GAME
Chapter 1 – The Search
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto...unfortunately.
*IMPORTANT*
I have decided after so many years to rewrite this story as I still had much interest in it. Going back to it and re-reading it, I realised that it had a lot of potential and it wasn't bad. After getting some inspiration and getting a spark for my muse I wanted to make it even better so I have changed quite a few things to improve the story by adding new characters, changing the setting and the background slightly etc. I advise you to re-read the story from the beginning if you are familiar with it. If not please enjoy and make sure to let me know what you think.
'Thoughts'
"Dialogue"
I have listened to the Queen of the Damned soundtracks while writing this story and recommend you to listening to them while reading to create the mood ;-).
This chapter's song is 'KORN - System'.
…...…...
"Its 8.30am and today is the 20th October. The weather forecast for the following week is delivered to you by Tenou, Haruka. It seems that the general outlook of the weather coming is broadly strong showers and winds up to the speeds of 50 to 60mph, therefore we ask that you…" Hinata listens to the news absent-minded as she eats her breakfast, a bowl of cereal, while sitting on the sofa in the common room. It is a modern but modest open plan living room and kitchen. Lost in thought and staring out of the window at the autumn's dark beauty. Red décor painted on the leaves of all the trees in sight. 'As red as blood…'
'…it still haunts me…that night…'
"Earth to Hinata, come on don't want to be late to the respiratory seminar" - rang Ino's voice as she entered the room, consequently snapping Hinata out of her daze. Yanamaka, Ino was a platinum blond beauty with brilliant sky blue eyes, whom she has known since they were children. She was a bit of a tomboy when she was young and some of those traits have remained to this day such as her love for sports and her competitiveness. Ino was a very friendly and righteous type of person since she was a child. She was like glue and made friends with everyone and anyone who was willing. Hinata thought amusedly that she was one of Ino's charity cases as she herself was painfully shy and had a stutter as a child, which made her an easy target for bullies. So Ino became her knight in shining armor by defending Hinata and helping her to come out of her shell over time. Despite their differences in personalities their friendship was very strong and they were very protective of each other. They just clicked and understood each other's needs, a benefit from being childhood friends.
"Better bring my umbrella, it looks mean out" - Ino adds as Hinata stands to dispose the bowl and spoon into the dishwasher and grabs her bag from the counter to follow.
…
The university bell rang loudly at the Konoha University and the two students rushed to get to their lecture. Second year of med school was no walk in the park especially with the strict teachers. Rushing into the lecture theatre the girls settle themselves into the remaining seats in the front row.
"Nice of you to join us ladies" - says the boisterous professor by the name of Senju, Tsunade while raising her thin eyebrow at the tardy girls. Ino smiles sheepishly in return while Hinata apologizes quietly. Despite being in her 50s Tsunade looked much younger than her age with long golden blond hair and infamous bust. The strength of her vocal cords were legendary, she could be herd at the other end of the university when shouting at the students in her office, as she was also the head of the department of medical research besides being a professor, hence having to deal with troublemakers. Tsunade is a well-known professor at the prestigious Konoha University, who has published many articles and had received Nobel prizes for her work in medical research. She liked to use reverse phycology on her students. Top students as well as her favorites having to deal with the most of it. She was a profound believer in tough love, which students found funny and frustrating at the same time. But she was a damn good lecturer and the best in her field.
The lecture commenced shortly after and everyone fell into silence to listen to the charismatic professor speak about the new module they will be studying this semester.
…
After a grueling 3-hour lecture it was lunchtime and the two friends headed for the cafeteria. Hinata quickly spots their mutual group of friends sat down at the usual place the far corner by the windows. The group greeted the new comers as they approached.
