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"There has been no sighting of Sasuke?" Fugaku questioned Hinata, leaning much too close to her for her liking.

She sighed and shook her head. "He has left town, as I told you yesterday. When I was to be introduced to him by our mutual friend he left to go to a town called Amegakure."

Mikoto flicked her tail around the ground nervously while her husband questioned the poor girl. Hiashi also seemed to be getting restless.

"How odd, just a couple weeks ago I sensed his magic in the water and sent Neji to look for him." Hiashi said. He always is able to use his special ability without needing to focus on it. It's just become a second nature to him now.

Hinata remembered going into the ocean that evening despite Naruto protesting. He was so worried for her and waiting at the portal for two hours since she said she wasn't staying long, would come up with an excuse to come back as soon as she could.

Of course they asked a million questions but Hinata just acted surprised and confused when they asked her about Sasuke's presence. Then her and Sasuke came to the brilliant plan of telling their families he skipped town. Whether or not he would come back was what they were still wondering.

"I do not know what to tell you," Hinata said with a pout on her lips. "I could not get close to him despite having made connections and now he is in an unknown town."

Fugaku and Mikoto both sighed but Mikoto looked more depressed that disappointed. It was obvious she wanted to at least see her youngest son.

Hiashi sat down at his desk, his tail swaying underneath him. There were three weeks left until Hinata's birthday but if Sasuke had left town, then what was the point of her continously going?

"Then," her father spoke out. "Should we just begin the wedding preparations for Hinata and Toneri?"

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Toneri had such pure and beautiful magic. He could create waves and tidals just as the moon could which Hinata thought was just so beautiful. The two of them had swam farther away from their colony so he could practice his magic without putting the village at risk.

"So you haven't found him?" The white haired male asked. His eyes were a brilliant teal, especially glowing in the darkness of the sea. "Does that mean..."

Hinata chewed the inside of her lip. "Can I trust you, Toneri?" She looked up from the coral she was playing with and met his gaze. "Genuinely, wholeheartedly trust you?"

The male was taken aback but quickly regained his posture. "Of course."

The bluenette let out a deep breath and focused her magic on her palms. She had been getting stronger since her maturity was just a few weeks away now. And, Hinata may have gotten her special ability earlier.

She reached her palm out and motioned for Toneri to grab her hand. Once he did he immediately pulled away.

"Hinata... your hand is..."

In the center of her palm was a small blue flame.

"Toneri, I don't wish to marry you or Sasuke. I do not wish to marry anyone right now." She said clearly. "This is more than likely my special ability or at least part of it. I need your help to go back on land."

Her father had told her there was no point in going back since Sasuke had no chance of being located. She had been in the ocean for a week, no doubt causing Naruto and the others to worry.

Their plan had backfired. Or at least their temporary one had.

The teal eyed male gulped. "I... I cannot do that. You will be in danger, your family–"

"Only if I dwell in the ocean." She cut him off. There would only be danger to herself and family is she remained unwed in the ocean. Once she came into her powers the power hungry sirens and merpeople would emerge from the darkness to try to make her theirs. Or worse, hurt her family in order to coerce her into going willingly. "I will come back, but I need help in going back on land to properly part ways with the comrades I made there."

She could see that Toneri was still hesitant. She couldn't tell him the truth but she knew that he wouldn't hurt her if he did find out the truth. The white haired man chewed his lip and let out a deep sigh.

"You have fallen for someone on land, then?" he suddenly asked.

The bluenette stopped the motion of her tail and turned her head to look down to the dark abyss of the ocean. She didn't know how to respond.

"I moved to the colony last year," he poked her arm. "My family dwelled on land for years so my father could pursue his human dreams. I fell for a girl on land when I was sixteen but then I realized I didn't want to live on land. I wanted to die where I was born; the ocean."

Hinata looked at him in awe. She had never even suspected that Toneri would have lived on the land but this was such a pleasant twist. "Why?"

He laughed at her bluntness. "I know our kind are such odd and cold creatures but I always felt drawn to the ocean. I want to build a life here." he said which made Hinata smile. "Although I was excited to soon start a life with you, I'll help in anyway I can."

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It was late. Although it was always dark in the ocean, Hinata could tell that the hours of the daylight were at an end. It was also now only a week and half before she was to turn twenty-one. She also knew that Naruto had been taking his exams this week and prayed that he did well despite her knowing that he was probably too worried to concentrate. She hoped that she didn't inadvertently caused him to fail.

Toneri had told her of a basic spell that allows humans to breathe underwater but can only be performed by a magic user of age and with a kiss. She hoped to bring Naruto to her hometown one day but that was a faraway thought. She doubted that she would be able to return to her beloved and friends anytime soon. The next time she would see them she would be married.

There was a knock at her door and Hinata beckoned them to enter. She watched her mother swim in and let a soft smile grace her lip. Her mother was the only one who never questioned her or talked to her about the wedding. Although, it wasn't technically a wedding. More just the joining of the hands and ceremony stuff but no party or anything fun.

"Mother," she murmured. "What brings you here?"

Hiyori smiled at her eldest daughter. "You already know, my sweet girl," the woman sighed. Hinata knew. "You need to go back on land."

Of course her mother knew. Hinata could never hide anything from her mother. So she could only expect that her mother knew her heart and body no longer belonged here in the ocean. 

She hummed and looked down at her tail. "How long have you known?"

"When you began to spend less time reassuring your father that you would come back." Hiyori answered honestly. "I don't need to know any details, but, I will tell your father that you needed to go back and will return on your birthday."

The younger sat up suddenly which caused her hair to float up suddenly above her. "I-I can leave now?" she asked, unsure if she heard correctly. "Are you sure?"

Hiyori smiled once more. "Hurry, while he is still sleeping."

Hinata rushed to her mother and placed a small kiss on her cheek before swimming quickly to her father's study where the portal was. He still hadn't gotten rid of it. She didn't even think before swimming through it and upwards. 

She continued to swim and swim and could see the trees above her. Hinata didn't notice that the pond had frozen over until she ran smack into it. She winced and rubbed her nose and placed her hand on the ice. Hinata took a deep breath and focused on activating her magic so she could produce a small flame as she had been practicing. However, it didn't melt the ice.

"What..?" she mumbled. To the best of her knowledge, fire melted ice. Her fire disappeared since she didn't have any control over it yet. She began to bang on the ice but it was too thick for her to break. Hinata tried to use her magic but she had tired out her abilities by forcing her special ability before she was of age.

There was no way for her to get out. If she would try to transform there was no guarantee she could get out, she could drown. Her magic needed time to replenish so she couldn't transform back to back.

The hyuga could feel herself begin to lose hope but she took a deep breath to steady herself.

Hinata began to summon Naruto.

the next chapter will be up in two weeks :)
super duper unedited btw