Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Memories.

On a particular day in March, while preparing to enter the academy, Hyuuga Hinata was surrounded by a group of three bullies in a grove where snow still remained.

“Show us your byakugan, Hyuuga boy!”

“That byakugan is creepy, idiot!”

“Byakugan freak!”

Just when he couldn’t take it anymore, a hero appeared before him.

Her beauty was a kind he had never seen before.

Her hair was a cascade of sunlight, spun into something both playful and regal. Two round buns crowned her head, perched high like twin moons.

From each bun flowed a shimmering river of gold, twin streams that tumbled freely down her back and beyond, nearly brushing the backs of her knees when she stood still. 

The pigtails were impossibly long, swaying and curling gently with every breath of wind, catching glimmers of light like molten silk.

It was a style that seemed almost—childlike in its playfulness—yet there was a quiet elegance to it, as if those golden threads carried a secret nobility.

Her clear blue eyes, like pools of a summer’s sky, held a depth of confidence and kindness.

“Hey! Stop being so mean to people!”

She appeared before Hinata when he was in trouble.

The small girl wrapped in a scarf wasn’t the least bit timid in the face of three boys who were bigger and stronger than she was.

She just smiled.

The bullies, on the other hand, were quite shocked.

“Who are you?!”

“I’m Uzumaki Naruto! The future Hokage, dattebayo!” She barked at the group of three.

Several minutes later, the girl collapsed. The shadow clone jutsu she had released had been a failure, and she had been beaten up by the three bullies.

“Future Hokage, yeah, right! This girl's totally weak!”

The three stole the girl's scarf, and after having torn it up by throwing it around and trampling it, they left while laughing.

The girl was unconscious with her mouth half open and didn’t move even the slightest bit.

Hinata tried shaking her body just a little bit.

Her body shook limply, and her eyelids began to twitch. The moment she woke up, she immediately jumped up and put herself on guard.

“It’s not over! This time I’ll use a great… j-jutsu… ooh! Ow-ow-ow…” She grabbed her face and fell down in agony.

“…A-Are you ok??” Hinata peered at the girl and saw blackish-red swelling around her mouth.

“It-it’s nothing –ttebayo…”

“This… those boys…” Hinata held out her scarf, which had been torn up by the three bullies.

“…I don’t need it anymore.”

“I-I’m sorry... Um… i-if this is ok…” Hinata took the scarf from his own neck and tried to give it to the girl, but she stopped him with her hand.

“Don’t worry about it… bye,” she murmured in a small voice as she stood up and trudged away.

“Th-thank you!” Hinata turned towards the girl's back, and silently cast his face downward.

“….It was nothing –ttebayo!”

The girl looked over her shoulder and smiled brightly, then energetically ran off.

The girl was weak. Despite that, she had stood up to bullies for a boy she didn’t even know.

Hinata tightly grasped the torn up scarf that the girl had worn.

'Why am I always like this?'  He clenched his fists, but they felt like paper—soft, trembling, useless.

His Byakugan… the thing they mock him for, the thing they say was wasted on him.

“The heir to the Hyūga Clan can’t even fight to protect himself.”

Hinata could almost hear the whispers of the elders.

'I’ve heard them too many times, just like I’ve seen the disappointed looks when I fail during training. Father’s eyes, cold and sharp, telling me without words that I’ll never be strong enough to lead the clan. Maybe they’re right.'

'What’s the point of being the heir if I can’t even stand up to a few bullies?'

'I hate that they’re right.'

'I hate that I’m so weak.'

'I hate that I want to cry.'

'Naruto...'

When Naruto appeared—her voice fierce, like fire—Hinata felt something he couldn’t explain.

She stood in front of him without hesitation, like she didn’t care how many of them there were.

'A girl… standing up for me. For me. I should have been the one protecting her, but instead, I just watched as they knocked her down again and again.'

Each time she stood up, Hinata's chest hurt more. Not because he was scared for her—though he was—but because he was ashamed.

'Because I wanted to help her, to fight by her side… but my legs wouldn’t move. My hands wouldn’t rise.'

'I’m pathetic.'

'She’s strong, even when she’s hurt.'

'I’m weak, even when I’m safe.'

When the bullies finally left, Hinata couldn’t even look her in the eyes.

His voice trembled when he thanked her. He knew he didn’t deserve her kindness. She fought for him when all he could do was wish for it to be over.

Hinata felt small—so small that he wasn’t sure he could ever be the person he was supposed to be.

