[Chapter 42: Hiro's Birthday]

Dear Megumi-chan,

I've done the preparations. It should come in along with this letter, hopefully, it'll come in use! And from what I remember, Tenten was a sort of underrated character, right?

Moving on, do you think a humidifier would be a good gift? The person I'd like to give it to is prone to getting headaches and the winter months are coming very soon, so perhaps this will help her.

Also, I think your ideas are great! I think it'll work.

An ally,

Kugui Akasuna

"Erm..." The older girl in front of me rolled her shoulders in nervousness, staring at the Vulture that was currently staring at all the weapons. "Not that it's not allowed and all but, why is there a bird here?"

I just giggled. "His name is Riku," The bird squawked at the sound of his name, tilting his little head curiously at her. "He's from Kugui, your new fuinjutsu teacher."

She dropped the wipe from her hands. "What." I had to quickly cover my mouth to stifle the giggles. "Wait, wait, wait... what?!"

I almost fell to the floor with a sudden burst of laughter. Oh— oh my! "I got you a fuinjutsu teacher! I know, I'm awesome, praise me more— oof!" For once, I was the one tackled into a hug. The heels of my feet tapped the floor, stabilizing myself as I felt the squeeze of Tenten's hold.

"Thank you... so much!" I heard her whisper in her ear. Exhaling, my lips quirked up as I embraced her back, nuzzling against the crook of her neck. So cute. It was only a moment after that she pulled back, a puzzled look on her face. "But how? I don't think there are any fuinjutsu masters in this village."

"Whoever said they were from Konoha?" I laughed when she scrunched her nose in confusion. Flicked a finger up with the tap of my sandals, I placed the scrolls I had down onto the glass counter, petting Riku's head along the way. "Don't worry, dear cutie, they're from Sunagakure and a personal friend, you'll be in safe hands."

The brunette rose a brow, "Really now?"

"Yup," Nodding my head, I turned my body away. "Now, that was all I just wanted to do today, good luck on learning! Oh, and make sure to give the boy treats!" With a smile and hands behind my back, I began to walk away, only to stop at her last comment.

"Once more, thank you."

I just giggled, craning my head back at the girl. "It's nothing much, just a gift for a friend." And potentially, it'll be used to realize her goal.

༽ु⁾⁾ˋ̧̧̖

Aah, you know, sometimes, when you need a break, petting a cat is the way to go. "That cat is really into you, Megumi-chan," Lee noted, chucking down the liquid from his carten. "Could it be because of the power of youth?!" We've had just recently finished our daily jog (becomes easy when you do it every day), so we were just hanging out before this adorable kitty came in.

I laughed it off, stroking the back of its ears, the mews it gave off making my heart swell. Kya~ if only I could get one...! "Maybe it's cuz my family used to go to this one supply shop."

"A supply shop?" Lee pondered out loud, his big eyes blinking with curiosity. "With cats?"

I hummed. "Yeah. That shop owner was a cat lady." Well, cat lady that could use them as weapons. "My older brother would go on errands with Sasuke and me tagging along." Giggles erupted from my chest as I reminisced those certain memories. "My foolish little brother would end up challenging me into collecting paw prints, but then he was always falling behind!" Cackling another laugh, I imagined his pouty face. "He was so pissed!" He was so adorable!

"Sasuke? Getting mad at something like that?" I know, very surprising for an edgy anime character. Glancing up to the older chunin, he fisted the air with determined flames in his eyes. "How youthful he was!"

Ah. The warmth under my hand suddenly moved away. Averting my eyes, I almost drowned when I saw the little Kitty scatter away. His shout scared away the cat. Standing up from my crouching, I held my hands up high, twisting my backs for some satisfying cracks. Glancing up at the sky, I noticed how it was less blue and more of a gray color. Wait a minute...

"Lee," With a loud 'Yes?!' replied, I rotated my head at him, tilting my head just a bit. "What day is it?"

"Hmm, 'what day is it?'" The dark-haired boy grinned with a thumbs up. "Why, it's December 7th, of course!"

I could only blink. Huh.

It's almost Hinata and Hiro's birthday.

