Chance Encounters (Hanabi)

It was early evening in Konoha and Peragus was moving down the street. He was dressed in his usual attire of black pants, a black compression shirt and a blue hoodie over the shirt. His headband and black boots completed the look although his headband unlike most in the village was slung across his eyes, effectively blinding him. Still, he moved through the crowd easily enough, without pause or fear of running into someone. He had his eyes on after all and that meant he did not really need to worry about that. Of course no one could see his eyes, or the enlarged veins around them. That would make him out to be a Hyuuga, as the Byakugan was not exactly hard to recognize given it’s visual tells. Still, for the moment he moved easily and fluidly through the crowd.

He was actually on his way home at that moment, intent upon getting some sleep. The strain from using his byakugan was getting to him. A hazard of using it as he did with his blindfold on. It would not permanently damage them or anything. However it did mean he tended to need to rest a lot to let his eyes recover. Normally Peragus did not actually need to use the eyes to move through the village. Hell he had been using the blindfold so long as he could move through the place without taking it off once and not have issue. However people tended to be the factor that was as always, impossible for account for. So in times of heavy traffic he relied on his Byakugan to get him around without running into someone.

Which is why it was extremely unfortunate that his Byakugan failed right as he was coming to the a corner, hugging the wall close. He intended to turn it as his home, and the rest of the Hyuuga Compound resided in that direction. However the timing of his Byakugan failing meant he had turned the corner completely blind. He also had not looked ahead before it happened to see if someone was coming. The Byakugan allowed for such and he usually did, but his strained eyes precluded overusing its abilities so he had simply been using them for their x-ray vision through his blindfold. As such he had no way of knowing if anyone was coming around the corner as well when he turned it with his 6’4, 170 lbs body.

[1]

Hanabi made her way down the streets of Konoha, window shopping and seeing if anything really caught her eye. She was looking for a few more swords to add to her collection but she didn’t want to spend all her money in one place. Maybe adding it one by one will be better than the rest. She rubbed her face all around while thinking about this situation she was in. Her hair was a bit messy, she looked tired from the night and she was just not at all awake. Today she sported some shorts with a tank top, no compression on her chest. It had been a rough few weeks and honestly between Airi’s training and the Hokage’s training, she needed to breathe. It was nice out and it was pretty breezy too.

With her lost in thought, as she turned a corner, she bumped into a taller man. She was only 5’4 and 120 pounds but she was still thrown back, falling on her behind and catching herself before her head hit the ground. Physics took the reigns of her chest and a little bounce happened as she hit the ground. “Ow..” Hanabi winced from the fall and looked up to see a blind folded man, covering the sun from her angle. “Watch where you’re going!” She yelled, making a fist towards the man. She pushed herself up and dusted herself off, rubbing her behind a little bit. It actually hurt despite the catch she did. “What’s the point in walking around if you’re just going to wear a blindfold.” Hanabi did feel a little bad for what she was saying but it was the truth. Her gold eyes traveled his body up and down, noting every inch of him. Why a hoodie on such a nice day? Was he like a Lizard or something? “You gonna apologize or what?” She crossed her arms and looked away, almost pouting from the incident.

The impact that occurred when he turned the corner definitely had a certain ‘squishiness’ to it. Like a certain quality of ‘bounce’ and the landing he heard was definitely that of a woman. ‘Oh, well that’s awkward’ Peragus would think to himself as he looked down toward the sound of the impact. He had been knocked back a step but his taller height and weight kept him on his feet. He would hear the woman below mutter an ‘ow’ and then she would start yelling at him. He did not know if she was making any threatening gestures at him as he was blindfolded but he could definitely tell that she was not happy with the situation. Which seemed fair enough to him given the situation so that was fine.

She would ask what the point of walking around if he was just going to wear a blindfold and he debated for a moment answering that question with a ‘blindfolded people need to do stuff too you know’ but decided that sass would probably not be the right avenue to take here given the situation. She would ask if he was going to apologize and he would consider for a moment before shrugging. “How about I treat you to food in apology? I know a great ramen stand not too far from here. Although..” He would trail off, waving his hand in front of his eyes “I might ask if you could help me not run into anyone on the way..” He would say, his tone about as dry as the street they were standing on. With that he would point down the street in the direction he had come. “It’s about three blocks down that way actually.” He had actually passed the stand on the way and it was his favorite one too. With the shopkeeper that gave him shit and accused him of not really being blind, which he was not and the shopkeeper was right. As well as the waitress that tried to play tricks on him to see if he’d catch them.

It was all in good fun of course, and he had passed it on the way home with mild regret as he was hungry. However his failing Byakugan at the time had made him reconsider. Still, he wouldn’t be able to use it for a while now at any rate and trying to walk the rest of the way home during the busy time of day was liable to have him tripping and running into people all over the place. Add that to the fact that he had cultivated an image of someone who was blind for the most part and wanted to keep it that way to maintain people’s constant underestimation of him and he found himself in a predicament. If this woman wanted an apology, then he could buy her ramen for it and if she helped him there he could simply sit on the stool and wait for the busy time of day to end, enjoying a meal with a woman. Seemed like a win-win to him. “I’m Peragus by the way, and for what it’s worth I do apologize. I did not expect to get caught out during the busy time of day. Usually I can hear well enough to avoid people but with so many people out at once it all gets muddled.” He would apologize to the woman offering her an arm. She would take it and lead him or not, it was up to her.

[2]

Hanabi looked up to the man, now explaining everything that she thought was an excuse. The minute Ramen came up, she took his hand and began running the direction he pointed. “Why didn’t you say that earlier!” Hanabi ran as Fast as she could, heading to the ramen shop. As the man kept talking, she looked back at him and smiled, “My name is Hanabi, nice to meet you Percius!” Of course she messed up his name, she was too busy thinking about ramen. It was her favorite food after encountering it on the first day of her training with the Hokage.

