, and to Ingrid, that was enough. She wanted to do whatever wasn't in her power to protect her one day from anyone who would do her harm.
They pulled away and looked at the sky.
"Do you think it could just be us for today?" asked Hinata.
"Of course," Ingrid answered. The two women said nothing for hours until they were hungry and went to the cafeteria. They spent most of the day in silence.
the next day
Naruto was alone with Edelgard. She requested to speak to him personally, which perplexed him. Why she wanted to talk to him one-on-one was what perplexed him. They were in the tables near the cafeteria; nobody was disturbing them. The weather was luckily not too bad—not hot, not cold. Edelgard was wearing more casual clothes. She wore a white dress that went down to her knees. Her hair was tied back in pigtails with a bow that had silver and red. The silver covered the bulk of the bow, while the red covered the corners with tips of gold. It looked like she was wearing it for her date later with her girlfriend Monica, who was currently spending time with Hinata.
Naruto was wearing his usual clothes that he wears on his days off in Konoha. He was going to go on a date with Hinata, but Edelgard wanted to speak to him first before they went on their date.There was silence between the two until Edelgard spoke.
"It's a shame we haven't had a chance to talk one on one very often, Naruto, ever since you came here, we barely had time." Edelgard said.
"Yeah I've known Hinata-chan for years yet she's never mentioned you once I didn't even know you two were friends until I came here." Naruto admitted.
Edelgard took a sip of her tea before she talked again as if she was choosing her words carefully.
"There are people in my home country who don't know that Hinata was my friend or that I even visited Konoha at all." Edelgard admitted, which surprised Naruto.
"I guess there's still a lot that I don't know about her." Naruto said out loud.
"Yes, but enough about Hinata. I like to ask a question, Naruto. I know I asked you this the first day, but I like to elaborate on it further. How do you feel about the current state of the world?" the older woman asked Naruto. Naruto thought about it, the current state of the world.
The current state of the world, where undeserving people hold power, is a status quo where those who are undeserving are in positions of power, controlling everything, while those born with spoons in their mouths essentially run everything. He thought about his own upbringing, the harsh conditions he was forced to deal with, compared to everyone else.
"I don't know if I have to be honest with you, I never thought about it before," Naruto admitted.
"Surely you have an opinion," Edelgard pressed.
He thought hard, even harder than before she asked the question, and it was so obvious the answer that he just didn't want to admit it out loud.
"Dorothea Chan, when we were talking about my village, had maybe questioned everything that I once never considered before. Honestly, Edelgard, I never considered any of this before. But when I think about it, I don't like the current state of the world, in fact."Naruto looked in the direction of Konoha as if he could see the Hokage monument from afar. As if he could visualize the village, the rot, the corruption, everything he had grown to hate since childhood, everything he had grown up with, things he never thought about before. Ever since he had met his friends in the Golden Deer, he had to reevaluate things he never considered before.
"Speak your mind, Naruto. It's just the two of us," said Edelgard.
"There's a lot of undeserving people who shouldn't be in positions they're in. The Konoha council is mostly made up of people who have no idea what it's like to do actual work. Then you have the elders, some of the most useless parasites in the village, who should have been ousted ages ago. Their ideas hold us back." Naruto thought about his upbringing, the anger in his rage when he thinks about his childhood, the treatment he received, and how he was deprived of normal things that everyone else in the village took for granted.
He thought about Hinata, what her clan, the expectations they put on her, the kind of things that they have done. He had seen firsthand as a child people that were kind before they left the academy becoming sociopathic monsters afterwards. He shivered at the thought of ever becoming like that, the Shinobi system, the evil of it, the rot. He wanted to see it destroyed, but then he realized how radical that way of thought was and shoved it deep into his mind. But he couldn't help but think about it.
