The Child of Prophecy

└ C20 ┐

[WARNING: Incoming sparring scene (omg, I'm really not that good at writing fight scenes so I hope you guys won't mind, lmao. And if you're willing to put your input - constructive criticism, advice and suggestions - you can tell me on the comment section. Be nice, please. I'm willing to listen since I know for myself that I'm not that experienced at writing fight scenes, haha.) Prejudice (it's not much, though. Just kids being judgy kids.) Many blood at the last part.]

└ “One ought to experience loneliness atleast once or twice in life. No, you have to experience it. The idea of being chained to another person without reprieve is far more abnormal and disquieting.” —Hachiman Hikigaya ┐

Kushina stared at Naruko, who was either oblivious or ignoring her gaze and kept on silently eating her dinner. Next, she peered at her husband, who was fidgeting slightly on his own seat at the head of the table while sneaking quick, nervous glances at their daughter.

He probably doesn't know but he's really not being subtle, Kushina thinks to herself, unimpressed.

Awkwardly clearing her throat, she decides to ask, “How was your day, Naruko?”

“Just the same as usual, I guess... Hinata-chan's still not attending classes though,” Naruko answers in an unusually-quiet tone, pausing for awhile to think if she should say more. Those few seconds felt more to Minato and he kept looking guilty, making Kushina give him a weirded out expression. And then, Naruko continues, “But I bumped into Neji today. He said Hinata-chan's just down with a cold.”

Hearing the unfamiliar name, both Kushina's and Minato's ears perked up and they immediately gave a questioning look at their daughter. The former looked intrigued, whilst the latter appeared hesitant yet still managed to look menacing in an overprotective-father manner.

“Who?” They asked at the same time. Naruko simply shrugged,

“He's Hinata-chan's cousin.”

Minato scrunched his nose up, pondering over it more, before he comes into a realization and nods his head in understanding, “I see. The prodigy son of Hyuuga-sama's twin brother, right?”

His statement stuns Naruko in place for a bit, but she instantly grins.

That was new.

From her previous chance at life, most people acknowledged Neji as a prodigy, but they also never left out the fact that he was merely a child from a branch house. Hearing her own father address Neji as the "son of Hiashi-ji's twin" wasn't entirely a praise, but neither was it in any way degrading.

It wasn't anything big, but it made Naruko appreciate and respect Minato all the more.

“Yes, that's him,” Naruko affirms with obvious enthusiasm.

Her beaming response earns her two fond smiles from both of her parents as well, although they weren't exactly sure as to why she was suddenly smiling.

“I didn't know you were friends,” Kushina tells her daughter. And then, she notices a grain of rice on Naruko's cheek and quickly points it out.

After picking it off and gulping it in anyway, Naruko nonchalantly shrugs her shoulders, “We met a few months ago at the Hyuuga Compound. We don't really hang out, but we are friends.”