As they approached the ramen shop, she brought the two of them to a halt, catching her breath and bending over. “Phew—“ She stood up and placed her hands on the counter. “I would like one pork ramen please!” She said with a bright look on her face. Her eyes sparkled with enthusiasm and she practically had stars to show for. The waitress looked at her and told her to take a seat while she waited for her food. Hanabi nodded a few times and went to go sit, waiting impatiently for the delicious delicacy. She tugged Peragus’ shirt before she had gone to sit, letting him know she was sitting down.

Almost as quickly as he head said the word ‘ramen’ his hand was taken and he was rushed down the street with no regard toward obstacles. Most people when they are dragged down a road like that are able to dodge obstacles partially. Peragus however, given his lack of sight due to the blindfold could not in this situation. Combine that with his height and the proclivity of hanging signs outside of many establishments and one arrived a very unfortunate point for the blindfolded Hyuuga. ‘Ow…ow…ow…ow’ He would think to himself as he struck sign after sign.

So it would be no surprise when arriving at the ramen stand that he did so with a headache. He noted then that she had not only introduced herself before dragging him along behind her but that she had gotten his name wrong too. He opened his mouth to correct it, but then decided against it. Frankly, his head hurt too much from the overstraining of his eyes and the impacts against the signs. Upon arriving at his favorite little ramen stand the waitress would call for Hanabi to sit down. Peragus hadn’t come in from the front yet and he did so, moving the tarp out of the way. “Something to drink for your disabled guest, oh and the nondisabled one too. Oh and shrimp ramen and whatever she would like.” He would say, gesturing toward where he had heard Hanabi’s voice before before sitting.

He cradled his head in his hand as it pounded and idly he’d hear the challenge from the ramen chef in the back. “The only thing disabled about you Peragus is your sense of humor.” He would call and it would cause the tall Hyuuga to smirk. “You forgot your cooking skills old man, make sure you boil the water this time.” He would call back as a joke prompting the old man to cry out in exaggerated anger. That would prompt Peragus to chuckle, the waitress, Akina, arrived with drinks for him and Hanabi and looked at him in mild concern. “You okay Peragus?” She would ask as he took a drink of cool water before nodding. “Yeah, just a rough day, it’ll get better once I get some ramen in me. I hope you don’t mind but my intent at the moment is to hang out here until things get less busy out there. I already ran into the woman next to me and I’d rather not buy ramen in apology for half the village.” He would say nodding his head toward Hanabi as she came up in the conversation.

With that he would turn toward her and grimace. “A woman I am doing a grave discourtesy, my apologies. Hanabi, this is Akina, and her father in the back is old man ‘Tenko’ and they run my favorite ramen stand in the village, bar none." He would say before turning to Akina and nodding toward Hanabi. “Akina, this is Hanabi, I don't know much about her besides the fact that in contests of ‘who knocks over who’ between us I win apparently. I offered to buy her ramen in apology and pointed down toward this place and she about ripped my arm off getting me here. So clearly she’s an enthusiast, I’m paying for her so please get her anything she wants.” He would finish. “You got it Peragus, and this time I won’t even play pranks on you to see if you catch them with your other senses. Promise.” Akina would say with a small chuckle before she went to the back.

Peragus turned to Hanabi “As you can tell, I’m a regular here. What I said earlier about intending to hang out here until things get less busy out there was true though so don’t feel the need to hang out just because I’m paying, I don’t want to keep you from whatever it is you were doing.” He would say, telling the woman that she was free to eat her fill and ditch him if she wanted. He couldn’t afford to risk running into people all over the place on his way home and his eyes would need to rest for awhile before he could use them again. That mean that unless he could get an escort home he was stuck. Getting said escort would also require them to figure out the truth of his little blindfold situation too. So both sides had their pros and cons.

Eventually their ramen would arrive, it felt like hours but in reality it had only taken a few minutes. His sense of smell caught the scent of shrimp ramen before him and he knew Akina had kept her word about nod playing pranks. He also head the clink of a couple of plates knew what else she had done. “Dumplings?” He would ask quietly looking up toward where the plates would have had to hve come from. “Yup, those are on us tonight, and I’m brewing some tea now. Just give it a few more moments.” Akina would say before setting down a couple of cups nearby, he heard her places his near his water and he nodded, remembering the location. With that he would turn to Hanabi. “Try dipping a dumpling into your broth, trust me, it’s to die for.” He would say as he took one from his own plate, taking a moment with his chopsticks to find the dumpling before picking it up and dipping it into his broth and eating it.

The resulting effect would seem almost cartoonish as Peragus began to eat his meal happily, a smile on his features and a seemingly contented air about him becoming almost visible as he began to eat. He held his bowl of ramen carefully, allowing him to easily find the food inside with his chopsticks and after a few bites he slurped up his noodles and spoke. “So?” He would ask, his tone curious.

[3]

Hanabi waited patiently for the the food to arrive, smelling the different aromas in the air, making her mouth salivate. A quick drool escaped and she quickly wiped it off. She’s had so much ramen this week and she hasn’t gotten tired of it. She listened carefully to the conversations around her, hearing Peragus’ name multiple times and realizing she had said his name wrong. She gave a nervous chuckle, scratching the side of her face, eyes closing and eyebrows turning upward. ‘Oops…’ Upon hearing her name, Hanabi opened her eyes again, giving a small half bow to the waitress, greeting her. “He just bumped into me, that’s all. It doesn’t help the different statures.”

