𝐈 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔→𝙉𝙖𝙧𝙪𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙖 𝘾𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙜𝙚 𝘼𝙐

Chapter 4

Chapter 4
"Are you sure about this? We can go somewhere else."

"No, no, I m sure. I wanna do this right, and we re already here."

"Okay "

Hinata took a deep breath as she knocked on the door in front of her. The heavy oak door that she d grown up walking in and out of suddenly felt like more of a shield and less of a passageway as she dreaded it s opening.

The week before, on Valentine s Day, Naruto had finally plucked up his courage to ask Hinata out. He d called his godfather for advice and encouragement.

"You should ask her father first, kid," he had said.

"Her dad? Why? She s an adult," Naruto had protested.

"True, but I got curious and looked up her family. Her dad is some bigwig with the school you re going to. Her family has a lot of influence there. If you want to continue getting by on the skin of your teeth I d suggest taking the old school route and asking him permission to date her."

"Huh. She never told me her family was so important. Well, I ll go ahead and do that then. I ve been wondering what her family s like anyway. Thanks, Jiraiya. I ll come home and visit soon."

"Anytime, kid. Look forward to it. Good luck!"

Naruto had expressed his wish to meet Hinata s family along with asking her out, and her stomach had remained tied up in knots ever since. She d never brought a boy home before, and was worried her father would reject the match given Naruto s barely-above-average performance in school. He was maintaining a decent GPA, but she worried if it would be enough for her education-obsessed father. Despite her feeble protests Naruto had convinced her, and they d made the journey to her house a few miles from the school on this chilly Saturday. Hinata had told her family she was coming home and bringing a friend from school, but hadn t specified that it would be a boy.

The door handle clicked and turned, and Hinata s stomach wound so tightly she feared she would vomit right there on the porch.

"Hinata!" A sea of long, silky dark hair covered Hinata s face, as her younger sister enveloped her into a bear hug. Hinata felt her stomach un-clench as she embraced her only sibling and breathed in the familiar scents of home.

Naruto stood off to the side and smiled at the sight. He d never had any siblings, but it made him happy to see Hinata had a sister she appeared to be very close to.

The sisters parted and Hinata conducted introductions.

"Naruto, this is my younger sister Hanabi. Hanabi, this is Naruto Uzumaki. He s the friend I told you about.

Naruto and Hanabi exchanged a handshake. To Naruto s surprise, the small girl s arm was strong. For being only twelve she looked like a petite adult. She had the same lavender eyes as Hinata, but her face was sharper, and her skin was a few shades darker.

"Hanabi, it s nice to meet you. Hinata talks about you all the time, hehe."

"You too, Naruto. Hinata never shuts up about you." The two chuckled as Hinata blushed in exasperation at their teasing.

Hanabi stepped to the side and invited them both in. Naruto looked around in awe.

On the outside the house was a simple two-story family home, much like any other house in its area. But inside the house was very modern. Hanabi led them to the kitchen and offered glasses of lemonade. They all took their drinks to the living room and settled in.

"So, where is Father?" Hinata asked.

"He s at a meeting right now. He should be home in a little while though," Hanabi replied. She took a sip of her drink and set in on the table, then rested her elbows on her knees and cupped her chin in her hands.