Haruka had her hair down for the first time in several days. She loved the hair senbon Hina-chan had given her but she hadn't realized just how much she enjoys letting her hair fall loose. She had spent the morning getting ready for their date. She wasn't in her usual ninja clothes. She didn't have mesh armor underneath her dress, which went down to her knees unlike her battle dress which went to her mid thighs. She was even wearing a dark black eye liner and matte red lipstick. She didn't usually dress up for their dates, but this was their first date in a while and she wanted to. She had also spent last night making the lunches for their picnic. It was a great time of year for the picnic anyways. It was currently early to mid spring and the flowers around Konoha were all starting to bloom. The weather was perfect.
Three sharp knocks on the door is enough to let the redhead to know her girlfriend has arrived. She only has to call, "Enter!" For Hina-chan to know she's not walking around the apartment naked at the moment. Her girlfriend was so cute sometimes, more like all the time, she was weirdly intent on giving her privacy when she's nude. Haruka didn't really get it, she knew the girl wanted to look but for some reason she just refused to. Hina-chan walks through the door and Haruka smiles (she had given Hina-chan a key to her apartment years ago). "You look amazing, well more than usual."
The other girl was also in a dress, it was much rarer for the lavender themed girl to do so. She notices her girlfriend wasn't wearing makeup, but that's okay. She always thought Hina-chan had this ethereal beauty about her. The taller girl was wearing a lavender colored dress with the Hyuuga clan crest emblazoned on the back. It contrasted nicely with Haruka's own navy blue dress with an orange obi.
"You look gorgeous as always." The white eyed girl walked up and gave her a quick peck on the lips. "You ready to go?"
"Yep, just let me grab the basket and we can be on our way." It wasn't like it was far, just a few steps away. She returns quickly and they make their way out of the apartment, with Haruka locking the door behind her. "So where did you have in mind for the picnic?" Hina-chan only ever asked for picnics when she wanted to enjoy a specific part of Konoha's scenery.
"Do you remember that waterfall, behind the Hokage Monument, we found a few years back? I was thinking with weather like this it would be great."
"Maybe I should have grabbed a swimsuit, sounds like we should go for a swim after we eat."
"You could always skinny dip, I can pretty easily make sure there are no voyeurs."
"Yeah but then you might pass out from a nosebleed." Haruka had only seen Hina-chan do that a few times but they always happened when the other girl caught her in the nude. She didn't really get it. Can't she see through her clothes anyways when she uses the Byakugan? Though it does make her happy her girlfriend finds her so attractive. She never cared much about her looks but it still created a warm sensation in her stomach.
"Fair point. And don't worry I thought you might want to swim so I brought swimsuits for the two of us in a sealing scroll." Even if they weren't on duty they were still ninja, and still had access to the equipment that made life so much easier.
"Ah I see, you wanted to pick out a swimsuit for me to wear and show off for you." Haru-chan's tone was teasing even if Hinata had to admit she'd be lying if she said she didn't think the swimsuit would look good on her. She had long since gotten the other girls sizes seeing as she often bought clothing for the girl as gifts, even before they were dating.
"Haru-chan if anyone can show off between the two of us it's me." Haruka had to concede that point. While Hina-chan may have liked the fact that Haruka had a smaller physique the other girl, undeniably, was already starting to fill out like a grown woman. But she guesses that's just puberty, they're all growing and developing differently. It's not like she really cared to have a curvy figure. In fact the only reason she really cared about her body image was because she wanted her girlfriend to like her figure. Otherwise she would probably wear baggy clothes all the time. Well she still likes dresses. They're just so fluttery.
The two girls continue to make idle chatter until they reach the waterfall. And the river it flows into. It was right on the edge of Konoha's northern border. The wall was only half an hour north. The waterfall was as beautiful as they remember it. It's water was crystal blue that shimmered nicely in the late morning light.
They sit down next to the bank of the river, the waterfall roaring quietly in the background. Haruka had prepared them sandwiches along with packing in fruits and a thermos full of green tea. She had also packed a surprise for Hina-chan.
Hinata for her part unseals a blanket for them to sit, or lay, down on. She can't help but notice something extra nice smelling coming from the picnic basket. Haru-chan noticing her expression says.
