Heartbroken? Open to all but heroscomeback)

[twinlionfists]

Naruto-kun had been in Michi no Sato for a few days now, and while after their first talk they'd shared many more, it still felt awkward and painful to be around him.

No matter that he'd said, and she understood, that he needed time to adjust to being away from the fighting and other things that had occurred back home, her heart was still heavy.

She didn't know how to talk to anyone about it. Would it be proper? Who would understand? Could she do it?

Lost in thought, she sat down in the dojo of Mikoto-san's house with the intent to meditate and clear her head, but it wasn't really working after an hour.

Comments

[one_without_wings]

"hahah~ Slept like a log!" he laughed, looking up at her with a wide smile. "I was thinkin, we gotta bring somethin to Ino-neesan! ...but m'not sure what she likes.. ya know anythin?"

[twinlionfists]

Hinata wracked her brain for things that Ino-san liked. "She has beautiful hair and has always worn..." She paused and blushed a bright crimson color. "I think maybe something for her hair or a picture of a flower? She likes the color purple, I think."

[one_without_wings]

"...purple... picture of a flower.." he frowned in thought, then... "I know!" he cried joyfully, then took off. "Over here!" he waved as he raced to the second floor and dashed to his room, opening a set of drawers to shuffle into them.

"..where were those?" he groaned, face scrunched up.
The room had hardly so much in it. School books on a bare bookcase, a travel shoulderbag, a bed of course, a small table and the set of drawers he currently scouted unto.
"AHA!" he triumphantly pulled out a sheet of paper and crayons. "We're gonna draw flowers!" he took out of course, said purple crayon, and green.

[twinlionfists]

She couldn't help but giggle at the boy as she watched him pull out the paper and crayons. "I'm sure that Ino-san would enjoy that very much." Her smile dropped a little. "I don't think that I will have a very good picture, but I will still try."

[one_without_wings]

"Not a good picture?" large, dark eyes gave a blink, then he smiled, settling over the small table and drawing a generic flower in purple. "Here, I can make the flower, and you can make the leaves! Then we cans witch!" he handed her the green crayon with the happiest, most encouraging smile.

[twinlionfists]

She took the crayon from him and began to draw leaves and a flower stem for the purple blob. "Yes, I think that will work," she replied. "You didn't answer my earlier question, Sasuke-kun. Who taught you Bunshin no jutsu?"

[one_without_wings]

He forgot her question!? He must have been way too happy to see her. "Ah~ It was Kakashi-sensei! He's awesome!" he handed her the purple crayon. "Here! You draw a flower now!"

[twinlionfists]

She nodded and proceeded to try and draw a violet, the type of flower that Ino-san's father always referred to her as. It was a little amateurish in Hinata's opinion, but it was clear what kind of flower it was. "Yes, Kakashi-sensei is nice. He taught Naruto-kun and Sakura-chan alongside your older self. He protected me once as well."

[one_without_wings]

"Pretty flower" the boy gave a light chirp, drawing a long stem and three leaves upon it.

The two then switched pens so he could draw a tulip. "Aahha~ kakashi-sensei is greaaat! I hope he can teach me something else next time~ I gotta practice lots!"

[twinlionfists]

"Thank you," she said softly. "What all do you know? I think Neji-nii-san said that he taught you from time to time as well."

[one_without_wings]

"Neji..niisan? Ha! That's right! He's got those eyes too!" he brightened. "Neji-sensei's really good with showin ways to control chakra. He says I gotta focus more... sometimes I just forget stuff he says.."

He drew another set of stems and leaves to her flower. "I know the katon gokakyu, bunshin, and i can walk up trees and walls and things~ Chakra walk, cause Neji-sensei'd tell me m'namin it wrong again."

[twinlionfists]

She smiled a bit before activating her Byakugan to examine the boy's potential. It was encouraging. "I can see that you will be dangerous once you learn better control." She relaxed her face and the veins near her eyes went back to residing under her skin. "You need to practice more. I am sure that my cousin has told you this many times already."

[one_without_wings]

"Eh? dangerous?" he blinked. "Niichan said I'd be the greatest shinobi once I grow up~" or something to that effect. "That's kinda like it?" he gave the widest of smiles.

[twinlionfists]

Images of just how dangerous Sasuke would become flashed before her eyes, making her smile drop nearly immediately. "Yes, something like that, Sasuke-kun."

[one_without_wings]

He gave a laugh and then poked her gently. "Neesan! It's your turn!" the drawing...

[twinlionfists]

Hinata startled and then looked down at the pile of flower pictures they had drawn. "After this, shall we go visit Ino-san?" she asked as she finished drawing the leaves, taking care to make them appear to be moving in the wind.

[one_without_wings]

"Right! That's enough flowers~" he chirped happily, storing the crayons back where he took them, humming joyfully.

[twinlionfists]

It was impossible to be upset around this young child, so Hinata just smiled as he cleaned up there mess. "I spoke with Mikoto-san after breakfast, and she told me that Ino-san's shop is across the plaza of the village. You will have to stay very close while we are going through, since it is so busy, yes?"

[one_without_wings]

"riiiight!" he rose a hand. "I promise!
Then the hand came forward to grab into hers. "We can go like this~ You won't lose me!"

[twinlionfists]

She was a little shocked that the boy was touching her, his grip tighter than she'd expected. "O-okay," she said, leading the way out of the house.

[one_without_wings]

Drawing in one hand, neesan's in the other, the boy was happier than a drifting cloud as he followed. "Yaaaay~ we're gonna go see Ino-neesan!"

[twinlionfists]

Really, why couldn't her own sister have been this cute? Why hadn't Hinata herself realised how unhappy the Sasuke-kun of her time had been before now? No, she'd noticed him, but always as the polar opposite of Naruto, seemingly his complement.

But this child, holding her hand with such trust, happiness and innocence was a stranger to her, but a stranger that lifted her spirits with almost no effort. Even being around Neji-nii-san had become painful once more, ruining the rapport they'd worked so hard to build up.

As they walked through the village, Hinata made a point of cataloging all of the important sights she'd missed during her previous trips. Before she knew it, they were in front of Ino-san's shop.

[one_without_wings]

"Yaaaay~ We're here!" he started running once the shop was in sight. "Come on, neesan!" as if somehow the shop would just vanish if he did not hurry...

"Ino-neesan!" he cried out as they reached the door. He'd have to either let go of the drawing or his neesan's hand to open the door, and he wanted to do neither.

[twinlionfists]

She smiled yet again at the child's exuberance. It was nearly contagious, almost like being with Naruto-kun sometimes. "Ino-san," she called out, trying the knob but finding the door locked. "Ino-san," she said louder, despite the blush rising to her cheeks. "Are you home?"

[one_without_wings]

"Oh, lemee try.." he took in a deep breath and "..oh yeah, plug your ears." he warned, waited two seconds..and then:

"Ino-neeeeeeeesan!
See? This is how you call someone.