"What do you think about the upcoming Halloween party at the Forum?"- Kiba threw across the table directing the question at Hinata and Ino. Hinata blinks at Kiba a friend, which the girls made last year at the start of the first year. Despite being on different courses they managed to sit across from each other by chance at the large library, which was a separate building on the university grounds with different subject cohorts in different parts of the building therefore students from diverse courses didn't tend to usually mix. Hinata was having trouble with her laptop while trying to connect to the Internet server and Kiba seeing the girl struggle offered to help. Inuzuka, Kiba studies engineering, despite his rowdy personality and tall, dark and handsome wild looks he was a smart man. Ino and he got on like a house on fire, which was entertaining to watch for their mutual friends. Their passion for sport and supporting rival Rugby teams never seized to ignite their countless debates on who is better. There was always a question of possible attraction between the two but both being prideful type of people and head strong never made a move to pursue a relationship with the other, however there were always subtle things they did, which hinted that they cared for each other despite their differences and heated disagreements.
Sitting next to Kiba was his course mate Namikaze, Naruto a tall, blond and olive skinned fellow Rugby club player. They were like brothers and so alike it was uncanny. His cheeky smirk made the girls weak at the knees and Hinata agreed with Ino as a joke when they first met him, through Kiba, that no one should be that good looking. Despite his appeal he was a notorious prankster and loved practical jokes much to the chagrin of some of their friends. Hinata thought amusedly that Ino, Kiba and Naruto were very similar and their heated sport debates never seized to make her laugh. Almost like long lost siblings. They spoke animatedly, were always full of energy and bad ideas or innovative ideas as they called it. Seeing them in the current predicament was almost laughable. It seemed that there might be a repeat of last year.
"Forum is so tacky don't you think? We should just do what we did last year and go to a good club in the neighboring town," - continued slouching Naruto.
'Ah the last year'… everyone seemed to recall the same memory.
'No one really got hurt'…Hinata recalls the past events that she would rather forget…'Ok maybe a few people got hurt but they were bad people from the Suna University who were looking for trouble and picking fights with no real justification.'
The group simultaneously sighed.
Well at least one good thing did come of that night, as it was the night Shikamaru met his long distance girlfriend Subaku, Temari. A tall, couple of years older, stunning, blond shoulder length hair and brilliant turquoise coloured eyes Architect student at the Suna University.
"And whose fault was it that that happened?"- Nudged Sakura in an accusing tone making Naruto smile guiltily next to her. Getting back to her lunch, Haruno, Sakura munched on her sandwich thoughtfully. She was a force not to be reckoned with, charismatic and intelligent with shoulder length striking pink coloured hair and bright forest green eyes. She also studied medicine alongside Ino and Hinata but had a slightly different schedule to them due to the large size of the class. Ino and Sakura knew each other when they were children and just like Hinata, Ino was Sakura's knight in shining armor once upon a time too. However, Ino awakened the competitive side in Sakura and the two became rivals with Hinata being the one stuck in the middle trying to keep the peace. However, Sakura moved away at the end of primary school as her family relocated to Suna for a time due to her father's job. Despite their rivalry their friendship was of a mutual understanding and respect. They tried to keep in touch for a time after Sakura moved away, however lost contact after a while. It was a big surprise for both parties crossing paths again at the same university and studying the same subject. They quickly rekindled their friendship and rivalry soon after much to Hinatas amusement.
"Besides they have renovated and expanded the Forum and its opening night is the Halloween, so why not check it out? I heard they got different themed rooms." - Continued Sakura. Forum was the name of the club located in the university grounds. Made by the university for the students, however its closing time was always at 1am to the frustration of many partygoers.
"We could always have an after party of our own of some sorts or could crash a house party if all else fails?" - pipes in Karin and receives a collective nod from everyone in the group. A bubbly red head and a cousin of Naruto's. Uzumaki, Karin was very opinionated, smart and fierce character despite her brush persona. She had recently become a new addition of their group after she transferred from the Sound University in Ottawa beginning of the second year. She studies Archaeology. Her love for history and geography runs deep, going back to her early childhood years. Karin knew very early on who she wanted to become, which is a rare feat for most people. Naruto introduced her to the group and she seemed to have fit in well enough. The girls have bonded fairly quickly and accepted her into the group almost immediately even though they clashed on their first few encounters. She and Sakura live in the same dorm and seem to have become very close friends.
