Oof, a sasuhina anti in the reviews. Are you lost? Can't imagine how miserable you have to be to go out of your way to hate on a crackship.

Thank you to everyone who left a kind review ^^

Chapter 2: Running in circles

Hinata slowly drifted into consciousness, momentarily disoriented by her surroundings. Naruto's kitchen table was cool against her cheek and the apartment was quiet. She straightened slowly, unsure what had woken her.

It was then that she heard the sound of the lock and the doorknob turning.

"Hinata-chan."

Naruto's form was a blur of orange and black through her sleepy eyes. She blinked a few times trying to clear her vision and by the time he was in focus, Naruto's face was inches away from her. Too tired to blush, Hinata savoured the feeling of his big hands cupping her face and the kiss against her forehead.

"I'm sorry, Hinata-chan, I got held up studying with Iruka-sensei."

Hinata hummed sleepily. Warmth surrounded her and suddenly she found herself wrapped up in Naruto's sheets. A hand caressed her hair and she could only mumble a quiet "Naruto-kun" before succumbing to sleep.

When she woke next it was morning. Naruto slept soundly beside her, body mostly occupying the left side except for an arm around her waist.

Hinata got up slowly with a disappointed sigh. It seemed the only time she spent lately with Naruto was in their dreams, maybe a rushed breakfast before he went off to study if she was lucky.

She was still mostly in her date night clothes. She must have kicked off the long skirt at some point during the night and it was a miracle she hadn't sweat through her two layers of shirts. She shed one of the layers and folded it along with her skirt.

Deeming her safety shorts and long sleeved top appropriate enough, Hinata made her way to the kitchen where she put away her folded clothes in her backpack. She considered taking a shower, but although she'd prepared in anticipation of spending the night she hadn't brought that much with her. At the very least, she had her toothbrush.

After washing up, she ambled back into the kitchen. Disappointingly, she found the cupboards still mostly filled with groceries she'd brought over, except for anything she'd cooked in the past week. Clearly, Naruto wasn't eating much home cooked food unless it was hers.

Hinata pulled out the tea set, caressing the polished clay happily. While not as fine as the porcelain sets in the Hyuuga compound, Hinata was quite proud of the one she'd purchased to keep here. It was lacking the ornamental flourishes she usually preferred, but the plain lavender colour was pleasing in its own right.

While the kettle boiled, Hinata laid out the rest of the tea set on the counter and brought out the tin of matcha.

A knock at the door interrupted her as she was scooping the green powder into the chawan and she swiftly made her way over to open the door.

"Good morning, Sasuke-san," she greeted with a small smile, already stepping aside in an implicit invitation.

"Morning," Sasuke replied as he entered, allowing her to shut the door behind him.

The sound of the kettle whistling drew Hinata back into the kitchen. She could sense Sasuke following closely behind as she went straight to the stove. She took the kettle off the hot stovetop and then added another scoop of matcha into the chawan.

Sasuke didn't drop by every morning that she stayed the night, but it also wasn't uncommon. And though he never seemed particularly interested in breakfast, he never turned down a cup of tea.

Hinata turned to face the Uchiha as she waited on the kettle to cool to a better temperature. "How is the aviary?" she asked, daring to look at Sasuke directly while he rested his head in his palm with his eyes shut in a bored expression.

He let out a disgruntled sound. "That was last week. This week it's replanting trees at Senju Park."

Hinata bit back a smile. Kakashi had Sasuke running around doing genin-level missions and it was a source of never ending ire to Sasuke and endless amusement to Naruto.

"I hope they plant some white lilies," Hinata murmured absently, more to herself than Sasuke. She turned to pour the hot water into the chawan and began whisking in a smooth, practiced motion. While she did this, she felt eyes tracking her movements, but did her best to ignore it.

In her brief interactions with Sasuke since his return, she found him equal parts mellow and intense. He'd flip between the two easily and unexpectedly and it left her feeling off kilter around him.

When she turned to serve him with a cup, she once again found his gaze averted and posture relaxed.

They drank in a calm silence. Hinata thought she felt Sasuke glance at her occasionally, but didn't look to check. The matcha grown in the Hyuuga gardens was a luxury that, though readily available to her, she didn't take for granted.