As Akina left, Hanabi glanced to Peragus, hearing his thoughtful speech about how she didn’t have to stay for him and that he was a regular at the shop. “No no— It’s okay, P.. Peragus..? I’ll stay and help out to help you get home” She said as she slowly sounded his name out. It was a different name but she kinda liked it. As the two talked, the ramen came through and was set on the table, positioned in front of each other and comments about dumplings made Hanabi even hungrier. She gave a quick nod before separating the chopsticks and putting her hands together and speaking. “Thank you for this food.” (Equivalent to Itadakimasu.) She grabbed her chopsticks and picked up a dumpling carefully, as it was squishy and very fragile. She dipped it in her pork broth, the savory aroma filling her nose once more, almost like someone grilled the pork right in front of her and squeezed it out into her broth. She opened her mouth, small canines revealed, popping the dumpling in her mouth and chewing with her mouth closed. Hanabi gave a small squeal of approval before taking a sip of the broth as well. It was way too good! Almost as good as Ichiraku’s ramen, maybe a bit better. She would never betray that man though, he was her first in town. She closed her eyes and her head dropped to the side, enjoying each bite. Once swallowed, she picked up a piece of pork, letting it drip, and putting it in her mouth. It was melting in her mouth and she couldn’t help squeal again.

After her few squeals of acceptance, she wiped her face and just as she was done, Akina had come back and poured some tea. Hanabi thanked her and grabbed her cup, taking a sip and placing it back down. She kind of looked at it again but didn’t comment, as tea wasn’t really her thing. The tea however wasn’t too herbal and she might have liked it. “So, how long have you been blind?” Hanabi asked coyly towards Peragus. She didn’t really believe him but even if he wasn’t, she had to play along.

Her reactions to the food brought a smile to his features and he chuckled good naturedly. “I told you, the stuff is absolutely divine, and yeah, it's Peragus, no big deal about getting it wrong though. You were clearly excited, if my probable concussion has anything to say about it.” He would say in jest as he continued his meal for a few bites. “Everyone seems to have their favorite ramen stand. Some prefer the first they ever had, other prefer the closest one to their home. Some prefer ones for the service, and some legitimately just love it because they feel like their ramen is the best. In the end though, I subscribe to the belief that good vibes, and good interactions make the second best sauce next to hunger. Akina and old man Tenko back there treat me almost like family and genuinely care. It makes it a no-brainer for me.” He would say before he continued eating.

Her next question though would not exactly come as a surprise. However his reaction had to be careful. He did not actually want to lie to her. It was good training he found in misdirection and saying what others thought they wanted to hear. Where you say something and mean something else entirely. He did not hesitate to answer though, if he did it would not come off as genuine. One who was blinded would remember when it happened, and one who felt strongly about it would react immediately. “Hey! I’d argue I’m less blind than most in the village.” He would argue, a small, mind you entirely faked frown decorated his features. Now mind you, Akina and Tenko knew he wasn’t really blind. He’d known them since he was a kid and they knew the truth full well. Any incident that had caused blindness wouldn’t be able to truly be kept a secret. However he had explained his reasoning to them and they had accepted it and agreed to keep it a secret. They even took it one step further, as Akina raised a hand gently toward Hanabi, to get her attention. Then she would point at Peragus and her own eyes and shake her head with a sad frown. Not an angry one, just one meant to convey that Peragus was sad on a deeper level about his situation. Still, the girl hadn’t actually said a word, so no lie was told.

“Hey old man! Gimme another bowl, and bring us some dango for dessert!” He would call out, a jovial attitude to his words. As if he were trying to not let anything get it him. In the end it was all for naught anyway. She would walk him home, she had said, and he would accept. The moment they arrived at the Hyuuga Clan, one of the three most well known clans in the village. She would know he wasn’t truly blind. Mind you Peragus actually could not know of Akina’s actions given she had been silent. So he did not know there was another possibility. It was entirely possible the reaction from the ramen girl would double down on the idea that his lack of sight was a tragedy. Combined with living in the Hyuuga Clan, a clan that prized itself on it’s eyes and ability to ‘see all’ and one might actually end up sealing the idea that his lack of vision was a truly horrifying thing for one in his position.

It would entirely depend on how Hanabi would react off the cuff.

Of course he did know she might figure out that he was not truly blind before then. Either from something he did or said accidentally or something Akina or Tenko did or said as well. Or perhaps from her own actions. It was impossible to tell, and that was what made it all so much fun. “So Hanabi, you a shinobi? On a team?” He would ask idly, curiosity getting the better of him. For all he knew he had bumped into a civilian after all.

[4]

Hanabi slurped up some noodles and nodded, chewing some and then swallowing. “Mhm. I’m in the Hokage’s team with Airi, and Taco.” She continued to eat her fill, eating some dumplings here and there. She lifted the bowl, slurping of the broth from the ramen. Her back arched a bit as she lifted the bowl higher and finally placing it on the table. She exhaled, a burp following behind and almost a cloud leaving her mouth as she made a ‘phwoo’ noise. “What about you, Peragus? Are you in a team as well or..? Well.. it might be silly if you would be.” She pondered for a moment before looking at Peragus with big eyes, wanting seconds. While looking, she snuck an extra dumpling into her mouth before closing her eyes and touching her face and melting into her hands. It was so good and she might have to thank Peragus for introducing the dumpling idea. She licked her lips, letting out a small burp and drinking some herbal tea.

Hanabi felt kinda bad though for asking for a second bowl, let alone bumping into him. With the heat hitting her back, she winced a little before shaking the pain off, ignoring it for the time being. It wasn’t a good time to focus on it as she was enjoying her time here with him.

Her answer to his question brought a surprised silence to the blindfolded man. Being on the team of the Hokage was no small feat, it generally meant one had some form of talent. Talent that was recognized as able to be brought out and focused, honed into a razor edge and tempered to stand as part of the bedrock that made the foundation of the village. It was definitely something to brag about. He heard her slurp the broth from her noodles, the noise obviously meaning she had finished her bowl. She asked about a team he might be one and he shook his head before lifting his bowl up and finishing it too. Then he set the bowl down and spoke “Nope, no team for me. Although why would that be silly?” He would ask, turning his head toward hers. He was taller than her but the motion brought them fairly close. Although he would not be able to tell.