"Seems like the least problematic option to me to go to the Forum." - Adds Shikamaru, the lazy genius of the group. Everyone doubted his IQ, as he never studied much or paid attention in the lectures but always had perfect scores on the final exams to the frustration of many. He only made an effort when it mattered was his explanation. He is studying aerospace and engineering. Basically rocket science as Ino liked to joke. Nara, Shikamaru was a childhood family friend and neighbor of Ino's. The only reason they were friends was mainly due to the long-standing friendship of their parents. They were so different it was funny, like comparing a ball of energy to the sloth. But Ino always managed to make him play alongside Choji, their other mutual family friend, one way or another when they were kids because she was a force of nature. Akimichi, Choji decided that instead of going to university after college he would do a special apprenticeship to become a professional chef, his long-time dream to become a Michelin starred chef. A very difficult and challenging road but his friends knew that he will achieve it no matter what and no matter how long it took him. They still keep in touch and meet up when they can, which can be difficult due to their busy schedules despite living in the same city.
Hinata looked thoughtful before she was snapped back into reality by an impatient Ino pocking her in the ribs making her jump.
"Oi Hinata! Any ideas?"
"Hhmm…does sound reasonable to go to the Forum and then do something fun…w-what about…what about a game perhaps?" – Hinata answers uncertainly meanwhile everyone turned to Hinata. Nervously she stares back at her audience and tries to elaborate on what kind of game would be suitable.
"A s-scary game of some sorts?"
"Everyone who thinks Hinata should volunteer for the job of finding the perfect game raise your hand" – hollers Lee a bright health and fitness fanatic. Rock, Lee was a tall and muscular built guy who reminded everyone of Bruce Lee in his appearance. He is studying Physiotherapy and is part of the national Kung Fu team representing the Fire Country in the Olympic Games, which is a great honor. He is a year ahead, a third year, as he is a year older than the rest of the group. Lee is a passionate and loyal individual, he and Naruto have known each other since they were children and have been good friends ever since.
The bell rings soon after and everyone bids each other well to then scatter to their respective classes.
…
Hinata was generously picked or volunteered as they have put it…'More like forced into', to find a good sort of entertainment for her friends for their Halloween after party of sort. Ino being busy with hockey practice meant that Hinata had to venture on her own that day.
Wanting to impress she goes on a hunt into town on a Saturday to find something suitable. 'Perhaps going on a Saturday wasn't such a good idea' she thought. Konoha was an immense city and a restless city at that, one that never truly slept. 'No rest for the wicked eh?' It was busy everywhere she went. She never liked crowds and it seemed busier than usual.
After an eternity of searching through the mall first, then the town center's shops, on the brink of giving up she looks up at the grey sky, which was much darker than this morning she realized. 'It seems like a storm might be picking up'. Strong winds suddenly coming out of nowhere almost carrying her, so she hurried. Rain shortly followed as expected. This was never a great scenario in big crowds. As the ice cold unforgiving rain poured down it caused 'the mob' of people to panic and run for cover. Hinata was consequently shoved and thrust in multiple directions. Thrown off her course she couldn't handle the sudden claustrophobia. She couldn't turn, she couldn't see where she was going, her chest started feeling very tight and breathing became difficult. Pushing through to anywhere where she could get away seemed almost impossible, like a stampede the people moved forward until she saw a small opening and she almost swam towards it and jumped into the narrow alleyway, thinking her escape route.
Taking a moment to breathe she slouched back onto the cold wall, leaning her head back she closed her eyes 'kami…never again...' Feeling the cool droplets slowly falling onto her delicate porcelain skin was almost calming. Hinata blinked back the raindrops from her eyelashes, which framed her soft silver eyes. Parting her plumb lips she sucks in a deep breath and looks down the street between the two hauntingly tall buildings that shielded it from most of the light. It wasn't all that well lit either. Looking back at the stampede she thins her lips and then faces forward making up her mind and presses onwards.
Even though Konoha is a modern city it still had much of its old town within it, hidden just like this street, which made the city that much more alluring. As she walked past she looked around at the timeworn shops, which seemed to have been closed for a very long time. Hinata was partly struck by awe and wary of the unnatural feeling that the street was giving off 'Like travelling back in time' she thought. Her midnight coloured locks framing her face were sticking to her skin uncomfortably. Good thing she tied her long hair up in a bun otherwise it would have been a disaster. She sneezed. 'I can't wait to…' Hinata trailed off as she noticed a small, old looking Victorian shop and comes to a halt. It had lights on and seemed to be still open. 'It looks so out of place'. Unable to read the head sign she piers through the old mahogany windows.
