Chapter Text
Chapter 2: The Lucky & Unlucky
"All I ever wanted was to reach out and touch another human being not just with my hands, but with my heart."
― Tahereh Mafi, Shatter Me
-XxX-
Naruto & Hinata
'I didn't think they were going to come.'
Old Man Third held up his end of the deal after all, Naruto studying Hinata closely.
Moonlight runs along her body, cream skin bathed in silver white, flower and earring clippings shining an iridescent red.
The nicest gift he's been given all these years all things considered.
So, this time, he can't really see himself letting Old Man Third or anyone else potentially take her.
Hinata draws in a slow breath, eyes wandering away from him once more before he forces her gaze back to him.
"Don't look away; I'm making sure this isn't some trap of some kind." Naruto mutters.
Hinata forces herself not to squirm to little avail under his grip, steadies her knees not to buckle.
“U-Um can I ask what happened to your last gifts?"
Naruto scoffs. “Those? It mostly consisted of basically trash and old food. Anything good actually worth a few ryo Old Man Third took as part of my ’monthly taxes’ or something like that y’know.”
He pulls her head then to stay straight, murmurs once more for her to be still.
The order makes her go rigid, barely keeping her trembling under control.
This wouldn't have been the first year his sacrificial gift came late, sometimes not even coming until the next day or week when his mood fully shifts into a storminess that would have ANBU guards at ready by his door, prepared for any potential destruction to strike the village.
But unlike in years past, this isn't some simple doll, toy, or some old half broken game he can just throw away and forget ever existed.
He burrows down sparks of joy, eyes settling into suspicion. A darkness slithers into his thoughts, masking hope with reminders of the reality of this situation.
She's a girl forced to be here, whose family hated her enough to give her up as an offering.
It's usually the most well-known clans of Konoha that offer up their bribes first to ensure none of their clan members end up anywhere near him.
But not the Hyūga this time for some reason.
"What's your name again?" Naruto can't help but ask.
Besides some scratches and bruises from maybe sparring a few days ago, there isn't anything out of the ordinary he can physically see upon his latest gift to imply he's been tricked.
'Maybe this isn't some trap to placate me then.' Naruto considers.
Her cheeks flush a deeper pink as lavender meets blue before his gaze goes back to searching her over to ensure she's not carrying some type of poison or paper bomb to get out of this situation.
No, her family probably confiscated all her weapons before arriving, line of thought most likely the same as his.
Hinata straightens, finds her voice to answer him despite coils wrapped around her throat. "Hinata Hyū- "
She stops herself from finishing, pursing her lips. The Hyūga title is one she can no longer use for herself now that Father has signed her away officially to Konoha's jinchuriki.
'This is your duty now; don't forget that.'
"Ah, just Hinata is fine.”
Naruto nods, points at himself. "Naruto Uzumaki."
His smile turns crooked, brows settling in puzzlement. "So, what did you do to piss your Old Man off so badly that he resorted to this?"
Hinata's body locks up, pearl eyes shining with unshed tears she hurriedly blinks away. Memories rise up she'd been trying to push away for weeks now. If she'd just been harsher, tougher in her final spar against Hanabi, would Hiashi still have sacrificed her?
'No, I've been weak in Father's eyes for years now, I doubt one single win would've been enough to change his mind.'
"I-I didn't spar against my sister using my full strength. My Father considered it a sign of weakness and that was the catalyst that brought me down this path."
Naruto hums coldly. "A shinobi can't show weakness y'know."
Dozens of excuses come to mind to refute his callous tone, biting down a stab of upset at his scorn. It's true, a shinobi who can't harden their heart is useless on the battlefield, can potentially lead a mission into deadly consequences.
Naruto leans close then right into her face and she winces, back slamming against his entrance.
"Are...Are you going to kill me now? Or eat me?" She whispers.
Whether it's true or not from all the harsh rumors or childish stories, the last sacrifice given to Konoha's jinchuriki died an early death. She can't even recall if he or she had their name ever recorded in one of their history books or scrolls, subjects covering the material locked away to keep civilian's minds at ease.
Naruto snorts, low growl escaping and Hinata takes note that scarlet bleeds into his azure eyes again.
"No, ugh! Geez, what type of stories are people making up about me now y'know?"
Hinata twiddles her fingers quietly, all of them unkind and Naruto knows this too.
"Are you going to try to harm me?" Naruto suddenly challenges.
"N-No! My intention is to live hopefully peacefully with you." She scrambles out.
