Downfall

NEW YEAR

"Ah, I knew I'd find you here."

Jumping slightly, Hinata turned to face the dojo entrance. There, stood Kimimaro, leaning against the threshold post. He wore his usual white yukata. It contrasted nicely with the red cloth beneath that peaked out only at his chest and wrists. One thing she found pleasant about him was his beautiful clothing.

"Kimimaro-kun! Good morning," she greeted quickly, relaxing her stance, hands at her sides.

He smiled, eyeing the perspiration on her forehead despite the cold and the bandages that protected her hands. "The maids wanted me to inform you of a lunch they're preparing. Will you come?" he asked with a lift of his brow.

"Will my father be there?" she questioned carefully, hesitant.

He took a moment. "No."

"I'll consider." Hinata hadn't meant to but the relief in her body language was loud and Kimimaro could read her like an open picture book.

He also found Hinata somewhat pleasant. From all he had heard about her — a spoilt princess who didn't like to speak to those beneath her, rotten and horrid with a terrible personality — he instead discovered she was perfectly plain.

"You're meeting him, aren't you?" Kimimaro enjoyed poking. Her buttons, that was. Always, she had this blank look as if her mind was drifting off somewhere else and the happenings around her weren't enough to keep her full attention. So he was thrilled to know the different types of expressions she could make. Like this one now.

"Hm?" A small smile in the corner of her lips. She thought nothing too special about the Uchiha, unlike the masses, but liked him enough.

"Sasuke-san. Am I wrong?" Kimimaro liked Sasuke, too. He was undoubtedly powerful and Kimimaro would've loved to go head-to-head with him.

"Oh. No, not today. I wanted to spend some time on my own to reflect." By reflect, she meant on her training. When she wasn't with her father, and she wasn't with Sasuke, she was alone in the courtyard with the wooden posts. Strikes and kata, that was what Kimimaro observed her doing. Her persistent was commendable.  

"Then we have you all to ourselves then?" he said.

"We?" blinked Hinata.

Hanabi appeared, head popping out from behind the tatami door. "Hinata-nee-sama!"

The light that she missing in those pale eyes of hers finally reappeared when she saw her younger sister and she smiled properly now, holding her arms out in front of her so Hanabi could leap into them. "Hanabi-chan," she called softly.

The young girl bound forwards and tackled her sister, squeezing her tightly. It wasn't so often that they got to spend time together when Hinata had to focus solely on her training so whenever they could, they would play together.

"Kimimaro-san said there's a festival tonight, nee-sama, please can we go?" Hanabi begged, looking up at Hinata with round and shimmering eyes.

"Eh? A festival?" repeated Hinata, glancing over at Kimimaro who stood there with a smirk on his lips.

"You sure are forgetful, Hinata-sama." He pushed off the post and came closer. "Today is New Year's Eve."