304Red Thread
"So can you see who your thread goes to?!" Hanabi asks urgently, pouting at Hinata's lack of response. Her gaze lifts back up towards the crowds, Naruto hurriedly weaving himself out of the way of a merchant's sharp glare. "I can, but I don't know if Father would ever approve of him." Soulmates AU.
Chapter 1: A Connection
"Invisible threads are the strongest ties."
― Friedrich Nietzsche
Hinata
It isn't until the summer of her approaching 13th birthday that she considers what it will mean to finally see her own red thread like her peers.
To know that there's someone in this world that will want her; love her how she is.
She crosses to her window to take in the morning air and the few moments of peace she has alone before she must go greet Father and the others downstairs in the meditation room.
'I'm not ready.' Hinata bites her lip until the metallic taste of blood hits her tongue, stomach in utter knots.
'Coward.' Her thoughts hiss, it is no wonder so little of her clan believes she should hold the title of heiress.
Her heart pounds wildly up against her chest, already picturing the looks of disappointment to contempt that will be across her Father and the elders' features.
Not for the first time does she weigh with the idea of sneaking out, mentally reviews the routes the night guards take during their patrols and how fast it would take one of them to notice her slipping out before sending out the alert.
'It would never work, Neji's room is too close by. I would worry Hanabi all over again to try to leave without explanation.' Hinata sighs.
Her gaze moves towards the lush greenery that stretches across the mountains in the distance, the wave of gold and orange sunlight running through Konoha's neighboring forests and against the skyline as the moon disappears into the coming dawn.
There're always those nerves of anticipation that approach with each passing year, especially when one reaches their 10th year. Usually, it is then that older siblings or relatives start to speak more of who they're destined to be with.
And true to tradition, she has heard the elders, heard Father whisper more and more often about who her red thread will reveal to her as her match before the year's end.
"We shouldn't hold our breaths Lady Hinata will be with a suitable or even reputable shinobi. Her skills and personality alone have shown she isn't ready to be heiress of the clan." Hiyoshi announces.
Hiyama nods his agreement from beside him. "Hiashi, you're only dragging out the inevitable! Nothing will change about Hinata no matter who red thread reveals as her destined partner! It's best to transfer the title of heiress to Hanabi before she embarrasses the clan by-"
Hiashi holds up a hand to stop their bickering, white eyes turned to steel. "Enough. I will make a decision on Hinata's standing after her 13th birthday."
That had been back in the early days of spring when frost still coated the ground and night fell fast enough for Father to hold meetings in the dark when he'd thought she'd gone to bed. The days had stretched out long and slow since then, she skirting around him via missions or training in the early hours of the day and Father likewise avoiding her presence save for a rare watch of one of her sparring matches or catching her at dinner.
She still couldn't read him, couldn't tell what was running through his mind on why he wanted to wait on passing her title down to Hanabi...
Everyone from both the Main and Branch clans thought her too meek, too shy and her stomach churns at the thought of having to spar with Hanabi with the intent to truly harm her.
"You're weak Hinata. A stain on the Hyuga clan name." Neji's voice mocks her from the deepest parts of her thoughts and she stiffens picturing his bemused smirk, his tone holding the same coldness and emptiness Father and the elders murmur about her.
'Don't think about it. Don't think about it.' She reminds herself.
Her eyes drift to her pinky finger before the darkness of their words take root, the finger that in a few months time will reveal to her a deep scarlet thread that can guide her to her fated partner. She thinks of bright cerulean eyes and sunny blond hair, Naruto's infectious laughter to his devious grin when he is about to start a prank before burying the thoughts away.
'It may not be him, it could be anybody.'
She'd heard stories from classmates and adults over the years, red threads that guided them to shinobi or civilian far away from Konoha they couldn't be sure how or if they wanted to make the journey to actually see. In the worst of situations sometimes said person was already married or deceased leaving the thread to crumple if they chose not to act on it's effect or seek out someone new respectively. Differences in age, lifestyle, or personality often lead to the severing of the thread as well, a pain akin to heartbreak or a scalding burn.
