Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Rosemary For Remembrance ❯ Jonquils ( Chapter 4 )

Title: Rosemary For Remembrance
Author: Sintari
Summary: Hyuga is a house with many rooms. A Neji & Hinata-centric fic. Expect madness, love, sex, and murder.
Rating: G for this chapter; eventually up to NC-17
Genre: Het. Drama/Angst. Yaoi will be mentioned. Naru/Hina (for now?).
Spoilers: Up to Manga 238; Timeline diverges after that chapter
Archive: Scimitar Smile, FF.net
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

 

Chapter 4 - Jonquils

 

She lov'd me for the dangers I had pass'd, and I lov'd her that she did pity them. -

 

Shakespeare, Othello

 

Hinata and Naruto finally had that walk by the river. The one she had thought they were taking three years ago when Iruka was testing her mettle for the Chuunin Exam. She couldn't help but smile when they passed the spot where Iruka-Naruto had pretended to drown.

 

Naruto was unusually subdued beside her, but he turned to her when she smiled. The full weight of his attention was like the sun coming out from behind a cloud.

 

“You don't smile much,” he remarked, in a voice much deeper than we he had left Konoha. She thought she would never get used to it, or to the extra inches of height and the way the baby fat had melted from his cheeks.

 

“Neither do you, since you've been back,” she heard herself saying. She glanced at him, trying to gauge whether he found that as incredibly forward as she did, but he just shrugged. A few minutes of silent walking passed before he turned and looked at her harder.

 

“Wait… Hinata, is that why you backed me up in there?”

 

It had been the most intense shinobi meeting either Chunnin had ever attended, culminating in Naruto and the Fifth Hokage roaring at one another over the heads of two dozen brand new and terrified Academy graduates.

 

“How could you forget?” Naruto had asked, his face coloring with anger.

 

The Hokage's mouth had been a thin white line.

 

“How could you forget that Orochimaru nearly killed you? No, Naruto. No. You can't just blaze into Sound. It's idiotic.”

 

“But-” he had begun.

 

“I don't care how well you've planned it, Naruto. It's suicide. Nobody would volunteer for something like that.”

 

Hinata had placed a hand on his arm and both he and the Hokage had turned to look at her.

 

“I-I would go.” She had even resisted the urge to hide behind her hands when the eyes of almost one hundred people simultaneously fell on her. Only Neji, she noticed, had kept his gaze resolutely forward throughout the entire exchange.

 

Now, standing on the banks of the Nakano River with Naruto, she wondered where that courage had gone.

 

The water today was swift-moving and muddy brown, reminding her of something her mother had once said.

 

“I just-” she began, then started over again, haltingly. “You helped me. A lot. During my first Chuunin exam.”

 

Naruto did smile then. “Yeah. We were all pretty young back then, weren't we? Hey!” He seemed to brighten up. “I remember that ointment you gave me. That was good stuff!”

 

She examined his hands and indeed there wasn't a scratch on him, not even the tiny scars from the nicks and cuts every shinobi sustains in day to day training. Odd. Reverting to her healer's mindset, she turned his hands over to examine the palms, but he easily removed his hands from her grasp and wiggled his fingers at her, as if to reassure her of their continued mobility.

 

“Have any more of that stuff? It came in handy.”

 

“Yes,” she had answered him a bit more confidently. “I make it. I'll bring you some. But… I don't know where you'll be.”

 

He had grinned. “How about you bring it to me tomorrow afternoon when I take you out to eat ramen?” He must have mistaken her startled look, because he quickly amended, “Or whatever else you want to eat. My treat!”

 

“Sure, I'll… just bring it to you then.” She had glanced at him out of the corner of her eye only to see him scratching the back of his head sheepishly. This gave her cause for another small smile. And then he grinned back. For the first time, there on the banks of the Nakano River, Hinata felt what it was like to get something she truly wanted.

 

()()()()()

 

Craft Street was easy to find in any village because of the incessant noise of hammers and saws combined with the more subtle scents of freshly cut wood. Though always busy, it wasn't an everyday stop like the main market; people generally only visited the wood-crafting district to commission furniture or hire a carpenter for building or repairs.

 

Her father spent the day there twice a week, and Hanabi was determined to find out why. After all, Hanabi always received the highest marks in her class in Stealth and Information Gathering.

 

 

()()()()()

 

Naruto and Hinata had lunch together once and even then she had been sure to declare loudly in front of a group of Branch House gossips that he had simply been thanking her for the ointment. She knew that if she were seen with him too often that her father would forbid all contact.

 

He had acted truly disappointed when she said she could not see him again. She had surprised them both when she suggested an alternate way for them to be together.

