Chapter 1: We've Got Trouble
"I am very sorry, Ms. Hyuuga, but the cancer has progressed farther than we first anticipated, and her body is no longer responding to the treatment. At this rate, she doesn't have much time left….
"Hina? Hina, wake up."
Hinata Hyuuga slowly opened her eyes, lethargically taking in the view from beyond the small window on which her head currently lay. She had no idea how long she had been asleep, but she knew it had to have been a few hours, at least, seeing as how the sky had darkened since last she saw it. Absently, she noted that the bright lights of Konoha City could be seen in the distance, burning the night sky with dazzling colors and guiding the plane towards its destination. They must be landing soon.
Blinking the sleep from her eyes, she turned to her left, her soft, violet eyes landing on her brother, Sasuke Uchiha. His dark eyes held a hint of worry in them as he looked her over, an emotion she wasn't exactly used to seeing on him. He wasn't one to worry about much, and when he was worried, he didn't really show it. Maybe he was nervous about the move? It would make sense; Sasuke wasn't one for change, either, as far as anyone was concerned.
"Hey, are you all right?" Hinata asked softly, placing a gentle hand on his arm.
Sasuke stared at her for a few beats, his eyes boring into hers. With a quiet sigh, he dropped his gaze to her hand on his arm. "I'm fine," he said, though Hinata could tell it was a lie. "I'm just worried about you. You were whimpering in your sleep again."
Hinata winced, dropping her own gaze as she bit her lip. She hadn't meant to worry him. He had enough on his plate as it was without having to fuss over her. But the nightmares seemed to be coming more and more frequently lately and there wasn't much she could do to stop them.
Taking in a deep breath, she raised her eyes to his, offering a small, weak smile that she hoped could ease his troubles. "It's nothing to worry about, really. It's just…." Hinata looked away at this, biting her lip again as she fought back the tears. "It's a lot to take in."
"Hey," Sasuke said, sympathy shining in his gaze as he caught her eye again. "If you ever need anything, come to me. I'll practically be living right down the street, and I'll help in any way I can."
Hinata's smile grew wider, more genuine, if only by a little. Before she could respond with anything other than a small nod, however, the pilot's voice came in over the speakers to tell the passengers that they would be landing soon and that they should put on their seatbelts. Giving Sasuke's arm another reassuring squeeze, she twisted around to bring the stiff belt over her torso, strapping herself in to brace for landing.
Hinata stretched her arms above her head, releasing a quiet sigh as she felt her cramped muscles unwinding. Shaking the excess tension from her arms, she cast a somewhat nervous glance at Sasuke. He hadn't said a word since they landed, but he didn't really need to. She could feel the tension rolling off him in waves. Or perhaps those were her own nerves she was feeling. She couldn't exactly tell anymore.
"Ms. Hyuuga?"
Hinata whipped around at the deep, authoritative voice that had called her name, her heart jumping into her throat. She was surprised to see a young man standing before her, seemingly of around the same age and only a few inches taller. He was clad in a simple black suit, his hands clasped firmly behind his back. His long, dark hair was pulled into a low ponytail and his hard, emotionless gaze was fixed solely on her. Though the most startling aspect about the mysterious man, it seemed, was his eyes. They were the exact shade of violet as hers. They looked exactly as her mother's eyes had looked, yet they couldn't look more alien to her. Her mother's eyes had never been that cold. No one had ever looked at her with those eyes before.
Suddenly, Sasuke was in front of her, staring down the dark-haired man with a cold glare of his own. "Who are you?"
The stranger cast Sasuke an uncaring glance before returning his gaze to Hinata. "I have been instructed by Mr. Hiashi Hyuuga to drop Mr. Sasuke Uchiha off at his place of residence, and from there I am to take Ms. Hinata Hyuuga to the Hyuuga House where she is to be staying. Please, come with me," he said, his tone clipped and his words professional. Without another word to either of them, he turned on his heel and started walking briskly to the entrance of the terminal, seemingly uncaring to whether or not they followed.
Hinata cast a slightly dazed look toward Sasuke, who was still glaring in the direction the young man had gone, before reaching out slowly to grab his hand. He broke his glare to stare at her, searching her eyes to make sure she was all right, and she nodded her head in reassurance. Taking in a deep breath, she gathered up her bags and forced herself to follow after the stranger, dragging Sasuke along with her.
Pushing through the heavy doors, Hinata instantly caught sight of the man across the lot standing in front of a black limo, his hands once again firmly clasped behind his back. If she hadn't just watched him move with her own eyes, she would have thought he was a statue with how still he was. Regardless, she walked towards the waiting car, hurrying her pace to get there as quickly as possible.
