Naruto approached the apartment complex, his heart beating. What if…..what if she doesn’t want to see me? He wondered. Naruto was having his doubts, but he still walked up to the apartment and knocked on the door.
The door slowly opened.
Naruto’s eyes widened. There stood Hime, her blond hair a mess, wearing a simple orange nightgown. Her blue eyes were bloodshot red. Hime stood in surprise. “Naruto-kun?”
Naruto stepped forward. “Hime……san?”
Hime nodded. “Yes?” She grabbed a fox ANBU mask—clearly a spare one—and hastily put it on her face. “What is it?”
Naruto wasn’t sure what to do. He stood there, unmoving at the shock of the ANBU woman.
Hime gasped. “Come in!” she said, opening the door all the way. “I’m sorry I didn’t invite you in sooner….you took me by surprise, Naruto-kun. Did you get out of the hospital?”
Naruto hastily stepped into the room. “Yeah, I did.” He replied, looking over the place. There wasn’t much there—a couch, a futon, some weapons—standard attire. Naruto looked back at Hime, who was apparently making tea. “Hime-san……”
Hime turned to him. “Yes?”
“I noticed it before…but we look a lot alike, don’t we?”
Hime stopped in her tracks. “I guess so, Naruto-kun.” She said, her voice lacking emotion. She turned back to the tea. “I guess so.”
“Why were you crying? Did something happen?” The blond boy approached Hime. “Was it something I did? Who made you cry? I’ll kick their ass!” Naruto yelled.
“Ah……it’s nothing…….” Hime put the tea kettle down. “I’m just angry at myself for……well, let’s just say I’m a coward, you know?” she chuckled. “I can’t bring myself to do something, even if I know it’s the right thing to do. I can’t bring myself to tell someone something.”
“What? What do you need to tell someone?” Naruto asked, standing next to Hime.
You have to stay by her side when she cries. Kakashi’s words rang through Naruto’s ears.
“I need to tell someone that they really aren’t as alone as they think.” Hime took off her mask. Her eyes were still bloodshot, but they had to do. “Naruto-kun…..what do you see in my eyes?” she lowered herself to Naruto’s height.
Naruto stared into her eyes. “I see……blue?”
Hime laughed. It was a nice laugh, Naruto realized. “I guess so. You can’t see what people are thinking, right? People’s emotions are hidden underneath the eye.” She smiled at Naruto. “I realize what a fool I’ve been lately. Can you forgive me?”
“Eh? Of course, Hime-san.”
“No need for the formalities. Just call me Hime-nee.”
“Hime…..nee-san?” Naruto cocked his head. “But I thought you—“
Hime ruffled the smaller boy’s hair. “It’s the only appropriate thing for my little….” Hime paused. “…..my little brother to call me.”
Naruto blinked. “Little……brother……?"
“When I was younger, my father told me I would have a baby brother. But the day he was born, the Kyuubi attacked, and my coward of a mother ran away from him, and took me with her, because my baby brother had become the container. I hope he can forgive me after all these years.” Hime smiled at the genin. “Will you forgive me, baby brother?”
Naruto stood still for a second, his brain processing the information. He then instantly hugged the ANBU. “Of couse, big sis!”
Hime smiled as she looked out the window. “I’m so happy…..Thank you.”
And there stood Kakashi, standing outside her window, smiling underneath his mask.
And the two siblings were finally united.