This was of course after she had eaten a dumpling, burped, and consumed tea. “Oh, and you’re not the first person I’ve run into by mistake, meaning you’re not the first I’ve treated here. They’ll bring a second bowl for you too, and more dumplings.” He would say, his voice somewhat quiet. It had especially been bad in the early days when he started wearing the blindfold. He had overused his byakugan too easily then and had been forced to shut it off in due to strain and pain. It rarely happened now and when it did he rarely ran into people. He normally ran his errands at the slower times of day to prevent such things from happening and his ears were sharp enough to get him around so long as there weren’t too many people.

He had lost track of time though while snoozing in a training ground and had been stuck trying to get home to get some personal training done within the confines of his home. Now he was here instead, but that was alright. It didn’t really bother him and the company was good.

[5]

Hanabi’s eyes shimmered with the promise of more food. Drinking some more herbal tea, she placed the cup back down and looked to Peragus. “I don’t know. Blind shinobi?” She didn’t give it much thought but maybe there were ways to help with their duties. “Never crossed my mind so I’m not sure.” As she pondered for a bit, the food was brought to her again and she thanked the server once more. Breaking new chopsticks, she mixed the soup up and grabbed some noodles and taking a bite. A small squeal was made from Hanabi, enjoying the flavors once more. She should really show Airi this place next time! She finished her bite and took a piece of dumplings. “So. Are you within a family or clan..?” She asked while blowing on the dumpling and stuffing it in her mouth.


Hanabi glanced around while waiting for a reply from the man, noticing the streets had calmed down. Maybe after this bowl she should help him home. Taking another bite of her noodles with some meat, she drank some broth to wash it all down. Hanabi licked her lips for the salty and savory flavor that was left on her top lip and closed her eyes, starting to feel full. She would definitely need to payback Paragus at one point.

He would frown at her words, most individuals would take offense to that wouldn’t they? Perhaps, but he was too laid back for that. Being angry took too much effort, especially when it was fake anger he thought he had to express because of the act. Idly he would shake her head, his tone somewhat sad. "Ah, you see the blindfold and nothing underneath.” He would say simply. That was something a bit more in line with his usual mood. He was generally jovial, somewhat funny, at least in his own mind, and tried to live life in a bit more of a carefree attitude. Being sad at someone's seemingly lack of understanding was much more in line with that thinking. At her squeal of delight when their food was placed in front of them again he would chuckle in better humor.

Her next question was somewhat expected, shinobi life was partially clan based and it made a certain amount of sense to wonder if someone you met was within one. Especially if one was within one of the three royal clans of the village. The Hyuuga, Uchiha, and Senju. Individuals from those clans were treated like royalty in many places and even had a much higher standard of living because of their history in the village and the Land of Fire itself. Peragus though did not care much for the attitudes of many within the three families. Even with him being in one himself. They had all become too entitled in their way or thinking. All believing either that they deserved better. Or that they were the ones who needed to do better for the village. It was all arrogance, no matter how you sliced the orange.

The three clans' purpose was to be both defenders of the village, and examples to others. Not to be superior, or do all the work themselves. Normal people, normal shinobi, had a right to take their protection and livelihood into their own hands if they wished. Taking that right or ability away from them made them little more than pets. Still, Hanabi had asked the question and he needed to provide an answer. He could not admit he was a Hyuuga, not yet. The look on her face would be too priceless when she figured it out and he was saving his eyes for a few moments to get a look at it. Unless she found out beforehand of course. He shook his head idly, speaking sadly. “No parents or siblings, no wife or kids of my own either I’m afraid.” He would say simply, eating his noodles with a somewhat somber expression. It was true, his parents died on missions over the course of his life and he had been an only child. That did not mean he did not have family of course. As the Hyuuga Clan were all related, but the somberness of his tone combined with the words themselves would hopefully, serve to distract his companion into not realizing that he had not exactly answered her question. “What about you?” He would ask softly, his tone still somber but now with a trace of curiosity in it.

[6]

Hanabi ate the noodle pretty quickly, listening to Peragus. No family, wife or kids. Hanabi didn’t have that either, let alone much friends. Her teammates were her friends and they barely knew each other. Once Peragus asked about her, she finished her bowl and placed it on the table, making a clink noise. Her demeanor completely changed once asked about her family, taking a deep breath and exhaling. “I guess you could say the same. I don’t mind it though, it’s what’s best for me anyway.” She gave a soft smile, adjusting her position and fixing her seat. Her smile was obviously fake but she tried to make the best of it. The scar on her back was a painful reminder of what her family was to her.

Hanabi shook her head and looked to Peragus. “How about we get you home? My clothes are a bit dirty so I would need to go get them cleaned.” She made a small giggle, placing a hand on his, softly tapping it, letting him know she was ready to leave. How would he react to her being an Uchiha? Let alone a small percentage of it. She wanted to hide the blood so much but for some reason, it kept catching up to her. She calling over the waitress, letting her know she was done and ready. She took the last sip of her drink and gave the waitress the cup before leaving to go out the dishes up and bring back the bill.

Peragus would grin as she took the same out he had when asked about family. She had not told him anything, while giving an answer to the question. He finished his second bowl as he heard hers clink onto the table. However her next words would cause him to raise an eyebrow. She wanted to get him home huh? Wait, her clothes are dirty? He supposed that made sense actually, he had knocked her into the ground by accident. Well he could not have that, he had caused the issue. That made it his job to fix it. “Before we go, let’s play a game first.” He would say, tossing a coin purse on the counter. Akina came by and picked it up quietly, she opened it and turned toward him with an unreadable expression before nodding to herself and stepping out to the back. She spoke a few quiet words with her father for a moment and then moved to the front and out of the tarps.