 

Hinata always felt a slight thrill when she passed him in town, no matter that she had to school her features into a mask of perfect indifference. They would offer a formal greeting because it would be even more suspicious if they completely ignored one another. What got her through her days was the knowledge of how she would spend her nights

 

()()()()()

 

Across the Nakano River and set apart from the village, the Hyuga Compound forms the Northeast corner of Konoha. This leaves the Hyuga with the responsibility of guarding a large section of the village walls, though this is hardly a cause for worry. An intruder would be quite foolish to try to enter the town past the patrols with their ever-watchful Byakugan. Periodically through the years, village council members have expressed concern that one Clan is in charge of so much of the village's perimeter. The agitator is always discreetly reminded that Konoha was built around Hyuga and not the other way around. In truth, most Konoha residents live their whole lives never seeing the inside of Hyuga's walls.

 

Two guards are stationed at the Compound's front gates, and two additional two-man patrols roam the perimeter at all times. With their Byakugan activated the entire compound is under constant scrutiny.

 

Hinata realizes that she is putting her branch house cousins Tetsuo and Yumino in a difficult spot by raising her finger to her lips as their patrol passes and then vaulting the wall into the forest. They will be in trouble if she is caught, but for once in her life, she is selfish. She knows she should feel guilty, and she will. But not tonight. Tonight belongs to her and Naruto.

 

After walking alone for a few minutes, she activates her Byakugan. Her heart speeds up, as it always does, when she spots Naruto's familiar chakra pattern in the branches of a tree.

 

Without a word, he drops down beside her and takes her hand. Over the preceding weeks, she had memorized the feel of his calluses against her palm.

 

They do not need light as they slip through the forest. She lets him take the lead while she keeps watch for Konoha patrols with her Byakugan. Of the places they meet, the shallow lakes that dot the village perimeter are some of Hinata's favorites.

 

“Do you think this lake has a name?” he asks her later. It is high summer, and the air is heavy with humidity even long past midnight. They sit side by side on one of the large flat rocks at the lake's edge, close together so that their low voices can be heard over the night sounds. Naruto has his sandals off and he is dragging his toes through the water. The first night he took her there he tried to get her to swim. He has still never accepted her shyness about water. Tonight her sandals are beside his on the rock, but she sits hugging her knees, her bare feet dry.

 

She considers his question seriously. “I've never heard a name for any of these smaller lakes. But it probably does.” She looks forward to the rare times when he gets like this. So much of their late night meetings are spent talking of his plans to recover Sasuke. She admires his determination, and wants to help, but the intensity in his voice whenever he speaks of his teammate just makes her sad more than anything. Even as she secretly disagrees with him, she knows she would do anything to make him happy.

 

When she isn't helping him plot, he tells her stories of his travels - of Sasuke's terrifying brother or about how he stood by two of the legendary Sannin to fight a third. He asks her questions sometimes, and she answers tentatively. Most nights, he lets this pass, but some nights he won't abide it, just like he won't abide her fear of water.

 

Their best times, though, are when he forgets Sasuke altogether. On nights like these, she again sees traces of the mischievous prankster inside the indomitable man she always knew he would become. His too-loud laugh and cheeky grin are comforting in the darkness.

 

“What do you think it's called?” Naruto asks then. He lies back on the rock, hands behind his head, and the admonishing voice in her mind is not enough to keep her from appreciating the way his black shirt rides up to expose a swath of tan stomach. “There are all these big white rocks around it. White Rock Lake?” He makes a face. “Eh… Probably not.”

 

“It's probably had a dozen names,” she muses. She tears her eyes away from him and looks out across the water, noting out of habit that it is a very dark blue in the moonlight. “I think people name it then forget about it. Then some one else discovers it and names it again.”

 

He looks at her then, a drinking in with his eyes that always makes her feel like the only other person in the world.

 

“You know, I'll bet you're right, Hinata-chan!” She smiles slightly at that. Aside from her teammates, he is the only person who addresses her that way.

 

“You know what?” He grins then, displaying lots of dimple and straight white teeth. “We should name this lake. What do you want to name it?” There is a splash as he jumps up. Now she is looking up at him standing over her on the rock. She has never seen anything more beautiful than his face outlined in stars.

 

“Lake Konoha?” she says lightly. She is not going to spoil this mood, not now.

 

“Nah, too common.” He laughs - an infectious sound - and then reaches out to help her up. His large hand is dark against hers. They both regard the contrast before she hops up beside him. He doesn't let go of her as they both stand on the highest part of the rock and look out over the lake. She watches the last of the ripples arc then fade away, until the surface is a smooth blue sheet.

 

“I know what to name it,” he says after a long moment, but the laughter is gone from his voice, and he is looking at her instead of the lake. Hinata has never known blue eyes could grow that dark. She can't look away.

 

“What?” Her voice is barely more than a whisper. His hand feels hot in hers. The chattering of the tree frogs grows loud in her ears.

 

Naruto swallows. She has never seen him so unsure.

 

“Lake Hinata.”

 

Her breath catches in her throat. She feels a blush darken her cheeks. She looked back across the water, only to have him reach up and grasp her chin. He gently turns her to face him.