He shakes his head, waving off going deeper into that subject as her eyes move around his dingy apartment. Grime and dust have mixed together along oakwood and silverware, skitter of roach near their feet making her body freeze up again. His shoulders tense at her unreadable look, shame heating into frustration.
"This isn't going to be like that huge compound you came from." Naruto snips.
A ghost of a smile crosses her lips to his surprise. "...I know."
Neither speak then, Naruto gesturing to his couch. In the background he hears his clock tick past 11:00 pm, moon slipping behind a stream of clouds plunging the room into darkness.
Naruto reaches for his lamp, buzz of weak yellow light filling the living room.
"You can take the sofa for now; get comfortable I guess."
Hinata stays frozen for a minute longer before quietly doing as she's told, slipping off her gold sandals, unclipping amber and ruby decorations from her hair. She can feel Naruto's assessing stare from the corner of the eye, blush crawling down her neck to her arms.
"Are you going to try to run away?" Naruto questions point blank and Hinata pauses mid unlooping of a pink ribbon.
"I, err, don't know?" She stumbles out. Where would she go anyways at this time of night? Father or one of the guards would simply turn her away at the first sight of her, coldly escort her back to Naruto's apartment with veiled threats to report her should she try and escape her duty. Their instructors at the Academy and any shopkeeper or businessowner would be of little sympathy to her plight.
She can at least still be a shinobi, continue to train.
But otherwise, her future has become a fog, marred with uncertainties.
Naruto thankfully doesn't push her for an answer, click of his bedroom door closing echoing out into the living room. Quickly, she shifts out of her Mother's kimono, promises to herself scrub it clean somehow, finds her nightgown buried within one her chests and shuts off the lamp light as she tugs it on. His sofa is as hard as it looked from her first glance, springs and stuffing poke into her back like needles no matter how many times she tries to twist and turn her body to get comfortable.
She should be happy she isn't dead yet, that their village's Tailed Beast doesn't seem to be as completely cruel and malicious as the stories that swirl about him.
'Think of something else; anything else.'
The blankets Natsu packed for her smell of rose and jasmine, petals lining the insides from the garden, remnants of a home she no longer belongs to...
"Look Big Sis, I caught two dragonflies!" Hanabi happily chirps, careful to not to crush their jade wings beneath her fingers.
Hinata giggles, points out to the pond and bushes. "Let them go back to their homes Hanabi! I'm sure they'll be happier back there than in your hands!"
Hanabi huffs, peering down at the twin insects before doing as she wants letting them back out into afternoon sunshine. Hinata watches as they head for the pond, land upon pink and white lilies growing near the edge.
A voice comes from their left before she can ask what she's been up to since morning, a painfully familiar sharpness and hostility.
"Shouldn't you be training Lady Hinata? You're wasting precious daylight hours indulging in such silly games. Or has Uncle finally given up on you actually becoming a worthy kunoichi?" Neji smirks.
She steels her nerves before turning to face him, heart thundering in her ears. "No, we'll be picking up on our sparring session this evening once he returns from his meeting with the Taketori clan."
Neji leans against one of the hardwood columns, smile turning spiteful.
"Ah, it seems you haven't heard what the Elders have been discussing then. There is talk that you should be made to be the sacrifice to the jinchuriki this year upon your 13th birthday."
Each word is a jab, rings louder in her ears than the cicadas that buzz from the nearby sycamore trees. The wind sways quietly creating ripples on the pond, dragonflies taking off into the woods. Neji takes a step forward out of the shadows, tauntingly gestures with his head towards the meeting room where he heard said conversation.
"You're lying! Father would never!" Hanabi hisses, points a finger at him to go back in the direction he came.
Neji ignores her, white eyes turning piercing on her.
"Believe whatever you want, but your days are numbered here Hinata. The Hyūga clan has no use for a girl whose grades are mediocre at best and who ranks in the lower half of her class in skill. Being sacrificed to the Nine Tails will at least bring prosperity to the clan, remind the village of our clan’s strength without you being in the way."
Her chest burns, stomach turning inward, curling from his tart laugh. Her voice comes in rasps, arguments falling to the breeze.
He dodges the blow Hanabi attempts for his chest, Hinata pulling her back before she can topple to the floor.
"Hanabi, don't-" Hinata begins, putting her own palm up to stop her from creating a fight.
Neji snickers at her stance. "Neither of you can take me on."
Hanabi clenches her teeth, hands tightened to a furious red at her side as yells for him to leave once more and Hinata squeezes her eyes shut waiting for his footsteps to finally move away.
