Day 31: There's nothing I wouldn't do to make you feel my love
Sasuke looked at Naruto in pure disgust.
"Where is it? Where did I leave my coupon for Ichiraku!"
The boy was looking in his pockets, turning them inside out, and when that didn't bear any results, he started unpacking his backpack, throwing things one way or the other, including his dirty underwear which landed directly on Sakura's head.
This, of course, resulted in a squeal from the girl as well as a very deserved punch to the solar plexus.
"NARUTO!" she screamed, watching as her boyfriend skipped on the dirt path like a stone on the water's surface, landing at the edge of the woods a way back. "Stop acting like an idiot and throwing your stuff around! Why would you even bring a coupon for a restaurant of Konoha all the way to the Land of Waves in the first place?!"
"Sakura-chan…" Naruto groaned pitifully, his body twitching just as he began to move to stand up. There were tears in his eyes, but Sasuke had the impression they had nothing to do with the punch Sakura had dealt him. "I brought it so I wouldn't lose it…"
"What kind of stupid logic is that?!"
Kakashi sighed, for the first time taking a step forward to intervene. "Naruto, what's done is done. If you lost your coupon there's nothing to do about it. Now, we've been out on this mission longer than we were supposed to, and we need to hurry back to give our report to the Hokage…"
"Of course there's gotta be something I can do!" Naruto interrupted him, standing up and closing a fist in determination, his previous pain all forgotten. "I bet I forgot the coupon in old Tazuna's place! I need to go get it back before he throws it out!"
And with that, he turned around and started to run back the way they came. The other three could only stare after him with astonishment. Sasuke's right eye even developed a tic at the absurdity of it.
"This is a problem" Kakashi scratched the back of his head, at a loss for words.
Next to him, Sakura huffed and stomped her foot. "That idiot! And on top of that, he left all his stuff strew everywhere…!"
"Another problem. Sasuke, go bring Naruto back while Sakura and I pick up his stuff" their teacher ordered, kneeling and starting to grab some scrolls that were beginning to be swept away by the wind.
Sasuke glared at the older man. "Why should I bring him back? You're the instructor, go get him yourself."
"I'm also your team leader, so you ought to do as I say" he looked at him, narrowing his only visible eye in warning. "Remember what I told you? You need to work on your teamwork more. Now go ahead and do as I ordered you."
Left with no option, Sasuke clicked his tongue and ran after Naruto, determined to make the blond idiot pay for the delay he was causing them.
Really, it wasn't enough their simple C-Rank mission had been derailed, turning into an A-Rank without previous warning and making them stay two weeks instead of the initial five days they were supposed to, now Naruto got it in his head to go all the way back to recover a stupid coupon? As if the old man running Ichiraku didn't already give him free meals occasionally due to him being his best client!
…Hinata was waiting for him, he couldn't afford to take even more time coming back.
To Naruto's credit, he managed to reach the town much faster than he thought possible. To his credit, he still managed to catch him no problem.
…ok, maybe with some problems.
"You bastard! How dare you attack your girlfriend like this! You're not a real man, damn you!"
Naruto had tried to distract him at first with his stupid Sexy no Jutsu, something that would obviously not have any effect on him. But then, the idiot had the most stupid idea to instead transform into Hinata.
Wearing rabbit ears and a short white dress that flowed like water.
If Naruto thought that would give him the advantage, he was ruefully mistaken. He had been quick to push him into a trap, managing to tie him up with hidden wires he had prepared in the course of one second. The problem was, even after being pushed off the roof and unable to move, Naruto was still transformed into Hinata.
And that angered him worse than Naruto having the gall to transform into his girlfriend with such a risqué outfit.
"Stop rolling around! You're showing everything!" he yelled, furious at this violation of Hinata's dignity.
"Oh, what's the problem, Sasuke-kun?" he stopped moving, instead laying on his side, one hip propped up as he fluttered his eyelashes coyly. "You don't… don't like me this way?" he was stupid enough to use Hinata's voice as well.
Sasuke kicked him on the stomach, finally dispelling the jutsu. Naruto groaned in pain, cursing him out loud in front of all the passersby, who were looking at the scene with a combination of amusement and perturbation.
"What did I tell you about trying to pull such tricks on me?!"
"You're a heartless bastard!"