"How would you feel about a society built on merit instead of people having positions of power based on whether you're from a clan or you're rich or poor? How would you feel about a society where everyone has to do their part and work hard instead of having undeserving people making decisions for the rest of us or those that will come after them? How would you feel about that kind of society?" Edelgard asked Naruto, making him seriously consider what she was saying. The kind of world that she pushes, the kind of world that she advocates for, it doesn't sound so bad. If that kind of world existed, would he really want to be the Hokage?
Does he still want to be the Hokage after learning the truth about how the village had treated him for things he had nothing to do with? Ever since coming to the monastery, things have changed for Naruto. He isn't sure what he wants anymore. He was told by Iruka once he left that the village would accept him eventually, but "eventually" was five years. He was going to be 18 in a few months, and things still hadn't really changed.
The friends he has made since coming to the monastery, and the house leaders Claude, Dimitri, and Edelgard, treat him with more respect and kindness than anyone back home, except for Hinata and those of the Konoha 12, minus the banshee. However, everything else, even those who treat him better, is superficial. His relationships with them are the only other people he can think of who treat him with genuine kindness, aside from the ramen shop owner and his daughter. However, that's it. He doesn't like this train of thought; he feels like he's turning against his village, but it's difficult for him not to consider these things. Ever since meeting his friends in the monastery, he was forced to reconsider these thoughts he had never considered before.
Another thing came into his mind: what would have happened if he had chosen Edelgard instead of Claude? What if he had taken her hand instead? How different his life would be. Not that he regrets his choice for choosing Claude, but Edelgard. What she was saying appealed to him. Had she spoken like this to him on the first day he was here, he might have chosen her because of what he wanted more than anything.
"you are thinking about what I'm saying that's good Naruto you shouldn't just take everything I say on face value you should consider what I'm saying whether you agree with me or not. I wish to have a world where everyone is able to get by on their own merit no undeserving nobles Crest or not getting in the way. I seek to reforge this world completely were the nobility the class of the nobility would be abolished."Edelgard said which again Naruto couldn't help but find that appealing had she spoken like this when they first met he would have chosen her he knows he would have then he heard Kurama speak.
"Remember, this woman isn't going to be completely forthcoming with you, and not to mention she has her own agenda. Remember, she isn't like Claude or Dimitri; she is hiding something. There's more that she could say, but isn't she isn't lying to you. But she isn't completely forthcoming with information either. Be cautious; there's a reason why Shez didn't choose her." His friend had a point, but he couldn't help but think about Edelgard. Everything she says has merit; he can't ignore it or dismiss it outright because what she says is true.
"I would like to see the world change where people like Hinata Hime don't have to become Shinobi; where they can be what they've always wanted to be. I'd like to see a world where the Shinobi system doesn't need to exist or doesn't exist. It wouldn't be such a bad thing. Your world—it actually sounds nice." Naruto admitted.
"A drastic change that I propose would require something so drastic it may require a revolution. Naruto, would you fight for such a world if it was the only option to enact change to end the current status quo? Would that be something you would be in support of?" Edelgard asked. Naruto thought about it before he got a chance to answer. He heard footsteps behind him. It was none other than Edelgard's retainer, Hubert.
She knew he wasn't wanted and decided to leave, but not before she heard Edelgard say one last thing.
"Thank you for hearing me out, Naruto."Edelgard said Naruto thanked her for the tea she provided and went to where Ingrid and Dorothea were.
Hubert waited until Naruto was completely out of earshot; he didn't want Naruto to hear anything he was about to say to Edelgard.
"I think what you're doing is too dangerous, Lady Edelgard. I think you are pushing your luck. It's one thing for Lady Hinata, but Naruto; we have to be careful, otherwise we can jeopardize everything." Hubert said, which is something that he knew Lady Edelgard would not approve of.
"I know what I'm doing, Hubert. Despite Hinata's loyalty, I don't want to put her in a position where she's forced to choose between me and Naruto. I'm not confident that she would choose me over him. If push came to shove, you don't know how much she loves him. I would rather secure his loyalty through friendship than take such a chance." Edelgard said, trying to defend her actions.