"I don't think I have it perfect yet but I thought you might enjoy the fruits of my labor." And with that she pulls out a cinnamon roll. "I've been practicing making them since I know they're your favorite." She was going to keep explaining but Hinata interrupted her girlfriend to maul her lips with her own. What can she say, she just made her day.
Haruka breaks away gasping for breath. "I thought you would be happy but not that happy."
"My favorite person made my favorite food, and by the sounds of it with a lot of effort. Of course I'd be more than happy."
Hinata moves in to kiss her again but Haru-chan said, "Well if you want to eat it while it's still warm then you'll have to put off kissing me for a bit." Hinata looks torn. On the one hand Haru-chan's oh so soft lips were calling her own. But on the other hand the wonder that is her girlfriend's home cooked cinnamon roll was begging to be eaten while it was still warm. She sighs and goes for the roll, eliciting a laugh from the redhead. Her moan of delight as she tastes the food is enough to make Haru-chan blush. And the girl said she still doesn't have it perfected? She could only imagine how amazing that would be.
The two girls fall into a comfortable silence while eating. It's not that they didn't usually talk while eating or on dates, but they were just enjoying the sounds of the waterfall and each others company. And that was enough. Meal finished they decide to go for that swim.
Haru-chan didn't even have to ask if Hinata would make sure no one was spying on them, the girl was doing so the moment they decided to get changed. Though she did have to focus all her attention any place other than the naked girl she could still see behind her. It was easier when she focused on getting changed herself.
Haruka looked down at the bathing suit Hina-chan had pulled out of the scroll for her. It was a red one piece swimsuit that was otherwise fairly plain. Though she did notice it showed a bit of her stomach and back. She quickly puts it on and finds it fits her quite nicely. When she turns around she finds her girlfriend in a bikini, which was surprisingly black (a color she hadn't seen Hina-chan wear very much). It contrasted rather nicely with the girls pale skin. Her hair was also hanging loose for once, instead of the usual braid that went down to her shoulders. It seems they were both letting their hair down today.
"You ready Hina-chan?" Haruka asks with a gleam in her eyes. Speaking of she just realized her make up is going to run, but that's not a big deal to her.
"Haru—" She can't even finish her thought as the other girl scoops her up and dives into the river with both of them. Well she called it a river, it'd be more apt to call it a stream. Just deep enough for them to swim through but not moving so fast that they would be washed down stream. Haru-chan let's her go underwater and she rises up above the surface and levels an unimpressed stare at her girlfriend. Then she smiles and splashes the shorter girl.
They were here to play in the water, why would she be mad about getting in? Her thoughts are interrupted as a veritable wall of water comes rushing at her. Right her girlfriend wasn't wearing weights or resistance seals today, she was far stronger than usual. Well two can play at that game.
She performs a quick and imperfect Kaiten. She still didn't have it down enough to repel other people or Jutsu or even kunai, but she could at least repel a bunch of water that's not augmented by chakra. When she stops spinning she finds her girlfriends lips crashing into her own. She should take Haru-chan out more often this was great! She barely notices she's forcing it. The dark thoughts from the day before still lurking in her mind.
The two girls fall into a relaxing rhythm of just swimming around, playing, and making out. Every now and then Hinata would pulse her Byakugan just because she wanted to make sure this stays private. She never found anyone so she assumed it was fine.
It's about an hour later that the two girls get out of the water. They halfheartedly dry off then lay down on the blanket. It would be more accurate to say the two girls were cuddling, with Haruka resting her head on the other girls shoulder. She was trying to make conversation but Hina-chan wasn't responding.
"What's wrong Hina-chan?" It wasn't the most tactful way to go about it but the redhead wasn't really known for her tact.
"I can't hide anything from you." Haruka doesn't say anything, she merely waits for the other girl to say what's on her mind. "I overheard Otou-sama and the elders speaking the other day." Well not so much as overhearing but more like she was reading their lips and spying with her Byakugan. She didn't tell them her true range for this exact reason. "They want to make me available to suitors when I become a chunin." Or when she turns sixteen, but they saw her talent and figured that chunin would come sooner.
"So are you saying I should start formally courting you when you become a chunin?" Haruka didn't really see a problem with that, but she figured that wasn't the true problem.