"Be prepared for the worse." Hinata whispers, knock at her door startling her.
"Hinata, breakfast is ready; Father is asking for you as well!" Hanabi's voice floats in from behind the door and her chest tightens, goosebumps prickling her skin down to her toes.
She glances at her reflection one last time in the mirror, pushes on a smile.
"C-Coming!"
Naruto
'Ugh, it's going to rain!'
Naruto groans, he should've done on his grocery run earlier while the sun was still out, sky now a splattering of gray as thunder rumbles in the distance.
Well hopefully it won't last he decides, heading for his doorway fishing out an umbrella Kakashi-sensei gave him to replace the old one scattered with holes. He heads out for the market district just as a drizzle starts, grunting trying to avoid the stares of the merchants who will overcharge him or offer him foods they know are set to expire within the next couple of days.
"Here's your change." The shopkeeper grumbles, pushing the ryo into Naruto's hands barely sparing him a second glance. He at least let him pick out one of the hard dough breads he made this morning along with some various snacks and to-go ramen without hassling him to hurry up or following him down the aisles.
Naruto huffs, adjusting the bags of milk, ramen, and bread in his hands not bothering to argue he's off by at least two bills.
'There goes a chunk of my ryo until the next mission.' Naruto pouts, Gama-chan looking equally dismayed at it's weight being cut in half.
He makes for the trek back to his apartment, pausing when he sees pink hair amid the colorful display of umbrellas.
Naruto brightens, raising up a hand. "Sakura! Hey-"
But then he sees the look in her eyes, jade orbs dull as the rain falling down around them. Lightning crackles up above, a tangled web of white crisscrossing against the sky.
Sasuke.
He has to be the reason behind her distress and his mind briefly flickers back to earlier in spring, the flush of happiness to Sakura's face at seeing who her red thread had apparently guided to.
"No Naruto for the 4th time, it's not to you! Geez, you'll find out who you're paired with come Fall I'm sure!" Sakura repeats, lips barely restraining a scowl at his incessant questioning.
Her gaze flickers back to Sasuke, blush returning back to her cheeks tenfold and it sinks in with painful obviousness.
'Of all the people!' Naruto bemoans through gritted teeth.
Though if Sasuke is feeling any affect of being fated to Sakura he isn't showing it yet (maybe because his birthday isn't until summer?). Instead, he retains the same pain in the ass bored look hating that Kakashi-sensei is running nearly 30 minutes late.
Sakura shuffles her toes, clears her throat.
"Sasuke, what will you do once you see your red thread of fate come July?" She begins.
Naruto straightens, curious as well to hear what he'll have to say. Everyone wants love, to know that someone cares about them (at least he wants it). Even cold hearted bastards like Sasuke could see and understand the appeal of turning 13 to finally see who they're bound to.
"I'll cut it. Love is a weakness and will get in the way of my goals." He states point blank.
A silence falls over them like a curtain, heavy and laden with tension.
Naruto frowns, unsure what to say. Sasuke first talked of revenge during their team introductions, though never brought up a name. Since first being stuck on a team with him he's been wholly focused in the back of his mind on a killing a man who seems to be leagues in power above them all.
His eyes drift slowly to Sakura to see how this news affects her, grimacing at her pained look.
Despite what little he knows, to cut your thread purposely is the same as telling your fated partner he/she isn't worth the trouble, that the pain they'll both carry like a stab wound is better than being together.
He balls his hands into fists, clicking his tongue.
"You asshole! You don't have to say it like that when Sakura-" He starts, Sakura holding up an arm before he can stand.
"...It's fine Naruto. There's nothing you can do about it." Sakura mentions softly with a weak smile, voice cracking to get each word out.
