A/N: Trust me, none of this will make any sense. Inspired from the song of the same title ('cept for the ": Naruto and Hanabi") by Radwimps so, forgive the blatant copy and paste. Please.
She huffed, breathing out the cold air in puffs of white mist. Rubbing her hands together before tucking them insider her pockets, she continued her trek towards the mansion.
A trickling sensation in her nose caused her eyes to water as she savagely fought the incoming sneeze down. She stopped and, after briefly checking her surroundings, rubbed her nose to alleviate the annoying itch.
Feeling the itch persist, she scanned her surroundings again before hiding a sneeze behind the back of her hand. It did not look dignified but, at the very least, it served its purpose.
"How cute."
Her eyes snapped towards the voice and hardened at the site of his grin.
"You did not see that." She commanded, trying to hide her embarrassment at being caught. It didn't help that the teen's grin widened cheekily.
"Why?" his eyes twinkled innocently. "If something's cute, why can't I see it?"
"Because I said so." She turned away from him before adding, warningly "You did not see that."
The blond watched her depart before grinning. A kunai whizzed by his ear, the girl not even turning to look at him as she threw it. If anything, the grin on his face widened even more as he leapt off to the rooftops and disappeared from her field of vision.
She stopped, before closing her eyes as she sighed.
"Hey," her eyes snapped open as she got into a clumsy stance, one hand extended forward in standard Jyuuken while the other placed over her frantic heart. She glared as the same blond from before suddenly stood in front of her. "If you could see it, which would you choose: past, present, or future?" He smiled at her. "So which will it be?"
"Excuse me?" she blinked.
"Which will it be?"
She eyed the teen before deciding to ignore him and his stupid questions. She started walking again.
"I'd choose the past." He told her as she approached. "That way, I can understand why people are the way they are, you know?" He smiled sheepishly at her. She walked right passed him and stopped just as their backs were to each other.
"That way, you'd be kind to them." She found herself saying and it puzzled her why she said something in the first place. And it puzzled her why she continued, "That way, you'll always be kind to them."
He nodded from behind her, knowing she'd see it with her eyes. "Hey-"
"Just, stop." She started walking again.
She couldn't see it, but his smile faltered for the shortest of milliseconds. He spoke into the winds that chased her. "That way, you'd know what memories are."
It had been half a year when they crossed paths again. It hadn't been in any special place, not unlike the last place their paths crossed. Not unlike the first place they met. He was just came back from a dreary A-rank mission all smiles as she came back from her first B-rank. He smiled at her and somehow she found his smile odd.
"Hey, wanna go eat?" he asked her.
She looked at her team. Her teammates' brow were arched, her instructor's, not. He looked at the blond before smiling amusedly and nodding at her. Dismissing her. Allowing her.
Her eye twitched once.
But, despite her protests, she was dragged out of the mission's room and out of the Hokage's tower before anybody could back her up. Not that they would.
So she found herself sat on a stool as a bowl of ramen was placed in front of her. Her nose took in the scent and she could not help her stomach's growl of approval. She blushed and glared at the blond beside her.
"You are paying, of course."
"Of course." He replied.
She took hold of her chopsticks and fished a roll of noodles out of the bowl, blowing it before brushing her hair back with her free hand as she mouthed the roll and chewed, her taste buds dancing at the flavour. She took another roll and ate. She felt eyes on her and she found the blonde's blue eyes smiling at her.
"Is there something on my face?" she asked innocently, somehow looking more mature than she should be.
He was tempted to lean in and lick the stray drop of sauce from her cheek.
"Nah, none." It'd dry up soon enough, anyways. He turned to his food as she returned to hers and started stirring the broth to let the steam rise.
"Why are you doing this?" She asked, not needing to face him in order to look at him. "Isn't this, technically a date?"
He smiled at her in response. And he knew she saw it.
She blushed a light shade of pink.
"If I were to give you two hearts, would you agree?" he stared down at her. She looked up to his hanging form, his feet planted firmly against the branch of the tree as he hung upside-down.