Sasuke ignored him, going over to him and starting to drag him by the wires. Naruto kept struggling, but he had already reached the end of his patience.
Their mission in the Land of Waves had been grueling and stressful enough. He had wanted more complicated and important missions, but what had happened here had showed him how things in the life of a ninja could go awry in the span of one second, and to be careful what you wished for. For a second there, he really thought he would die, being able to survive only thanks to the combined efforts of his teammates.
The lesson Haku and Zabuza had left them with was a wake-up call to what life as a shinobi really meant, his awaken sharingan a paltry compensation for the harrowing experience. Still, Sasuke knew this was what life truly was like, and although it broke him a little, it was something he would've had to experience sooner or later.
"Come on! We're already here so there shouldn't be a problem to run over Tazuna's house and ask for the coupon!"
Naruto, however, seemed pretty unaffected, with the way he behaved as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. He knew that wasn't the case, of course, but it still grated on his nerves a little that he wouldn't give the situation more weight.
"I'd say don't be an idiot but I know by now that's asking for the impossible" Sasuke kept his eyes up front, gritting his teeth in frustration. "I want to go back to the village. Hinata's waiting for me."
"Ohhh, Hinata's waiting for you…! As if I care about that! Why do you keep acting as if you guys are married?! You're twelve, damn it!"
"How dare you…!" Sasuke turned around, but before he could kick Naruto again for his insolence, he saw him jumping up to one of the roofs again, the ties cut and hanging useless from his fingers.
Naruto turned around just enough time to stick his tongue out at him, lowering the skin under one of his eyes in a mocking gesture, before disappearing once again.
Sasuke threw the wires to the ground, groaned in frustration, and started running after him.
Hinata was a little worried, and it showed.
"It was simple escort mission to a poor-ass village. What's the worst that could happen?" Kiba asked, barely paying attention as he played with Akamaru, holding a stick in the air as the puppy jumped to reach it.
Hinata glared at him, but he wasn't looking at her, so he missed it. Sighing, she glanced down, concentrating again on her kunai that needed sharpening. By her side, Shino shook his head, before leaving his own kunai aside and patting her head comfortingly.
"It's going to be alright. Why? Because Kakashi-sensei is with them, and if anything had happened, he can contact the Hokage immediately. The Hokage wouldn't allow his son's team to be harmed."
It was a nice thing to say, even if a little wishful considering the life of a shinobi, but Hinata appreciated the effort. Still… it had been over a week from the estimated time team seven should have returned, and there hadn't been any type of information that could answer the delay, at least not for them. Was it any wonder she was worried?
"Tch, Shino's right so stop making that face" Hinata squeaked as Kiba's hand descended on her head as well, but less soft than Shino's. "Besides, we've got something else to worry about now! The chuunin exams are less than a month away and we have to get ready for them!"
At his words, Hinata was immediately distracted. Shino, too, looked up from what he was doing and glanced at Kiba.
Just the day before, Kurenai had come to them with some forms, telling them she thought they were ready to give the chuunin exams a go. On one hand, it was flattering, but on the other, they hadn't even been out of the academy for a year, and it felt like it was too soon to even be thinking of going up the ranks.
Naturally, Kurenai had told them it was their decision, but since they needed to enter the exams as a three-cell team, it was necessary that all of them agreed to do it. Kiba was definitely excited for it, and Shino was indifferent, deciding to do what his teammates wanted, but it was Hinata who had apprehensions about it.
After all, it wasn't the same as the genin exam at the end of the academy. There would be a lot more people, some of them with much more experience than them, participating. Neji's team, for example, had waited a whole year before signing in for the first time. What chances did they have to make it through?
"Are you still unsure, Hinata?" Shino, as perceptive as always, took a look at her and asked. The girl glanced away, feeling a little ashamed at being so transparent, but her teammate's voice soothed her even as she wanted to disappear. "We don't need to do this now. There will be other opportunities. After all, the chuunin exams are held two times a year."
"Yeah, but this time's in Konoha" Kiba said, pulling his hand away from Hinata's head and sitting next to her on the fallen tree trunk. Akamaru quickly scrambled towards him, jumping on his lap and resting there. "The next one I think will be held in Suna… and I don't know you guys, but I don't really want to let this field advantage pass me by."
