Team Harmony

Team Kakashi 19: Team 7

FIVE-YEAR TIME SKIP

Hinata was awoken by Mitsuki knocking on her bedroom door, startling her out of a light sleep. It had been difficult for her to fall asleep as she was excited to learn of what team she was going to be put in. She did her best not to think of the huge possibility that she was going to be put on a different team from her best friends, and focused on getting ready for school. As she aged, her confidence in herself had grown as well and she wasn't hiding behind baggy clothes anymore.

She had replaced her baggy jacket and unfitting capri pants for snug-fitting capri pants and a band of mesh armor on the unprotected part of her legs to the standard blue shinobi shoes and a lavender and cream cold shoulder jacket which had sleeves that flared out at the forearm. Underneath, she wore a long-sleeved mesh armor shirt that protected her exposed shoulders, and rather than wearing an uncomfortable bra, she settled for wrappings. Her hair had grown to her waist and she kept it down and undecorated aside from the small hair clip Shisui had given her. While more form-fitting, she still didn't show much of her body as her chest made her feel self-conscious and she preferred to hide it behind her jacket.

A year ago, Neji graduated from the academy and was often gone long before she woke up for training with his sensei and teammates. Neji had told her that her sensei was obsessed with physical training and he begrudgingly admitted that it did wonders for his shape. Hinata loved listening to the stories of his sensei's antics with one of his teammates that worshiped the ground the taijutsu expert walked on. She hoped to have a close bond with her sensei and teammates as well, whether Sasuke and Naruto were on the same team or not.

She waited by her front gate for Sasuke to arrive. Even though he didn't outwardly admit it, she could tell that Sasuke was glad her cousin wasn't around anymore. Neji and Sasuke got along a lot better now than when they were kids but they still bickered quite a bit, and sometimes it made her feel a bit envious that they had such a relationship.

"Were you waiting long?"

Hinata, who was leaning against the wall, stood up straight and shook her head. "Not at all. How did you sleep?" She asked as they began walking to the academy. Sasuke had kept his attire the same as he grew and Hinata, though not one to care about such things, was happy as she liked the way blue and white looked on him.

Sasuke shrugged. "It was hard to sleep, but I managed a few hours. You?"

"Same here." They continued in silence. Despite not having anyone interrupt their conversations or talk over them, they often spent their time in comfortable silence. Over the years, Sasuke has gotten quieter, so much so that it was almost like being next to Itachi all over again-but she would never say that aloud.

As her mind drifted to Itachi, she thought about all the yellow roses she found on her windowsill the morning of the past five birthdays she's had. Every time she got one, she always told Sasuke first as she didn't want to keep secrets between them but refrained from telling Naruto as he could accidentally let it slip to Minato. Sasuke got angry every time but she was usually able to cheer him up. Her second birthday after Itachi left was the hardest though and they ended up getting into an argument that left her near tears. They made up the next day, but she didn't want to have another fight like that with him.

Just before the academy came into view, Sasuke came to a stop causing her to do the same. "Hey, you think we'll be on the same team?" He asked.

She smiled warmly. "Yes, and we'll always be a team regardless," she said. He accepted that and they continued walking. Their relationship had become comfortable with one another, with Naruto as well. For all the time they spent together, they spent even more together with Naruto. He was their best friend and they were his.