Upon reaching the car, the stranger reached a hand towards Hinata, his cold eyes staring forward. Hinata tilted her head, confused, and the stranger cast a bored look at her.
"Your bags, please," he said, his tone impatient.
"Oh," Hinata mumbled, quietly handing her bags over to him. The man didn't spare her another glance before he turned to Sasuke, holding his hand out to him, as well. Sasuke glared at him, unmoving, before practically shoving his bags into the waiting hands of the stranger. He didn't pay him any mind, however, as he turned and calmly placed their bags into the trunk. Once their bags were situated, he closed the door with a resounding thunk and walked back around the car to the back door, opening it for them. Sasuke wasted no time in helping Hinata into the car before climbing in, himself, making sure she was buckled in as the door closed behind them. Just as Sasuke was snapping his own seatbelt into place, the driver's side door opened and then closed as the man stepped in, starting up the car. And then, they were off.
The ride from the airport was long, the tense silence almost suffocating Hinata. She wrung her hands in her lap as she sat there waiting, feeling like she would jump out of her skin any minute now. She tried looking out the window to stare at the passing scenery to relieve her frazzled nerves, but the windows were tinted, preventing her from seeing outside the car.
"So, are you going to tell us your name?" Sasuke asked the stranger. He didn't answer- or react in any way, for that matter- which irked the raven-haired man sitting next to Hinata. "Hello? I asked you what your name was."
"My name is not important," the man answered shortly, his eyes never leaving the road.
"Humor us," Sasuke challenged, crossing his arms as he leaned back in his seat and stared the stranger down.
"Sasuke," Hinata warned softly, telling him without words to not cause any trouble. Sasuke scoffed, staring out the window into the blackness. Nobody said a word after that.
The ride from the airport had been long and uncomfortable almost to the point of suffocating. Hinata had tried several times to engage in small talk with their mysterious driver, but to no avail. The man had even gone so far as to raise the partition between the driver's seat and the back of the limo when Hinata had asked one too many questions, much to Sasuke's indignation. It had taken all the persuasive skills Hinata possessed to convince Sasuke not to strangle him when he dropped Sasuke off at a small but well-kept apartment, and even then he had continued to glare daggers at the dark-haired male until he disappeared inside.
And now, standing in front of the large, imposing building that the man had dubbed the 'Hyuuga House', Hinata didn't even so much as have a name to attach to that stoic face of his. He didn't even look at her unless it was strictly necessary, but Hinata felt secretly grateful for that. She still shuddered at the memory of those cold, harsh eyes on hers, and any excuse she could find to avoid having him look at her that way again was welcome. Hinata took a deep, calming breath as the man in front of her opened the large door to what would be her new home, and followed him inside.
Hinata didn't really know what she'd been expecting when she stepped inside, but what she saw took her breath away. Never had she seen a place so….grand. The room she had stepped into was enormous, with a high ceiling and gleaming marble floors. The entire room was lit by elaborate chandeliers that hung above their heads, and a wide staircase rose before them. Large portraits depicting faces Hinata didn't recognize hung on every wall in ornate picture frames, and Hinata suppressed a cold shudder at seeing the same emotionless stares she had seen in the man standing before her.
Hinata was surprised to see someone who appeared to be a middle-aged servant woman enter from one of the adjacent rooms and make her way quickly towards where they stood. "Mr. Hyuuga will be with you both momentarily," she said in a small, polite voice, bowing low to the both of them.
Hinata bowed her head, fighting back the small burst of shock that coursed through her, and uttered a small 'thank you' before the servant scuttled off. Well, she'd known this place was opulent, but somehow she hadn't expected servants. She'd never had servants before. Her family had never even needed servants while she grew up. But she supposed it wasn't all that abnormal to someone who lived in a place like this.
Shaking aside her sudden bout of discomfort, Hinata set her bags gently on the floor so her arms wouldn't get tired before folding her hands demurely in front of her and looking about the room. The man before her once again had his hands folded behind his back and was silently surveying his surroundings as they waited, his entire body as still as a statue.
Hinata, silently content for now, busied herself with surveying more of the room, and noticed several details she had missed in her earlier inspection. One peculiar detail that struck her was the seemingly endless bouquets scattered about the room. She noticed with a start that they were purple hyacinths, and an almost crippling pang shot through her when she remembered that hyacinths had been her mother's favorite flower.
The quiet click click click of approaching footsteps broke Hinata out of her silent musings, and she whipped her head towards the giant staircase ahead of her just as a man in an impeccable black suit started making his way down. He was….slightly intimidating, to say the least. His long, dark hair was slicked back from his face and ran free down his back to about his shoulder blades. His sharp, angled face held a calm professionalism that Hinata had rarely seen in anyone else, and his eyes, the same color as hers, showed no outward emotion whatsoever. He was cool, calm, collected….