"What are you doing?" Was I surprised by that familiar high-pitched voice? No, not really: not when you've developed sensory skills. Turning around, I smiled with a wave towards the Yamanaka.

"Heya, Ino-chan!" She walked beside me, glancing at the objects in front of us. "What are you doing here."

"Same as you, picking gifts," The blond responds bluntly as she sorted through the items on the shelf. "What's better for Hinata, floral, or animal letter stationary?"

Is it that obvious? But then again, there's no other reason I'd be at this store. I hummed, placing a finger on my chin. "Floral for sure." Titled my head, I averted my gaze. "But then again, this is an easy choice for people so she might just get a bunch of letter stationery sets for her birthday." I giggled. I mean, she'll probably appreciate the thought but it's always better to do something different.

In the corners of my eyes, I saw Ino blink. "Oh, yeah, you're right. Thanks." Straightening her back, the kunoichi placed back what she was holding before glancing back at me. "Anyways, got any ideas for Hiro-kun?"

I smiled. "I already got it, like a few days ago." Because it was literally in view when I walked home so I was like 'why the fuck not?'.

"Ah— makes sense. He is basically your boyfriend."

I blinked. What.

"E—eh?" I stammered, as her words were recycled through my head. Did I— did I hear that correctly?!

The blond rose a brow. "You guys are dating, right?"

"Wha— eh— uh— wuaaaahhh?!?!" My mind was blank, malfunctioning, cease to exist in the void as— is it getting in here or is it just me?! "We're— we're not???"

She looked surprised. "You're " Why was her question so genuine I—

"Ye—yes?!" I wasn't even faking anything, grabbing her by the shoulders frantically. "What gave you that idea?!" Haah... no thoughts, head empty. Empty, empty, empty.

She just shrugged, as if it wasn't a big deal. "You guys were always so close, even during the second half of our academy days. So, we all just assumed you guys were a thing."

"Everyone?!" I hissed out. I suddenly felt breathless, my cheeks burning as my eyes went wider. Everyone thought this?!

"Yeah, why'd you think I never flirted with Hiro-kun that much?" You know that actually makes— no, that's not the point!

"Huuuuuuh...???" I felt like melting into a puddle. A very, very, confused, and warm puddle.

I vaguely, due to my mental breakdown, heard her snort. "Are you two that oblivious? Come on, you seriously don't feel that lovey-dovey atmosphere?"

"I—" Aahhhh, I can't take this. Turning away, I cupped my cheeks with my back slouched. Was it like that? I mean, I do feel really nice and safe around him and he's so fun and so gentle— "Aaaaahhh...!" I meekly yelled, my feet bouncing off of the floor giddily. Why am I even acting like this— we're just friends!

I almost didn't hear Ino snickering. I wished I did.

"Hinata-taaaaaaaaaan!" I screamed, tackling the birthday girl with all of my love. She yelped, yet held me close with a laugh, patting my back tenderly as I nuzzled in. Uwah... she looks extra pretty with those formal clothes! "Happy Birthday!" She's already... oh my god, she's 16 already?!

"Happy to see you too, Megumi-chan." The girl said as I moved back, a smile plastered on my face. My ears picked up the chatters from the inside of the compound. A lot of people are here... well, it the main family birthday celebration!

Picking up another familiar presence, I turned my head at him before he could speak. "I'm just surprised you actually didn't trespass the area, unlike those other times." Decked out in his formal attire, Hiro approached us, a hand on his hip as he blew a stray hair strand.

I covered my mouth to stifle a giggle. "Aw come on~ I have some decency!"

"You didn't want to ruin your dress, did you?"

Silence. "...I cannot confirm nor deny that."

He just snorted at that, turning away his head. "Yeah, sure Princess."

"Hey!" I puffed out my cheeks, stepping closer to jab a finger at him. It's expressive, okay?! With furrowed brows, he reeled away, a look of confusion on his face. "This is your special day! If anything," My lips curled up. "I should be doing it. Isn't that right, Prince?"

Ah. I just wanted to tease him back but, as the tips of his ears flushed red, I suddenly realized how utterly cringey that sounded. "Ahahaha..." I nervously laughed it off, stepping away with the twirl of my bangs "Or— or something like that! Damn, 'Prince' doesn't hold the same charm as 'Princess'."