Kakashi-sensei decides to appear a moment later in a puff of smoke, taking in the mood bookmarking whatever page he's on in Pervy-Sage's dirty series.
"Hmm, did I miss something here?"
It clearly wasn't fine.
He watches from a distance as Sakura blankly observes the bouquets outside Yamanaka's flower shop. Colorful rows and shelves display a variety of roses, lilies, and chrysanthemums shades of pinks, reds, and blues. Ino pops her head out seeing her presence, nudging at her arm and he imagines teasing her over her forehead being a large enough umbrella to protect her from the rain.
The jokes don't land, Sakura's form crumpling into her arms before Ino can finish and she squeezes her close before guiding her inside the store.
Sasuke hasn't cut ties with them literally or physically yet in Sakura's case, but it's only a matter of time...
A figure leans against his window when he gets back, drawing up a kunai only for a flash of lightning to reveal spiky white hair.
Oh, it's just Pervy-Sage.
"What are you doing here? I haven't heard from you in days!" Naruto scowls, ignoring Jiraiya's cheery grin like nothing is wrong as he slides into his kitchen beside him.
"You should be happy I came by Kid! Leaving your window even cracked open a little in weather like this could flood your room!" He relates, helping him unpack his assortment of ramen and small cuts of meat.
Naruto huffs, pretending Jiraiya isn't just making himself at home.
'Is it that easy to cut your thread of connection?' He wonders, studying his hands. Sasuke has no qualms about the repercussions of doing so, it's possible most shinobi in active duty who have yet to see where their red thread goes decide to rip the bond to avoid the emotional burden of watching a loved one die.
What if his destined partner has already broken their ties?
Do they know of his current status in the village? How people avoid his gaze and sometimes pretend not to hear him?
His chest lurches, sour taste rising on the back of his tongue.
'No, I'm used to rejection. It shouldn't bother me.' He knows.
Though now that the thought is there, it stings.
Jiraiya arches a brow at his halted movement, bonking him lightly on the head. "Something wrong with your hands Kid? I'm not unpacking all your groceries for you without your help!"
Naruto stretches out his fingers, testing how to say what's on his mind. Jiraiya never talks about his personal life or people he met during his journeys. It's like pulling teeth to even get him to discuss a subject beyond women or his Make Out Paradise books. "My red thread, I wish I knew who she was and...and I hope she hasn't already severed the tie."
He looks up to him then, blue to black; curious.
"You're known as a traveling pervert, did you ever meet your fated partner in any of your journeys?" Naruto pries.
The lights above them flicker, cheap florescent lights that shine a dull gray-yellow.
Jiraiya waves off the question like he expects, pretends the subject isn't important when it's all that has been on his mind as of late. "That's a story for another time Kid."
His lights flicker twice more before cutting off with a low boom, plunging them into darkness.
He feels sure Pervy-Sage can sense his slow rising smile, rain turning into a downpour outside.
"Looks like we have the time now."
Hinata
"I'm sure you have nothing to worry about Hinata, seems like whoever I'm bound to doesn't even live in this village!" Kiba snorts, Akamaru emitting a low growl hating this entire conversation.
"Ah, well Father I know is worried. He feels like my last way to show my strength to the elders is to maybe be connected to a strong shinobi." Hinata murmurs.
Kiba lets out a low howl of laughter at that, nudging her suggestively. "Like Naruto?! Yeah, I hate to break to ya Hinata, but he's the Dead Last of our class!"
Her face burns, she didn't even need to say Naruto's name for him to know who she wants.
The Inuzuka clan treat the red thread just as seriously as any other clan, ensuring each generation is set to be with a proper future spouse that will continue their clan traditions and secret abilities.
Akamaru barks, clearly not forgetting that once he meets whoever his destined partner is he'll be pushed to the side.
Kiba turns towards him with a scowl of his own, shaking his head. "No Akamaru, this a different type of relationship; you wouldn't understand!"