He was her father. He was Hiashi Hyuuga, of Hyuuga Corps.
Images of all the times Hinata had asked her mother why she never had a father in her life flashed before her eyes. She remembered the way her mother's face had briefly twisted into that almost pained expression Hinata could never quite place, and how it had disappeared so quickly every time that Hinata had told herself for years that she simply imagined it. She remembered those tiny, tiny smiles her mother would give her that never quite reached her eyes as she told her 'That's a story for another day, dear,' and suddenly she couldn't breathe because he was right there, striding across polished marble floors in a tailored suit and looking at her with such detachment that she couldn't think, couldn't feel, couldn't do anything but stare blankly as the man- her father- made his way towards her. She wasn't ready, she'll never be ready, she couldn't handle this.
He was there. Standing in front of her like some vengeful God and looking down on her like some insignificant ant, and she wanted to curl up on the floor and never get up. Why was he still looking at her like that? Didn't he know she was his daughter? Didn't he know what had happened to land her here in the midst of all these people who looked at her like she was an insignificant worm?
A warm, almost gentle hand cupped her cheek and she almost jumped out of her skin. Her eyes flickered up to her father's- when had they lowered?- and she saw an emotion she couldn't quite place flash through them, though it was so quick that she swore she imagined it. She realized she was trembling, then, and she bit her lip to quell her raging nerves.
"You look just like your mother," her father spoke, an unexpected amount of tenderness sounding in his voice. Hinata reeled, her mind buzzing as she stared at him. How exactly was she supposed to respond to that?
But the moment was over before she could ponder too long on it, the warm hand suddenly gone from her face leaving her feeling cold and inexplicably alone.
Hiashi turned towards the stranger at her side, his eyes regarding him with the same cool, detached look that he seemed to give everybody while his hand reached into a pocket of his suit jacket. "Neji. Thank you for bringing her here safely," he said, placing a few bills into the boy's outstretched hand, and Hinata absently noted that they were the same height.
So that's his name, she mused silently, watching as Neji gave her father a low bow before turning abruptly and exiting through the same door the servant had gone through.
"Well," Hiashi said, startling Hinata yet again. "Let us see you to your rooms, shall we?"
And then he turned on his heel and made his way back to the large, winding staircase, leaving Hinata to stare dumbly at his retreating form. He had just reached the bottom step before Hinata's mind caught up with her and told her to move, idiot. Swiftly grabbing up her bags, she nearly ran towards her father, making her way up the many sets of stairs after him.
The inside of the Hyuuga House, Hinata noted with a hint of dismay, was a maze of long hallways and doors that looked exactly the same, with golden name plates stating names she didn't recognize. How she was ever going to be able to find her way around this place, she would never know.
"I must tell you that it is not usually this quiet around here," Hiashi said suddenly, surprising her. "But, being as it is almost midnight, nearly everyone in the House is likely to be asleep or otherwise occupied. I, myself, must be getting to a business meeting after this is through. I apologize that I cannot stay longer, you understand," he said, sending her an almost apologetic glance over his shoulder.
Hinata paused, regarding the man before her quizzically. He was a….strange man, to say the least. She just couldn't figure out what he was thinking, what he was feeling, and it was slightly disconcerting. She didn't know what to think of this man that was supposed to be her father.
Hiashi suddenly stopped, and only Hinata's quick reflexes stopped her from crashing into his broad back. They stood in front a nondescript door, just like all the other doors, right up to the gold name plate with the words 'HINATA HYUUGA' inscribed in bold letters into the metal. Hinata vaguely wondered if it was real gold the plates were made out of.
Hiashi turned the large knob and, silent as a ghost, the door swung open, and they both stepped into what was quite possibly the most extravagant bedroom Hinata had ever seen. A large, comfortable-looking bed stood against the opposite wall under a large window covered in thick, dark red drapes. On the wall to her left, large double doors signified what Hinata assumed was a closet, and against the wall to her right stood a towering vanity made of dark wood with about a dozen neat little drawers and compartments, on top of which stood a tall mirror. Right next to that, nestled in the corner, was another door, though Hinata couldn't tell where that one led. A bathroom, maybe?
Hiashi answered her unspoken question by silently gesturing towards the plain, white door. "That door over there leads to your personal bathroom," he said, then gestured towards the double doors on the opposite wall. "That will be your closet. If you need anything, ring for one of the servants and they will assist you, though I would refrain from doing so at this time of night unless it is an emergency." At this, he pointed to a tiny red button on the wall right next to her door.