The bell attached to the door above her head rings as she guardedly enters the shop unsure if she really should go in. Scanning the room quickly not seeing anyone, Hinata nervously wonders into the odd looking shop. She decides that she was glad to be away from the wet cold, as she hasn't realised that she had lost the sensation in her hands. Not seeing the shop keeper at the counter Hinata begins to hesitantly look around. The shop is much, much bigger inside compared to the initial glace she took through the dusty window. The shop had a high ceiling, at least 4 meters high, almost looked like a library of sorts with so many shelves and ladders for the top shelves. There were a couple of swirling stair cases leading to the second floor with one being at the front and other at the back of the shop. Walking past one of the shelves she tried to read the sorting marks of each section but could not understand the language. It didn't seem to look like anything she saw before so Hinata decided to go into a random section to explore. A heavy feeling settled in the pit of her stomach like the one that you get when you feel as if you are being watched. She turned her head around to see if there is anyone there but sees no one. 'I don't like this…'
Trying to keep her composure she forcefully dismissed the strange dread like feeling that this peculiar shop gave her and searched on, unconsciously slightly more hurriedly. Clenching and unclenching her hands she placed one over her racing heart trying to calm herself. 'There's no need to be so frightened' she tried to reassure herself.
Hinata attempts to distract her mind and ponders about her current problem of what would be a good type of entertainment on a Halloween night. As she scans the old shelves packed with various unknown to her contents, books and toys? Dolls? Her eyes stray to the next row of shelves behind the one she stands. Looking through the gaps of the ledge Hinata notices a plain, blood red coloured box on a shelf next to what seemed like old black and white magic books with runes on their spines. It was the only item that didn't appear to be covered in dust. Rounding the corner and moving closer to it she feels a mixture of unexplained anxiety and anticipation. As if gravitated towards it she finally stands directly in front of the alluring object and she brings her hands up to hover above the lid. Only hesitating for a moment, she slides her fingertips along the smooth surface of the box, feeling the texture of smooth ceramic, but is then suddenly startled by the old raspy voice close behind her.
Jumping and screaming she backs away only to halt when she heard the old man chuckling to himself.
"Now, now, am I that frightening?" - asked the old man humorously.
Perhaps she wouldn't have been so frightened if the blasted old man didn't sneak up on her like that and scare the day lights out of her. Or maybe if she wasn't so transfixed by her overwhelming curiosity of the strange box she would have been able to hear the old man approaching from behind.
Clutching her hand and resting it over her rapidly beating heart she tried to calm herself.
'It's only an old... harmless man. It's ok… It's ok…'
"I'm so s-sorry for my outburst, you startled m-me" - Hinata breathed attempting to smile a little at the elderly man.
"Forgive me my child, I hadn't meant to scare my customer. My name is Sarutobi, I am the owner of this shop. I saw you browsing after coming back from the stock room in the back of the shop. Is there anything in particular that you are looking for that I could help you with?" – asked the modest looking, grandfather type of figure with white hair and a long beard, dressed in traditional white and grey Japanese robes.
Pausing for a moment, she remembered why she entered the shop in the first place.
"I…I'm not entirely sure what I'm looking for…sir" - she speaks slowly.
The old man glances at the red box and recognition flashes through his eyes. Picking up the crimson box he questions quietly, more mumbling to himself - "What is this doing here? It's not supposed to be here..."
Inquisitive Hinata hesitantly asks what the box's content is.
The old man lifts his eyes to hers carefully summing her up, then smiles gently. However, his reassuring smile may have looked genuine to any normal person but it didn't quite seem to reach his knowing eyes.
"Why don't you have a look?" - he asks as he reaches out to present the box to her.
Cautiously unable to refuse Hinata removes the lid of the box and sees an antique Ouija board. 'It's beautiful…' was her initial though. Hinata never has been a very superstitious person due to her background and upbringing so she is not quite sure what to think of Ouija boards.