Hinata giggles at their conversation, glancing towards Shino who's been silent all afternoon. Kurenai-sensei left them to spar on their own, promising to return after lunch to do search and rescue mission exercises.
'He must've seen his red thread all the way back in January, though he's never brought up who it could be.'
She follows his gaze out into the rolling valleys below, low buzz of his cicadas and beetles flickering about him.
"Do...Do you ever think about who your red thread is bound to?" Hinata asks softly.
She can't be sure if Shino even heard her going by his silence, pushing up his sunglasses quietly.
"I don't know. My red thread didn't appear on my birthday." He states dryly after a pause.
Kiba bristles to her right, overhearing and gives Hinata a wary look.
It's rare, but not unheard of.
It could mean that Shino's destined person hasn't been born yet, the worse case scenario is they've already passed away.
But Shino looks unbothered by either of these ideas, shrugging at their sad expressions.
"Are you two wondering if it bothers me? Because it doesn't. Why? We're shinobi and our missions should always come first over trivial things like love." He explains away in his usual fashion.
Kiba rolls his eyes, scoffing.
"You're not going to find anybody talking the way you do and always keeping bugs on you!"
"Kiba!" Hinata reprimands, eyeing the way Shino brings a stink bug out from his sleeves. The same type that notoriously gave both Akamaru and Kiba a headache for at least a week afterwards at it's potent smell.
Kiba arches a brow seeing it too, switching to an offensive position with a crack of his knuckles.
"Seems like it bothers you more than you'd like to admit."
"You say that when you don't even know if you'll be compatible with your own match." Shino counters, matching Kiba's change of stance.
Hinata breathes out slowly, they're both fast but she's sure can land a gentle fist on one of them before this fight escalates...
"What are you 3 doing?" Kurenai-sensei's voice comes from above. She weaves herself out of the shadows of the trees with ease, swirl of pink petals dancing down at her feet.
Crimson eyes narrow at a lack of response, sighing and looking to Hinata to explain.
"It's well...I had just asked Shino if he saw who his red thread bound him to." She mumbles out.
Kurenai blinks, smile etching at her lips in understanding.
The same petty arguments and discussions she had with her graduating class repeats over and over no matter the generation.
"Having a red thread doesn't necessarily mean you'll automatically be with said person, various circumstances can make it lengthen, shorten, or be completely cut." She explains to the trio.
Her gaze lingers the longest on Hinata and her cheeks grow hot, she could blame it on the summer heat, though they both know it would be a lie.
Out of their group, her birthday is next; the last one of the year.
"Let's take a walk Hinata, it will help clear your thoughts. Kiba, Shino! Complete the rescue dummy exercise as a team! We'll be back in 10 minutes!" Kurenai decides.
Kiba balks, groaning. "Wait, why?! It's not fair if we don't all do it-"
"Hinata will complete it when we come back. Now go before I add extra laps and push-ups for you to do as well!" Kurenai interrupts him.
Hinata watches Shino head out to do the task, Kiba reluctantly following behind him disappearing into the thicket of vines and brush. She tries not to squirm, failing feeling the weight of Kurenai-sensei's stare upon her.
"Has your Father been pressuring you lately?" She asks once they've gotten far enough away from the boys.
'No, Father doesn't care what I'm up to.' But the words get stuck in her throat, too painful to say aloud.
"He wants to ensure my red thread will tie me to a strong enough shinobi, to ensure my eyes don't fall into the wrong hands that will reveal our clan's secrets." She whispers out in a breath.
Kurenai hums thoughtfully. "You won't know anything for sure until Winter. I'm sure you wish your birthday was in Fall so the wait wouldn't feel so long."
Heat trails down her body, nodding.
Kurenai-sensei is lucky to know maybe even from before her 13th birthday that she would be with Asuma-sensei despite neither speaking of it aloud. It's clear in the way how often they spend time together, the secret touches they exchange when they believe nobody is looking, stolen kisses in empty hallways after the last classes of the day have let out (at least according to Ino catching them one time).