Hinata was slightly taken aback by this detail, but nodded her head regardless. She tried her best to keep the raging turmoil from showing on her face as she looked back at her father, but she doubted she was very successful. She suddenly felt very much out of her depth, and she desperately wished she could just lie down and forget any of this ever happened. She wished she could wake up to find out that all of this was just a horrible dream, and that she wasn't across the country with these people she didn't know in this house full of riches she'd only ever dreamed of. She wished she could find someone to talk to, someone to take comfort from. She wished she was with Sasuke.
Hiashi regarded her with a blank stare for what seemed like eternity, seemingly reluctant to leave the room just yet but not knowing what else to say. Eventually, he took a long, deep breath, expelling it with a sigh as he broke out of whatever thoughts were churning about in his head. "I apologize again that I cannot stay longer so as to make you more….accustomed to your new surroundings," he said rather awkwardly, "but I really must be going right now. We will talk more in the morning."
Hinata stared blankly at him another moment before nodding her head, and Hiashi seemed all too eager to take his leave of the room, shutting the door softly behind her. Alone at last, Hinata simply stood in the middle of the wide bedroom, slowly taking in her surroundings as she dropped her bags to the floor. The large bed was covered in what Hinata could guess were the softest sheets she'd ever seen in her life, colored the same deep red as the drapes over the window. A mound of pillows lay against the dark wood of the headboard, and Hinata vaguely wondered what one did with that many pillows. She certainly didn't see much use for it.
Despite the obvious luxury she found herself in, she couldn't bring herself to feel any joy or excitement. Instead, she just felt a deep hollowness in the pit of her stomach. She'd managed to ignore the feeling with all that had gone on since they'd landed in Konoha City, but now that she had nothing to distract her she could feel it once again gnawing at her insides, threatening to split her wide open.
Suddenly, she couldn't breathe, couldn't think past the pounding in her head telling her to run, run, run. She had to get out of here, had to get away somewhere she could think. Some place where she didn't have this new, unfamiliar future of hers staring her directly in the face. She had to get away, and she had to do it now.
With no clear destination in mind, she turned on her heel and stormed out of her new bedroom, leaving the door open in her wake as she tore down the unfamiliar hallways back the way she'd come.
Sakura sighed as she stepped into Naruto's apartment and saw that, as usual, it was a complete mess. You'd think that with having three people living under the same roof, one of them would bother to clean up a bit.
"Naruto!" Sakura called out into the dark, stepping precariously around dirty articles of clothing, empty food containers, and other various forms of trash littered on the floor as she made her way towards Naruto's bedroom. She silently thanked whatever Gods were listening when she made it to her destination unscathed, and vowed to herself that she would get Naruto to clean this place sometime soon. She didn't care if she had to bribe, threaten, or beg him to do it, just so long as she didn't have the threat of stepping on some rotten piece of food hanging over her head every time she walked in here.
Pushing open the door to his bedroom- a feat that proved difficult when she realized he had a massive pile of clothes sitting on the floor on the other side- she spotted the tousled form of her boyfriend lying spread-eagle on his bed, snoring loudly with his mouth wide open. Fighting back a groan, she made her way over to his sleeping form, taking extra care not to trip on anything. His room had to be at least ten times messier than the entire apartment combined, and there was a strong, distinct smell like something was dying. There was a reason she only came here when strictly necessary.
"Naruto, wake up!" Sakura said, shaking his shoulder firmly upon reaching the side of his bed.
"Mmmm, not now, Sakura," Naruto mumbled, turning over in his bed so that his back faced her.
Resisting the urge to whack him upside the head, she shook his shoulder more insistently. "Naruto, seriously, wake up. He's at it again."
The previously snoring blond released a tired, frustrated groan, rolling back over. "What is it now?" He asked groggily, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
"Ino said that she saw him and Suigetsu over at the park trying to pick a fight with some thugs. She told me she would try and keep him occupied while I went to get you."
"Damn it," Naruto cursed, rolling out of bed and running a hand through his wild blond hair. She noticed he hadn't bothered to change out of his uniform before falling asleep, and she suddenly felt bad for having to wake him up when she knew he must be tired from work.
"Hey, are you OK?" She asked, placing a hand on his shoulder.
Naruto grunted, rifling through the mess on his floor to try and find his shoes. "I'm not the one you should be worrying about, Sakura," he said, slipping a slightly-battered boot onto his right foot. "That dumbass is going to end up in prison- or worse- and I don't know what to do anymore."
"Where's Jiraiya? Can't you call him?"
