(5 years, 9 October)
“Hinata?” Naruto whispered softly to her friend. They were both lying on the quilt Hinata always brings to the clearing, relaxing after a game Hinata invented for Naruto. It was supposed to develop her vocabulary into a more Ninja oriented fashion. Naruto was proud of herself. It’s been almost 3 months since Hinata started teaching Naruto to read and she could read most of the things Hinata brings her. She had even started reading Hinata’s botany book hoping to learn more about how to help her friend. Right now, it was peaceful, the running water creating a soothing sound, the quilt soft and the flowers fragrant. If Naruto closed her eyes, she could pretend this was a dream but it being reality was so much better. Naruto was loathed to break the silence, but she had to tell her friend. Hinata was laying with her eyes closed next to her, a peaceful smile on her lips. She had not been injured yesterday, as her father felt that she should be presentable for the coming festival. It was the most relaxed Naruto had seen her since her ‘training’ began. Hinata opened her eyes, blinking against the sunlight streaming through the trees. “Naruto?” She questioned, having picked up that this was more serious from her tone of voice. Naruto smiled fondly at Hinata, she hadn’t meant to startle her, but as always Naruto marveled at how easy Hinata could read her, how much she understood Naruto. It was an incredible feeling, having someone care as much as Hinata does. Naruto could only hope she does the same for her friend, hoped with an unmatched ferocity that Hinata knew how much she loved her.
“I’m not going to be able to come tomorrow” Naruto confessed, in the months they had been friends they had met up every day. Sometimes Hinata or Naruto would be late, but the other always waited, knowing the other would come in time. This would be the first time they would not meet at all. “Naruto?” Hinata questioned, a small furrow on her brow, puzzled at the turn of events. She could see from Naruto’s expression that this was not just because. Her friend looked resigned to the fact. At first Hinata wondered if it was because of the festival, but the expression on Naruto’s face was not a happy one, and Hinata remembered the story her friend told her, or more like confessed, how mobs would form on the 10th of October. Suddenly Hinata felt the realisation wash over her. If Naruto had been chased in the past, what makes this time different? And Hinata felt like hitting herself, because Naruto was always so honestly happy here in their clearing that it sometimes slips her mind that she was not as happy outside the protective branches of this forest. Hinata knew things were hard for her friend, had tried her best to help make up for the neglect but Hinata was only one small girl and as much as she wants to make life better for her friend, she knows there is not much she can do but be there when Naruto needs her. “The mobs, right?” Hinata tried smiling reassuringly but it felt wobbly. Honestly Hinata just wants to cry for the injustice of it all.
Naruto looked up surprised, she had mentioned the chases months ago, when she told Hinata she was a girl, but the surprise turned into a burst of fondness. She didn’t know if Hinata had realised how precious it was that Hinata remembered the little details. For a girl who no one wants to know, with the knowledge that they don’t even bother to know something as evident as her gender, the fact that Hinata collects the small pieces of knowledge Naruto sometimes unintentionally let’s slip is incredible, proof that to this amazing girl Naruto is precious, is valued. And it always makes Naruto breathless in a good way at how much Hinata cares for her.
“It’s my birthday” Naruto starts explaining, but before she could get far Hinata bolted up strait. “Tomorrow’s your birthday!” She almost shouted. Naruto nodded; a bit confused at her reaction. “Why didn’t you say anything?” Hinata turned to Naruto almost but not quite accusatory. Hinata looked frantic and Naruto didn’t understand, Her birthday had always been a day of survival. This was the first time she had a place to hide. No one could enter her apartment without invitation, so she had planned to hole up in her bed and watch the fireworks safely from her window. “Hinata!” Naruto called confused, Hinata who was working herself into a frenzy, paused at the confusion and bewilderment on Naruto’s face. Seeing the honest confusion on Naruto’s face Hinata deflated, her friend had not purposefully withheld this information from her, she honestly didn’t know why Hinata would want to know. Then something else occurred to Hinata, turning her veins to ice. “They chase you on your birthday!” Hinata wanted to breathe fire, but once again the confusion on Naruto’s face stopped her. This time she paused trying to reconcile all the facts in front of her. One: Naruto doesn’t seem to think Hinata would want to know it’s her birthday. Two: Naruto is confused at Hinata’s reaction to the information. Three: Naruto didn’t understand why Hinata would be angry that she was hunted on her birthday as opposed any other day. This was painting a bitter picture to Hinata, Naruto honestly didn’t see her birthday as special except for the survival aspect. Hinata swallowed heavily, even as disliked as she was by her family, as much as a failure she seemed, she always had her birthday acknowledged.