But when she smiled, even beaten and bruised, Hinata felt… something spark inside him.

'Maybe I don’t want to stay like this forever. Maybe I want to be just like her.'

The voices of cicadas could be heard from the schoolyard in the academy classroom.

When Umino Iruka asked that question from the front of the room, Uzumaki Naruto burst out.

“There's no way such a thing would happen!”

“Say for instance… if the moon was falling,” Iruka responded.

“If it was the last day on earth, it would be nice if meat was falling instead of the moon.” The classroom was filled with laughter at the words of Akimichi Chouji, who was looking up at the ceiling.

“Even if the moon was falling, I would protect you, Sakura! Because that's what best friends do, right? Look out for each other.” Naruto said brimming with confidence to Haruno Sakura, who was in the seat next to her.

Sakura looked annoyed as she responded, "weren't best friends, Naruto. And besides..." she suddenly turned her head to the person sitting next to her, her cheeks blushed as she said, "I prefer someone else to protect me."

Sakura's implication was crystal clear to everyone there, and Naruto's expression showed her clear annoyance.

'Sasuke...'

She couldn't understand what Sakura saw in that grumpy boy.

Sasuke was always so cold and distant towards Sakura, treating her so terribly.

Naruto believed she was a much better friend and hoped that Sakura would come to realize that someday.

“Alright. Now everyone write down a name. For the last day on earth… who would you want to be with? Want to take your time on it? Write down that person’s name.”

The students became slightly excited and picked up their pencils.

“Your sensei won’t look at this. It will be your own secret. So I want you to write your honest feelings.”

Naruto became curious as to what name everyone was writing, and looked around. There were many kids who wrote “Dad” or “Mom.” This was only natural in a class full of children.

However, for Naruto...

“I’m sure there has to be someone… just honestly write down whatever name pops into your head,” Iruka whispered as he came over to Naruto and patted her head.

'Whatever name pops into my head… who could I say?'

Naruto couldn’t come up with anyone at all.

Naruto stuck her pencil under her nose and sat filled with worries.

Sakura wrote down “Uchiha Sasuke” while blushing.

Sasuke on the other hand, was resting his chin on his hands and staring out the window.

'I don’t have any friends, either… I’m completely alone.' Still unable to write anything, Naruto got upset and gradually became desperate.

She then folded her blank paper into an airplane and suddenly tossed it out the window.

“Hey Naruto! Don’t throw away your paper!”

"But this is all just bullshit!" 

“We’re talking about what if!"

"Bullshit!"

The paper airplane soared through the air.

Following the airplane with his eyes, Hinata took a quick glance at Naruto and smiled, then began to write down someone’s name.

Present.

Two years had passed since the end of the Fourth Great Ninja War.

In the depth of autumn outside the Hidden Leaf Village, a freezing cold full moon overlooked a deep forest. Many oddly-shaped rocks stuck out above the trees, towering towards the sky.

Accompanied by two subordinates, Hyuuga Hiashi was waiting for a certain someone.

A low-soft voice came echoing from an uncertain direction. “This is fate. It is the fate with which the Hyuuga clan has been charged.”

The shadow of a person appeared at the top of a rock.

It was a beautiful young girl. Her mouth smiled, but her eyes were closed.

The two subordinates took out their kunai and prepared themselves.

“Hyuuga Hiashi, let’s hear your answer tonight. The answer that will decide the future of your clan…”

“The Hyuuga clan’s answer is this!” Hiashi leaped up and extended the palm of his hand in midair as he approached the girl.

However, the girl didn’t move.

The distance shortened. He entered range.

The instant that Hiashi was convinced he could defeat her, the girl's body disappeared and turned into countless balls of light that scattered in all directions.

“!”

As Hiashi landed and looked around dumbfounded, ten or so shinobi appeared around him out of the ground.

They were an eerie group wrapped in bandages that completely covered their faces. The strange shinobi jumped high into the air, then swooped down and attacked Hiashi.

The two subordinates covered Hiashi, standing in the way.

“Hiashi-sama, quickly!”

“Yes, I’m counting on you!” Hiashi jumped and withdrew from that spot.

Bandaged shinobi chased closely after Hiashi, leaving several to deal with the subordinates. 

Hiashi created a tornado with his jutsu and sent his enemies flying with a single blow.

When he lifted his face, a tall, single enemy shinobi was holding out both hands to create a giant, glowing bubble as he glared at Hiashi.

Intense bloodlust!

The thrown bubble sphere exploded.

