Reaching For You

Chapter 7

"Toneri." Sasuke-sensei quietly murmurs, and I stalk pass the three of them as we reach the living room.

How the fuck could I not even known... that he was my mothers best friend?

I had to ask him one question. Just one.

Flopping down on the couch, Toneri Otsutsuki sits across in an easy chair. Himawari's on my right, Dad in my left.

An eerie moment of silence comes across us, and I can't help myself.

I have to do it.

"N... Toneri." I stoically start, and the man looks up with a frown, but nodded in answer. I take a deep breath, and close my eyes, trying to not let the heat of my tears fall out.

I felt so betrayed for some reason.

"Boruto?" He quietly responds, and I nod, containing the shake of my jaw. After a few moments, I'm able to speak.

"D...Did you love my mother?"

A silence follows through, and I look up to face a surprised, pained look on Toneris face. He looked so hurt, so vulnerable.

He keeps looking like Dad.

I don't know what to do.

"... Let me start my part. Maybe you'll figure out if I was or not." He responds, and close my eyes, nodding.

"Fine, go ahead."

"Thank you. My part starts off with my partner..."

Toneri Otsutsuki gazed at Hinata Hyuga as she talked animatedly in the cafe they were sitting in, as he twirled his straw in the smoothie he was drinking. He couldn't help but smile and stare at the young women. She had an aura, a happiness. Something drew him to her.

Hinata Hyuga made Toneri Otsutsuki feel relaxed and like himself, which was something the man didn't have the luxury to experience as a child. His father and mother pushed him in directions where he had no means to go in, but if he did not do as they said, he would have been hurt badly.

It was to the point where the man ran away at the age of eighteen, and that was the year Toneri Otsutsuki met Hinata Hyuga. Alone at the soup kitchen, he felt tears streaming down his cheeks as he ate the watery soup and hardened bread, when she came up to him in an apron, her long dark swishing every which way.

"Are you all right? Was the food not enough?" Were the words she spoke, and Toneri quietly shook his head, and mumbled a "no".

"Not taking that for an answer. Come on, I'm going to my apartment now. You come along. You'll get some good food there."

He merely followed her without even saying another word. Something about the young lady drew him towards her.

There, at her apartment, he was able to tell her everything that he had been going through for years, and a determined look crept into her eye, and so, the Hyuga Corporations gave him a whole scholarship to attend the same university as the young woman. He couldn't have been more than grateful for the money, kindness and love they gave him.

So, Toneri Otsutsuki became a forensic scientist and a detective, alongside with his best friend, Hinata Hyuga. It was his dream as a child to help the less fortunate, and to him, being part of the police force was one of the most rewarding jobs there was.

"Toneri! Did you hear what I said?" The man slipped out of his thoughts, and looked up to face the expectant look that shone in Hinata's eyes, and his knees immediately lost their footing.

"Y-Yeah?" He quickly responded, searching for anything she was saying. Party? Yeah, it was something with party.

"Party! You're going to a party?" Toneri asked, and Hinata nodded, giving a sweet laugh.

"Thats right! My two best friends, Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno bought a new house, and this Friday, they are holding a housewarming party."

"Oh, that seems nice! Have you seen the house?"

"Ah, yes. I did take an empty house tour with Sakura and it was very pretty. I can't wait to see what it looks like furnished."

"I bet it'll look absolutely radtastic." Toneri replied with a smirk, pointing his straw towards her, when she gave him a raised eyebrow look.

"You're still using that? We came up with that as teens, Toneri." She said with a knowing voice.

"Can't help but reminisce the memories that we hold, dear Hyuga."

"Cut the formalness. That's for my dad."

"Whatever."

Hinata drummed her fingers on the table, and smiled to herself for a few moments before looking at Toneri, who had a sudden blush on his cheeks at her unexpected gaze.

"Would you mind going with me? To the party?"

The silver haired man blinked slowly, then put his hands into his face to contain the blush spreading across.

She... Hinata... she asked me to the party?

Don't scream, don't scream, do not scream!

Mustering up a cool face, Toneri looked at Hinata who was awaiting his answer with a brilliant smile.

"Yeah, sure. That's cool." He said, and Hinata grinned.

Toneris heart beat just a tad bit faster.

"Awesome! Okay, so pick me up around 5:30 on Friday, okay?"

"I'll be right on time."

The topic was soon dropped, and even after the beautiful young woman left home after he dropped her off, and him in his bed, his heart didn't stop beating.

Hinata Hyuga was the person Toneri Otsutsuki saw a clear future with. An everlasting one.

And maybe, this could be the first step for Hinata to see that Toneri could be the one she wanted a future with as well.

I get up, and walk to the bathroom. Sarada calls after me, but I ignore her. Running the water from the sink in the dark room, I bite the inside of my cheek as I cry softly.

The coolness of the water that gushed over my spiky blonde hair slowly erased the thoughts that were piling up in my head.

Toneri Otsutsuki.

Naruto Uzumaki.

One was my father figure for years.

The other was gone half my life.

Both loved my mother.

I didn't know what to feel. I didn't know how to respond, talk, even breathe. The two people I consider to call the word "father" to were in the same room with each other.

Too much.

Too much.

This is way too much.