"You knew that car was gonna hit me because you experienced it before?"

"Yes."

"And you went back in time to prevent it from happening?"

"...Yes."

A buzzing phone disturbed the silence. The vibration was muffled by the blanket it was lying on. Somehow Hinata's eyes were mesmerized by the caller's name that was displayed.
Naruto.

The screen showed a picture he had taken with her phone. He was grinning widely into the camera, a confused Hinata looking at him in the background. He had set it as his contact photo and she hadn't bothered to change it because she relished looking at it. Whenever he called her she would observe the image for a while and dwell a little in the memories before answering.

Usually she would smile seeing it but this time it increased her irritation. She thrusted a pillow on the phone, muffling the buzzing noise some more.
Who knew if she would be able to see that face of sunshine ever again. At least, he wouldn't give her that kind of expression anymore.

Hinata let her body fall on the bed, her head landing directly on the pillow over her phone. She pulled in her legs and embraced them with her arms as the memories from the festival flashed in front her inner eye.

She had told Naruto about turning time and trying to save his life but it felt unreal when recalling it. Her words were blurry when she tried to remember how she had chosen to explain it. At one point all the frustration she had locked in her heart rose to the surface and she teared up. The memories were so hazy that a part of her doubted their realness.

Yet something she saw as clear as glass were Naruto's baffled features. His confusion and disbelief of her words. How strange the situation had sounded when he rewinded it with his own words. The way he had looked at her like he asked himself how he could date such a crazy person -it hurt even when she had expected all of it.

Hinata buried her face in her pillow, covering her eyes that were on the verge of tearing up again as if there was someone in the room worth hiding them from. There was no one, she was alone with her self blame. This wasn't how she had imagined her summer break.

An unknown amount of time passed before someone knocked on her door. She refused to answer. First because she was too worn out to even raise her voice and secondly because she didn't want anyone to see her in this distress.

The door was opened either way and she heard someone entering. The person resounded from the doorframe and Hinata concluded that it was her sister.

"Your boyfriend came by," Hanabi said. Even when Hinata didn't see the girl, she could feel the piercing of her eyes in her neck. She had acquired a sternness Hinata had only seen in her father's gaze.

"Is that so." Hinata turned her head since it was harder to talk against a pillow.

"Yes." Hanabi's voice sounded sceptic. "I told him that you were sick and sleeping right now."

When Hinata just replied with a short "Huh" her little sister continued.

"He didn't look like he wanted to leave. Don't you think that you should to talk to him?"

"Probably." She knew that she had to but hoped that it could be delayed for just a little longer.

The room stayed silent for some time and Hinata was unsure if it were seconds or minutes that ticked away before the door closed again.

She had assumed that her sister left but when she heard steps approaching her, Hinata lifted her head from her pillow.
Hanabi was looking right at her, the solemnity in her glimpse made Hinata wonder what exact emotion it was carrying. Was she angry or maybe even disappointed in her sister pitiful appearance?

"Did he do something to you?" she asked and Hinata sat up so instantly that her head started to spin.

"No," the older answered after a while. "It was my fault."

Hanabi overthought that answer and then crawled on the bed, leaning against the wall as she resumed in observing her sister.

"That's hard to believe." Her finger drew circles on the blanket.

Hinata frowned. "Why?" She shifted so that she could sit next to Hanabi at the wall.

"Because you are considerate and always do the right thing." The girl had looked up towards the end of the sentence, returning Hinata's gaze so sincerely that her eyes were enough for Hinata to realize that she truly believed her own words.
Somehow it made her ashamed of the red traces under her eyes, which she had attained from crying.

"Not really." Her voice was barely a whisper but its weak volume was enough for Hanabi to shake her head vigorously.

"No, it's true." Hanabi moved closer so that her shoulder was brushing her sisters. "Sometimes you are so worried about others that you forget your own well-being."

Hinata took some time to think about her sisters words. Was that the impression she had on others? Or were it just kind words from her sister, who she knew adored her since they were little.
That description was too generous for her.

"What happened with Naruto?" Hinata had guessed that that question would fall eventually but she wasn't able to reply.

"Can't tell me?" Hanabi leaned forward to get a better view on Hinata's face but she could have easily seen that head shaking from afar.