All she has is her dreams, silly and longing desires for Naruto to look at her the same way Asuma looks at Kurenai.
Naruto & Jiraiya
The leaves crumple in on themselves, turn from green to red and then finally a golden brown. The moon chases out the sun faster making the days shorter, brings chilly winds from the north that causes him to puff out mini clouds of white each time he takes a breath.
'It's happening, It's happening in only two hours!' The mantra repeats in Naruto's head excitedly.
"You're moving slower." Jiraiya notes, Naruto slogging through what is supposed to be his rasengan training.
He can't say he doesn't know why.
Autumn has crept it's way into Konoha, October already here.
And tonight is the moment Naruto has been waiting for.
None of his warnings stuck to him. He'd divulged of how his own red thread snapped years ago at knowing his love would always be unrequited, that some shinobi from his era watched their red threads tear as soon as they saw him or had them ripped at the advent of war...
"Can't you just let me have this you know?! I don't want to think that she's already dead or hundreds of miles away when I've never had anybody before!" Naruto yells, stomping away from him.
"You have me Kid." Jiraiya mentions before he can go too far.
Naruto glances back to him, cobalt eyes twisting a shade darker, flashing scarlet.
"...No, you weren't here on the endless nights where it felt like tomorrow wasn't coming, the stormy nights like this, or even the lonely ones where I had only my thoughts for company!" He lashes out.
He calms himself seeing Jiraiya look truly guilty for a moment before his mask is back in place.
He's always like this, secrets on the tip of his tongue before he tightens his lips again refusing to tell him about his family or his past.
"I know." Jiraiya states simply knowing that isn't enough and Naruto clicks his tongue, disappearing into his room.
"I'm heading home now." Naruto cuts into his thoughts, already picking up his backpack.
He nearly retorts he's barely made any progress, though a grin plays at his lips that it doesn't matter what he says.
Jiraiya waves him off, nodding.
"Fine, but you're taking this seriously tomorrow night if you want me to actually take you on as a student!" He jests.
At his apartment he sets about trying to kill two hours of time, tries to avoid incessantly looking back to his frog clock to see if time is going by any faster.
It isn't.
Sleep wages war with him, tries to tug him down into bed using his exhaustion and the pounding ache of his sore muscles.
And each time he dozes he pinches himself, waiting for midnight.
'Don't fall asleep. Don't fall asleep! I can make it another hour!' Naruto repeats over.
His vision blurs, he shuts his eyes for a second...
A sharp tug at his thumb jolts him awake.
The moon is bright and full, shines on his drool and he blinks blearily.
'12:09 am.' He reads overhead.
Wait.
He glances to his thumb again, sees what wasn't there the night before.
A red thread shines in the moonlight and instantly he moves to stand, nearly knocks over his chair twisting his stare in the direction it leads out into the night. He tugs it experimentally, it doesn't feel miles long like the way he's heard his peers sometimes describe.
His eyes widen then, unable to hide his rising grin, hope blooming up spreading through his chest like a fire.
'She's close, within the village!'
I know some it hurt some of my readers when I took down First Mistake mainly because I hadn't fully fleshed out my ideas for that story beyond Naruto and Hinata being secret lovers via photographs being used as blackmail against them lol. Over the past couple of months since then a mix of my leftover ideas for that story and this story came together to create this: Red Thread! I've always liked the concept of the Red Thread of Fate and Soulmates and felt ready to post this first chapter out now!
I guess this can be considered a slight AU. I don't plan to follow canon in exact order and will skip or change certain events. This will be a slowburn NaruHina and other canon couples down the line. I have roughly sketched out how the story will go from beginning to end in my head.
Thoughts? Definitely would like to know if people are interested in this!
Enjoy. Review. Favorite. Follow!