A small, pleased sound broke the silence between them and Hinata was startled to realize that it didn't come from her. Sasuke seemed to move through the world with a soundless, deadly grace. His face was either blank or frowning when she saw him. It didn't occur to her that Sasuke could even make such a sound.

She instinctively looked up and immediately was met with his mismatched eyes, rinnegan not fully hidden behind his dark hair. Blushing lightly, Hinata quickly looked back into the depths of her cup, embarrassed to be caught staring. "I hope Sasuke-san is enjoying the tea?" she asked hesitantly.

"It's good."

Somewhat surprised by the candid confirmation, she couldn't help but look up again. This time she tried not to shy away from his gaze. "I'm glad," she said. "If Sasuke-san would like, I can bring you some of the matcha that my family makes."

"Don't bother," Sasuke said dismissively, "I wouldn't know what to do with it." He continued to stare at her and she took refuge under her bangs, the extra barrier helping her maintain eye contact.

With a quiet sound he finally looked away. "We used to attend tea ceremonies when I was young. Because I had to wear a kimono, it felt like it happened too often, but looking back it couldn't have been more than once a month."

Hinata tightened her grip on her cup, mind awash with images of dark haired men and women in stiff clothing sitting seiza at a long ceremonial table. Long hours of a kaiseki ryori meal with brief intervals where guests were allowed to roam the gardens and stretch their legs. Sitting curled into the folds of her mother's kimono and having both her own and her mother's wagashi. The memories were faded and creased, like an old dog-eared photograph.

"The Hyuuga and Uchiha are descended from a shared ancestor," her father used to say. "Our clans' histories are intertwined."

Sasuke was still looking away when she whispered, "We haven't held a tea ceremony in a long time."

Suddenly on edge, Hinata stood up. The sound of her chair scraping against the tiles made her wince. "I — I should be leaving," she said, grabbing her backpack. "Naruto-kun is still sleeping. I think he could sleep all day if you let him, so it might be a good idea to wake him up if you needed to talk to him."

She tucked her hair behind her ear and snuck a quick glance at the Uchiha. "It was nice to see you, Sasuke-san. Let me know if you change your mind…about the tea." With a quick bow, she left the apartment in a hurry.

It was only when she was halfway to the Hyuuga compound that she thought to remember the unwashed tea set. She could only hope that the green colour of the tea didn't stain it too badly.

Upon reaching the Hyuuga compound, Hinata took a guiltily indulgent shower in the Head House's private baths. Weaving her long, wet hair into a loose braid, she set out to the Sōke House.

The Hyuuga compound had not escaped Pein's attack unscathed. The Bunke Barracks had been the most affected, though the Sōke House and Head House had not been spared. Any available Sōke House rooms had thus been converted into temporary dormitories for displaced Hyuuga.

Hinata had been able to leverage her participation in the war to insinuate herself in the clan's reconstruction planning. Prioritization of rebuilding the Head House had been a necessary offering in order to push through her other suggestions. The Head House hosting the clan head's direct family would remain, but the separation between Sōke and Bunke housing would not be restored. Instead, what was left of the Sōke House would become a communal area and new housing would be built without Sōke or Bunke distinction.

The result of this larger renovation was a longer timeline and so the close quarters of the temporary dormitories were not as temporary as initially planned. Although her own rooms in the Head House had long been rebuilt, Hinata had chosen to stay in the dormitories as an act of solidarity.

Hinata didn't mind it. All Hyuuga had a deep respect of privacy and boundaries as a natural product of their kekkei genkai. Moreover, she was profoundly gratified to see the mixing of her clansmen. The line between Bunke and Sōke was not so deeply ingrained in the younger members and seeing them laugh and play together in the dormitories gave her a wonderful feeling of hope.

That being said, Hinata did miss the private baths of the Head House sometimes.

As Hinata made her way through the Sōke House to the dojo she passed by many Hyuuga, their deep bows of greeting making her feel a little uncomfortable as usual. The imposter syndrome from her time as the Hyuuga failure had never fully left her.

The dojo was filled with Hyuuga, but not the one Hinata was seeking. She left quickly, never fond of the Hyuuga dojo and the bad memories of being beaten into the tatami floor.