"He told me he had to take an extra shift down at the station," he said, yanking the other boot onto his left foot. "I don't think he'll appreciate me interrupting his work for the third time this week. Besides, it's nothing I can't handle myself."
"You said that last time," Sakura whined, following after Naruto as he stormed out of his apartment. "Remember? You almost got yourself arrested when you tried to punch Suigetsu in the face."
"That wasn't my fault!" Naruto growled, clenching the knob to the front door of his apartment. "That asshole was asking for it when he started saying all those things about you."
"I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself, Naruto! I don't need you to defend me."
"I know that, Sakura," Naruto said, gritting his teeth. "Doesn't mean I have to stand by and watch while he treats you like a piece of meat."
"It doesn't mean you have to go causing more trouble, either. We all have enough problems without you getting into fights."
Naruto grumbled under his breath, glaring angrily at the floor. Sakura sighed, putting her hands on her hips. "I know it's not easy for you, Naruto. It's not easy for any of us. But you'll get through to him, just like you do with everybody else. Just give it some time."
Naruto was silent for a few moments, and Sakura wondered if he was even listening to her at all. Then, so quietly she would have missed it if she weren't standing so close, he whispered, "I hope you're right, Sakura."
Hinata leaned back against the rough park bench, holding back a sigh as she shoved her phone in the pocket of her jeans and closed her eyes. After leaving that house- she still shuddered to think of it as 'home'- she'd wandered around for a bit and chanced upon this beautiful park not too far away that would be perfect for clearing her head, and was grateful that there weren't many people around at this time of night. She had considered calling Sasuke multiple times, but thought better of it. He had just gotten to his new apartment, and she knew he must still be settling in. She had no business worrying him over nothing.
She couldn't help but wish she had someone to talk to, though. How was she supposed to take all of this in? She was miles away from everything and everyone she knew in a city full of complete strangers. Growing up, she had always had someone to turn to when she felt scared or sad. But now, she didn't have anyone she could talk to, and never before had she felt so alone.
Biting her lip to fight back the tears, she played over the day's events in her head in an attempt to work through the jumbled mess that was her mind. In just a few short months, she'd gone from having a loving mother, a caring and protective brother, and two amazing friends, to having a father she'd never known about, a sister- half sister, she corrected herself- who didn't care about her, and a cousin who hated her. And everywhere she looked, someone was staring at her, watching her with those eyes. They seemed to cut right through her, making her feel small and weak and helpless. She never thought anyone could make her feel that way with just a look.
Oh Mother, Hinata thought, feeling a single tear fall down her cheek. I miss you. I wish you could be here with me.
"Well, aren't you a pretty little thing?" said a deep voice just ahead of her.
Hinata shot up in her chair, her eyes snapping open in fright as she sought out the source of the voice. Standing before her were two men, one with wild black hair that stood up in odd directions and the other with straight white hair. The white-haired man stood a few steps behind the black-haired one, his expression dark and sadistic. He had a malicious grin on his face and….were his teeth pointed? He was wearing a purple shirt under a black leather jacket with worn blue jeans tucked into huge black army boots. But what really caught her eye was the rather large knife peeking out from under his jacket, making her body tremble slightly.
"What's wrong, girl? You lost? I don't remember seeing you around here before," the black-haired one chuckled darkly, and Hinata finally tore her eyes away from the knife to take in the man standing before her. The look on his face was identical to his partner's, though it was made more intimidating by the three long whisker-like marks on each of his cheeks. He wore a dark brown coat with a thick fur lining around the neckline over a black shirt and ripped blue jeans. Black, fingerless gloves peeked out from under the coat, and his jeans, like the white-haired man's, were tucked into thick black army boots. He had the bluest eyes she'd ever seen, as blue as the summer sky, but not nearly as warm. If she had thought that the other Hyuugas had looked at her coldly, she had been sorely mistaken. This man looked at her like a predator would look at prey, like he wanted to eat her whole and listen to her scream.
Hinata stood quickly from the bench. "I-I have to go," she said timidly, attempting to make an escape. She didn't want to spend another moment in the presence of these men.
"Aww, don't be like that, sweetheart," the black-haired man said, grabbing her arm and pulling her back against his chest. "What kind of person would I be if I didn't show you around our lovely city? We could spend some quality time getting to know each other, just the three of us. Right, Suigetsu?"
The white-haired man, Suigetsu, grinned wider, chuckling in a way that sent cold shivers down her spine. "Yeah, come on, girl. We don't bite," he smirked, leaning in to get closer to her face. "Much."
"Please release me," Hinata said, struggling against the tight hold the black-haired man still had on her wrist.
"Now, why would I do that? That's no fun," he said, his smile turning lecherous.