Hiashi narrowly avoided a direct hit to a vital spot, but took a heavy wound to the shoulder.

He was losing chakra rapidly.

The enemy shinobi repeatedly launch attacks with the bubble spheres.

Hiashi saw the entrance to a cave and took refuge.

However, the bubble spheres chased him inside. Several shots exploded.

The ceiling collapsed and rocks fell from above Hiashi.

Rumble-rumble-rumble-crash!

A massive number of rocks covered the crouching Hiashi’s body.

The girl with a beauty that seemed almost unreal, her mouth smiling, but her eyes still closed, spoke somewhere in the distance.

"Hinata, my dear... The time is almost here. You and I... It is written in the stars."

X

Chapter Text

Invited by Umino Iruka, Naruto was visiting the academy.

For one day, it was decided that she would instruct the children as a special lecturer.

“Sorry to have you come here when you’re busy with missions.”

“Sensei, don’t worry about it!”

“Your lesson is really popular with the kids… oh? Have you gotten taller?”

In the past, Naruto had to look up to Iruka, but now she had surpassed him in height.

Feeling both happy and embarrassed, Naruto gave a strained smile and scratched her head.

“Alright, your basics are important for both ninjutsu and taijutsu.”

Teaching kids was fun. She had assembled only the girls in the schoolyard, and was instructing them in taijutsu.

“I’ll show you an example, so watch real closely!”

“Yes!”

Naruto had grown up splendidly, but it wasn’t as if she had a special skill for teaching things to people.

If she was going to be able to convey something to the kids, she figured it would be not with words, but with the fists she had trained through actual fighting, and the jutsu she had refined in life and death situations.

This was only a performance.

Meters away, the children held their breath as they were being shown the “real thing.”

They were in a state of having their hearts strongly struck as they were each trying to begin walking down their own path of rigidness.

However—

“Naruto-senpaaaaai!”

“Kyaaa, Naru-samaaaa!”

“…………”

Instantly, Naruto felt dizzy.

She had assumed a taijutsu pose with complete seriousness, but the high-pitched voices had killed the mood.

Boys had lined up by the window of the third floor of the school building and were cheering for the famous Naruto.

Since becoming famous in the ninja war and having been called “the hero of the village,” there had gotten to be a lot of instances of boys calling out to Naruto.

It wasn’t that Naruto herself wished for this, but she even had fans who chased her.

Ino, Shikamaru, and others laughed about how Naruto had become popular, but Naruto didn’t understand why they kept coming and was completely bewildered.

The shopping district was overflowing with shoppers.

Next month, the “Rinne Festival” would be grandiosely held in the Hidden Leaf Village.

Close friends would hold gatherings and exchange presents.

Among the crowd of people in the shopping district was Hinata. He came out of a store with a slight blush on his cheeks and a happy expression.

Against his chest, he held a paper bag with red yarn sticking out of it as he made his way through the crowd.

In the evening, Naruto was eating ramen at Ichiraku.

She was sitting in a line of seats at the counter with academy kids slurping hot ramen.

“Today is my treat. Eat as much as you want!”

The children called out to her as “Naruto-sensei” as they smiled brightly.

“You’re a special lecturer, huh… yahoo, you’ve gotten pretty important,” teased Kiba, who coincidentally happened to be present.

Accompanied by her enormous ninken Akamaru, Inuzuka Kiba was eating at a table outside.

Her teammate Aburame Shino was with her. “Naruto likes ramen… she’s always at Ichiraku.”

“Ah, ramen is great! It’s ok even for three meals a day –ttebayo!” Naruto laughed as she responded to Shino’s dull words.

Hinata secluded himself in his room, knitting a red scarf.

Stitch by stitch, he advanced in his work, putting his whole heart into it. When he grew tired, he gazed at an old, tattered, children’s scarf.

It was the same scarf that Naruto had worn around her neck on the day they had first met.

Ever since that day, Hinata had admired Naruto.

As he grew up, those feelings became stronger.

'What might Naruto be doing right now?'

When he fell into danger on his missions, when he doubted his nindou, he would always think of Naruto.

When he did so, Hinata felt as if Naruto was encouraging him.

Naruto had always been the one who showed him which way he ought to go. Hinata wanted to somehow convey his growing affection and his feelings of gratitude.

He looked at the calendar and saw that there was one month until the Rinne Festival.

Hinata resumed his work.

Several days later, Naruto was walking through the shopping district in the afternoon, accompanied by Konohamaru.