Reluctant to use her byakugan for something so trivial, she closed her eyes and focused. The chakra she was seeking was incredibly faint, but her familiarity with it allowed it to guide her to the Hyuuga Library.

Neji was kneeling at a low table, brush in hand as he drew elegant lines of calligraphy on a scroll of washi.

Hinata took a moment to observe him: the red patches on his knuckles from a recent training session, the weights from Gai's collection laying by his feet, the slight tremble in his fingers when he dipped his brush into the ink stone. He was deliberately suppressing his chakra as an exercise in chakra control.

He was overdoing it again.

Neji had recovered remarkably from his injury during the war, however the severity of his wounds had not allowed him to return to full capacity. This was unacceptable to Neji and he was determined to train himself back to full strength.

"Hinata-sama," he said without breaking his concentration on the scroll.

Hinata smiled a touch sheepishly. It seemed he'd grown weary of her silent staring.

"Good afternoon, Neji-nii-san." She kneeled down beside him and unfurled a blank scroll beside his. There was already a second brush laid out and when she took it in hand, Neji moved to allow her easier access to the ink stone.

She began to write. Calligraphy had been a required teaching for her as the heiress, but Hinata had only picked it up again when Neji had started using it as training for his fine motor control. Her strokes were still beautiful and precise, as her tutor used to praise her. Neji's were a little too unsteady, but she could see the improvement since he had started.

Hinata had filled out a significant amount of her scroll when she heard the clattering of the brush falling against the table.

Neji's hand was shaking uncontrollably. Hinata quickly covered it with her own.

They weren't a very tactile family, but Hinata had made a vow in front of the entire village to stop running away from things that she wanted to do but found difficult. Neji nearly dying had only strengthened her resolve.

Maybe it was impossible to break a fifteen year bad habit in just two years, but Hinata intended to keep trying until the years spent trying overcame the years spent running away.

So when she felt the urge to offer comfort to her friends and family, she tried not to allow her self-doubt to stop her. And she was grateful that Neji allowed her in his space.

Hinata continued to hold Neji's hand, clasping his fingers tightly until they stopped shaking. Once they did, she released his hand with a final squeeze.

"Will you sit with me outside? Please, nii-san?"

"Very well, Hinata-sama."

They sat side by side on the engawa outside the library. Hinata let her legs swing as she gazed up at the sky.

"Will you be meeting with Hiashi-sama today?"

Hinata nodded. "Mm. And with the rest of the planning committee. I have the housing layout finalized and wanted to discuss a lottery system for allotting homes."

Neji sighed. "And will you be discussing anything else with Hiashi-sama?"

"I do have some ideas on a mentorship program…." Hinata tried.

Neji was undeterred. "Hinata-sama, how long do you intend to hold off the announcement?"

"Nii-san, the world is at peace. Father has many years left before retirement and three young candidates to choose from. There is no need to rush."

"You should have been named heir on your twelfth birthday."

"You know why I wasn't."

Neji frowned. "Things are different now. You are different now. We all are."

Hinata remained silent. Her father had broached the topic with her, but had been surprisingly lenient in giving her time to think it over. There was no doubt that she wanted to impart real change on the ways of her clan, but she wasn't sure if becoming clan head was the only way to achieve that. Hinata was Hiashi's eldest child, so the position should be hers by right, but there was Hanabi's ambition to think of and Neji's undeniable suitability for the role.

And her relationship with Naruto could not be overlooked. There was a strict rule of non-interference between the Hokage and the clans that resided in Konohagakure.

She could be the clan head or the Hokage's wife but not both.

Not that Naruto had asked her to marry him. Hinata shook her head in embarrassment at her thoughts. They had only been dating for a few months.

Neji seemed to take her silence as reluctance to speak any further on the topic. "Fine, have it your way Hinata-sama. However, Hiashi-sama only has two candidates to select from. Not three."

Hinata smiled at her cousin. "Are you sure about that, Neji-nii-san?"

Neji scoffed. "Quite sure. And as far as I'm concerned, there is only one real option."

Hinata couldn't help the pleased tilt to her smile or the pink tinge on her cheeks.