Hinata steeled herself, her fist clenching slightly as she drew it back. She made a quick, hard jab at the man's elbow, causing him to break his hold on her arm, before twisting her arm back and ramming it into the base of his neck. The strikes had their intended purpose, and the man fell to the ground gasping for air. His white-haired friend looked none too pleased, and attempted to make a grab for her, but she quickly darted out of the way and made a mad dash out of the park.
Before she could get too far, she felt a strong arm wrap itself around her midsection, a firm hand pulling her wrist behind her back painfully. She twisted her head around to see that it was Suigetsu, glaring down at her with gritted teeth, and she struggled to get away. It was no use, and she watched in horror as the black-haired man walked slowly towards her, a dark, angry look on his face.
"You fucking bitch," he growled, leaning down to stare into her eyes. "We're going to have lots of fun with you now." Her breath caught in her throat as he reached inside his jacket and pulled out a dangerous looking knife of his own, the silver blade glinting in the light of the moon. She was suddenly hyper aware of the fact that they were all alone, and that nobody was likely to hear her scream.
"MENMA!"
All three figures twisted towards the voice, and Hinata almost cried in relief as she saw two people, a male and a female, make their way quickly towards them. She was slightly surprised to see that the male was almost an exact replica of the man- Menma, if she heard that name right- standing before her, only his hair was blond instead of black. The female trailing after him was just a few inches shorter than the blond-haired man- making her just about the same height as Hinata- and had a mane of bright pink hair that trailed down just past her shoulders.
Menma scowled, obviously not happy that his "fun" had been interrupted. "What do you want, Naruto? I'm busy."
"Damn it, Menma, you're on probation! What the hell do you think you're doing?" Naruto growled.
"Just having a little fun messing with the new fish," Menma grinned darkly, taking Hinata's chin roughly in his hand and giving it a hard shake. "Isn't she a pretty thing? She must be a Hyuuga, with these eyes of hers."
Hinata bit her lip, sending a fearful, wide-eyed glance at Naruto, who seemed to finally see her for the first time. His scowl darkened, and he glared at Suigetsu over her shoulder.
"Let her go, Suigetsu," Naruto said threateningly.
"And why should I do that?" Suigetsu answered breezily, tightening the arm around her waist and drawing a small squeak from her lips. This seemed to anger Naruto further.
"Suigetsu, I swear to God, if you don't let her go right now, I'll-"
"You'll what? Hit me? Are you sure your little girlfriend will let you do that?" Hinata couldn't see his face, but she knew Suigetsu must be grinning madly right now.
Naruto surged forward as if to strike Suigetsu, but was pulled back roughly by the pink-haired female behind him. "Let me go, Sakura!" he yelled, his eyes blazing as he tried in vain to reach his target, but Sakura held firm, making Suigetsu roar with laughter.
"Both of you stop it!" Green eyes glared at all three men, almost daring any of them to step out of line in her presence. Hinata was almost frightened by how intimidating she looked, even when standing up against these much taller and much stronger-looking men. After what felt like an eternity, her glare finally seemed to focus on Suigetsu.
"Suigetsu, let her go. Now," she ordered in an authoritative voice, "unless the both of you want to spend another night in a jail cell." Her gaze slid to Menma at this.
Menma seemed to consider this for a while, the grin wiped off his face as he turned Sakura's words over in his head with a stony expression. Finally, he sighed. "Let her go, Suigetsu. She ain't worth all this trouble, anyways," he said, slipping the knife back into its holster under his jacket.
"Whatever you say," Suigetsu said, pulling his arm away from her waist and giving her a hard shove in the middle of her back. Hinata stumbled and would have fallen flat on her face if not for the strong arms that caught her and pulled her protectively against a hard chest. She looked up to see Naruto looking down at her, a concerned look in his eyes.
"You OK?" he asked her, searching her face for any obvious injuries.
Hinata was at a loss for words, her brain shutting down as the air left her lungs. At first glance, she'd thought that the only difference between Naruto and Menma was the color of their hair, but upon closer inspection, she'd found out she was dead wrong. They might as well have been polar opposites, despite being twins. Where Menma's eyes had been cold and hard, boring into her with a dangerous intensity, Naruto's eyes were soft, enveloping her in a warm tenderness that almost made her melt.
Naruto's eyes flashed with concern, and Hinata belatedly realized that he was still waiting for her response. "Fine!" she squeaked, blushing madly. "I'm fine, t-thank you for your consideration."
Naruto seemed to relax at this, but only slightly. "Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm OK," she said reassuringly, pushing herself out of his arms to stand on her own feet. Her knees wobbled slightly, and the blush on her face darkened when she heard Suigetsu and Menma chuckle amongst themselves, but she pushed through. "See? I'm perfectly fine."