She hadn't believed to be successful with her question but Hanabi was an optimistic person and always carried a gleam of hope in her chest.

"Did you do something wrong?" Hanabi didn't miss a beat to ask the next question. "Do you regret it?"

Hinata opened her mouth to answer but her voice got stuck in her throat. She wanted to say that she was, that she regretted telling him, that she wanted everything back as it was before. But she realized that that wasn't true.
It was hard seeing him die but it was much harder that she was completely alone with it, keeping it inside of her until it would eventually eat her alive.

"If it wasn't wrong and you don' t regret it, wasn't it the right thing to do?"

"I guess so." In Hinata's voice swung the tone of astonishment at how wise her sisters explanation was and how they had come to this deduction.
She narrowed her head, placing her chin between her naked knees. "But I'm still scared of the consequences. I'm such a coward."

Hanabi watched her tightly pressing her lips together and, with weary eyes, fixating a point on the other side of the room.

The younger shifted even closer as if her body warmth could help in consoling.

"I think you just don't like to see people unhappy. You dislike fights and heated discussion because you can't handle that kind of atmosphere. You had never been very good with those, that's why you're avoiding it. That's just your personality."

Hinata felt bad upon hearing those far too noble praises.
They weren't true. She didn't avoid Naruto for his sake or because of her dislike for discussions. She avoided him because she didn't want to get hurt by his reaction. She was scared, that's why she was lying on her bed for hours, without awareness of the last time she had eaten something, like a miserable person.

"But you have enough courage to face them if you have to. I'm sure." Hanabi's lips stretched into a smile, a pure honest smile that was contagious and made Hinata lift the corners of her mouth as well. She couldn't help herself from feeling consoled and better.

And for the next moments there were just her and this angel like girl, encouraging her that being herself was a good.
Hinata hugged her -tightly, thankful that she had crawled on her bed instead of getting scared away by Hinata's harshness.

"When did you become so thoughtful?" Hinata stroked her sister's brown her, that felt silky under her fingers.

Hanabi snickered and quivered in her embrace.

"Sometimes big people need help from little people."

Hinata took a deep breath for the last time before pushing the button of the bell.
And it seemed as if her doubts of this being a good idea returned with the resounding in the house.
What if his parents opened the door? She might even disturb their peaceful evening as the sun was already setting in the distance. Should she come back tomorrow? But she already ringed the bell.

Even when she had persuaded herself that she was prepared to face Naruto, firmly embracing the encouragements of her sister, she was still caught off guard when the door opened and Naruto was standing right in front of her.

He was surprised, that she could tell from the size of his eyes and his inability to close his mouth completely. His sight chased away all the sentences she had carefully prepared for this conversation. But being still was the last thing she wanted so gulped down the lump in her throat.

"I'm sorry." Hinata fumbled with her fingers in front of her chest. "For ignoring you like that, I'm sorry. That wasn't fair."
Naruto opened the door a little more, seemingly welcoming her apology.

"I was scared what you might think of me after that so I couldn't face you." The urge to look away from his indefinable expression grew. "But I'm ready to hear it now."

"I believe you," he blurted out too loudly, his words probably hearable from the other side of the street. He realized his own volume and continued in a chaste voice. "That's what I wanted to tell you."

"What?" That wasn't what she had expected him to say when she was lying on her bed in agony. It was so far from what she had expected that she needed to hear it at least one more time to truly grasp it.

"I believe what you told me." Naruto had stepped outside the house unsure if he should touch her or not. If he was allowed to use that method to convince her.
Hinata looked at him as though he had told her the world would be ending tomorrow, eyes as enlarged and hands cramped at her chest.

"Why?" It was the same word, the same tone and stated in the same manner as her reply when he had told her that he liked her. How come she never seemed to believe his words?

"I... I just do." Naruto pondered to think about an explanation to give on how he believed her but his mind couldn't make up phrases to define the matters of his heart. He shrugged.

"Is it that easy for you?" A hollow laugh escaped her mouth.

"Mhm." He nodded innocently and still she couldn't understand how simple this was for him to accept. She had told him that she was jumping through time, trying to prevent him from dying but he agreed to it so easily as if she had just reminded him that the sky was blue.

