NaruHina: Postscripts

Six

Drabble request! Naruto surprises Hinata (with help from the konoha 11) after having been a way in a year-long mission?

"Hi-Hinata?!"

The woman before him turned around and blinked lavender eyes in surprise. "Naruto? Is that you?"

Naruto was tongue-tied as he stared at Hinata Hyuuga, back from her year-long mission. As part of her duties for her clan, Hinata had been sent to research other clans with powerful kekkei genkai doujutsu.

Initially, Kakashi and Hiashi had estimated that the mission would only take a few months. But Hinata had realized that despite her careful planning, it was going to take more than that. She'd had to travel to distant lands in order to make sure her research was thorough and completed. She'd started with the Chinoike clan in the Land of Lightning, then gone on to Kiri to visit with Ranmaru, and then finally to the Land of Demons to talk to the priestess Shion.

Naruto had said good-bye to her a year before. "Good luck, Hinata! And be safe traveling."

But when she'd left, he'd grumbled to the rest of their friends about her being away from home and all by herself.

"She'll be fine," Kiba said, his voice full of confidence.

"Why?" Shino asked, then answered his own question. "Because she's a capable shinobi, one of the best in Konoha."

Ino and Sakura had shared a look. "Are you going to miss her, Naruto?"

"Of course I am!" he answered candidly. "She's a very important friend."

Ino's jaw hung slack momentarily but she snapped it shut with irritation. She was about to rip into him, but Sakura stopped her. "He's not going to understand it, so don't bother."

"Haaaaah?! What the hell are you talking about?" he asked.

"See?" And the two girls laughed.

All the while, a puzzled frown was on Sai's face as he listened to their banter. "Friend? Comrade," he muttered under his breath.

Lee came up to Naruto and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "She's a Hyuuga. She will accomplish her goal and will come home with much success."

Naruto nodded at him just as Tenten grinned at him and said, "Yup! Neji's trained her so she knows her stuff."

Chouji, standing next to Shikamaru, popped open a bag of potato chips and offered him the first crack at it. Naruto shook his head.

"This mission sounds like a major pain in the ass," Shikamaru muttered. "I'm so glad I'm not doing it."

But Hinata was already past the gates a few miles away from all of them. Before she disappeared from sight, though, she turned around, smiled, and gave all of them a little wave.

They waved back to her and then she was gone. Everyone turned back and headed towards the center of town.

Despite the loud and cheerful chatter of his friends around him, Naruto somehow felt lost and bewildered to know that Hinata was going to be gone from Konoha for a while.

***

But Hinata was finally back. She was standing in front of him, a soft smile on her face but he was suddenly tongue-tied and didn't know what to say to her.

And damn it, but she looked different...and the same?

He couldn't figure it out.

Until Naruto heard somebody say, "Hey, sweetness!"