She paused and pondered his words before shaking her head. "No. One is enough." She stared at the horizon wistfully. She felt a pebble tap her on the head before bouncing off. She glared up at him, if only to show him that her glare was for him. "That was uncalled for."
"Not to mention childish." He added as he stuck his tongue out.
"That too." She stood up, dusting her pants before placing her hands on her sides, looking up at him again. "I demand an apology."
His eyes glinted before he swung himself to stand right-side up on the branch. He folded his arms and looked down on her smugly. Her eyes narrowed at him.
"You'd have to come up here first, Oh Hime-chan . . ." he sing-songed playfully as he stuck his tongue out again at her and made her wonder just who was the younger one of the two of them. He smiled at her as she was suddenly beside him, her hand grasping his arm so as to prevent his escape.
He unfolded his arms and pulled her close to him in one smooth, quick motion and she found her face buried against his chest. She struggled slightly before her hands hid themselves in her pockets, refusing to give him the satisfaction of a hug.
"Apologize." She muttered against his shirt, nuzzling against the fabric and taking in his scent.
"It's good to only have one heart, ne?" she heard him speak softly, gently. "This way, only when I hold you like this, can I feel two hearts beating side by side."
"So that, alone . . ." she started and she could feel his nod, "I'd know something is lacking." She spoke softly as she adjusted herself to look up at him. "So that, we'll know, none of us live alone."
He smiled down at her as her hands left her pockets and her arms wrapped around him as she felt his heart beating against hers. As he felt her heart beat against his.
She smiled slightly at him, not more than just a small upward curve at the corner of her lips. He couldn't help but get lost in that smile. His head unconsciously lowered, inch by inch, before she jammed a Jyuuken strike against his back.
He disappeared in a cloud of white smoke, surprised and unable to see her full smile.
"Stupid idiot." She clutched her chest, trying to still her racing heart.
A chill ran through her as she felt incomplete and alone.
She sighed in contentment as she stared at the sight before her, atop the stone face of Namikaze Minato, his son's heart beating against her back as his arms wrapped around her, a thermos filled with tea beside them. Her legs were brought up against her chest as she sat in between his slightly drawn legs, his chin resting against her shoulder, his breath tickling her ear.
She needn't worry about onlookers as nobody within seeing range could spot them from their vantage point and nobody outside seeing range could spot them unless they had optical aids.
Or Byakugan.
"If you were to choose, past, present or future . . ." so close was their contact that she could feel the vibrations in his chest as he spoke. "Which will it be?"
The cool afternoon wind blew by them and they inhaled the clean, relaxing air of the forest. She closed her eyes and unconsciously leaned in more against his warmth. "I'd choose the future."
She hid her smile behind the security of his arms. "So, I won't have to be strong and kind. That way, I don't have to look back." Her eyes became somber as she eyed the ground below before raising her light-purple eyes to meet his. She raised a hand up to his face to peel off the white bandage from his cheek, revealing his whisker marks and not a hole. "That way, when everybody hurts you, I won't be forced to hurt them."
His eyes trailed her other hand as she turned and wrapped her arms around him. "You're a stupid idiot, did you know that?" she whispered against his ear.
He tightened his hold around her, making sure to not hurt her while he tried to reassure her. Fireworks shot up and danced in the blue-black sky as the sun finally set. She gently pushed him down so he lay on the stone hair of his father's monument.
She pushed herself upwards slightly, so as to view him underneath her, so as to see his eyes as they became entranced and lost in the sight that was Hanabi as fireworks sprouted flowers behind her.
Her face lowered near his and his heart raced with slightly painful disappointment as her lips missed his and, instead, chewed on his ear. He shuddered as her breath touched his soul.
"Happy Twentieth Birthday . . ."
"Pedophile." She read the tramp's lips as she ranted at him. Her eyes narrowed dangerously as the tramp continued to berate him. "For Kami's sake, don't you even know the rule?"
"Half your age plus seven." He answered monotonously, trying to shut the voice from his head. It was just too bad he couldn't cut off his ears. Well, he could but it'd take too long to grow.
"What does that make her, then?" the tramp pushed. He kept silent under her intense scrutiny. "Well?"