"I understand my lady, but you play a very dangerous game. Naruto is not someone who would turn on Claude on the drop of a hat; he's loyal to his friends. Can you really expect him to turn on Claude for Lady Hinata's sake?" Hubert asked her, generally wanting to know why she was doing this, why she was trying to be his friend.
"He loves her, Hubert, even if he doesn't want to admit it out loud. He would do anything for Hinata; he would burn the world if she ordered him to. He's loyal to Hinata more than anyone. I don't want him to join me because of her; I want him to join me because he believes in my cause." Edelgard said, justifying her actions.
"Isn't what you're doing a form of manipulation, Lady Edelgard?" Hubert asked, wanting to tell Edelgard something she wouldn't admit herself.
"I'm trying to be his friend, Hubert," Edelgard said, not liking where this was going.
"You said it yourself, Naruto loves Lady Hinata and would do anything for her. What you're doing is a form of manipulation. If you wanted to, you could use this to your advantage to win him over to our cause. I wouldn't hesitate to use such an opportunity. After all, your goals are so grand that to get them accomplished, you have to use underhanded methods. You know this better than anyone. How vicious the nobles on this continent are, and where Naruto and Hinata are from, to get rid of such a system of nobility, there is no such thing as doing it cleanly. Doing it by any means necessary is what will have to happen." Hubert said in a detached manner, not caring how it came out, considering it was the absolute truth, regardless of how his lady wants to see it.
"I know what I'm getting myself into, Hubert," Edelgard asked him. "Do I really have to lose my humanity in the process to make such a world?"
"I didn't take you for an idealist, you know what it would take to bring your ideal world into reality. Why are you having second thoughts?" Hubert asked her. Usually, Edelgard is usually confident. Ever since Naruto came into the picture, and Hinata, she was not as confident as she was. He did not like this at all, considering he shared Edelgard's disdain for the nobility and the crest system.
"I just would like to look for another way to make my ideal world possible it's just I feel like I'm in a rock and a hard place."Edelgard said looking up at the sky.
"You're not going to please everyone inevitably on this path; you'll lose friends. That's the price you're willing to pay to make a better world, you know this. Getting in, why are you getting cold feet now?" Hubert asked her.
"I don't know, I feel like maybe I can find another way," Edelgard admitted. He didn't like this at all; he would have to continue at another time because he saw the professor approaching.
"We will continue this later." Hubert said as he left Edelgard alone; he would have a talk with Naruto at some point when the opportunity arose. The last thing he wanted was to have someone like him make Edelgard have second thoughts about her goals. He would be damned if he would have his lady second-guess herself because of some foreigner from a foreign land who doesn't understand how bad things are in this land.
When the opportunity presents itself, he will talk to Naruto one on one. Until then, he would let Edelgard continue her attempt to be Naruto's friend. He hopes it will pay off, but hope is something he never wants to bet the future of the Empire on. Considering what his father represents, he wants a better future for his family than the status quo that currently exists. He would do whatever is necessary. He would not let Edelgard make a mistake. He is loyal, but he'll do things that she would not agree with—not out of disloyalty, but because of his loyalty.
While Edelgard was talking to Naruto, Monica was speaking to Hinata. It was amazing how much had happened in the past 7 years. Monica had learned a lot, though she could see in her eyes that she was hiding something as if something was bothering her. It had been since Hinata and Naruto started their four-way relationship with Ingrid and Dorothea. She was starting to see the cracks, and it had to do with insecurities on Naruto and Hinata's ends. They weren't communicating, and that was something she knew would cause them both problems. But then again, Hinata wasn't voicing her concerns with Dorothea or Ingrid. Monica couldn't help but think Hinata was too selfless sometimes, but that's what she liked about her. When it came to how Naruto was treating her, Monica couldn't help but feel a little angry, but she couldn't show that to her friend considering Hinata and her have not spoken alone ever since the mission.