In reality, Peragus had paid for their meal, but also for something extra. Tenko and Akina knew his secret, and he had long since worked out with them a deal where if he paid them enough for their average business day. They would temporarily close up shop and keep customers from coming in. It allowed him to speak freely of his facade without risking someone overhearing, Ramen stands could have customers at any time after all. This arrangement, with two of the people he trusted most and knew of his secret was beneficial to both parties. “Before we go, know Akina and Tenko have seen the state of my eyes before. Now that you’ve had a meal, I dare you to look under my blindfold.” He would say, his tone somewhat jovial, if a bit sad. He would turn his body, and his head to face her, causing them to be close although how close he wouldn't actually be sure of because of the blindfold.

[7]

As Hanabi was getting ready to stand up, Peragus asked to play a game. A game? She wondered why a game here of all places. Looked him up and down and noticing the bag for payment and how heavy it seemed. Adjusting her position, she faced towards Peragus, him doing the same for her. As he heads his pleas of the game, she cocked her head just a moment. “Look under..? Are you sure?” She pondered it a bit, now realizing it was a dare and she couldn’t go back on a dare. “O-okay..” She stood up, getting a hit closer to his face, her body leaning over the table. “Here it goes.”


Hanabi grabbed the bottom part of the blindfold, slowly raising it up, his eyelashes appearing first and then his eyes. She place the blindfold on top of his head, staring at his eyes. His eyes were almost the color of ice, sharp and mesmerizing. Her gold eyes looking deeply, moving side to side, trying to take in what she was seeing. So mesmerized, she didn’t notice she was leaning closer until their noses touched, making her jolt back from him. “O-oh. Sorry.” His eyes were beautiful to her, now seeing nothing wrong with them. “They’re beautiful.” She blinked, still staring, lost in his eyes. Her gold eyes represented amber, deep and rich, almost like honey from a tree sap. Her face grew red from the moment they had and she cleared her through, looking away. “W-why did you want me to lift it.” Hanabi avoided eye contact, afraid she’d get lost in them again, afraid of what might happen.

He would listen to her hesitance, but say nothing as she came to the realization that it was a dare. More probably though she had realized that he would not have said anything if he did not want her to for some reason. He felt her fingers grab the bottom of his blindfold. He expected her to be somewhat pretty, with kind eyes. He knew she was shorter than him significantly given their impact earlier however he had not actually seen her. As his eyes had not been one once the entire time they had known each other so far. When the blindfold came up his icy blue eyes met pools of liquid gold.

And suddenly his breath was gone.

His heart lurched in an odd way as their eyes met. He found he could not look away from her stunning eyes of honey and amber. He felt his mouth drop open slightly in surprise before his vision took in the rest of her. She was not in fact somewhat pretty. She was absolutely stunning, caramel colored skin, beautiful features and white hair. When their noses touched, a product of both of them leaning over and not simply hers he would blink in surprise before jolting back in time with her. Had he been about to..? Yes, yes he was. He schooled his emotions, temporarily grasping them and setting them aside, within a room of his mind and shutting the door most of the way. Not fully, they were emotions that would need to be faced and analyzed later. But for now he had to speak. Had to cover for his slip. “My, bold enough to take a dare, and stunningly beautiful as well. It’s not everyday I meet someone like that..” He would say, his voice almost a whisper before he mastered it once more.

“Yours are just as stunning from my eyes I assure you..” He would say before realizing she had asked another question as well and nodded. “Right, as to why. You see, if I did not you would probably realize the truth soon when you helped me home. As I live in the Hyuuga Compound.” He would say, starting the explanation with a direct answer to her question. “As to why I cover my eyes at all, when they can see just fine I assure you. I do it to promote people to underestimate me. They all do it, even subconsciously when you see someone with a full blindfold your instinctive reaction is to believe they are disabled, hindered, weak. I want them to underestimate me. It makes it easier to achieve victory that way.” He would begin his eyes looking for eye contact. “The thing is, the charade doesn’t work if I don’t wear it all of the time. Normally that isn’t a problem. The Byakugan, my bloodline, allows me to more than compensate. However I made a mistake today, I used my eyes too much earlier and the strain of doing so hit me hard right as I turned that corner and I wasn’t able to see suddenly, and I ran into you. Tenko and Akina here know the truth of course and I offer to pay them their average day in sales myself if they agree to close the shop for a few moments and keep people out while I take the blindfold off if I need to. Or even explain to someone the truth. Only you’re the first I’ve had to take them up on it with.” He would explain, going into the situation that actually happened so that his companion understood.

“Of course, if you’re still willing, I’ll need help getting home..I’ll still need to wear the blindfold when I leave here. Besides, I really do want to wash those clothes. They got dirty because of me and I should take responsibility for that.” He would finish, going quiet as his blue eyes searched for the meeting of gold once more.

[8]

Hanabi’s face became as crimson as a tomato, still looking away when he commented on her eyes and overall attractiveness. Nobody had ever openly admitted things like this to her, causing her to become more flushed, if possible, steam would have come out of her from how flushed she was. “T-t-thank you…” After a moment of silence, Peragus answered her question, stating he was a Hyuuga and the reasoning behind the blindfold was to underestimate his opponents. Her face still flushed, her head snapped back to Peragus, her eyes wide and shocked. “Y-you’re a hyuuga?!” Her eyes looked into his for a brief moment, not seeing the regular eyes of a hyuuga. Her eyes moved side to side, trying to capture any hint of the hyuuga side to him. She grabbed his face, pulling it closer, looking closely at him once again. “You don’t look like a hyuuga..” she muttered, still moving his face around to see an resemblance. “Hmm..” Hanabi stopped moving his face and stared at him for a moment. “You’re kinda cute.. now that I see you..” she muttered, not realizing she spoke aloud. She scooted back and stood up, clearing her throat before talking again. “I’ll help you get home as long as you clean my clothes.” She gave a soft smile before walking around to Peragus, standing in front of him, chest view and lower. She crouched down just a little bit, grabbing his blind fold and gave a quick wink. “See ya on the other side.” Hanabi pulled the blindfold down, covering his eyes once again. She tapped his shoulder, standing back up, letting him know she was ready to go. Before taking off, Hanabi looked back at the Hyuuga and sighed, finally letting him know of her family name. “Please be careful when bringing me into your clans district. I don’t think they’ll take too took kindly to an Uchiha in their residence.”