"I certainly wouldn't mind, but more to the point they plan on making me end my, 'dealings,' with you." She said spitting the word 'dealings' like it's toxic. She knew they had only accepted her friendship with the redhead for the power the girl could provide as a "demon." But they had also figured out that since she won the majority of their spars the demon wasn't as useful as they thought. They knew of her relationship and just chose to act like it's some fling. It couldn't be a fling, this was how she felt and that was real. "According to them it wouldn't be proper for the heiress to be having an affair."
"Why can they not just let our relationship be?" Haruka didn't get it. It's not like they were breaking any laws and they loved each other.
"Because I'm the heiress and future head of the clan. Not only are we both women so we can't produce a future child to head the clan, but you are not a noble, a member of the clan, or someone of high status. So to them my marrying you would be worthless." They of course couldn't care less about her own happiness.
"Can you not just leave the clan?" Plenty of people cut ties to their family, why couldn't Hina-chan?
"No, the Hyuuga clan is the most powerful clan in Konoha. The only way I could leave is if I leave the village."
"Then lets just leave." They both knew Haruka had zero loyalty to the village, she only cared about a few people within, and stayed exclusively for them. She had lied to the Hokage's face when he asked if she was loyal. But what was she going to do? Tell the military dictator that the girl with a giant demon, that almost destroyed his village, sealed in her gut isn't loyal? That would go great.
The white eyed girl shakes her head. "As much as I would love to I can't, Otou-sama and Kaa-chan would both suffer for it." As would the Ichiraku family, who would likely go bankrupt if the two of them left. "Not to mention there would be hunter nin sent after us."
"Well what about if you become the clan head before getting married, can't you order the elders to back off? Now that she thought about it why wasn't Hiashi doing that?
"The elders have more power in the clan than they like to let on. Not only that but the only way that could work is if my parents both died a premature death." She loved her parents and that's the last thing she wanted.
"So then are we breaking up? Because it sounds like we're going to have to anyway." Haruka couldn't even blink before she finds herself pinned under the heiress. The other girl was looking at her fiercely.
"Absolutely not! Whether the elders like it or not, you will be my wife, you got that Uzumaki Haruka!" Wow this was new, and kind of hot. But also really scary. Haruka nods meekly. Wait, did Hina-chan just propose? And if so, did she just accept? She figured the other girl would be more romantic about it. Well that's okay, she can't imagine marrying anyone else anyways.
Hinata realizes what she just did and blushes, but before she can justify herself Haruka asks. "So then how are we going to fix this problem?" Hinata still hadn't moved, what could she say, she was kind of enjoying having the older girl under her.
"The only thing I can think of is if I intentionally start losing publicly and more importantly to my little sister. If I throw my skills into question then so too will be the question of who the heiress should be."
"I don't think that will work, it will likely seem to abrupt, unless you intentionally avoid promotions for the next four years and degrade your skills in the public eye during that time." Well it was actually more like three years and eight months, but whose counting? "Not to mention the fact that a field promotion could ruin that."
Haru-chan was right, this plan wouldn't work. The redhead speaks up again. "What if we just assassinate them or frame them for committing treason?" That could work, but it would be dangerous, if it fails then they would both likely be put to death.
"How would we frame them for treason?" That would work better than assassination, as it would give her father the chance to finally remove the elders from power and make sure future ones can't control the clan from the shadows.
"I don't know yet, we'll have to figure something out." Maybe she could use Kaguya-san somehow. She had a pair of Byakugan as well and was apparently the demon that attacked the village. There's always a chance the clan knew about her. She says as much to her girlfriend.
"Wait, you didn't tell me the woman had a pair of Byakugan."
"Oh, it must have slipped my mind." Hinata didn't know what to think. This makes things much more complicated. But this could work. The elders are required to have read all ancient clan texts, though some were oddly indecipherable to the Byakugan, and if this woman had the Byakugan then there is a chance they knew about her and the demon. It would take tremendous effort and this could still backfire horribly but this might just work. "Hey Hina-chan do you mind getting off me now, I kind of want to go back to cuddling." Oh yeah, she still had the other girl pinned. She grinned and said, "I've got a better idea." She captures the other girl's lips and puts the issue behind her for now. In this moment she just wanted to think about the other girl and how much she loved her.