Surely Father wouldn't do such a thing. She hasn't fallen that low in his eyes; has she? The air has turned stifling, whole body tingling with the urge to walk in the opposite way to get her bearings.
"Don't believe him, he's just in one of his grumpy moods!" Hanabi tries to assure her, Hinata tacking on a weak smile as she heads for the deeper parts of the garden to think.
The following afternoon though she catches the tail end of a meeting Hiashi has with their Grandfather and the other Elders, a muffle of voices declaring a consensus has been made.
She pushes her ear as close as she can, hopes the pattering of rain behind her is loud enough to drown out her careful steps to the door.
"...And you're sure about this Hiashi? You do get final say as her Father." A man asks.
"I don't think...isn't anything special...Umino Iruka reports she's shown no spectacular feats in her class." A woman's voice grumbles.
Hinata draws in a breath, straining to hear the rest.
Father must sense she's here, knows in purposefully not telling her their sparring session would be late that she'd walk up to this scene and hear everything he truly thinks of her.
Hiashi clears his voice, hush falling over the room.
"If Hinata doesn't improve in her capabilities by early Fall, I will go to Lord Third to inquire on her becoming the sacrifice for this year."
She wakes to a sharp nudge at her arms before she can tumble to the ground, Naruto hovering above her.
A dream.
It smells faintly of burning, Naruto pushing a piece of blackened toast into her hands.
"We need to get going." He urges, forcing her to sit up.
The night before hits her in a rush. Hanabi's mournful cries, Natsu's final brushes at her hair, being guided through snow and ice to Naruto's door...
She swallows, voice scratchy with sleep and confusion as she follows him to the kitchen. "To where?"
Her gaze falls to a map sprawled out of the Hokage's residence, Naruto's devious grin as he points to a circled location.
"There's some scrolls I want to steal and you're going to help me!"
-XxX-
Kakashi
'I should've showed up 5 minutes later.' He sighs between flipping through the pages of his favorite Make-Out Holiday novella.
It's hard to focus on anything he's reading hearing the vitriol coming from next door, rare to hear Kurenai Yuhi of all people so angry.
"Why did you allow the sacrifice to go through?! Weren't you planning for Hinata to be a part of my 3-man team upon her graduating?" Kurenai declares.
Hiruzen's voice follows, so light and casual as if they're merely discussing the weather and not the current state of the latest sacrifice tossed to their village's jinchuriki. It's all practically any shinobi or civilian has been able to talk about these past few days. Hiashi Hyūga has given away his eldest daughter to the beast who hasn't been seen since that night over a week ago.
Until yesterday upon her arrival at the Academy with Naruto.
And despite sets of bruises and cuts to her arms she'd refused to explain beyond stating it'd come from training; she'd passed her graduation exam to officially become a genin alongside the boy who'd failed the exam twice before already.
'What changed this year?' He absently wonders.
Asuma walks up behind him, winces when he sees Kurenai ahead of him. "Ugh, I wish she wouldn't pick a fight with him over what's already said and done." It's annoying enough he'll have to additionally listen to his Dad spiel why he's going to be the perfect instructor for the newest generation of Ino-Shika-Cho when he'd rather a team with more anonymity.
Kakashi shrugs. "Why don't you ask her about it later?”
A hint of red splashes to his cheeks, pulling out a cigarette instead of answering him.
Part of him wants to ask if he heard from Gai as well that there was a break in at the Hokage residences sometime last week, but he'd only been half-listening to the gossip before his mind drifted to errands he'd need to do later.
"Kurenai, you had no say in this matter. You're not even connected to the Hyūga clan by blood and Hiashi made his choice in believing Hinata was a suitable sacrifice. It seems Naruto hasn't harmed her from what the instructors have told me-"
"You don't know that! How can you be so calm about this?" She interrupts tightly earning her a glare from one of his advisors.
Hiruzen holds up a hand to stop them from stepping forward. Warmth in his brown eyes cools to ice, boring into crimson.
Kurenai pushes on, undeterred. "I know the jinchuriki was the one who broke into your personal library the other night. Hinata was probably forced to help him. Even worse, there are rumors you fell into some type of silly perversions which caused his escape with a few forbidden scrolls."
Kakashi looks up fully at this, curious and surprised at her bold claims.
Asuma takes a long drag of his cigarette while carefully avoiding his eye.
An ANBU member points a blade at her neck. "You don't have the right to talk to the Hokage in such a manner."
Kurenai clicks her tongue, keeps her gaze on Hiruzen.
"Is anything I just said a lie?" She pressures, keeping her voice steady.