Sarutobi Konohamaru was the grandson of the third hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen. Naruto was grateful to Hiruzen, who had supported the fox child from the shadows.

Konohamaru was also Naruto’s adorable junior, who adored her like an older sister.

Naruto was carrying too many extravagantly wrapped presents for her hands to hold.

Beside her, Konohamaru held the rest, his hands just as full as hers.

Yes, that's exactly how many gifts Naruto received from her fan-boys-girls.

The Rinne Festival’s not even here yet! If they start now and keep giving them at this pace…

What’ll happen?

In contrast to Naruto’s disturbance, Konohamaru was in a good mood due to his respected big sister figure’s popularity.

“Just as I would expect for you, big sis!”

"How can you say that so calmly, dattebayo?!"

The moment that Naruto breathed a sigh, she again found herself surrounded by the sound of male voices.

“Naruto-sensei! Have a happy Rinne Festival!”

Several boys held out presents with flashy wrapping while all screaming “Naruto-sensei!” or “Naru-sama!”

“Oh, the Rinne Festival… Th-thanks…”

Naruto felt completely puzzled as she accepted a massive number of presents.

After Naruto and the others had left, Sakura walked from an alleyway with shopping bags in her hands.

At the same time, the doorbell of a craft store rang, and Hinata came out holding a bag of red yarn. The yarn he had purchased a few days ago had run out, and he had come back to buy more.

“Ah, Hinata!”

“Oh, Sakura.”

The two met in the middle of the shopping district.

“Red yarn… are you knitting something? That’s unusual!”

“....I’m knitting a scarf.”

“Hmmmm….”

A shopping district banner with “Rinne Festival” written in large characters entered Sakura’s line of vision.

Instantly, Sakura completed the math in her head: Hinata + Rinne Festival + hand-knit scarf = a present for Naruto!

The shy Hinata was finally going to make his move on Naruto.

“Go for it!”

“Eh?”

“You’re going to give it to her as a present, right?”

“……”

Without answering, Hinata turned red all the way up to his ears and looked downward.

Sakura liked Hinata’s diligence and sincerity. She didn’t want to see Hinata cry.

Sakura supported her friend’s romance.

“You’re so sweet. But Hinata, you really should hurry up and confess. Naruto’s become very popular lately, you know. If you keep hesitating, someone else might just steal her away.”

“Someone else…?”

“Of course,” Sakura teased, smirking. “I mean, what if someone cool swoops in and steals her heart?”

To Sakura’s surprise, Hinata’s face didn’t turn crimson with flustered panic like usual.

Instead, his expression softened with something almost heavy—his eyes lowering as if the words had struck deep.

“…Someone like Sasuke?” he murmured, his voice carrying a faint trace of sadness.

The teasing smile faded from Sakura’s lips. “Hinata…?”

Hinata looked at Sakura, the corners of his lips tugging down as though admitting something painful. “Naruto… she’s incredible. It wouldn’t surprise me if someone like Sasuke—someone she respects so much—already means more to her than I ever could.”

Back then, in the Academy, Naruto couldn’t go three minutes without complaining about Sasuke.

She’d point, scowl, call him smug, moody, “thinks-he’s-better-than-everyone.”

She spoke as if she were the president of the Sasuke Hate Club.

Later, when Team 7 was created, Hinata started to notice that things didn’t fit the joke anymore.

She watched him in training—not admiring, measuring.

He made her push harder.

When she pulled ahead, she’d glance to see if he saw.

When she fell behind, she doubled training.

Hate doesn’t make you sharpen yourself like that.

Then Sasuke left.

Everything changed.

Naruto stopped joking.

She trained until she couldn’t stand. She came back from missions torn up and still went out again.

She argued with anyone who said “Let him go.”

Hinata heard her once—behind the hospital wing—telling master Jiraya she’d get stronger no matter what if it meant bringing him home.

At first, Hinaya told himself: 'It’s loyalty. Team bonds. Guilt. Maybe she felt she failed him. Maybe it was because of you, Sakura—your request, your trust.'

But every time news came back that Sasuke had attacked—sometimes Naruto herself got hurt—she still refused to give up.

Even when it was clear he’d rather cut the bond than keep it.

Even when he tried to hurt her on purpose.

She held onto that thread between them.

That’s when Hinata started to doubt what he believed. 'If it isn’t love, what is it? What kind of feeling survives betrayal, distance, danger… and still reaches out?'

Hinata’s words had cut through Sakura like cold wind, stealing the breath from her chest.

For a moment, she couldn’t answer.