 

“Don't look away, Hinata. You always do that.”

 

So she looks at him instead. He is a vibrant presence even in the darkness. In comparison, the forest fades into the background.

 

She closes her eyes when his mouth covers hers. Naruto tugs on their clasped hands, drawing her closer to him. Never breaking their kiss, they come together, balancing against one another on the rock's uneven surface. Naruto places the palm of his other hand on the flat of her back, rubbing small circles. She brings her free hand up to cup the nape of his neck, slipping two fingers inside his collar. His skin burns beneath her touch. They could be the only two people on earth, here in this secret place.

 

She has never imagined that a kiss could be quite like this.

 

When their mouths part, he rests his forehead against hers. She can never remember being any happier than she is at that moment.

 

They are still holding hands - her right, his left - and he begins pulling her toward the water. She hesitates, planting her bare feet on the warm rock. He is already submerged to the ankles.

 

“It won't hurt you,” he says soothingly. “This is Lake Hinata. It's your lake.” He is all smiles again, encouraging. He holds out his other hand and she only vacillates for a moment before taking it. It is easier this way, focusing on his familiar face instead of the dark water.

 

He never breaks eye contact as, holding both her hands, he walks backward into the lake.

 

He is wet to the knees by the time her toes touch water. She wavers then and he draws her to him again, catching her around the waist this time. In the water she feels lighter than she has ever felt before. If his arms weren't around her, she might have floated away.

 

“I've got you,” he say, low and soothing. She lets him walk her farther until the rippling water licks at her waist, then her chest.

 

“I won't let you go.” It is a whisper in her hair and she doesn't trust herself to answer. Maybe it's because of the water, maybe because of the way she can still taste him on her lips, but she allows him to lead her.

 

When she finally notices her surroundings again, the water is lapping at her shoulders, and her toes barely touch the bottom. She has followed him to the center of the lake.

 

()()()()()

 

Naruto spent the obligatory year as a Chuunin, and then passed his Jounin exam on the first try. He was turned down the first three times he applied to ANBU as a missing-nin hunter, but not even the suspicious Hokage could justify turning down his fourth application. Personnel were scarce and no one could deny that Naruto was one of Konoha's most talented young shinobi.

 

At the induction ceremony, Neji watched through tapered eye slits as his cousin's boyfriend accepted his own painted mask.

 

Naruto and Hinata's relationship was a secret still, but the situation was easy enough to surmise when one knew how to look at Hinata - a skill very few people ever bothered to learn.

 

He was happy for them.

 

He would think of the preliminaries of their first Chuunin exam. Blood on Hinata's chin, seeping between Naruto's fingers.

 

It had taken him years to realize what he lost that day.

 

()()()()()

 

The woman on Craft Street was called Sugino Nori. The only daughter of the most prosperous carpenter in Konoha, gossip held it passing strange that she never showed an inclination to marry or produce an heir. From her hiding place, Hanabi often saw the woman tending to customers in the shop while her father worked out back. She had black eyes, so heavy lidded that she appeared perpetually sleepy, and long black hair which she wore unbound except when she slept. Then she wore it in a loose braid. In the small hours of the night, its tip had been silky smooth against Hanabi's cheek.

 

Sugino Nori did not have many friends. What free time she had was spent in solitary pursuits. Though never formally educated, she liked to read and she owned a large number of books and scrolls which she stored in a red lacquered chest directly under her bedroom window. She also had a poorly tended bonsai tree, which sat on her windowsill. Hanabi's fingers would itch to trim the branches. Perhaps, she thought, smiling slightly, she had a bit of her mother in her after all.

 

Sugino Nori had fallen off a wall and broken her ankle once when she was twelve, Hanabi's age. A nasty compound fracture, the bone had come through the skin. She still had a scar there, shaped like a crescent moon. She would shudder and clutch her sheets between her fingers when Hanabi's father ran his tongue over that pale indentation.

 

Sugino Nori was Hyuga Hiashi's mistress of eighteen years.

 

On Sundays, she liked to walk alone along the wild south bank of the Nakano River.

 

()()()()()

 

Uzumaki Naruto managed to shake his partner after completing one of his early ANBU missions. A week later he allowed himself to be spotted in a tiny trading post near Sound.

 

Neji was not part of the handpicked squad sent directly by the furious Hokage to recover Naruto - or Naruto's body.

 

Instead he kept an eye on Hinata. Her resigned sadness told him she had known everything.

 

Still, he was surprised to be summoned to her garden shed in the role of her Councilor.

 

“What do I do?” she asked quietly, holding a grimy curl of paper out to him. He recognized it as a scroll meant to be carried by a messenger bird. It was a convenient way to send a message, but also easy to intercept, and often frustrating because the tiny scraps of paper could only hold a few words.

 

There were two faded lines, written with what appeared to have been an extremely blunt pencil.

 

His brother is dead.

 

He is not coming home.

 

()()()()()

 

TBC…