"I mean, it does sound kinda weird though."

"Kinda weird?" Hinata chuckled bitterly at the absurdity. "I told you that I'm reversing time to save you from danger." She stared him deeply in the eye to make sure that he truly understood what she had revealed. Because his lightness to deal with it made her reluctant that he had.

"That's not just weird, it's ridiculous," she added.

"Yeah, but it does explain a lot." Did it really? Shouldn't it bring up more questions and confusion? Was Naruto a saint of some kind? How was it possible for him to be this understanding.

"Also, I don't think that you're a person who would lie to me like that." His upcoming smile casted away Hinata's suspicion. Her heart was dazed and fluttered at how much she liked that expression on him. An expression she had thought he wouldn't share with her again.

"I trust you," he said softly yet the words ringed in her ears. Over and over again, gaining in importance the often it echoed in her head.
Hinata looked down because she could already feel the sobs carve. Her eyes were getting hot and starting to burn because she tried to keep her tears from falling.

"Hey, why are you crying?" Despite the way she blocked his view with her bangs he could see the trembling of her bottom lip. When he stepped closer to her he realized that they were still standing in the doorframe.

"Because I..." She sniffled. "I was afraid that you won't want to see me again." Hinata was still refusing to lift her head but brushed away her tears with the palm of her hand. At this point there was no need to hide that she was crying.
Naruto knew that she was and Hinata was aware of that.

"I've never told anyone about this because I was so scared of how they would react and that they would shut me out," she whimpered. Her body shook terribly and her breath hitched from time to time. Naruto's hands cramped because they desired to hold her.

"But you accepted it so easily even if it's totally crazy and I'm... I'm so relieved." Her voice was already hoarse and her crying prevented her from saying more even when the words of thankfulness were waiting on her tongue to be uttered.

Naruto placed his hand on her upper arm. She was surprised by the touch so he lingered there a while and stroked her with his thumb before he moved down her arm. Slowly, so that she didn't miss a moment of his comforting caress. He stopped at her wrist and tightened his grip, pulling her lightly towards him then.

He stepped back inside and guided her with him, as she finally looked up. And when she locked her eyes with his he smiled. Not wide and brightly like he usually did but softly and with care as if the bending of his lips had the ability to banish the tears.
Naruto rose his hands, one to cup her face and the other to close the door as he leaned in on his girlfriend to kiss her.

His lips were hesitant at the beginning but firmer when she returned with hers. The kiss was wet because she had cried and he could feel the tears on the tip of his nose and tasted their saltiness.
Hinata moved in, her frown fading as she placed her hands on his chest. She sensed his fingers on her neck and in her hair.
His kiss was soothing and his touch comforting.

"Minato." The hissing voice of his wife resounded from the next room. He stood up from his bed and walked over as he wondered how it was possible for her to whisper that loudly.
The couple had just arrived at home. It was already past midnight and he was exhausted. There was nothing else he wanted more than a good night sleep.

"Quickly," he heard Kushina again and did to her command.

When he stepped next to her and traced the finger she was pointing at something in the corner he had to blink several times to be certain that his sleep deprived eyes weren't fooling him.

There were Naruto and his girlfriend lying on his bed, arms wrapped around each other and eyes tightly shut.
It was too dark to see everything clearly but the sight was enough for the parents to stand there, at the doorframe of their son's room, in shock.
Naruto's light snoring was hearable as Kushina turned her head towards her husband.

"What should we do?" Her shocked mien was replaced with pure bewilderment of how to deal with this situation. "Wake them up?"

"Now?" Minato whispered back and leaned down so that he didn't have to speak too loudly. "It's pretty late already."

"So we just let them?" Kushina furrowed a brow. It wasn't like that thought hadn't crossed her mind but she wasn't sure if that was the sample solution for this case.

"There isn't much we can do at this point anyway and they seem to be just sleeping." Another glance at the young couple, who were undisturbed by the adults' discussion, reassured him in his statement.

"Do you really think that that's what parents are supposed to do in this scenario?"

"I don't know but we can talk to them tomorrow." He placed a hand on her shoulder and both moved to leave the room.

"Fine then." And as they closed the door and distanced themselves from Naruto's room they pondered about how much their son had grown already.