Naruto looked her over warily, as if he were trying to see through her to her soul. He apparently found what he was looking for, because he took a small step back, his demeanor relaxing considerably. "If you're sure," he surrendered.
Hinata nodded vigorously, plastering what she hoped was a convincing smile on her face, before finally tearing her eyes away from Naruto to take in Sakura, still standing behind him. She was watching them with a curious expression on her face, and Hinata averted her gaze, her face heating when she realized she'd just been ogling this man in front of all these people.
"Well, if you kiddies don't mind, we're out of here," Menma said, all traces of annoyance gone from his voice as he turned to walk away. It was almost as if they were all great friends, and to an outside source that's what they would appear to be, with how friendly he suddenly sounded.
"Wait," Sakura called out, stopping Menma in his tracks. "Where's Ino?"
"Oh, her?" Menma called back, seemingly disinterested, but there was an annoyed edge to his voice. "She was being a killjoy, so I sent her off after dog boy. She's always drooling after him, anyways."
Sakura sighed, picking up on the irritation in Menma's voice. "Menma, how many times do we have to tell you that she's not interested in you?"
A lewd grin crept up on Menma's face, making cold shivers run down Hinata's spine. "That's not what she was saying last night when I had her screaming my name."
Everything seemed to happen really quickly after that. Hinata almost stumbled when Naruto suddenly rushed past her, and she watched, slightly dazed, as he grabbed a fistful of Menma's jacket in his hand. Menma crowed with laughter, obviously taking enjoyment in his twin's anger. Sakura tugged on the back of Naruto's shirt, trying in vain to get him to back off before any fists could start flying, but Naruto wasn't having it. Suigetsu watched with a sick sort of fascination gleaming in his eyes, though Hinata noted absently that he looked ready to bolt at the first sign of trouble.
"Hey, what's going on over here?" called an unfamiliar voice, sounding bored.
A brown-haired man seemingly in his thirties wandered down the path towards them, a peeved look on his face as he took in the situation. He wore what seemed to be a police uniform, his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his pants, with a bandanna wrapped around his head under his hat. A toothpick dangled from his mouth, which bobbed precariously every time he talked.
"Genma! So happy to see that you could join us," Menma said, seemingly unaffected by the presence of the police officer. Naruto, on the other hand, seemed to grow more agitated, and he shoved Menma away roughly before crossing his arms and glaring sullenly at Genma. He muttered something angrily under his breath that Hinata couldn't quite catch, and Sakura, who was still standing beside him, elbowed him roughly in the side.
Genma's bored, indifferent eyes shifted between the two brothers, before sighing heavily. "Uzumaki, shouldn't you be at home?" he asked, directing the question towards Menma.
"C'mon, chief, I can't take a pleasant stroll through the park on a nice night like this? Being cooped up in that apartment all day isn't good for a growing boy like me, you know," he answered cheekily.
Genma didn't seem amused. "You're lucky I'm off duty, or I would haul both your asses into the station and let that father of yours deal with you."
The smirk on Menma's face was promptly replaced with a scowl. "He's not my father."
"Regardless, he's still in charge of you two, and I don't think he would be happy to hear that you're out causing trouble again. Get home, the both of you, before I decide to change my mind." And with that, he wandered off down the path, never once looking back at any of them.
Suigetsu seemed all too happy to follow Genma's orders, shoving his hands into his pockets and ambling away. Menma, scowl still firmly set on his face, shoved roughly past Naruto in the opposite direction. Naruto seemed to want to go after him, but Sakura stopped him with a firm hand on his shoulder, shaking her head in a silent request to let it go.
They all stood there in tense silence for what felt like eternity to Hinata, and she wasn't all that sure what she was supposed to do. Was this even any of her business? Maybe she should just slip away before any of them remembered that she was there.
But then Sakura turned on Naruto and Hinata was once again flinching at the force of the woman's anger, despite the fact that it wasn't directed at her. "What the hell did I tell you about not causing trouble, Naruto?!"
"Hey, I wasn't causing anything! He and his loser friend started it!" Naruto shot back angrily.
Sakura groaned. "What are you, five? When will you learn that he wants to make you angry?"
"Um," Hinata cut in timidly, hoping to diffuse any more fighting. Naruto and Sakura turned towards her, seemingly shocked to see her still standing there. Hinata's eyes dropped to the ground, suddenly nervous. So much for slipping away while they weren't looking, she thought.
"F-for," she stammered, before taking a deep breath and pushing forward. "For what it's worth, I'm glad you two came. I don't want to think about what would have happened if you hadn't."
