This story was based off an idea I had for an original manga series. :) It was in my dreams (my usually very perverted or nightmare-ish dreams), and I tried to force myself to go back to sleep and get the plot written out before I forget it (which I pretty much failed to do). So now, I decided to test out how well it was by replacing my original characters with... well, Naruto characters. :D Enjoy! Ohh, and I got the title from this song by Frankie J - Driving Myself Insane.
Just so you know: I don't own Naruto, or the title! ...But I own my perverted dreams... I MEAN... You get it. ;D And don't make me repeat myself. This is a high school story, so don't expect me to be yelling out random jutsus, okay everyone? (Because I forgot them all anyway... except Sexy Jutsu. :P).
"I-I...," the girl stuttered, her creamy face glowing bright pink. She avoided his gaze and looked away before continuing. "I... I love you Naruto-kun! P-Please-"
"I'm sorry Hinata-chan." Wind blew on his sandy bleached hair in his face and hid his sad eyes; the very thing Hinata dreaded to face. And he walked away, just like that...
Sadly, she turned the opposite direction and began heading for her house. The rejection she had been waiting to face... wasn't at all how she imagined it would be. In fact, it was a lot worst. Naruto had actually... felt sorry for her. She knew she wasn't the prettiest girl in school, heck, she was probably even the nerdiest there was. But she didn't expect him to feel sorry for that...
Not wanting to think about this horrible thought, Hinata looked straight ahead and walked with her head hanging low, pushing back the urge to burst out crying. No... I'm stronger than that. I can take a simple rejection. It's not like... It's not like I really loved Naruto-kun... r-right... ?
Her thoughts were disturbed with a deep yell, and more shrill screaming coming from her right. Curious as to what it could possibly be, Hinata tilted her head to see.
At first, she didn't see anything. But a blurry image of people started to come in from the distance. I must be seeing things... She rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn't going crazy and blinked that direction again. I must've taken too much sleeping pills... A crowd of people - 90% of them female around her age - could be seen running her way. That's not right. The circus isn't coming till next year.
But something else caught her attention. A boy. Scrambling right in front of the crowd. And he looked like he was coming this... - Oh shi-
Before she had any chance of escaping the wild swarm of girls (and possibly boys), she was knocked over without warning. The schoolbag she was carrying soared into the sky and all her paperworks flew out.
Her assaulter? The same exact boy. "Ugh," he groaned. She wasn't the only one who fell.
She couldn't see his face, because his long, shaggy black bangs dropped over it... almost the exact same way as Naruto's had. The wind suddenly blew, however, to reveal the most perfect face she's ever seen on a male. He had perfect features. Black, onyx orbed eyes (in pain), a high nose (also in pain), even... a perfect chin? (In pain also, I might add). Almost like a celebrity... She quietly thought, looking quite startled.
He looked up at her, and slowly turned his direction to her schoolbag (which fell with a thud on her head), and then at all her papers flying in the air... which he had caused.
Quickly, he stood up and caught as many papers as he could. "Look, I'm sorry I- OH FUCK."
The screaming was getting louder and closer. By now, you could make out what every girl (and guy) looked like in the crowd. And they were all squealing the same exact thing: "Wait for me, Sasuke-samaaa~!"
Not waiting another minute, the boy turned and began sprinting up a large hill. He had quickly mumbled an apology before turning his dark, raven head and skedaddling away. Not a second later, the beserk stampede came and left - still going after the so called "Sasuke-sama" - leaving a very confused Hyuuga Hinata behind, with her paperworks still flying.
...What was that all about... Not wanting to know any more, she hurriedly went to work on picking up her papers. This is so great... I'm missing over half the reports I wrote this week... Hinata sighed, wondering why her life was so miserable.
She looked down; something shiny had caught her eye. Hinata knelted down to pick it up. It was a name tag... 'Uchiha Sasuke' was printed into its fake gold plates, and 'Konoha High' - the name of her school - glimmered from the bottom.
...Then she noticed something else. She ran towards the bridge and peered down. ...So that's where all my papers went.
Better get to work Hinata.
Night had already fallen when she finished fishing out her wet and soggy assignments. The tired Hyuuga girl made her way home hastily, because... well, she was afraid of the dark okay?
That's strange. Hinata thought. Neji-nii is already home? Light trickled out of her stained glass windows. She walked up to the doorbell, rang it three times, and waited a few minutes before someone picked up the door. Sure enough, it was her older cousin Neji... in a frilly pink apron.
"Niisan!" Hinata gasped. "What are you doing out of bed!?"
"What? I can't cook for my cute little cousin anymore?" the older male pretended to give an offended look before Hinata gave in and burst out in fits of giggles.
"Aw, Niisan, you look so cute!" She jumped up to hug him, catching him by surprise (she was like... what, a foot shorter than him?).
"Calm down, calm down. No need to get over excited about the smexy man in the hot apron," he joked, picking a reluctant Hinata off his shoulders. "Besides," he added sternly, "you might catch my cold Hinata-sama."
Hinata grumbled, walking into the room with her arms crossed. "I'm not a little kid anymore... "
Neji sighed. His little Hinata was growing up.