Breathing deeply, Hinata turned to the apprehensive Naruto, swallowing down her rage at the unfairness of it all. Sometimes it was a weight on her heart, all the things Naruto didn’t know or know to expect. It sometimes caused her to lay awake at night, scared of hurting the brave girl in front of her with her inexperienced hands and knowledge. It had dawned on Hinata early on in their friendship that Naruto was relying on Hinata for knowledge of all her basic understanding of the world, and Hinata was so, so, afraid of messing up, on hurting Naruto because she didn’t know better. It caused a fear to build in her, a shiver in her heart, but then Naruto would turn to her with a smile, or look at her like she put the sun in the sky and then hung the stars as an afterthought, as if she wanted she could move mountains or stop tsunamis and that fear turned into a molten steel, a promise that she would always do her best to be all Naruto needed her to be. So, she took a breath and started explaining what a birthday means to Naruto. Yes, it was the day you turned older, but it was also a celebration of the fact you survived another year, a day where your loved ones came together to celebrate that you are still with them, to shower with love and togetherness. And as Hinata kept explaining she could see a haunted look creep behind Naruto’s eyes, could guess at what she was seeing with this new perspective. So Hinata took Naruto’s hands in her own “- and that’s why I wanted to know.” Here she tried to push as much love into Naruto as she could. “I want to celebrate the fact that you survived the year, that you are in my life. I want to shower you in love to show you how much you mean to me. I want you to know you are precious, and loved, that if you were to disappear you would be missed.” Hinata could see the change, see the hope in Naruto eyes so she drew her into a hug, hoping she could feel her sincerity.
A while later they were once more laying on the quilt, quiet and thoughtful. Hinata was puzzling how to make tomorrow special for her friend, when Naruto quietly questioned “So, when is yours?” Hinata hummed not quite making the connection, still deep in thought. “My what?” She turned to face Naruto quizzically. “When’s your birthday?” Here Naruto looked bashful “I want to celebrate that you are in my life as well.” Hinata smiled at Naruto fondly, ‘this right here, I’ll protect’ she vowed. “27 December” She answered, back to puzzling how to celebrate tomorrow. “Will you be here?” Naruto questioned quietly. At first Hinata was a bit puzzled, of course she would be here! But then she actually thought the question trough. There is no way she would be allowed to leave the compound on her actual birthday. Sagging a bit, she muttered a quiet “No.”
Naruto closed her eyes. Her heart hurt, and a small part she didn’t know existed felt like shattering. She knew she wasn’t treated normally, knew that she shouldn’t be so surprised. But she hurt, shy finally understood the sly looks and the ferocity of hatred on her birthday. If Hinata was to be believed, and she did believe her, a birthday was a celebration for surviving the year. Naruto wasn’t stupid. She understood now that the village was angry that she had survived the year. It made a small part of her feel ill. But Hinata. A small blossom of warmth saturated and smothered the hurt. Hinata cared, and now that she thought about it, so did Jiji. He always brought her small thing around the time of October, she had always thought it was a small apology that she was hurt, but now she understood it was her present for surviving another year. It helped sooth the burn that wounded her for years. But now she had someone who wanted to celebrate her survival, someone who would miss her if she was gone. Someone she would miss if she was gone. It suddenly made sense to Naruto. All she had to think about what she would feel if Hinata disappeared and knew that she is thankful for her friend everyday not just on her birthday. Everyday? Like lightning it hit her. “Hinata! What if we celebrated our birthdays on another day?” Here Hinata looked up startled, she had still been deep in thought. “I am thankful for you every day, so why don’t you pick a day we could celebrate?” Hinata smiled, she was beyond touched at Naruto’s words, and honestly, she was thankful for everyday with Naruto as well. “But what day?” she muttered concerned. It should be perfect. “How about November?” Naruto offered, “It’s between both of our birthday’s”. “Hmm” Hinata mussed, “18 November? That should be roughly in the middle.” Naruto nodded, happy at the date. “When should mine be?” Hinata asked, curious at what Naruto would suggest. Here Naruto hesitated. “What if we celebrate both on the 18th?” She asked softly. Hinata looked at her curious sensing that there was more to the answer. “I would celebrate your birthday any day you want, but it would be special to celebrate together, and maybe to celebrate a year of our friendship surviving. I know we met in July, but it would be special to make a special celebration day each year, just for us.” Hinata smiled touched at the thought Naruto put into this. “Then it’s a deal! We celebrate on the 18th of November!”
“Are you going to be alright tomorrow?” Hinata asked concerned, She knew she would not be able to help her friend if a mob formed, the Hyuga guards her father assigned her at the festival would stop her. “I’m actually going to stay home” Naruto admitted. This caused Hinata to raise a brow. She didn’t think Naruto was talking about the orphanage. Seeing her look Naruto explained. “After the attack, Jiji bought me an apartment, that stops anyone not invited in to be unable to enter. I’m going to stay home and see if I could start reading the medical journal, I’ll ask you questions when we see each other again”. Hinata felt a weight lift. Her friend will be safe. “I’ll win you a prize at the festival!” Hinata promised with a smile. The joy she felt by the fact that Naruto will be safe almost caused her to glow. She was glad that she had a place to hide so glad it was not just this piece of forest where she could be herself.
Naruto was happy, there were still parts of her that hurt, but they were smothered by the fact of how much Hinata cared, she could never replace the inescapable knowledge that to Hinata, Naruto was precious. And nothing could stop Naruto from loving Hinata. It made the fact that Naruto couldn’t protect her friend burn like the hottest of fires, relentless in their punishment for her uselessness. But here on the soft quilt, hearing the water flow and smelling the wildflowers surrounding them she was content. Listening Hinata describe all the different prizes at the festival, trying to find one she would like. Naruto was happy and even with tomorrow looming over her, she was not scared.