Monica wore a long pink dress; it was nothing special. It was something that she wore on her days off when she wasn't in class. She made sure not to show any skin because she didn't want any attention from men. Nor did she want to explain to them that she wasn't attracted to them. She didn't think it was anyone's business what she and her girlfriend did behind closed doors.
Hinata was wearing the same clothing she wore on her days off in Konoha. She couldn't help but think that it was so plain-looking. Why would she dress in something so plain when she could dress in something that could bring out the beauty in her?
"It's so peaceful right now, despite all the hectic things I've been happening. Doesn't it bother you, Monica, that you're repeating the semester despite already passing most of your classes?" Hinata asked her.
"Actually, I didn't think I would see you again after I left the compound. It feels nice to be able to talk just the two of us, I mean." She was struggling to find the right words.
"Unlike the Hyuga clan compound, I feel like we're more free to do what we wish. Yeah, we can't go everywhere we want, but it doesn't feel so cramped up like that. No offense, but that's what you called home." Monica said, hoping she didn't offend Hinata.
"I can't help but agree I hate that place in fact being here feels like an extended vacation. I never felt more peaceful than I have here; yes, it's not what I was used to at first, but I feel more at home here than I ever did back in my homeland," said Hinata.
"You choosing lady Edelgard I'm glad you chose her I really am I was afraid you would have chosen Dimitri."Monica admitted which caused Hinata to have a look of surprise.
"My clan would have expected me to choose the Blue Lions I chose the Black Eagles because that's what my clan would not want me to do I want to choose my own path. When I spoke to Edel Chan on the first day, what she said resonated with me. I couldn't choose anyone else because of that reason. I believe in her vision." Hinata said, looking at Edelgard's direction. Monica knew Edelgard was trying to get Naruto on their side, which is something she supports because she doesn't want Hinata to have torn loyalties.
"Your teammates Kiba and Shino are interesting people. How long have you been friends with them?" Monica asked curiously.
"I've been friends with them since goodness since we were 12; they are probably some of my best friends. I don't know what I would have done without them for all those years. They always had my back," said Hinata as she looked at the sky and then where her teammates were, on the other side of the garden. Kiba was talking with Caspar, who lives with interest, while Shino was playing a game of shogi with Linhardt.
"It's good to know you have people like them to support you. Honestly, I was worried about you when I left," said Monica, thinking about the look on Hinata's face when she, Edelgard, and Dimitri left. She wondered how her friend would think that they had a reunion in a dungeon of all places, and now she was talking to her as if nothing had happened, as if no time had passed. It's all but then neither of them were children anymore.
"Your sensei, she's so nice. I'm glad she's our assistant professor," said Monica, referring to Kurenai. She remembers the woman's face when she saved Hinata from her father's wrath.
"After my mother's death you could say she's probably the closest thing I have to a mother. when my father disinherited me she took me in I don't know where I would be without her." said Hinata she didn't know how awful she wanted to give her a hug.
"What happened to your mother was a tragedy, Lady Hitomi was a kind woman. She was so nice to all of us; she treated us as if we were her own children." Monica said fondly, thinking of the memory.
"Yes I wish I would have told her how much."she saw a teardrop talking about her mother was painful Monica could empathize her mother died a few years ago it was hard for her to think that her mother was gone her mother had unknown origins. she didn't know where her mother came from the only thing she did know that she had long red hair nothing else was known about Monica's mother her father wasn't forthcoming with anything regarding Monica's mother. the only thing she knew about her mother is that her mother came from a faraway land her family rejected her father's marriage with her mother because of her foreign-sounding name and her accent but it didn't matter to her father he loved her.
"I'm sorry, Hinata. I wish there was more I could say to comfort you, but I don't know. I have regrets. I wish I had told my mother how much she meant to me."