Neji and Hinata lived in a small house together, with fences and a little garden and everything else they'd need. Their fathers had been working overseas for months, and weren't coming back until Hinata was atleast in her twenties. Hanabi, Hinata's younger sister, was still in middle school; she lived with a few of their servants back in their old home. Seeing how they were going to move out sooner or later, Neji and Hinata decided to switch to a higher class high school, and lived by themselves in the urban area, while Hanabi stayed in the suburbans. The rent to their house was paid by their fathers, of course, but Neji still liked to work to find extra money (since Hisashi - Hinata's father - had put him in charge of her), and he bought the food and his clothes with his own cash.
Neji repeatedly claimed he worked at a wealthy restaurant downtown, but she doubted it. Hinata suspected that her older cousin was working at a host club down the street, but he always denied it.
"Hinata-sama, you're not going to eat?" Neji yelled up the stairs.
She shook her head without looking back. "I have homework. You go ahead Niisan. Don't feed me your food and starve yourself when you're sick."
After she shut her bedroom door, Neji turned back to his fully prepared meal he had made. Hinata-sama, don't you remember that today is Thanksgiving... ?
Hinata gave a sigh. It was going to take a whole night and another one to rewrite those reports. She had spent hours working her sweat off writing them.
Quickly, she grabbed her pen and went to work to finish as much as she could before midnight.
And before she knew it... it had reached midnight.
...That's strange. The weary girl jerked her droopy eyes towards her door. Why is Neji-niisan still awake?
Slowly making her way towards the stairs, Hinata let out a half yawn before stopping herself. Why did she smell smoke...
The kitchen was on FIRE!
"...Neji-niisan!" she shrieked, and tore for the kitchen where her cousin laid sound asleep.
Trying to trace where the flames were coming from, Hinata shot her head at... candles!? And next to it was... a burned, half-eaten turkey...
She had completely forgotten it was Thanksgiving.
"N-Niisan... NIISAN! Wake up... please...," she shook his shoulders over and over, wet, heavy tears suddenly dropping. I don't want you to die...
It was no use... Her cousin was probably one of the heaviest sleepers she's ever known.
Wait, that can't be right...
Flashback: Neji dropped down on a seat and laid his tired head down. It had been a long day... He glanced up at the humongous turkey he had baked with disinterest.
"Hinata-sama isn't hungry today..., " he sighed heavily. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to have a little bit. It would be a waste to throw it all out... " And before he knew it, he ate... one leg. God, I'm full...
Out the window, he spotted a stray dog who looked like it hadn't eaten for days. Without another thought, Neji cut half the turkey apart, opened up the windows, and laid it out for the stray to eat. Delighted, the huge hound ran towards the house where his prized feast awaited.
"Haha," Neji laughed. "Atleast someone is enjoying my dinner." Large fits of coughs exploded out of nowhere. Startled, the stray jumped back a bit. The sick Hyuuga wiped his clammy nose and gave the dog a sorry look. "Ah, sorry about that. Forgot to take my medicine again."
An hour before Hinata had come home, however, he had already taken his medicine.
Looking through the cabinet, Neji grabbed a bottle of sleeping pills and plopped them in his mouth, not even catching the label 'sleeping pills - one pill = one hour' that was right in front of him.
Strange... Why do I feel so dizzy...
And with that, he fell fast asleep.
...Forgetting to close the windows. Whoosh.
End of Flashback.
By now, Neji-niisan must have too much smoke in his lungs already! ...I don't have any time left... I have to get Niisan out of here before the whole house burns down!
Not waiting another moment, the short, petite girl grabbed her cousin by his arm, struggling to drag him off the chair. She was panicking. The flames were inching closer every second. Oh, what am I going to do?
"Niisan... Niisan, please! Wake up, please!" she cried desperately.
Why? Why am I so useless? Why can't I even save Niisan... Why...
Wheezing and puffing, the long haired Hyuuga male panted and looked up at his little cousin with dreary eyes. "Hi-Hinata-sama..." He struggled to get to his feet, and more bits of coughing came.
"Niisan!" she wailed, squeezing him tightly.
Realizing that this wasn't the best time to be hugging her cousin, Hinata helped him to his feet, supporting each and every one of his small steps as he made his way toward the front door of their house.
When they finally had enough distance between them and the burning house, he collapsed in front of a giant metal pole, still breathing heavily. The indigo-haired girl kneeled close to him. Please be okay Neji-nii...
Minutes later, the Akatsuki firemen came running from the streets with a massive hose.
Surprised, Hinata ran towards one of the members who wasn't busy struggling with the ginormous hollow rope. She paused in front of him. Odd, his face seemed to resemble a fish...
"S-Sir!" she yelled above the other members shouting at each other. He peered down at her. "Sir, please help me! My c-cousin... he's sick and injured and... and... he needs h-help sir! Please help him!"
"Where is he, miss?" the fishy man grunted, looking around for an injured boy. The small girl shot her finger at Neji, who was still laying against the skinny wireless pole, looking almost as if he was... dead.