Hiruzen sighs, leans forward in his seat.
"I understand you have your reservations and concerns Kurenai, but we currently have no reason to believe Hinata's life is in danger. A sacrifice’s duty after all is to ensure continued harmony in the lands. That break in has been taken care of already without issue with all my stolen items accounted for. We will not interfere and risk the village being impacted via the Nine Tail's wrath. As a newly made jonin, you must understand the needs of the village come first; right?"
Kakashi covers his yawn, through the crack in door he can see Kurenai's stance wavering, caught between her personal beliefs and that of a shinobi's.
Eventually, shinobi rule wins out as she bows respectfully, raven locks covering the simmering rage Kakashi can still see in her eyes. "I apologize for speaking out of turn Lord Third."
Hiruzen beams, shoulders relaxing. "Forgiven. Now, let us to proceed to the main point of topic of today's meeting. You're to be the instructor of Team 8 consisting of Shino Aburame, Kiba Inuzuka, and of course, Hinata formerly Hyūga."
He ignores the way her body stiffens at Hinata's lost title; tone clipped with a nod. "Understood."
Hiruzen dismisses her and beckons for the next jonin to come in, Kakashi blowing out a breath as Asuma mouths good luck.
'Let's get this over with.'
Hiruzen smiles at Kakashi's approach despite his slouched stance.
His gaze moves between his book and face, chuckling.
"A fan of my old student's work as well? I heard he's coming out with a sequel early next year."
Kakashi forces a courteous smile, nodding. "I look forward to the new destinations Jiraiya will be picking for Fumika to travel to next."
A niggling sensation creeps up his back he's going to hate his assigned students.
Hiruzen clears his throat, straightens a stack of papers.
"While this may seem like a difficult group, I think you're the perfect jonin Kakashi to be assigned to this trio knowing your history." He begins.
None of that sounds good, but he nods for him to continue and tell him already what he already suspects.
"You're to be the instructor for team 7 consisting of Sakura Haruno, Sasuke Uchiha, and Naruto Uzumaki."
Kakashi nods as he reviews over the same requirements for student advancement and skills that they must learn for them to move to chunin he's heard time and again.
"Any questions?" Hiruzen asks.
Kakashi shakes his head and with that, he's dismissed.
Back outside he flips through his book trying and failing re-immerse himself, bookmarking his spot and turning towards the Academy.
'Naruto Uzumaki?'
Their village's latest jinchuriki, the holder of the monster they annually appease with gifts and food.
And now, a girl.
Kakashi sighs, slowing his pace to drag out this inevitable meeting.
'I guess he was eventually going to force me to face my past.'
-XxX-
Sakura
She can't tell if she's cursed or blessed to be on this team.
On the one hand, she's with Sasuke! Sasuke, the coolest, smartest, and strongest person in their class!
Ino and a few other girls definitely gave her a look of malice hearing their names called together, malice that morphed into concern and fear at the announcement of her final team member.
Because on the other hand...
Who wants to have the village's known monster on their team?
Naruto Uzumaki gives her a wide berth just as she likes by sitting in the row above them, doesn't give her a passing glance focused on a paper in hand.
'Why is he allowed to be on a 3-man team? Why was he allowed to graduate in the first place?'
None of it makes sense to her.
Verdant eyes roam over to Hinata as she gets up with the rest of her team, unsure what to make of dotted bruises shades of purples and reds along her arms.
Naruto didn't kill her like a majority of them thought when she didn't immediately show up for classes in the New Year, but what else could he have said and done to her after her Father gave her up?
It could’ve been any one of them really, the Hyūga clan just didn’t see fit to keep Hinata within their clan...
She shivers, pushes the thought away looking to Sasuke.
His gaze has turned to outside, tapping his fingers impatiently against his desk.
"Where exactly is our sensei?" He mutters.
He half-turns to see Sakura's open staring, frowning at her cheery expression.
She should be annoyed at their sensei's lateness as well.
"I'm excited to be working with you on the same team Sasuke!" She beams and Sasuke gives a short nod he's heard her.
Above them Naruto's gaze is focused to outside as well, concentrating on the trees.
A flurry of wind picks up around the branches, mini tornados scattering leaves about making Naruto grin to himself.
Sasuke blinks, studying the motion.
He's been told and heard hundreds of stories regarding Konoha's Tailed Beast, but none of them match what he sees before him.
Where is his ferocity? The haunting red eyes that spell a man's death?
He didn't even kill that pathetic Hyūga girl, maybe he's weaker than they all thought.