He found it amusing how embarrassed she got when he commented on her appearance. Turning red and almost looking like a tomato. She thanked him and he nodded in silence, not wanting to overdo it. When she discovered his family name her head would snap back in response and he would chuckle in response at her surprised question. She looked back into his eyes for a moment. He took in the direct eye contact between his blue ice and her golden orbs. What he did not expect though was for her to grab his face and pull him closer. She moved him around, trying to see all the angles.

He had halfway expected her to kiss him, and his heart had nearly stopped when the thought had crossed his mind.

His own faint shade of red dusted his cheeks. She would comment idly, probably not even realizing that she had spoken aloud, that he was kind of cute and he would chuckle at that. “Glad I meet your approval.” He would say, bringing to light the fact that she had in fact spoken out loud. Still, she agreed to take him home provided he agreed to wash her clothes and he nodded. It was only fair and she would get up and move over to him giving him an ample view of everything below the neck as she grabbed his blindfold and winked at him before pulling it down. He..He did not know how to feel about that, that had been very intimate to him. Felt that way anyway and her wink caused his heart rate to explode. Still, he moved, standing up and letting her take his arms.

Hopefully this time she would avoid street signs.

As they walked through the tarp Peragus would wave goodbye to Akina. He couldn’t see her but he knew she was be there and the wave would inform her that they were done. He knew Akina would open back up for business and they would continue on as if nothing happened. As they moved down the road, the slowly winding down streets of the village around them he would listen to her words.

He laughed.

Oh my how he laughed. At the realization that she was an Uchiha he could not help himself. It absolutely tickled him to know that. Because in ages past the Hyuuga and Uchiha were enemies. Not only that but the recent wars, perpetrated by Uchiha leadership, had caused strain between the two clans. Personally he found it stupid, he hated clanist society as it stood and felt that clans had a duty to use their influence to help people and give them opportunity to stand on their own and with the clans that worked to make the village a better place. Not either act all high and mighty and push people down by doing the work themselves. As so many seemed to do. He hated the status quo and this? This was going to be fun. It would take time for people to realize she was an Uchiha of course, but when they did. Oh boy.

Calming his laughter down he would speak. “I-I’ll explain when we’re behind closed doors. For the moment lets get me home. When we turn into the compound it’s the last door on the left.” H e would explain. The district was not very far from the ramen stand, part of why he went to it so frequently. “When we get inside my home there'll be a small side table just inside. Stop us there for a moment if you don’t mind.” He would instruct, he couldn’t see at the moment after all and he would need to take his blindfold off when safely inside. The table was directly inside the home so it would be easy enough to recognize.

[9]

Hanabi blushed with the realization she spoke aloud due to Peragus’ comment. She weaved her way through the streets, making sure to avoid signs for Peragus’ sake. Her small hand holding his wrist as he followed behind her. Peragus started to laugh about her statement of being an Uchiha and she looked back with a raised eyebrow. Why was he laughing? Did he not care about social statuses? She didn’t look like the mere Uchiha but she still had it in her blood and was well known due to the misfortune from her clan. She shook her head as she heard his explain that she would hear about it later as to why he laughed. Hanabi kept walking, now at the start of the Hyuuga prefecture. She made a gulp as Peragus waited idly next to her, probably curious as to why they stopped for a long time.

A small table in his house.. okay. She got this. Slowly making her way through, not making any eye contact, she successfully got to the door and opened it. It was quite big on the inside and she blinked for a few minutes in awe, wondering how someone could live in this. Hanabi lightly slapped her face, walking inside, the door hitting Peragus as he came in last. Bonk. Hanabi immediately turned around as they got to the table and touched his face and arms. “Oh- I’m sorry, I should’ve held it open!” She lifted his blindfold once more, meeting with his icy gaze, making goosebumps go up her back. She gulped and stepped away so he could get room. “S-sorry.” She looked around once more, her arms behind her back, holding both her hands. “You have a nice place…”

They would stop when he laughed but he would not be surprised by that. Not many expected laughter when told that someone was apart of the Uchiha Clan. Idly he wondered if he had caused some offense. That would certainly not have been the intent. However it would need to be something that needed to be addressed when they arrived at his home. Lest someone pick his words out and realize he was a Hyuuga. Few actually paid attention to who came and went from clan compounds. Summonings, messages, and other such things occurred often enough that keeping track of who was and was not in the family was a pain in the ass at best.

They arrived at his home and as he moved to enter his home he would impact the door, smacking into it with an audible ‘bonk’. He shook his head as he entered, clearing it from the impact. Once inside he would reach back and ensure the door was closed and locked. Hanabi would remove the blindfold as she apologized and her golden eyes and his of icy blue would meet once more. She would gulp as he looked into her eyes and step away so he could get some space. Apologizing once more as she did so. Then she would comment that he had a nice place.

He chuckled softly. “I would hope so, but thank you.” He would say as he reached for the side table and opened it. He set his blindfold within it and closed the drawer. He had spares within of course but he always made sure to return his blindfolds to their home. Then he would turn toward her and give a smile. “Thank you for bringing me home. Now, lemme take you to the living room and then get you a change of clothes. Oh, and don’t worry about people using the Byakugan on us. Strict rules within the compound barring emergency situations.” He would say before moving to take her by the hand. He felt the warmth of her hand in his if she allowed him to take hers and he led her toward the living room. It was large, although fairly utilitarian. There was not much in the way of ‘homey’ decorations and the place felt more for function than anything else. A large, comfortable looking couch. A dining room table not far, a window to the outside with evening sunlight streaming in through the closed blinds. A coffee table, some chairs, no pictures, no frippery. It was almost cold in appearance. He showed her to the couch "Please, take a seat and make yourself at home. I’ll grab something for you to wear and then get us some drinks while you change. Then take your clothes to the wash.” He would explain before heading toward a hallway they had passed on the way to the living room and turning down it.