The Akatsuki fireman ran towards him, taking out a first-aid kit from his suit. He leaned down to check the injured Hyuuga's pulse, and furrowed his eyebrows (if he had any?) in concern. "He's not dead, that's for sure... probably just knocked out. Did he breathe any of the fumes from the fire?" He looked up at the quivering girl for an answer.
"H-He did... and he was r-really sick before the fire started too...," she explained, looking three times as worried as the fishy member did.
"I see... we should take him to the hospital, just to make sure he's okay..." He tucked away his first-aid kit and stood up, almost twice as tall as the Hyuuga girl when he did. "Don't worry, he won't die in our service! We'll make sure he's normal and healthy before we release him."
"Oh... thank you so much Mr. ...?"
"Hoshigaki." He gave a smile. "Dr. Kisame Hoshigaki." He looked at his team mates, pathetically working their way around the hose. One of them tripped over it while carrying a bucket of water... These worthless pieces of-
"Hey you! New boy! Tobi, was it? Get back to the station and get the ambulance van here!" Kisame yelled with an irritated tone. "And you! What was it again... Orochimaru! Get in there and help them! Don't spend the whole time checking yourself out in the mirror, godammit!" Ugh. If Chief Pein found out about this... He felt a tug at his sleeve. Kisame glimpsed down to see what it was, and there was Hinata... tugging at his sleeve. "Yes, miss? Is something wrong?"
"U-Uhm... I know this isn't i-i-important but... how did you know there was a fire here?" The Hyuuga girl asked, blinking - her big pearl eyes holding a anxious and questioning look. "I mean- W-We didn't even call the fire de-depart-"
"Oh, that." The shark man began chuckling; Hinata grew even more curious. "There was a boy who called in for you. He said he was walking down the street and saw a fire in your house. I think he was standing over... " His small, beady eyes began searching for the boy, but found nothing but the darkness looming around the street lamps. "Hm, that's pretty odd... He was standing next to that Orochimaru a few minutes ago."
Hinata's milky eyes widened at what he told her. A... A boy? Could it possibly be...
"Hey you! Tobi! Bring the stretcher over here!" Kisame loudly yelled.
Obediently, the man called 'Tobi' drove the stretcher to the cemented front yard, where her cousin laid unconscious. The two began working to lifting his body up and carrying it. When they placed him in the white stretcher, slowly words came mumbling raspily out of his mouth.
"H-Hinata-sama... where's Hinata-sama?"
She ran, dropping in front of the bed with her hands outstretched to him. "Niisan! I'm here."
"...Hn...H-Hinata-sama," he began again, looking up at his little cousin, a small smile curving on his weak and fragile face. "I... I'm sorry I couldn't protect you... I guess I... can't do anything for you anymore..."
"No! That's not true Neji-nii! You've done everything for me!" she sobbed. "It's y-you I can't protect! Even when you were sick, I let you take care of yourself! And when we needed extra money... I let you do everything!" More tears came pouring out. "I'm s-s-sorry... I'm sorry I'm so useless!"
Kisame and Tobi exchanged sad looks with each other, and turned back to the oppresive sight they were watching.
By now, the exhausted Hyuuga boy had went back to sleep, the pills' effects kicking in again.
"Just promise me Hinata-sama...," whispered his weary voice unconsciously. "Promise me... you won't make me worry... promise me you won't hurt yourself while I'm not there for you..." And with that, he dropped into a deep fatigue, leaving the poor girl to ache at his last words.
Why. Why was her life so hopeless and miserable...
Her thoughts always ended with those same lines. It seemed like nothing good ever happened since she moved to the city. What's the point of going to the best high school when your happiness is getting stabbed in the front? M-Maybe... Maybe I should just move back with Hanabi-chan. Hinata discouragingly thought to herself. The idea sounded better and better every time she considered it.
She stopped as she approached the bridge, the exact same place she had dropped her papers; the same place the stampede of wild fangirls/boys ran through.
The Akatsuki firemen had offered her to come to the station with them, but she had declined the offer, and instead told them she'd rather go for a walk and see what to do next. Sigh. Where am I going to go now... ? Hanabi-chan is still miles away, and I don't have any money to rent a house unless father sends it to me... And what about school? What about...
Hinata jolted as a cold hand grabbed her shoulders. Frightened at the sudden movement, the small Hyuuga girl gave out a loud yelp and slapped the stranger right across the face.
"Ow!" The stranger quickly dropped his hold on her shoulders.
Still nervous, Hinata peeped open one eye to see who it had been. Oh no...
"Y-You!"
It was none other than the boy who left her behind with her papers flying somersaults; the boy who had knocked her over; the boy whose name everyone had been screaming for.
Uchiha Sasuke.
Happy -early- Turkey Day everyone! :D Don't ignore your friends and family today (like Hinata did, cough cough), because they really, truly care for you; and Turkey Day is the day to be recognizing that (NOT because of the awesome turkey. :P).
And happy birthday to David Nguyen. :) I know you won't ever read this... ever; but... I hope you have an awesome 13th birthday. Even though I want to forget everything about you, I wanted to say those words before you forget about me... You better ask her out today!
Reviewing would be nice. ;D