Because she’d wondered the same thing.

Sasuke.

Even now, just thinking his name stirred a dull ache in her chest. She still loved him—she couldn’t deny that. She loved him even when he was far away, even when he was drowning himself in darkness.

But ever since Naruto had made that promise to her… ever since Naruto started chasing Sasuke across every battlefield and border, she’d felt something shift.

Was Naruto’s obsession just loyalty to a teammate?

Or… was there something between them that Sakura couldn’t touch?

The idea always made her chest tighten.

Where did that leave her?

She didn’t know what to say to Hinata. She didn’t even know how to answer the questions she carried in her own heart.

Sakura’s lips parted, but no words came.

Her eyes softened with a shadow of the same sadness Hinata carried.

“Hinata…” she began, her voice trembling slightly.

He looked at her, expecting an answer, but all she could do was sigh.

“You’re… not wrong. Sasuke has always been… complicated. And so has Naruto’s bond with him. I don’t fully understand it either.”

She paused, lowering her gaze. “There was a time I thought Naruto was just doing all of this for me. Because I asked her to bring Sasuke back. But now… I’m not sure anymore. Maybe there’s more between them than I realized.”

Her throat tightened, and she forced a small smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

“But… Hinata, I do know one thing. Naruto notices you in a way she doesn’t notice anyone else. Don’t let your doubts drown that. Please.”

Hinata’s eyes softened with gratitude, but Sakura’s heart still felt heavy, weighed down by thoughts she couldn’t untangle.

Hinata gave her a small bow of gratitude, clutching the bag of red yarn as if it carried all his courage. “Thank you, Sakura,” he said softly, then turned and walked down the street.

Sakura stood there for a moment, watching his back until it disappeared around the corner. The streets were quiet now, the chatter of the market fading into the evening air.

A gust of wind rustled the paper bags in her hands, snapping her back to herself. But she didn’t move.

She just stood there.

Hinata’s words echoed in her mind.

“…Someone like Sasuke?”

Sakura’s grip on the bags tightened, the paper crinkling under her fingers.

Sasuke.

His name was still a thorn in her heart. She loved him—she’d always loved him. Even when he rejected her. Even when he walked away from the village, from all of them.

She’d waited.

She’d wished for the day he’d come back.

But… lately, she’d started to wonder if that love had become something heavier, something tangled with old pain and memories she couldn’t let go of.

And then there was Naruto.

For so long, Sakura thought Naruto’s obsession with Sasuke was about her—about the promise Naruto made that day.

She’d even felt guilty, thinking she’d forced Naruto to bear that burden just because she’d cried and begged.

But over the years… she realized it wasn’t just about her.

Maybe it was never about her at all.

Naruto talked about Sasuke in a way that was different. A way that burned. She chased him with this relentless light, even when he pushed her away, even when he tried to cut her down.

Sakura lowered her eyes.

What kind of bond was that?

If it wasn't love… what was it?

The question stung more than she wanted to admit.

Because if Naruto really loved Sasuke… then..

Where did that leave her?

Sakura looked down at her reflection in the shop’s window—her own face staring back, lips trembling slightly.

For the first time in a long time, she felt small. Like she was standing on the outside of something she couldn’t reach.

She thought of Hinata—his quiet, unwavering love for Naruto. The scarf he was making, each stitch carefully sewn with hope.

Sakura swallowed hard.

“Hinata,” she murmured to herself, “maybe… you and I aren’t that different. We’re both standing in the shadow of someone Naruto might never let go of.”

She turned her gaze to the horizon, her voice was barely a whisper. “Where do I even stand anymore?”

For a moment, she thought of Sasuke’s back as he walked away from the village years ago, and Naruto’s stubborn grin as she swore to bring him back.

Two people she loved, in completely different ways… and yet somehow, both just out of reach.

Sakura blinked, forcing a smile, though her eyes shimmered. “Naruto… you better not let someone like Hinata slip away. He’s stronger than you think.”

With that, Sakura walked down the road, her steps slower, heavier, the question still lingering in her chest like an ache.

X

Chapter Text

Naruto returned home carrying tons of presents.

Without eventurning on the lights, she tossed the presents onto the bed and flopped down next to them.

“… I’m beat –ttebayo.” She sighed heavily. 

Naruto gazed aimlessly through the dimness at the mountain of presents.

They weren’t just on the bed. As she looked around, there wasn’t even a place in the small room to set foot around the mass of presents.

Suddenly, Naruto’s nose began to stir.

“A-a-achoo!”