Naruto avoids eye contact with them both, looks ready to leave without their sensei from the way he taps his feet with rising impatience.
Sasuke arches a brow, takes in paper torn in twos at his side as he tries another apparent exercise.
"What are you doing?"
Naruto finally looks at him, shrugs. "Testing out my nature affinity while we wait. Mine is wind. I assume since you're an Uchiha that yours is fire."
'When did he learn that?' Sasuke considers. Naruto is the dead last of their class both academic and skills wise.
Unless that too is just more lies their instructors gave them.
He passes him a paper, not surprised when it immediately ignites and blackens into ash.
Sakura sits forward curiously, peers at Naruto hesitantly.
"Can...Can I try to?"
Naruto pauses and Sasuke sees then as a darkness shutters across his features why so many people fear getting on his bad side be it shinobi or civilian.
He's still the holder of the Nine Tails, a deity of destruction and wrath.
And Sasuke takes a step back seeing crimson spark to life in Naruto's eyes, fingers tightening in alarm, tension rising in the room like a storm.
"Will you stop talking negatively about me behind my back?" He volleys back coldly.
Pink blooms across Sakura’s face matching her hair, sinking down.
"I...I haven't-"
"Liar." Naruto interrupts sharply, wind whistling through the room.
"Hinata told me the stories." He adds on at Sakura's silence.
Sasuke nudges her, sighing as she nearly retracts from his touch, clouded by a rising fear.
"Apologize. He's on our team whether you like it or not." He mouths.
Sakura hurriedly shakes away her nerves, nodding.
"I'm sorry! Please, just don't hurt-"
Naruto tosses her a paper before she can finish, Sasuke watching as it crumples to dirt in her hands.
Earth.
Naruto looks away again, scowling now.
"What good is an insincere apology?"
No one speaks, main entrance door clicking open minutes later.
Kakashi strolls in casually, notes the trio awkwardly avoiding each other sitting rows apart on different sides of the classroom.
Huh.
"Apologies on being late; got distracted by a granny needing directions on the way here! So, what did I miss?"
-XxX-
Naruto & Hinata
A sacrifice does what the jinchuriki wants, beholden to them in order to ensure a prosperous village, bountiful spring harvests and fish to feed one's family from summer all the way through winter.
It's one of the many lessons they've learned throughout history from the Warring States Era to now, a preparation to know what to do should you be chosen.
Hinata threads her final stitch into the couch spot, relieved when a sofa coil doesn't twist up again.
'Good, all of the patches are done.'
"Hey, you fixed it." Naruto remarks behind her making her jolt.
Her needle nicks her thumb, bubble of blood rising up.
"Oh, didn't mean to startle y'know." Naruto steps back.
It seems she’ll never be fully comfortable around him, always avoiding his direct stare or touch.
Hinata shakes her head while licking away the droplet.
She moves for her chest to find her first aid kit only for Naruto to pass her a band-aid.
"Ah, thank you." She smiles softly and Naruto gives something of a half-grin in return.
Injuries will be common for them both from now on.
He plops down beside her, both off for the rest the day after two D-rank missions of finding a pair of lost twin dogs and the missing keys of a fisherman respectively.
Naruto studies her carefully. Hinata hasn't once complained in the two weeks it's been since she was dropped off here in the night, hasn't even tried to escape that he knows of.
She even aided in distracting Old Man Third so he could steal a few of his forbidden scrolls.
'Why?'
"Hey, what do you plan to do with your life?" Naruto blurts out, Hinata blinking.
"Ehh?"
Naruto amends himself. "I mean, what's your goal now? I'm not gonna harm you, so don't say to live. We're genin for now and can move up in rank."
Hinata curls her toes, her dreams keep taking her back to the Hyūga manor, to facing her Father and Neji, walking out in the gardens again with Hanabi.
But then there's always those figures in shadow watching them, lips twisted in disgust and envy.
The Branch members.
"Unite my clan into one. Become strong enough to face my Father and Neji." Hinata breathes out, picturing it.
Naruto chuckles.
Hinata looks at him, gently pokes his side startling him this time.
"And ah you? What do you want to do Naruto?"
He leans his head against his palm, Hinata following his gaze out into the sunny afternoon.
"Easy; To travel and see the world y'know! Maybe be like an ambassador for Konoha or something! Strong and respected enough for nobody to ever bother me or care that I'm a jinchuriki."
Hinata nods along eagerly. "I'd like to see the other nations too."
Absently, his fingers brush with hers before pulling away, sighing and shaking his head of foolish dreams.
-x-