He would move to his room and get a shirt and some sweats and bring them back to her. It was a simple black shirt that would nonetheless be way too big for her with their almost foot difference in height. The sweats would almost be comical if she chose to wear them and he idly wondered if she would even bother. He set the folded clothes on the arm of the couch before looking to meet her golden eyes. “I’m afraid I’m quite a bit taller than you so it might be awkward wearing these. What would you like to drink?” He would ask, his obligation as host clear to him.

[10]

Hanabi nodded following Peragus to the living room, making herself feel a little at home. She sat on the edge of the couch, still looking around. Her eyes sparkled with how big the room was, the building itself rather. She looked back to Peragus as he began speaking again. “Yeah of course.. It’s no big deal.” She smiled at him, watching him leave the room to go get clothes. She took the moments in between to quietly panic as she was in the Hyuuga clan district. Airi would’ve been nervous and honestly she was nervous enough to be nervous for Airi if she ever found out about this. Her body shook, almost vibrating the couch. As Peragus came back, explaining they were a bit big, Hanabi stopped shivering and stood up frantically. “I-it’s okay. Um. Probably just a water.” She smiled to him once again, grabbing the clothes and leaving to go find a bed room.


Hanabi made her way towards the hallway where they came and opened a door. Nope. Bathroom. She moved down, finding another door. Nope.. closet this time. Hanabi began to sweat nervously and panic before opening another door and going in. It seemed to be a guest bedroom which made Hanabi sigh with relief. She began to undress, her muscles moving and conforming to her spine, making her wince with the recent burn. She put the shirt and pants on, tying a double knot to make sure they were tight around her waist. The shirt fit fine but the pants were definitely large on her. Hanabi opened the door and made her way back out, walking into the living room and wincing a little bit, making a groan from distress. “Damn…” She clenched her teeth a bit before looking at Peragus, holding her hand out for the water, grabbing it and taking a sip. “Thank you.”

When he brought her some clothing to wear she thanked him and simply requested water for a drink. He nodded and moved back into the kitchen. It was a large space, with a ton of counter space and good equipment. He put ice into two glasses and filled them with water before returning to the couch to sit. When he sat he almost sprawled back against the back of the couch. Deciding to do by example, his hope was that if she saw him relaxing fully, then she might as well. Both glasses of water were on the coffee table now, simply waiting.

After a brief time she returned wearing the spare clothing and carrying her old ones. She set them on the table and took a glass of water after a wince and a groan that drew his eyes to her. As if they wouldn’t be on her already. “What’s the problem?” He would ask, white eyebrows raising in curiosity as he looked to her. If she had been injured when she fell he would truly feel like an ass. That was for certain however assuming that would be arrogance. It might have been an old injury after all. Still if it was something he could help with he would do so without question. He would stand, picking her clothing up from the table and holding into a bundle under his arm.

He would wait for her to tell him why she was hurting of course but the original intent of her coming was so he could wash these and that meant getting them started fairly quickly. Still, listening to why she was in pain would not take long and it was her time here anyway. If she wanted him to hurry, she could simply tell him such and he would move to do so.

[11]

Hanabi looked up at him, eyes meeting once more and her gaze going to somewhere else. She took another sip and wiped her mouth from the excess water that stayed on her lip. “It’s nothing—“ She waved her hand in front on her face. “—Nothing you did especially. I had a spar with Ren and now I’ve got a scar from him. He burned me pretty badly..” She gave him a soft chuckle, reassuring him it wasn’t his fault. “It’s uncomfortable because it’s along my spine so it kinda hurts when I over exert my back.” She took another sip before sitting back down on the couch and placing the water on the table. She leaned back, making a tired sigh, rubbing her face and sniffing. Hanabi looked back to Peragus, readjusting herself to show her back. “Here. I’ll show you.” She began lifting the back of her shirt up and over her head, keeping her entire front side covered with how big the shirt was.


Muscles, tense areas and scars made there way around her, almost telling a story. Some large gnashes, some small cuts made there way across her back, shoulders and ribs. The most prominent one being the burn she had recently got from Ren. It was slightly red still but overall healed up and just tense as second degree burns would do. The burn went from the middle of her back, starting at the tail and to the head, ending between her shoulders, on her spine. “Don’t mind the other scars..” She said quietly, quite embarrassed actually. There was a difference between showing them to someone and them being shown from what she wore. “I um…” she cleared her throat as she lowered her shirt, turning back around and leaning against the back of the couch. Her eyes looking down, occasionally meeting his icy eyes. “The Uchiha clan… didn’t take kindly to me being a portion of Uchiha..” hanabi went to grab for her glass, took a sip and started again. She inhaled and exhaled deeply, looking a bit more stoic with her face. “As I told you, I am an Uchiha… but I only claim my Inuzaka family name. The scars were a byproduct of me existing. Ren Uchiha was one of the kids who chimed in and he was the one to give me that burn.” Hanabi looked away a bit, saying all she could before getting angry. Her eyes changed a bit, going from a gold amber to a deep orange, almost red and back to Gold. “That’s me though. There’s obviously more to the story but maybe another time..” She looked back to Peragus and gave him a smile.

At the name Ren he would blink in mild surprise. He remembered Ren, the dark haired Uchiha that had asked him to how to relax. He’d spent the majority of the day showing him various methods and how to release one’s built up tension. When Hanabi lifted the back of the shirt to show the scars and the burn on her back he would reach out an extremely gentle hand to trace them. He would not touch the burn itself, lest he hurt her but he would trace the scars. As listened to her words about how the Uchiha Clan. He would take that information in, letting it settle over him. Peragus, well, suffice to say Peragus hated the clans as they currently were.