Naruto looked out the window to see that a light snow had begun to flutter about. “S-snow… that’s why it’s getting cold.”

The soft glow of her bedside lamp filled the room as Naruto slid open a drawer.

Her fingers brushed against the familiar fabric, and she carefully pulled out a red scarf, its color deep and warm like a fading sunset.

She held it close, pressing the wool to her face.

“…Ah, it’s warm,” she whispered, a small smile curling on her lips.

Naruto wrapped it around her neck, her cheeks flushing as she remembered its owner—Sasuke. 

He had given her this scarf a few weeks ago, on a frigid night when their paths crossed in the heart of a silent forest. 

She still remembered the way he had wrapped it around her neck without a word, his hand lingering for just a heartbeat too long.

Even now, she could feel that quiet warmth, as if his presence remained woven into every thread.

A shy smile bloomed on her lips as her mind slipped back to that night.

The forest had been frozen, the breath of winter heavy in the air. She’d been sent to aid a team on the border and, by chance, crossed paths with him—Sasuke.

He hadn’t said much, just noticed her shivering through her jacket. With quiet determination, he’d loosen the scarf around his own neck and stepped closer.

“You’ll catch cold,” he’d muttered, eyes avoiding hers as he wrapped the scarf around her neck.

The unexpected warmth of the gesture made her freeze in place, her heart pounding louder than the night wind.

“S-Sasuke…” she’d begun, but his gaze silenced her.

A faint blush had colored his own cheeks before he looked away, muttering something about moving before it got darker.

Now, weeks later, holding that same scarf close, Naruto couldn’t help but smile. The memory lingered like an ember in her chest—quiet but warm, just like him.

Snow continued falling at the Hyuuga residence as well.

Snow covered the entire surface outside, piling up on the tree and lanterns in the garden.

The snow had stopped in early evening, the clouds had cleared, and a crescent moon was floating in the night sky.

Next to a foggy window in a room warmed by a heater, Hinata continued to knit a scarf.

“It’s done!” Hinata held the long scarf that he had completed over his head, and was greatly please.

Having put all of his feelings into relentlessly knitting, the scarf had ended up becoming quite long.

“Maybe it’s a little too long…”

He said to himself, but then he shook his head and thought, 

'No, this is the result of knitting with all my heart! I’m sure my feelings will reach Naruto…!'

Hinata changed his clothes and left the room.

"I wonder if I’ll really get through to her… it’s late today… tomorrow would be better… no, I’ll give it to her tonight… tomorrow’s better… no, tonight… tomorrow’s better…"

“Going to go confess already?”

As Hinata was going back and forth down the corridor, a voice called to him from the garden.

Hinata froze. That voice—he knew it without even turning.

Slowly, and with a hint of awkwardness, Hinata glanced toward the garden.

There stood Neji, tall and composed, a faint smirk playing on his lips as moonlight traced the sharp lines of his face.

For a moment, Hinata’s mind drifted back through the years.

He remembered the days when Neji’s cold gaze burned with resentment, the tense clash during the Chunin Exams, and the pain of standing on opposite sides.

But time had changed them.

Naruto’s unwavering belief had healed old wounds, and little by little, Neji had accepted Hinata—not just as the heir of the Hyuga clan, but as someone he could protect, support, and even care for.

Neji had trained with him, fought beside him, and when the war nearly claimed his life, Hinata had felt the crushing weight of almost losing him.

Yet, thanks to Naruto, Neji survived.

And from then on, their bond had grown stronger than ever.

Neji, once so rigid, had finally set aside the formal “Young Master” and simply called him “brother.”

Now, facing him in the garden, that same brotherly warmth radiated behind Neji’s teasing words.

Hinata cleared his throat, trying to gather his composure, but the attempt only made him look more flustered. His face was already tinted pink, and the awkwardness clung to him like a second skin.

“Brother… how long have you been there…?” Hinata finally asked, his voice quieter than he intended.

Neji’s smirk didn’t falter.

He shrugged casually, arms crossing as he leaned slightly against the wooden frame of the garden gate.

“Long enough for it to be painful to watch.” 

Hinata groaned and covered his face with his hands, the warmth of his blush spreading to the tips of his ears.

“Ugh… you don’t have to say it like that…” he muttered, peeking through his fingers at Neji, who was clearly enjoying himself.

Hinata kept his face buried in his hands as Neji’s low chuckle filled the quiet corridor.

“You’re pacing like a lost puppy,” 

“Brother… please,” Hinata mumbled, his voice muffled by his palms.