"Seventeen and a half." He answered after he couldn't take her stare. She was his best friend (sorta) and that was the only thing that kept him from just disappearing on the spot.
"But she's not, isn't she?" She didn't wait for him to reply. "She's fifteen, you idiot! Practically just became a teen!"
"For the record, she's sixteen and two months old." He added but was ignored as she continued to rant. He rolled his eyes and, in the process, spotted a familiar dark-haired teen eyeing them from across the park. His eyes snapped into focus as he quickly excused himself and performed a smoke-and-leafless shunshin before his ex-teammate could reply.
"Well, that was enlightening." She said sarcastically. She looked past him and saw the glare of the older girl – woman – which she gladly returned with her own icy one.
"Let us go," she urged. He grabbed her hand and they both left the park in a swirl of leaves. They reappeared in an alley away from most of the gathering areas of the village. She pushed him against the wall and silenced whatever he was about to say by slapping him.
"Why do you let that tramp walk over you like that?" she asked angrily.
His eyes, stunned at first, narrowed at hers. "Don't call her that. She's my friend and I won't allow you to call my friends whatever the hell you want to!"
"I'll call that friend whatever the hell I want!" she snapped before turning away from him as she tried to douse her temper. She could see his fists tighten and she realized he was trying to do the same with his.
A tense period of silence befell on the two before he took a deep breath then let out a long sigh, his fists unclenching. "Look, just lay off her, okay? She's . . . she and I go way back. There's a lot going on between us and I'm still trying to patch things up."
"She and I go way back? There's a lot going on between us?" She asked, her voice rising bit by bit. "Why, if I didn't know any better, you two are having an affair, you filthy cheat!" she angrily shouted.
"I'm not!" he shouted back, his eyes hardening again. She opened her mouth to say something but he cut her off. "When have I ever not been loyal to you!?" his voice died down a bit. "When have I ever been unfaithful to you?"
She opened her mouth as if to say something then closed again, finding no words to say. The flames in her eyes started dying. Taking this as a sign, he wrapped his arms around her lithe frame and ran his fingers through her long tresses comfortingly. "I've only one mouth and I'm happy with that. This way it's only meant for you, Hanabi-chan."
"You say those words . . . but how do I know it's true?" she finally raised her eyes to meet his, the fire in them present but controlled. "How . . . how do I know that they're not just words?"
"Trust me." He smiled warmly down at her. "Trust me with your heart and I promise not to let you down."
"Because it's in your nindo to not break your promises." She finished for him. She felt her eyes water and she quickly buried her face against his chest as she tried to stop the salty tears from flowing.
He pushed her away slightly and placed his thumb and forefinger under her chin, urging her to face him. Her white eyes were reddish at the sides as she fought hard not to let her tears flow. He leaned forward and she closed her eyes as he kissed her left eye.
"I'm sorry . . ." she mumbled, eyes still closed, and he almost didn't catch it. He pulled away slightly and kissed her other eye. "I . . . this is so humiliating." She opened her eyes as she felt him finish. Pink-red started to creep through her cream skin.
"You're strong, Hanabi." He no longer knew what he was saying. "You're strong, and kind. Your tears . . ."
"Your tears . . . ." she echoed softly. "They mean that . . . you understand what it means to hold something dear."
He smiled at her before wrapping his arms around her again. This time she wrapped hers around his as well. "So, wear your tears with pride, Hanabi-chan."
"I want to forget this." She mumbled through his chest. "This feeling, I want to forget it." She looked up at him with a bitter smile. "But I can't. What do you call this kind of feeling?"
He smiled and whispered his answer against her ear.
She beamed at him as they shared a warm smile with each other. She leaned against his chest, sighing as their hearts slowly started to beat as one, side by side.
"Hey, Hanabi . . ." she looked at him puzzlingly. "Why exactly were you mad in the first place?"
Her blush would do her sister proud.
Finite
A/N: Not the length I like but, hey, this was kinda unplanned. I might go add a few more scenes and lines at a later date. shrugs Hopefully, this will inspire more NaruHanabi writers. After all, people are starting to pair her with other characters! gasp She belongs to Naruto! Hu-hah!