Reborn as Sakura and Hinata: Lost in the Wind

It's a Date

After perhaps five solid minutes of staring blankly down at my book, I decided to at last just let myself think about the topic that had been weighing so heavily on my mind since yesterday.

Holy shit I actually told him who I am.

Was it that personal when Sakura had told Anko? I can't imagine it was. Did Anko even know what Katie looked like? It wasn't like it exactly mattered at the moment, but the fact that I had managed to tell Kiba just about everything and he believed it at once terrified me and gave me relief.

The way he reacted was entirely unexpected, completely dissuading any of the fears I had. And that speech he gave, God, thinking about it almost made me sigh aloud. I think that was just about the most romantic thing to ever happen to me. I just wish I wasn't so wrapped up in these thoughts right before the exams, as an existential crisis paired with test anxiety was the last thing I needed, but at least I knew that someone loved me no matter what.

It did leave me with so many other questions though. Would Kiba be able to keep it secret? It's not like anyone would believe him if he did let something slip, but... should anyone else know about it?

I glanced at Neji, wrapped up much more thoroughly in the book he was reading and blissfully unaware of the world around him. Did my family deserve to know? If anything, the idea of telling Hiashi about who I was was infinitely more terrifying than telling Kiba. Hinata was his daughter, a daughter that technically is gone now. All of this time some other mind has been puppeting his baby girl... how could I tell him? How could that possibly go well? Would it even go well telling Neji? Would he even be able to process it?

"Hinata?"

My gaze snapped to the side to see Neji cautiously peeking at me, brow furrowed in concern, "Are you okay? You looked like Sakura's dog for a moment."

I held back an offended gasp and instead sighed, "Just a lot on my mind I guess."

He nodded, eyes returning to his book while he casually raised an arm. Taking the hint, I scooted over and leaned against him. As odd as this would have been a few months ago, Neji's 'rebooting' as I had come to call it seemed to make him a lot more aware of how to interact with me, and it certainly wasn't unappreciated. His book seemed to be a work of fiction, surprisingly enough, and from the little dialogue I skimmed it was a mystery novel, which wasn't surprising to me.

Neji's finger began to trace the edge of the book, a sign to me that he was becoming distracted now, and I glanced up at him to see that he was, in fact, pondering something.

"How do you know if you like someone?" he finally asked. Well, I certainly wasn't expecting that to be what was on his mind.

I sat up, considering the question before letting out a huff, "In my experience it seems everyone else around you knows you're into someone before you yourself do."

He quirked a brow at me, "Really?"

"I may be talented in many things, Neji," I stated, "But social situations are not one of those things." He gave a small laugh at that which I elected to ignore, instead trying to think up a better answer, "It's hard sometimes when you have people you care about... and then suddenly your feelings for a person change." Neji nodded at that with a look of understanding that I wasn't quite expecting, "I think for me it was realizing that I absolutely couldn't have anything happen to Kiba, that I couldn't bear seeing him hurt above anyone else, and that he made me feel comfortable with myself in a way only one other person has been able to... but I don't think that's what most people normally go through."

Neji shook his head, "I guess you wouldn't be the best person to ask since your experience was a little... unorthodox."

"Have you ever liked anyone?" I prompted, curiosity getting the best of me.