Neji stepped closer, his tone still light but carrying a trace of warmth. “You think too much. Either confess tonight or tomorrow, but waiting won’t make it any easier. You’ve trained harder than anyone I know… but you hesitate over words?”

Hinata slowly lowered his hands, glancing at Neji with wide, uncertain eyes. “It’s… different. With training, you know what to expect in the end. But this… what if she doesn’t…”

Neji shook his head, cutting him off. “Hinata. If there’s one thing I’ve learned… it’s that life is too fragile to leave words unspoken. I nearly lost mine on the battlefield. Don’t waste time doubting yourself.”

Hinata’s breath caught in his throat.

Neji’s gaze softened as he placed a hand on Hinata’s shoulder, firm and reassuring.

“She’s already changed you. And you’ve already changed her, whether you see it or not. Trust yourself.”

Hinata felt his chest tighten with both gratitude and nervous determination. “…Brother… thank you,” he whispered.

Neji’s smirk returned. “Don’t thank me yet. Just don’t make me watch you pace around all night again.”

Hinata groaned, still pink from Neji’s teasing.

“Why do you always have to say things like that…?” he muttered, his voice dripping with embarrassment.

Neji’s smirk grew just a little. “Because it’s far too easy to get a reaction from you,” he replied coolly.

Then, his gaze shifted subtly to the bushes nearby. “Right, Hanabi?”

Hinata blinked. “H-Hanabi?!”

Before he could react, his little sister burst out of the bushes, clearly caught in the act but showing not a shred of shame.

“So it’s true!” she sang out, grinning from ear to ear. “You’re finally going to confess to Naruto, aren’t you, big brother?”

Hinata’s face turned crimson instantly.

“H-Hanabi! You… you were listening this whole time?!”

“Of course I was!” she laughed, circling him like a hawk ready to strike. “You were pacing so much I thought the floor would break! Ohhh, I can’t wait to tell everyone—”

“Hanabi!” Hinata whined, his hands waving helplessly as if he could swat away her teasing words.

“D-Don’t say things too mature for children.”

His face was practically steaming.

“I’m not a child! Even the insight of my byakugan is no match for adults.” Hanabi protested, then continued to tease her older brother. 

Neji sighed, stepping in before Hinata completely melted into the floor.

He reached out, gently ruffling Hanabi’s hair, making her squawk in protest.

“Enough,” Neji said, his tone firm but with a warmth that only came from family.

“Don’t tease your brother like that. And stop eavesdropping on conversations that aren’t meant for you.”

Hanabi pouted but leaned into Neji’s hand like a spoiled cat. “But it was funny!” she mumbled.

“Hanabi,” Neji warned with a sharp but soft glance.

She giggled, then backed away with a cheeky grin. “Fine, fine. I’ll stop… for now,” she said with mock innocence, though her mischievous eyes said otherwise.

Hinata groaned again, covering his face. “This is the worst…” He wished the ground would just swallow him whole after Hanabi’s relentless teasing.

He mumbled something incoherent, face still burning, while Hanabi, completely unbothered, moved on as if nothing had happened.

“Anyway, look! Isn’t it cute?” she said suddenly, puffing out her chest with confidence.

Hinata lowered his hands from his face just in time to see Hanabi twirling a kunai with practiced ease.

Dangling from the hilt was a small, pink shinobi doll. She held it up proudly, the charm swaying with each spin.

“You… put a doll on a kunai?” Hinata blinked.

“Yup!” Hanabi grinned. “Isn’t it cute? Weapons don’t have to be boring all the time.”

Hinata tilted his head, struggling to form a response.

His sister, who once declared with all seriousness that “my hobby is training” as her nindō, now looked so carefree, so playful.

The old Hanabi would never have thought of hanging a pink doll from a kunai.

Hinata’s gaze softened as he realized how much had changed in their family. Ever since Neji moved into the Hyūga main house, things felt… warmer, like a real family.

It wasn’t just him—Hanabi had changed too.

Still, Hinata couldn’t help thinking, a pink doll? On a weapon? It was overdoing it just a bit. Not to mention, wouldn’t it be hard to use that way?

“Hanabi…” Hinata started cautiously, “you know that’s not very practical…”

“Who cares? It’s cute!” she shot back with a mischievous grin.

Neji, standing off to the side, raised an eyebrow but said nothing—though Hinata could swear he saw the ghost of a smile on Neji’s face.