"Yeah," I heard the birthday boy mutter. "It really doesn't." Aaaaaahhhh... I feel like crying...!

And then I realized that we weren't alone. Blinking, I darted my head back at Hinata, who held a... why does she look so amused??? "Hinata-tan," I whined, slouched against her, causing her to stumble her footing. "Why are ya looking at us like that? Not that it's not cute."

The girl's eyes seemed to sparkle, though that could just be the light. "Nothing, nothing!" I hummed, it's probably not but... I just smiled. It doesn't matter today— it's their birthday! I then blinked, glancing back at the twins.

Wait a damn... "Aren't you guys supposed to be preparing and all that? Why are you guys just standing here at the compound entrance?" I couldn't help but question, embracing closer to the Hyuuga girl.

"I— uh," For some reason, the boy stammered, crossing his arms. What— why does he feel the need to be guarded?

"We just wanted to greet you first, being our best friend and all!" I blinked at his older twin's more enthusiastic reply. At the sound of that, my chest swelled with warmth. You guys...

Hiro yelped when I grabbed his arm. "He— hey!" He yelled, his voice muffled when I pulled both him and Hinata into a hug. Well, he pushed me away (tsun tsun!) so I was just hugging his arm. "You're gonna wrinkle our clothes!"

"Kyaaaaa~" I couldn't help but gush, my cheeks heating up as I ignored his protests. "This was supposed to be your special day and yet here I am, getting so emotional!" I had to say, squeezing them even more. My ears picked the kunoichi's giggle as Hiro's body relaxed. They're just— what did I do to deserve them?! Oh, wait—

But alas, they were dragged off by the other clan members. But it was fine, I would see them later on at the party. Stepping in, I saw all of our friends, and it was then that it was chaos.

Don't worry— nobody died... why is there a body in the closet oh god when I meant he was closeted I didn't mean

Ahem— sooner or later, it only took a while for Hinata and Hiro short while to have an actual appearance. Like, I get this clan is formal and all but, it's just a birthday party??? Save it for when pigs can shoot fireworks for the blood god.

Anyway, then came the presents! Oh, and the cake— never forget the cakes. Hinata and Hiro ended up with a bunch of gifts, some including Japanese letter stationery, food, weapons, and even dog ears! That was Kiba's present, for some reason.

And then, it was my turn. "A... stuff fox?" Hinata exclaimed as she held my gift: an orange fox plushie.

I giggled, hands behind my back as I held Hiro's gift. "Yup— and look!" Pointing at the stuffed animal, I inched closer to her with my smile wide. "Doesn't it remind you of dear old Naruto~?"

In an instant, the Hyuuga blushed bright red as she darted her clear eyes at me. "Ye— yes?! Me— Megumi-chan!" She stammered, the heat practically radiating off of her face as she planted it onto the plushie as if that would save herself. I giggled with a hand over my lips. Look at her, adorable.

Turning around to be the face of Hiro's amused expression, I pressed my present on his hands. "And now for you!"

Fumbling the box, he held it to eye level, a brow scrunching. "You are terrible at wrapping stuff."

I gasped, hand on my chest as I heaved a breath. "How could you...! After all my hard wo— okay, I barely put any effort into it." My shout turned into a sheepish mumble at the end. My back slouched as I puffed my cheeks out childishly. "But can you blame me?! It's too hard!"

"You can bind people with your wires but you can't wrap a box?" He held an incredulous expression. "How does that work?"

"It's for revenge for slamming me into walls all the time."

"Hey, can you hurry up!" Kiba from the other side piped in, only to get smacked by both Ino and Sakura. "Oww...! I just want some cake!"

At the sight, my dear Hyuuga snorted. "Serves him right." I laughed at his comment. Watching him gingerly unwrap the present, come on just rip it apart, a giggle fell out of me as the boy blinked. "You got me... hairpins?"