When she looked back to him and smiled, the look would break something in him. His blue eyes becoming chips of ice as he let the anger that came from the revelation settle into place within his heart and mind. He took a single, deep, calming breath. Then he spoke, his voice having no inflection, no joviality, no nothing. “I hate the clan system as they are. Filled with elitism and arrogance. Clans are a cornerstone of a village and the knowledge of that, and their bloodlines fill the minds of most within with ideas of false grandeur and importance. A Clan’s first duty is to act as an example to all shinobi and citizens within the village. To help, guide, and protect those who need it. To guide others into their own glory and power and to act as a bedrock foundation to the village as a whole. It isn’t to..” He would say, his voice pausing. As he had spoken his voice had lost that angry, toneless inflection and emotion had begun to creep into it. Anger, barely leashed, lacing the words with contempt and spite at the clans as a whole and how they treated those they viewed as lesser than they. At the last words he had paused, unable to continue without a deep breath. However when he had it back under control he continued. “It isn’t to belittle, and crush those beneath them. It isn’t to use others as stepping stones for their own greatness, and it certainly isn’t to get lost in their own delusions of self importance.” He would say his eyes never leaving hers as he spoke.

He took his hand from her skin and turned away, her clothes under an arm as he nodded toward the back of the house. “I’m going to get these started and get a first aid kit. Lay forward on the couch with the shirt up, or simply take it off and lay forward if you wish it doesn’t matter to me. I’ll see to that burn.” He would say, his tone still neutral now that he had everything back under tight control. With that he would move toward the back of the house toward the washing machine and dryer. He would start her clothes and on the way back stop and pick up a first aid kit. He had a few specially tailored to certain wounds since first aid kits tended to lack a lot of space. The one he grabbed of course was tailored toward burns.

He would return a few moments later, moving into the living room and moving to set the kit on the table and open it. He set aside a few things, a burn cream that would be rubbed fully into the burn to prevent it from scarring too badly, although it was too far along to prevent entirely. A topical to prevent it from hurting at least, and some gauze and scissors and medical tape. At that point he stopped, looking at the assortment of items on the table, his blue eyes solemn before he spoke. “So you said Ren caused that burn? While degrading you?” He would ask, his tone calm, and quiet. Ren, whom he had helped train and challenge not long ago. Ren whom he had taught how to relax, bought lunch for, and in general had treated well, not long ago.

[12]

The little touches along her back made Hanabi shiver and get goose bumps, making her blush as well. Someone touched her back with such gentle hands, not meaning to hurt but to care. It made Hanabi feel weird but she knew Peragus wanted to help her. As Peragus started talking, his demeanor changing and what not, Hanabi remained looking at him, watching his face and body, seeing that he felt something serious about the idea of Clans and statuses. Hanabi nodded in agreement from time to time, thinking about it as he spoke. It was really useless to think about these clans and see their faults and not think about them. They were supposed to help shinobi grow. Peragus only spoke truth towards her and she accepted that truth.


Peragus suggested she lay forward so he could treat the burn, to at least heal the uncomfortable pain. Hanabi shook her head, denying it but when she went to speak, she felt like it would have been of no use. She looked down with her eyes for a moment and decided to let someone help her for once. She sighed and nodded to him, getting herself ready by lifting her shirt, front still covered, only the back exposed. Hearing Rens name come up again, she tensed up but soon relaxed. “Y-yeah. Ren calls me a little mutt and said the clan drove my father to the edge of the village… which is true.. that’s his nickname for me… mutt..” Hanabi looked to the side, gripping onto the loose shirt she partially wore. “I don’t even have my Sharingan so I can’t do much against him..”

He listened as she spoke, first getting the burn ointment out and applying some to his fingertips and beginning to gently, very gently, work the ointment into her burn. He was careful to fully cover the burn. This he had to apply before the painkiller simply because the he needed to rub this into the burn fully. That meant too much pressure would hurt and he wanted to avoid that if possible. As he worked she spoke of Ren’s nickname for her, a play on the last name she had actually chosen to take it would seem. Anger flared in the man but he did not let it affect his work. After a bit the burn cream would be fully worked into the burn. It would help to make it softer and overall less painful in the long run. It would also help it to not scar quite as bad. Although some scarring would be inevitable.

Next was the topical painkiller. It was also an ointment one rubbed into the skin and he would apply it too. This was more for the short term. It would numb the area of feeling and keep it from hurting when clothing rubbed against it. Once he worked it into her skin a bit he moved to grab some gauze and tape. He covered the burn and taped the gauze down before putting away everything. All the while he did not say a word. His silent anger smoldering within. He banked the metaphorical heat for the moment though. That he would let out on Ren next he could get him to the training grounds.

Once he had everything put away he would stand and move to kneel by her head at the couch. She could have sat up and he done this but for some reason it felt like that would lack the impact doing it like this would have. He had come to her, knelt in front of her to tell her this. For some reason that metaphorical image mattered to him. “Hanabi..You’ve heard my feelings on how clan’s should treat others. My opinion on how we should all treat each other. I can’t promise the clan as a whole will be any different but no one here would physically hurt you..” He would say his words trailing off quietly as he let her take in his words for a moment before continuing. “I say that because I want you to know that you have a safe place in my home. A room will be set aside for you, always. Some will make angry noises at someone with Uchiha blood living here but none will take any action. At least not and succeed, I can at the very least promise that. You can come whenever you wish, day, night, rain, snow, it won’t matter. You’ll be let in, and you’ll be safe and cared for.” He would say, his blue eyes moving to lock onto her golden ones.

He wanted eye contact for that, wanted her to see that he meant it. If able he would lean his forehead against hers, resting it against hers as his eyes bore into hers. At first they were laced with concern, and anger. After a few moments though the anger would fade and only the concern would show.

[13]