青い骨の美 - The Beauty of Blue Bones

Chapter 15

Spring
Monday—2:47PM

She didn't have to wait very long for Naruto and Sasuke to both agree that it was alright for her to leave the house and head to Konoha. Hinata was stricken with anxiety once the two co-signed the agreement to let her go out beyond the front yard, both warning her of the curfew they all mutually accepted for her safety. It felt like receiving the most wonderful yet daunting news ever.

She stared at the two of them, both laying on the couch watching the television or reading a comic they found in the library, shocked that they let her go earlier than planned.

Naruto looked up as he flipped the page of his book, his eyebrow raised as he studied the way she seemed to fidget the longer she stood there practically gawking at them. "Is something wrong?"

"No." She shook her head and raised her shoulders up to her ears in an attempt to calm her racing heart. It was a habit she began to develop as opposed to playing with her fingers every second. "I just never expected to be let go so easily."

"You're not a prisoner, Hinata, it was only for your safety, which is my personal priority—I don't know what that bastard thinks." His eyes scanned the texts and pictures in front of him.

Sasuke simply grunted as he flipped through the channels, " don't do anything stupid out there." He barely glanced at her yet he could feel the nervousness rolling off of her like steam over boiling water.

"Oh, right, you wanted to speak with your father." Naruto finally put his comic down, his eyes softening tenfold as he motioned for her to come closer.

Hinata hesitated, clearly knowing where things were heading with him. He's made it obvious since Friday that he wasn't the best with words, so it wasn't a very big shock that when she stepped closer to him, he reached for her hand and pulled her down a little bit. Her cheeks were dusted the faintest of pinks as his face came closer.

"Are you sure you don't want Sasuke and myself coming along? We have no issues waiting."

"Did you forget what I told you last time?" Sasuke watched the display with hooded eyes, focusing on the way Naruto's thumb caressed the back of Hinata's hand to soothe her. Gods, how can his best friend be an absolute moron?

"Yeah, but they won't even know we're there! We can just hang around and wait for her without going into the compound."

"Why are you so insistent on going?"

"I just!" Naruto bit his lip and looked away. "Fine, alright, I'll let you go alone." He turned back to the woman in front of him.

She nodded slowly and pulled her hands out of his own, "I'll be alright, Naruto, just watch over Sasuke."

"I don't need a babysitter." The Uchiha grumbled.

"I'll be back before the evening."

"You need to be."

She squared her shoulders and stood up straighter, "I will send word if I decide to stay at the Hyūga manor for the night, I would like to believe that I won't come to that conclusion, but my father is a little...unpredictable." She grabbed her tote bag and zipped up her sweater. "See you later."

Hinata didn't wait for them to answer before she quickly slipped on her shoes and left the house. She closed the door behind her and walked down the path leading to the main road that headed to Konoha. The entire time, her hands were wrapped tightly around the handle of her bag and her lips were caught between her teeth.

The sight of the big, green gates made her heart flutter in fear and slight relief. It's been so long since she's seen it, she didn't know how much she missed the mere sight of Konoha even though the business she needed to take care of was not at all pleasant.