Her father was never the same after Monica's mother died. Her father was withdrawn and looked at the direction of where her mother came from her Homeland. She couldn't help but feel like there's more about herself that she doesn't know about. The one thing that she knew about one of the clans in the five nations is one of them is known for having red hair. She thought it would be too much of a coincidence, there's no way but it was possible though there was no evidence to prove it. The only other things she knew is the Uzumaki clan, which Naruto is from. Though he may not know it, has huge chakra reserves. Monica has huge chakra reserves. Could it be related? But then again, those of Crest also tend to have high chakra capacity. That could be it. No, she tossed that thought the deepest depths of her mind. It would be too much of a coincidence, especially after Marianne's Awakening and her secret kekkei genkai. It would be too much of a coincidence if Monica was a secret descendant of some ancient clan from a Faraway land. Then Monica realized she was spacing out. She couldn't do that in front of her friend.
"Are you all right, Moni Chan?" asked Hinata, concerned about her spacing out and being in deep thought.
"I'm fine," Monica replied, hoping she would buy it.
She saw Naruto leave the table and headed to where Hinata was.
"It's a shame this has to end so quickly, but I don't want to interrupt your date with your boyfriend," Monica said as she got up.
"It's fine, thank you for taking the time to speak with me," Hinata replied. They bid each other farewell, and Naruto headed out on their date with Hinata.
later
After Edelgard was done talking to Hubert, Monica waited for Edelgard to meet her at their spot near the entrance of the monastery. Edelgard had a look of concern on her face, though she hit it well.
"Where are we going today?" Monica asked her girlfriend.
"I was considering that we go outside the monastery," said Edelgard. She shoved her thoughts about her concerns of Hinata and Naruto's relationship on the back of her mind for now. Her partner was what was most important. Naruto and Hinata could wait, and if worse came to worse, and she had to help intervene for Hinata's sake, she would do so without hesitation, with Edelgard and Dimitri's assistance, of course.
one week later
Ferdinand was alone with Hinata. They were having tea together, something they have been doing quite frequently since they cleared up the misunderstanding that they had back at the mission. It felt good to talk to the noble woman in front of him. They were currently talking about what they recently were learning about regarding the history of the monastery. It was an interesting conversation. He thought Hinata had studied the history of his homeland thoroughly; she knew a lot. There was hardly anything he could ask her that she didn't already know, though there was something she couldn't know from obvious reasons. There were some books that were never translated into her language, which was in the topic of the conversation on the workings of the Adrestian Court.
"I knew it was cutthroat, but never like this. I don't know how you could stomach growing up in an environment like that, Ferdinand San. It would drive me mad," said Hinata, horrified at the vicious and backstabbing nature of his country's Court and how corrupt the nobility were. It sickened him in a way, especially his father, but there was nothing that could be done at the moment because he still has not taken over as the head of his house yet. Until then, he was stuck in an unfortunate position.
"What you told me about your clan? It sounds like the Hyuga have no honor to speak of despite always talking about it, yet they do little to uphold it. I do not hear good things about your clan from those who have gone to the school with them. They tend to be elitist and judgmental, have only superficial notions of honor, and don't actually uphold them. I see it as a clan of hypocrites. No offense. My lady." Ferdinand said, trying to be respectful towards his friend.
"I take no offense; coming here is like a cultural shock. I mean, it's no wonder those in my clan want to see this program end. Why wouldn't they? if the people of my clan who are like myself feel worthless if they were to have a chance to go here, they would find out their worth something, and they wouldn't want that, would they?" Hinata said with barely controlled anger whatever her Clan was ever mentioned.
"The more I hear about your clan, the sicker I am, by it. It's hard to believe you are the woman that you are considering the environment you grew up in." Ferdinand said it actually meant it and not just telling her what she wanted to hear.
"Thank you Ferdinand San. It means a lot, and I do mean that. Here I'm somebody that people look up to and respect, but back home, I'm nothing. I'm not used to it," Hinata said, looking down at the cup that she had not touched. There was something else on her mind, something that was bothering her, and he knew it had to do with Naruto. Ever since the harem jutsu incident, he had noticed something. It was subtle at first, but he noticed that Hinata was having doubts considering the amount of time Naruto has spent with Dorothea and Ingrid. Yet he did not include her in whatever activities they did. It was none of his business, but it was bothering him because Hinata is his friend. Despite not knowing her for long, it bothered him to see her being neglected like she's been. Despite Naruto taking her out on dates, he's neglecting her in ways that matter.