"There are more reasons for which one should apply or not to the chuunin exams, other than a field advantage" Shino admonished, his eyebrows lowering on his eyes with his frown. Kiba rolled his eyes.
"I know that! But wouldn't it be better to take our first exam here in Konoha? We don't need to pass and become chuunin, but at least we'll know what to expect the next time if we fail."
When presented like that, Hinata didn't think it sounded all that bad. She wondered if Sasuke's team would also participate, but as soon as her mind returned to him, so did her worries, and she sighed to herself, starting to become annoyed, even if she didn't know at what or who.
Calling it a day, the three of them went their separate ways, with Hinata promising Kiba to give the chuunin exams a real thought. She walked through the village, her feet unconsciously taking her towards the gates. Every day since the moment they started running late, Hinata had gone to the gates to wait for team seven. Of course, the possibility of them arriving just as she was at the gates was minimal at best, but still, it made her feel better, just standing there and waiting.
The guards saw her and immediately smiled at her. They knew why she was there, something that brought her no small amount of embarrassment.
"Hinata! Waiting for Sasuke again?" one of them, Kotetsu, asked.
His partner, Izumo, snickered, causing her to blush. "I…" she started, only to pout and glance away. The two older men looked at each other, before taking pity on the poor girl.
"Actually, Sasuke came back today, along with his team" Izumo said, leaning forward on the table with a grin. "It was… thirty minutes ago?" he asked towards his partner.
Kotetsu nodded. "Yeah, pretty much. If you want to talk to him, you should find him at the Hokage Tower."
At their words, Hinata brightened. She thanked them profusely before departing in the direction of the Hokage Tower, their laughs at her heels. She hadn't actually thought he would be back, but it was a nice surprise. She just had to ask him why the mission had taken so long. She hoped nothing back had happened.
Arriving at the Hokage Tower, Hinata stopped for a second, glancing up at it. Was he still there? If he was giving his report, then she didn't want to interrupt, but she also didn't want to wait when he was so close. She took the steps two at a time and stopped in front of the doors leading to the Hokage's office. Should she knock? Or maybe use her byakugan to make sure he was there? Maybe the last option wasn't that advisable, considering where she was, and the many eyes that she couldn't see but were no doubt protecting the Hokage from the shadows.
Before she had to make a decision, the doors opened, revealing team seven and the one she had anxiously been waiting for. Sasuke walked out, stopping in surprise when he saw her standing there.
"Hinata? What are you…"
"Maa, you two make me feel old" Kakashi shook his head, taking out an orange book from the pocket of his pants and walking away. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do!"
"Hey Hinata" Sakura was the next to walk out, Naruto at her side with a… black eye? "It's nice to see you."
"Hinata! Look at what your boyfriend did to m-ahhh!"
"Stop yelling!" Sakura punched Naruto on the arm when he got too close to her, screaming in her ear. With a sigh of pure annoyance, she shook her head, pulling the boy from his ear and away from Sasuke and Hinata. "Whatever the reason Sasuke-kun decided to punch you, I'm sure it was well-deserved, so stop complaining!"
"Sakura-chan! How can you betray me as well?!"
Sakura raised her other arm to wave goodbye at them, before dragging Naruto away as they continued bantering back and forth. The other two stared after them until they were completely gone, and only then Hinata turned back to Sasuke.
"You… punched Naruto-kun?"
Sasuke clicked his tongue, hands going to the pockets of his shorts. "It's nice to see you as well" he said dryly, reminding Hinata of the reason she had come in the first place. Immediately, she pushed thoughts of Naruto away from her mind and smiled, hands folded neatly in front of her.
"It's really nice to see you back and safe, Sasuke-kun. You took so long I was starting to get worried…" her voice trailed off, a sadness overtaking her as she remembered all those weeks when she didn't know where he was.
Sasuke noticed, causing him to wince awkwardly. He shuffled his feet, glanced away, and only after a few more seconds of pondering did he finally raised a hand out of his pocket and poked Hinata on the forehead with the same affectionate gesture Itachi always used for him.
Hinata squeaked, a hand of her own going to her forehead and caressing it as she looked at Sasuke in bewilderment.
"I'm here already, so don't make that face anymore" he said, turning to walk away. "Come on, I'll tell you about the mission. I also have something to show you."
Hinata stared after him for a second before following him. She touched her forehead again, something about the gesture bringing a little warmth to her heart, even if she had no idea of the meaning behind it.