"Yup!" Picking up from his hand all too proudly, I waved it around. "I know how much you care about your hair and stuff— but you also wanna hold that cool look so I was like 'why not just buy you these?'" I glanced back at the boy who was staring at me with bafflement. "It's not much but I at least wanted to give some thought to my present, right?"

He was still staring.

Tilting my head, I couldn't help but feel an uneasiness in myself. "Uh, hello? Hiro? Was it that bad of a gift?" Reaching in, I felt a piece of me being disappointed, why did I think that was a good idea? I mean, who gives hairpins for a birthday? "I can take it back if ya want—"

"No!" His arms darted away before I could take it away. Huh? I blinked, looking up to see his own startled eyes. "I— I mean," Hiro turned his head away, "I like it. Thank you."

I puffed out my cheeks. It was genuine, from what I could tell, but... it feels like there's more to it. "Alright then," I heard Hinata say. I saw her pick up a dessert knife in the corners of my eyes. "Let's eat!"

"What's a birthday boy doing here, all alone in his room?" Stepping in, I saw Hiro look up from his bed.

He huffed, rolling his eyes. He's wearing the hairpins, I noted, I guess he did like it. "You've asked this every year, and I always—"

"—answer with an 'I don't like parties', yadda yadda yadda." I finished for him, giggling at his unamused expression. Sitting on the bedside next to him, I hummed as I looked up at the ceiling. Since he's 16 now, that means... about half a year before Shippūden starts. I sighed. Time does fly fast, even for an anime. Glancing back at the ninja, "But seriously, don't ya wanna be with your twin?"

His eyes narrowed. "She's fine, I don't wanna ruin her time with her friends."

"Look at all that character development!" I exclaimed under the moonlight, pointing an accused finger at him. He rose a brow so I explained. "Like— years ago you were so over-protective and then look at you now! Still lonely!"

He immediately went in to bark a counter, only to find it fruitless, sighing in the end. "What's wrong with that?"

I tilted my head to get a better view of his slightly scrunched face. "I never said it was a bad thing~!" He only sighed once more. Averting my eyes away, I suddenly had a thought, placing my index finger on my chin. "But now that I think about it... did you have any friends during the academy?" My ears heard a pained grunt. I guess I got my answer. "Ahehe... that makes me your first friend in this life."

"More like ever." Huh? Blinking at his sudden voice, I turned back to him, who was staring off into the distance.

"What...?" Um, what did he just say?

His body tensed, clamping a hand over his mouth but it was too late. Hiro darted his eyes back at me, calculating. I couldn't help but stare in disbelief. As if giving up, the shinobi sighed and turned away. "You were..." Swallowing a lump down his throat, "You were my first friend."

His first...? No words were uttered in that dark room, away from the loud and lively party. I mean, I do tease him but I didn't think that it was actually true! I couldn't wrap my mind around that. Does that mean... he's been lonely all his life until now?

That feeling of loneliness... I know it well— and I know just how much it hurts.

However, at the same time, another set of thoughts and emotions were happening. 'Friend', why don't I like the sound of that? Wait, why am I thinking of this? When I heard it, I swore I felt my heart clench. Why is that?

'Come in, you seriously don't feel the lovey-dovey atmosphere?!' Ino's words from weeks ago suddenly popped into my head. Was she right? It suddenly dawned on me, feeling a new set of warmth. Do I actually... care about Hiro that way?

And yet, he considers me a friend. I almost laughed at that. What kind of bullshit is this? So stupid— yet I don't mind it.

"Hey, Hiro," His light orbs looked up to meet mine. "You wanna know the real reason why I gave you those hairpins?" By the confusion in his eyes, I couldn't help but giggle. "It's so you don't complain when I do this!"

"What are you— oomph!"

Hugging him tightly, I ignored how his body froze like ice. For once, he didn't push me away— that alone made my heart pound with glee. Relishing in his scent, mmmm hand sanitizer, I sighed in the crook of his neck. It's my first time properly hugging him... it feels nice. I felt how my heartbeat resonated with his. I wonder... what's he thinking right now?

Heh, I don't even know what my feelings actually are. I thought absent-mindedly, hugging the boy tight my main focus. But, what I think I do know is that...

If he wants to be just friends, I'd be fine with that.