Hinata sighed, shaking his head with a weary but affectionate smile. “Do as you please, I guess… but I don’t think you can avoid a scolding when Father returns.”

Hanabi huffed and crossed her arms, though her grin didn’t fade. “Tch, you’re no fun, big brother.”

Then her expression shifted slightly, her voice lowering. “Speaking of Father… he hasn’t contacted us, has he?”

Hinata blinked at the sudden change of topic. “No… not yet,” he admitted, his brow furrowing slightly.

There were times when their father, Hiashi, would be absent for long periods due to missions, but even in those cases, there was always some form of communication—a messenger bird, a letter, something.

This silence was unusual.

“Maybe the mission is classified,” Neji offered calmly, noticing the worried look on his siblings' faces. 

Hanabi bit her lip, still twirling the kunai absentmindedly. “I know… but it’s weird.”

Hinata nodded slowly, pushing aside his concern with a soft smile to comfort his sister. “He’ll be fine. We should trust him.”

Just then, a loud growl echoed from Hinata’s stomach.

“…….Ah,” he muttered, frozen in place, cheeks already flushing.

Hanabi, of course, pounced on the moment like a cat spotting its prey. “Did you spend all your time knitting and forget to eat dinner? You’ll get laughed at if your stomach growls when you confess,” she teased, grinning wickedly.

“I—I’m not going to confess!” Hinata sputtered, his face blazing red.

Unfortunately for him, Hanabi had struck the truth as easily as a kunai hitting its mark.

In the past few days, Hinata had been so preoccupied—knitting, overthinking, pacing—that he hadn’t eaten much besides a handful of dried candies.

He gritted his teeth lightly, both embarrassed and annoyed that she was absolutely right. “Sheesh, you’ve got some nerve….I’m going out for a bit!”

“To confess?” Hanabi shot back instantly, her smirk widening.

“I’m not!” Hinata barked.

To avoid any further humiliation, Hinata left the house half-running.

Hanabi burst into laughter, clutching her sides. “Ohhh, he’s hopeless!” she giggled, practically falling over from amusement.

Neji, who had been watching silently with his usual composed expression, sighed.

He could scold her, but the sight was far too entertaining—even for him.

Instead, he allowed the faintest smirk to curl on his lips.

“You say the moon is falling?” the Raikage barked, sitting at a huge round table in a conference room.

The leaders of the shinobi villages of the five countries were gathered in one building as the Kage council in an emergency meeting called by the Hokage, Hatake Kakashi.

Aside from Kakashi and the Raikage, surrounding the table were Iwagakure’s Tsuchikage, known as the old raccoon dog.

The lone woman, Kirigakure’s Mizukage.

And Sunagakure’s Kazekage, the young leader Gaara—all of them capable shinobi.

“From the results of our measurements, it’s evident that the moon is drawing closer to Earth,” Kakashi calmly answered.

Kakashi had brought with him an astronomer from Konoha. She wore the trademark apron and glasses of a girl scientist.

“Even without measuring, you can tell by looking… I’ve never seen the moon so big,” the Tsuchikage, who was a small old man, sneered at Kakashi and the astronomer.

“What about all of the recent meteorites?” Gaara asked.

Prompted by Kakashi, the astronomer began to explain. “When two celestial bodies gradually move closer, the gravity from the two of them begins to affect each other.”

“I’m not so great with the scientific talk…” The Mizukage looked away as she stated her confusion.

As per the astronomer’s prediction, as the moon approached Earth, it would become distorted and torn apart due to Earth’s gravity, and gradually crumble from the surface.

As the broken fragments drew closer to Earth, they would encircle it like the rings of Saturn, and many of the fragments from this ring would be drawn in and fall to Earth—the astronomer explained that this was the origin of the increase in meteorites.

“Then, what will eventually happen?” Gaara stared at the astronomer, rushing her to the conclusion.

“If this continues, the moon will completely break apart… the ruins will rain down from above. In this case, the end of humanity… no, practically no living thing on Earth will probably be able to survive.”

“So, what do we do? What’s the counter plan?” The Tsuchikage pointed a finger at Kakashi, questioning him.

“We will destroy the falling moon fragments before they arrive.”

“That’s too much of a makeshift solution! Obviously, we should stop the moon from approaching!” The irritated Raikage yelled.

“I want to ask one thing… is this a natural phenomenon? Or a man-made attack?” The Mizukage asked the question that was on the minds of everyone present.

Their gazes all fell on Kakashi.

Kakashi had thought that both were possibilities, but he didn’t actually know at all.

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