"Are you all right, Hinata? Is something bothering you?" Ferdinand asked, noticing her tensing when he asked her.
"It's nothing, Ferdinand. It's just that we've been really busy lately and I'm just under a lot of stress, that's all." He knew a lie when he saw it. The way Hinata was moving her fingers together when she was lying, and when she was nervous she never did that when she told the truth. Those were subtle details that he had noticed, but he wouldn't press on it because it wouldn't be right, and it was not his business.
"If you need anyone to talk to about anything, Hinata, I'm all ears," Ferdinand said, truly concerned about the look on her face. She was on the verge of crying, and he was clenching his fists. He wanted to go to Naruto, wherever he was, and punch him, but he was going to restrain himself. No, that would not be something that he would do. He would let someone else do it. Perhaps Mercedes would be better, considering how close she was with Hinata – they were almost inseparable.
"Thank you, Ferdinand," said Hinata with a fake smile. "But I mean it, nothing's wrong." He had noticed that when she lied and tried to get out of it, she always forced a smile. He was pretty sure Edelgard and Dimitri knew that too. He had to bring this to her attention; this couldn't wait.
"Thank you for the tea. I got to go now, but; I can't keep Naruto Kun waiting." Hinata said as she left him alone.
Naruto was waiting for Hinata. He didn't have to wait long before he saw his girlfriend show up. They were doing their usual routine on their dates. Naruto felt really bad and wished she could do this with Dorothea and Ingrid as well. However, he hadn't figured out how he could take three of his girlfriends out. So, on days like this, he focuses primarily on Hinata. He can't help but feel like he's neglecting her, even though it's ridiculous.
The thought wouldn't leave him, nor did his feeling of unworthiness of her, despite them being together for almost 3 months. He still felt like he didn't deserve her. The words that Dorothea told him when they first met still repeated from time to time whenever he and Hinata spent time alone. He didn't voice his honest thoughts because he was scared. What if she didn't need him? What if Dorothea and Ingrid were all that Hinata needed? What good was he? These thoughts wouldn't leave his mind. Things got even more complicated ever since he allowed two other women into his heart. But how can he care for them all equally when the one he loves more than anyone is Hinata?
Before he could indulge in his thoughts further, Hinata showed up. He could tell, even by her not saying anything, that she was not smiling. Even if she forced one, he didn't want to push the issue. He didn't want to ruin their day or do anything that would make her sad in any way. But he felt like a screw up. He had already done that.
"I'm sorry Naruto Kun my talk with Ferdinand San took longer than I thought." Hinata said revealing her reasoning for being late.
"It's okay, Hinata-chan," Naruto said with a forced smile. He knew in his heart that something was wrong. Hinata was trying to smile for his own sake, but he knew that it wasn't real. She wasn't voicing her inner turmoil. He didn't want to push the issue because he didn't want to make her even sadder than he already had. "Why do I have to be an idiot," he thought. He wished he could hear Kurama, but he hadn't said anything. Even hearing him chastising him would be better than nothing, but he hasn't heard anything.
Naruto and Hinata spent most of their date in silence. It was uncomfortable. It was getting worse. They used to talk a lot before about whatever they'd been doing, but now they barely spoke. Naruto wanted to say something. when the date was over, Naruto and Hinata went through their usual routine he made love to her, but it wasn't the same passion that Naruto was feeling, and Hinata wasn't there like it was before it was as if he was losing her they both went to their lovers from time to time, but Naruto can help it feel like when he made love to Hinata was he satisfying to her was he needed? Naruto couldn't help but think of those feelings.
Naruto, when he was making love to Hinata, now, it just felt like another round of sex. It wasn't anything special like it was when they started doing it at the beginning. After they were done, Hinata turned away from him as if hiding her true feelings. She was about to leave the room. Naruto was going to reach out for her, but he felt unworthy. How could he treat her in this way? She deserved better than him.