The morning sun rays tickled Naruto awake. He moaned as he rubbed his eye, his breath hitching when Hinata's sleeping figure was the first thing he saw.
His foggy memories cleared when he recalled the events of the former day and placed his head back on the pillow. The arm, he had lifted from her waist in stunner, he pulled to his chest.

She was still sleeping, her face in the shadow of the halfway closed curtains and thus protected from the culprit that had woken him.
Naruto couldn't remember falling asleep and if they had laid down this closely from the beginning. So closely that his toes touched hers and he could inspect every inch of her face in detail.

Hinata emitted a warmth that made his body give in into the coziness and forget how bashful having her so close to him made him. How it should make him feel hot and prickly inside. But with him being the only one awake it was comfortable and his arms itched to wrap themselves around her again.
Her eyes were puffy from crying and her face swollen because it was morning. Together with her white skin she looked like a sweet dumpling. He wanted to poke her cheek and explore her skin, figure out if it was as soft as it looked.

But his curiosity was driven away when the target of his observation opened her eyes. So suddenly that Naruto was paralyzed by their abrupt eye contact.
Hinata laid there, limps without any movements and her pupils flashing around the room as if there was much more to see in this position than Naruto.

"Morning," he said to get rid of the prolonged silence. His husky voice jabbed Hinata's heart and let it pound harder against her chest. It sounded more intimate than everything else he had said before this moment.

"Good morning."

Sluggishly they were contemplating on how to sit up without the atmosphere getting more awkward when someone knocked on the door.
Both their heads shot up right away, their eyes fixating the door in fear of someone coming inside and seeing them on the bed together. They had fallen asleep as he consoled her but how would they explain that to his parents.

"Naruto, wash up, breakfast is ready." Naruto sighed that his mother didn't enter as she often did in the morning. Maybe he would be able to sneak Hinata out before someone noticed. "There is a table set for Hinata too, so don't forget to bring her down with you."

Naruto and Hinata exchanged widened gazes, coming down from the bed as quickly as they could.
It seemed like they had a silent conversation through their eyes as they moved around and tried to think of a plan but realized that they didn't have any other option than going down and eating breakfast with Naruto's parents.

They timidly left the bedroom and descended the stairs, now and then pausing in their walk as if there was much more to see than picture frames on the walls.
Hinata was holding Naruto's shirt at his back as she followed his lead into the kitchen, breathing in one more time before stepping in.

Minato and Kushina were already sitting at the prepared breakfast table. Wherein Minato smiled as gentle as ever, Kushina welcomed the younger with a judging expression, that she tried to veil behind a grin.

The day seemed brighter in the kitchen with the white walls and the green cupboards. It was tidy and every utensil seemed to have its designation somewhere in the room. Silver pots reflected the sunlight shining from the window and from outside the noises of morning fulfilled the air.

The table was set plentifully, it was too much for the small amount of people. Every bowl of rice was filled over the edge. In the middle was a pot with a steaming broth surrounded by many side dishes.
The fragrance of the food finally managed to infuse Hinata's senses and, despite the situation, she had to admit that it smelled delicious.

While Naruto only muttered a quick "Morning" Hinata bowed far down and wished the parents a good morning, her hands placed politely on her stomach as she did so.

They returned the greetings and the couple sat down at the table, being careful with their movements.

Hinata was relieved that she only had to face the gentleness of Naruto's father while he had to look into the indecisive eyes of his mother.

The group started eating as a silence lingered in the air that weighted heavily on their shoulders. It was like every cluttering of tableware and every resounding of chopsticks on the porcelain echoed in the room.
Four pairs of eyes darted around, all waiting for someone to say the first word.
With the anxiousness around them, the food was nearly tasteless.

"So, you guys slept together?" Kushina's attack like question made Naruto cough on his rice. The scene resembled a combat and Kushina had just hit her son K.O., innocently monitoring them as if she wasn't aware of that.

"Mom, Dad I can totally explain that." Naruto coughed in between the words, holding his hand to his mouth as Hinata tapped on his back. She didn't say anything because she knew the words wouldn't fall from her lips no matter how much she wanted them to.