"Oh, honey," Sakura said, rushing forward to check Hinata for any obvious injuries, suddenly reminding Hinata of a mother hen. "Are you OK? I swear to God, if that bastard hurt you-"
"Really, I'm perfectly all right, thank you," Hinata rushed to reassure the girl, a small smile on her face.
"Are you sure? Those idiots pulled a knife on you," Sakura said.
Hinata nodded vigorously. "I'll have a few bruises, maybe," Hinata said, but quickly regretted it upon seeing the look that crossed Sakura's face, "But nothing more than that, honestly! You two showed up before anything….serious could happen."
"Well, that's good news, I guess," Naruto spoke up from behind Sakura, scratching the back of his neck. "Sorry about all of that, by the way."
Hinata tilted her head, confused. "What for? You saved me, you know."
"Because it was my idiot twin brother that attacked you," Naruto groused, a sour look crossing his face. "And I almost lost it and attacked him right in front of you."
Hinata shook her head. "No, it's perfectly all right. I understand."
"It's not all right, but thanks," Naruto said, smiling at her comfortingly, and Hinata had to fight the urge to blush.
"So, you're really new here, huh?" Sakura said. "You must be. I would remember a pretty face like yours."
Hinata really did blush that time, her eyes darting to the ground as she nodded. "U-um, yes," she said. "I just got here a few hours ago with my brother, Sasuke."
Sakura winced. "I'm sorry your first day here wasn't so pleasant, then."
"There was some….unpleasantness," Hinata admitted. "But that's only common when moving to a new city. Things will settle down eventually."
"Well, if you ever need anything, let either of us know, OK?" Sakura said, smiling reassuringly to Hinata. "My name's Sakura, by the way. Sakura Haruno. And the blond numbskull over there is Naruto Namikaze-Uzumaki."
"Hey!" Naruto yelled indignantly, pouting.
Sakura and Hinata laughed, but then Hinata seemed confused. "Namikaze-Uzumaki? I thought that Genma person said your last name was Uzumaki."
A sad look passed through Naruto's eyes, and Hinata immediately regretted her question. She opened her mouth to take it back, but Naruto was speaking before she could get a word in. "Our parents, mine and Menma's, decided to use both their last names when they got married. Most people just use one or the other, since using both is too much trouble," he said, a wide grin stretching his face, though Hinata could tell it was forced.
Hinata nodded, not wanting to press the issue further. "That makes sense. Well, it's a pleasure to meet you both. My name is Hinata Hyuuga. Thanks again for your help."
"Oh, don't mention it," Sakura said, waving her hand dismissively. "We constantly have to get after Menma for something or other, so it's not anything we're not used to."
Hinata bit her lip. "So, um, he's always like that?"
Naruto winced. "Unfortunately, yes. But don't worry about it," Naruto reassured. "If he ever bothers you again, I'll deal with it."
"Speaking of which," Sakura spoke up, looking concerned. "Did you want us to walk you home? We wouldn't want you to run into any more trouble."
"Oh, no, I wouldn't wish to be a bother," Hinata said, shaking her head. "I'll be fine."
"Nonsense, we'd be happy to help. Right, Naruto?" Sakura said, turning back towards the blond man behind her.
Naruto shrugged his shoulders, seemingly indifferent. "It's not a big deal, really. I've got nothing better to do, anyways."
Hinata sighed before nodding once, suddenly feeling very tired. "If you're sure," she conceded.
"Great!" Sakura smiled, grabbing Hinata's hand and pulling her along. "You can show us where you live on the way, and we can show you around a bit while we're at it, if you'd like."
Hinata nodded, a smile spreading across her face despite herself. Maybe living here wouldn't be so bad, after all
I know I should have added this in here sooner, but I forgot to when I uploaded this story and I haven't had the time to update this. Very sorry, please forgive.
SO, did I confuse any of you yet? I hope so, because that means I'm doing something right. I know this is a lot to take in all at once, but bear with me. I promise I will explain everything later. Brace yourselves, dearies, y'all are in for a rough ride.
Just a heads-up, I don't write as often as I probably should, so it will most likely take a while for me to update new chapters. I'M VERY SORRY FOR THIS, but I PROMISE I'll try to make the wait worth it. But don't be afraid to head on over to my Tumblr (the link for which can be found on my profile) and give me a good kick in the rear if you see me taking more than a couple of months to update. I spend far too much time on that website, anyways, so I'd probably need it. xD
I think that's just about everything. :) Thank you so much for reading the first chapter of Complications of the Teenage Variety, and I hope to bring you more soon. In the meantime, don't be afraid to tell me what you think. I love hearing what y'all have to say. :D