Sasuke told her everything, going into details when the situation required it. If those situations were when he was fighting and being cool, well, that was just a coincidence.
Hinata's face changed emotions as he retold what had happened, going from worry to admiration to sadness in the span of the whole story. When he arrived at the part where he managed to activate the sharingan, her eyes widened in surprise, her mouth falling open in shock just as he had expected her to.
"The… the sharingan?"
He nodded, and without waiting for her to ask, activated it, feeling a thrill at her gasp.
"It is as Itachi always told me. The moment I thought Naruto was dead, I…" he was parts proud as well as perturbed. Although it was an honor to finally be able to use the sharingan, the circumstances of its awakening brought him no small amount of conflict.
Hinata was of the same opinion. "Is there no other way for an Uchiha to activate the sharingan though? It sounds so… dreary."
"Not as far as we know… and it's not that bad…" he tried to defend his family's doujutsu. Even if it was Hinata, he didn't really like anyone talking about it in those terms.
Hinata nodded, whether because she realized that as well or for another reason, he didn't know. They spent a moment in silence after he was done with his story, both lost in their own thoughts. The late spring breeze ran through their hair, the signs of summer making themselves known in the rising temperature filtering with the light of the sun through the trees' leaves of the training ground they had decided to rest at.
When the silence was broken, it was because of Hinata. "It seems impressive to me… my first C-Rank ended with bandits trying to rob us… but I don't know what I would've done if something like that happened to us."
"I'm sure you would have been able to handle it" Sasuke said simply, shrugging. When she didn't look convinced, he sighed and extended his hand. This being a familiar gesture, Hinata quickly took it, interlacing her fingers with his. "You don't give yourself enough credit… sometimes it bothers me" he admitted.
Hinata sighed. "I… well, it's difficult to…"
"To push out all the damage your father and the stupid council of elders of you clan did? I can believe that."
She glared at him for the comment, but there wasn't any real heat behind it. Looking away, she watched a butterfly flying between the remaining flowers across the field. A sign of passing time, as well as a reminder of what was to come.
"Kurenai-sensei wants to recommend us for the chuunin exams" she told him after clearing her throat. Sasuke looked at her, surprised. "She says she thinks we're ready for them… but I'm not sure."
"I think you and Shino are prepared for it. Kiba not so much" he said immediately, making Hinata laugh.
"Don't be mean! Kiba-kun is very much excited about it."
"Of course he is" Sasuke rolled his eyes. "But you said you don't feel sure. Is this about your insecurities again?" he asked with a frown.
"You're really quick to point that out" Hinata said ruefully. "I guess? I just think it's too soon for us, that's all."
"I would say if your sensei thinks you're ready, then that's a good enough estimation… actually, before this mission, Kakashi mentioned something about the chuunin exams as well" he confessed.
"Really?" Hinata asked, both surprised and excited. "Then your team will also be participating?"
"I don't know. He only mentioned we might have a chance to get recommended for them… but I think, after this mission, that might be a real possibility" he said thoughtfully.
Hinata got really excited. It didn't change the fact she still thought it was too soon, but if Sasuke participated as well, then it surely wouldn't be so bad, right?
"We'll have to see how that goes" he continued, looking at her again. "If Kakashi recommends my team, will you want to join the exams as well?"
"…it makes it sound more tempting, certainly."
At that, Sasuke chuckled. Hinata looked at him, admiring his smiling face. Sasuke didn't smile all that much, and she liked him that way as well, but there was something about the way his entire face changed with that simple gesture she could just not get enough of. She wanted to be able to see it always.
Squeezing his hand, she was brought back to the time, not that long ago, when the two of them finally let their feelings for each other be known. Looking back on it, so many things had happened. Hinata had been so frustrated she had confused Naruto's locker with Sasuke, but now, she was thankful for it, because otherwise, they wouldn't be here now.
Sasuke squeezed her hand back, turning to look at her as well. He was also thankful he had asked Naruto to exchange lockers, as he didn't want to know what would have happened if the blond idiot had received Hinata's love letter instead of him. Would he have looked at her the way he looked at her now? He hated just thinking about it.
Their eyes locked and with no words necessary between them, they sat under a tree, holding hands and just enjoying each other's presence. The future was bright and full of possibilities, but for that, they still had time.