"Hinata came over to talk so we hung out afterwards." His explanation was loud and hasty like there was a need for them to defend themselves as fast as they could.

His parents' gazes were expectant, craving for further explanation.
"Exactly on the day we told you that we would be out late?" Kushina's brow had risen far up.

"That was a coincidence." Hinata nodded silently since she was the one who had come over without informing him, as Naruto continued. "We somehow fell asleep. There was nothing else, we were just sleeping. Really. Only sleeping."

Kushina sighed.
"I guess you're telling the truth." Minato patted her shoulder and tried to smile in a way that would help Naruto to regain his composure. The parents hadn't doubted that the youngsters had been just sleeping. But his wife wasn't the type who would just let this matter slide.

"Still, at your age it could have been much more than just sleeping." The mother leaned forward, supporting herself on the table with her elbow.
Naruto flushed at what his mother was implying.

"There was no need to talk about this up until now because you had no girlfriend."

"Mom, please don't." The boy had widened his eyes and sank down in his chair while Hinata's head was already swept empty. The situation was instantly much more awkward than she had feared.

Yet Kushina proceeded undisturbed. "But now you do and maybe there are some things we need to clarify."
Minato wasn't sure anymore if his wife had the genuine interest to give the children the talk of the birds and bees or if she just seized the chance to mock them.

"You are growing into adults and at some point when you're together you'll probably feel this odd sensation-"

"God, Mom. You're making this far worse. Can we not talk about this now? Aren't we trying to have breakfast?!" Naruto had found his voice again and wanted to rant further and louder but he was considerate of Hinata sitting next to him. A glance at her assured him that she at least hadn't tried to escape yet.
Her face had the same deep red color like his ears.

"The earlier the better. There can't be a more suitable occasion than now when we're sitting altogether like this. What could be a better time?"

"Never! Never is a very good time for this," he exclaimed but that didn't stop his mother.

Despite the speed of the car the lush green fields seemed endless behind the window.
On the seats behind her, Hinata could hear Sakura and Ino chatting. Their voices were barely hearable against the motor of the minibus.
Sasuke was sitting next to his girlfriend, his eyes closed and head leaned against the window.
She didn't know him enough to guess if he made that frigid face because he was annoyed by the noises and tired or if that was the way his face looked like on a daily basis.

Hinata brushed away the few strands that had loosened from her ponytail. The air con didn't work properly so the windows needed to be opened, whirling up all the hair that wasn't tamed in a plait.
The air was hot and the wind from the open windows wasn't enough to cool it down, only whipping the occupants with its heat.
She could feel the wetness of her neck from her sweat that had established a film on her skin.
Her arm was pushed against Naruto's and that contact made her feel even hotter.

Right when she looked up at him the sun broke through the clouds and showered his profile in its golden light. It blended her but she let her eyes dwell on his figure for a little longer before averting to the other side.
Kiba's seat was on her right and a little apart from her but she could see him playing a game on his cellphone, occasionally rejoicing when he won.

When she had told her father that Naruto and his friends had invited her to their annually trip to his godfather's beach house, Hiashi had insisted that Kiba and Shino would be accompanying her even when the destination wasn't that far away from Konoha.
Hinata had actually been happy with her friends joining but their presence in the group had made the atmosphere somewhat strange.

Maybe it was because of Shino's unfamiliar vibe that not every one could easily get used to or just the overall awkwardness that arose when strangers were in the midst.

Shino sat alone in front of Kiba. Sometimes they would share words unheard from everyone else but the most of the time he would stay motionless, his shades protecting him from the sun and making others wonder if he was awake behind them.

To his left (or in front of her) then were Shikamaru and Chouji, the later she was meeting only the second time today.
Their exchange could barely be called a conversation as Shikamaru was only silently listening to the words of his friend, his thick ponytail moving in wind.

And lastly her gaze lowered on Jiraiya behind the wheel. She still didn't know what to think of him. He was Naruto's godfather and she knew how he treasured him.
He had told her mostly good things about him so it was hard to think bad of the man also because she had no clear evidence to think otherwise.

But she had a feeling in her stomach. A little spark that intensified the longer she observed him.
Him giving her that tag hadn't been senseless.
And for this vacation she had set the goal to find out the meaning.