The night before Naruto's birthday saw Hinata in the Hyuuga Sōke House kitchens, chopping and frying.

The private examination for his jounin placement was coming up and Naruto was studying as hard as ever for the written portion. Hinata hadn't seen him beyond passing in a couple of days, so she was very excited for the party Ino, Sakura and Chouji had planned.

Hinata expected Naruto would be busy for most of the day as usual so hoped that her homemade bento would provide a little bit of brightness for him.

The Hyuuga kitchens were quiet at this time of night, something Hinata was well aware of. She had spent many evenings here putting together her own bentos and occasionally some for her team.

It was unusual for someone of her position to cook. Even more so as there were Hyuuga employed specifically to prepare meals for the Sōke members. Hinata was almost certain that Hanabi had never set foot in here. With the current living arrangements, they had needed to hire more cooks to feed the entire clan in order to limit crowding in the kitchens and unnecessary food waste.

Hinata's mother had certainly never cooked. As the Lady of the Hyuuga clan it would have been considered beneath her. Yet Hinata's fondest memories of her mother, of the few that she could remember, revolved around food. Her mother had been kept occupied by clan matters or by bedrest for her weak constitution while Hinata had quickly begun physical training and academic tutoring from a young age. Mealtimes had been the one regular opportunity to spend time together.

When her mother passed, Hinata had sought comfort in trying to recreate those shared meals. It had been one of the few things she naturally excelled at and quickly became a comfort in its own right. When she stumbled in her katas under her father's watchful eye or disappointed her tutor with her shogi strategies, she could always take refuge in thin and evenly sliced carrots, tightly wrapped tamagoyaki, and perfectly formed onigiri.

Hinata packed an elaborate obento for Naruto, worthy of his birthday. After a moment's thought, she packed a second one as well.

The next morning she dropped by Naruto's apartment and ran into another visitor at his door.

"Good morning, Sasuke-san." It was a little amusing to be meeting him on this side of the door for once.

Although they'd had tea together a few more times since she'd run out on him, they hadn't spoken much beyond polite inquiries about his D-rank missions. Hinata felt a little regretful about her reaction when he had tried to initiate a conversation.

Sasuke inclined his head in his usual silent greeting, eyeing the two lacquered wooden boxes in her arms.

"Ah, here," Hinata said, holding the bento boxes out to him.

Sasuke stared motionlessly at her outstretched arms for a very long moment. Slowly, he reached out and took the boxes into his one hand. He stared down at them with an almost dumbfounded expression.

"They're obento," Hinata explained. She then immediately felt silly for voicing that aloud and followed with, "I made one for Naruto-kun and one for you."

Sasuke continued to trace the carved Hyuuga design of the bento boxes with his eyes.

Hinata nervously tucked her hair behind her ear and wondered if she perhaps should have only made one. "Um…you don't have to eat it…if you don't want to," she whispered.

Sasuke blinked down at her, his energy suddenly switching from relaxed to intense.

Hinata kept her gaze level with his chest, but she could feel his eyes on the top of her head.

She bowed. "I'll head out now. Enjoy your training."

"You're not going to go in?"

Hinata faltered. "Ah, well. I was planning to leave them in the kitchen and let Naruto-kun sleep in for once. I hate waking him, he always looks so sleepy." She smiled up at him wryly. "I guess he won't get to sleep in today either….but Sasuke-san can wake him up this time."

"I doubt I'll be as nice about it as you are," Sasuke said. A slight smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth and Hinata found herself a little amazed by the sight of an expression other than indifference on his face. It suited him.

"Um…"

"Don't worry, I'm used to being the bearer of bad news." His smirk widened.

Hinata nodded, still a little mystified. "Thanks, Sasuke-san." She smiled, an almost automatic response to the rare display of positive emotion from the boy. "Then…I'll see you at Ichiraku Ramen tonight?"

The smirk disappeared, replaced by cool indifference once more. "Unfortunately."

Hinata felt her own smile drop. "Um. Good bye then, Sasuke-san." With another shallow bow, she scurried down the stairs, feeling his eyes on her back the entire time.

Yes, Neji is alive. And what about it?

MVH