When he did not leave him alone, he said nothing—their night of Love making replayed repeatedly. He couldn't help but think he was neglecting Hinata in the most critical aspect, and he couldn't sleep knowing this.
The next day
Ferdinand went to where Edelgard would be. She was talking to Byleth for a long time. He knew they had this conversation for at least 2 hours. As much as he wanted to leave them be, this couldn't wait, especially when it involved their friend; some kind of intervention had to be done immediately.
They both noticed he was there. He was trying to come up with the right words, anything to justify his presence and his interrupting their conversation.
"Do you need anything, Ferdinand?" asked his professor.
"I'll make this brief and quick: Hinata is not herself right now, and I wanted to stay out of her business with her relationship with Naruto, but I feel like I can't ignore it. After yesterday, I wanted to voice my grievances and want action to be taken as soon as possible." Ferdinand said Edelgard had the same expression as he did, so she also knew about it.
"Me and Dimitri were having the same conversation a few hours ago. In fact, that's what the professor and I were discussing, as well as his recommendation for a course of action. Ferdinand was interested; the professor usually knows what he's doing and has solid judgment.
"My suggestion is to let one of her friends set him straight, someone Naruto respects greatly. Mercedes would be perfect. Naruto respects her. She helped him make cinnamon rolls, for if he were to be set straight by her, it would be perfect considering she's a perfect choice, and there are other reasons, too." Byleth said as he saw Sasuke and Mercedes walking towards their usual spot, which was totally not boyfriend and girlfriend.They were not doing a good job hiding it, but Ferdinand didn't care. It was none of his business.
"Well, that's great. Who's going to tell them?" Ferdinand asked.
"To think that we're helping those two out again. I swear they're so helpless, Naruto especially," said Dimitri, who was right by Claude's side.
"Since Hinata's like our little sister, we're going to talk to Mercedes to set him straight, and knowing how she is, she'll do it," said Dimitri, looking at Edelgard when they referred to Hinata as their little sister.
"Well, it was my idea. After all, I want their relationship to work out, but Naruto needs to be slapped by someone he respects to send him straight. I like the idea," Claude said. Of course he did, Ferdinand thought.
"Well, it better work unless you have something else to discuss. I must go; I don't want to keep her waiting." Byleth said, referring to Marianne. He didn't know what he thought of the professor and Marianne secretly being together. It wasn't his business because what his classmate and professor do in their spare time is none of anyone's concern, so he said nothing as he left the group alone.
Well, there you have it. "Ferdinand, a course of action is being taken. Monica was not happy and would not budge on the issue until something was done," said Edelgard. He wasn't shocked. Monica and Hinata were close, just like Edelgard and Dimitri. He didn't want to know the extent of their friendship, but he thought better of it after all, the friendship between the four of them.
"well that I feel like what I did was pointless then," Ferdinand said, wanting to kick himself.
"What you did was not pointless because you pushed us to do something about it sooner rather than later. We're pushing for it to happen tomorrow," Dimitri said.
"Oh," Ferdinand had no words.
"I'll go to Sasuke and Mercedes right now. I believe this should be resolved by tomorrow night." Dimitri said as he left the group.
"He hoped, for Hinata's sake, that it wasn't true. He didn't want to see his friend sad; it made him angry. He didn't think Naruto deserved someone like Hinata, to treat someone so kind the way he has. But then again, his class leader and her friends knew what they were doing and he believed they were doing the right thing. He said goodbye to his classmates and decided to spend the rest of his day alone with his secret lover, who nobody knows about.
The purpose of this chapter is to provide additional context for the next chapter, which explores Naruto and Hinata's insecurities. Originally, this was a long chapter during the two months of calm, so I plan to extend it. The focus will mainly be on Naruto, Hinata, Ingrid, and Dorothea as they navigate the complexities of a four-way relationship.