The following few days of training had proven very frustrating for Kurenai. She could tell things got worse between Naruko and Hinata, and judging by the way they're acting it's the white eyed girls fault, and she doesn't realize it. Naruko had approached Hinata multiple times only to back down before even saying anything. And Hinata never seemed to notice, always being too focused on training. She can't blame the kids for the drama, she had been twelve once too so she can understand what they're going through (though when she was twelve she was already a chunin and was in the middle of a war, and only barely started to form a crush on Asuma). But this can't go on. So during their one on one she confronted the girl.
"Hinata, what's been going on with you?"
"What do you mean, Kurenai-sensei?"
"Why have you been ignoring Naruko?"
Hinata looked affronted at that, "I'm not, we're talking just as much as ever."
"Okay then, outside of training when was the last time you two were together?"
Hinata wanted to say the day before on instinct, because in the past it had always been true. But it wasn't. She hadn't spent any time with the redhead in the past week, actually now that she thinks about it she's maybe had one day of relaxing with the redhead in the past month. Oh no.
"If you want to break up with her you should just get it over with."
"Break up with her?! Why would I want to do that?" Hinata was alarmed, she would never want to break up with Naru-chan. She loved her.
"Because you've been ignoring her." Hinata couldn't even deny it. "Have you even noticed the looks she's been giving you?"
"What looks?" She'd assume they're beyond the normal looks of love and trust.
"She walks up to you multiple times a day, everyday, and looks like she wants to talk. But she always backs down." Kurenai looks at the younger girl sternly. "Either rip the band-aid off and break up with her or get your act together and stop neglecting her."
Is that what she's been doing, neglecting her? Oh god, it must be tearing the redhead apart. The girl was abused and neglected by the village and now she was doing something similar. Oh god she was only sparring with her. What has she done?
Kurenai sees the look of dawning realization and says, "I'm not going to train you if you keep abandoning her. Until you fix things you're on your own. This isn't a lesson I've taught you guys because this team has had little issue functioning together. But an old classmate of mine, and another friend, had a saying. Those who break the rules are scum, but those who abandon their comrades are worse than scum." The first half didn't really apply here, but she thought the lesson would be appropriate none the less.
Hinata nods and runs off, she has to find her girlfriend and apologize. Training obsessively isn't worth it if it means losing Naru-chan in the process. She's the whole reason she's training so hard to begin with. And she hadn't told her the truth to stop her from worrying. But it must feel like Hinata just isn't interested in talking to her. She had tried to protect her but she only made things worse. She had to find her!
***
Hinata wasn't surprised to find the redhead at the park where they first met, it had become the place they went when they were feeling down. She wondered how often Naruko had been here alone in the past month. The park had fallen into disrepair over the years, likely in part by civilians not wanting to finance the park Naruko was so fond of. She was quietly sitting on the swings. She seemed smaller than usual, it only made Hinata feel worse. The white eyed girl noticed the redhead's hair was forming horns. The girl was using her nature transformation. Which meant she knew Hinata was there. The redhead didn't say anything, she just kept quietly swinging.
The white eyed girl walked over and sat on the swing next to the redhead. They sat in silence for several minutes before they both spoke at the same time.
"I'm sorry."
The two blink in surprise as they hear the other speak. Naruko goes first. "I'm sorry for upsetting you Hina-chan. You probably hate me for losing your hand over me. Even if you told me it was worth it. And then I probably made it worse by spending time with Sasuke. I-I'm sorry I didn't notice how you felt. I-It's just—"
Hinata can feel her heart breaking as Naru-chan speaks. She can't let her think it's her fault. "No! Naru-chan, it's all my fault. I've been to obsessed with training, and have been keeping things from you because I thought it would worry you." Hinata stands and cups the redhead's face, well she half cups the redhead's face. "I can see now that was wrong. I'm sorry Naru-chan, I'll tell you everything from now on." She wiped one of the tears that had started to gather in the redhead's eyes.
Naruko nods slowly, waiting for the other girl to continue. "If I don't win the upcoming chunin exams then I'll be forced into marriage early. Either that or sealed and placed in the branch family." Well now the obsessive training makes sense.
"So you don't hate me?"
"I still love you more than you could ever know. But I have to train harder than ever to make sure we can stay together." Naruko nods in understanding. "I know now that thought is wrong. Ignoring you to try and stay with you is not the way to go about this. If I can't enjoy my time with you then there is no point." She smiles gently at the redhead. "Can you forgive me?"
"I could never be mad at you Hina-chan. I love you too much for that." She leans forward and locks lips with the heiress. She had to admit, it's been to long since they've done this.