"It is said to be a portal of communication with the dead. It should not be used unwisely" – continued the old man with a strange like tone…almost sounding like a villain…
…
(Flashback)
From a tender age of 5, after her mother's death giving birth to her still born sister, Hinata has been able to feel presence of others, of beings not living in this world and things beyond her comprehension. She wasn't sure if it was a curse or an endowment bestowed upon her for an unknown reason, which grew as time passed. A gift called by some, which she has not asked for. A curse declared by other, she thought she didn't deserve.
Her father has taken her to different psychotherapists claiming she was delusional after she claimed to have seen and spoken to her mother, his disease wife, as well as hearing cries of an infant.
They thought it was some kind of coping technique because she was lonely and the traumatic experience of losing a mother at such an early stage of life had a serious adverse effect on her. Following numerous amounts of medication it seemed to have winded down or so it seemed. As time went past and she thought she has forgotten but in reality the memory was only locked away in a chamber in a far corner of her deep subconscious mind.
One of her earlier memories was of Hizashi, her uncle who died protecting her from a man hired to kidnap her, as she was informed. It was such a hazy memory that she wasn't completely sure if it was a dream or not. It was past midnight on a cold October night, as she lay half awake unable to fall asleep. A shadow moved and she seized moving like a deer caught in the head light. It moved again and she soon realised that it were only the branches of the trees in the garden, pulled relentlessly by the harsh winds outside, howling like a lone wolf. The rain hit the windows, soaking everything out side, the lightning showed its face between its brothers, the dark clouds. A sudden strike of thunder then erupted shaking her little body.
'A thunderstorm'. She breathed a sigh of momentary relief, when she felt a weight shift on her bed, she sat up and came face to face with a man covered head to toe in black ninja wear, blending in with the shadows. That moment, which seemed to last an eternity simultaneously followed by the furious lightning strike, almost deafening in its power and the light from it eliminated the intruder. The only thing she could see of this trespasser was his eyes. She has never seen anything so petrifying in her life. The sclera of the eyes was pitch black and the eyes seemed to be crying black tears. The sight has disturbed her to physical paralysis. The creature blinks and the iris of the eyes bleed into a demonic yellow. It spoke in a deep voice, which did not sound human. She couldn't tear her eyes away or process the words it spoke to her. Her fear that locked her in place seemed to amuse the black clad man, his eyes smiling sadistically.
Hizashi bursts into the room breathless as if he has been running and sees the trespasser facing Hinata in a locked stare. The intruder got up slowly moving away from Hinata and tearing his gaze away from her small form to meet the man's at the door. She turned her head in panic and screamed for her uncle to run but then everything goes black.
…
The blinding light of the sun coming through the large windows wakes her and she finds herself in a hospital bed alone.
They said that the kidnapper was hired by a rival company who were going to sabotage the Hyuuga business corporation with blackmail. It didn't go as planned, as the head of Hyuuga Company's brother, Hizashi, tried to stop the man but as a result was stabbed in the abdomen and died shortly after from severe internal bleeding at the scene of the crime. The sword pierced a major blood vessel and caused irreversible haemorrhage.
The kidnaper was also found dead. It was speculated that he was either pushed out of the window or he jumped and landed on the sharp gates of the back garden. It was also discovered that he was a former employee of the opposing company. The company released a statement saying that the criminal has been fired from their company a significant amount of time prior to the incident and goes on to deny the charges, so the investigation continued.
After some time the case was discontinued due to lack of evidence and no leads. Consequently, the charges against the opposing company were dropped and the case was closed.
Hyuuga, Hiashi, Hinata's father, locked himself up further after the death of his beloved twin brother. He couldn't look at her as he partly blamed her for what had happened even though he knew it was wrong to do so and she had nothing to do with it. She was also an immense reminder of his late wife because of how much she resembled her. He couldn't take it.
Hinata was sent to a boarding school from the age of 8.
These were difficult times for Hinata and she became very withdrawn. However it did come with a silver lining. She had a guardian assigned to her, a beautiful kind lady by the name of Kurenai, Yuuhi who became a mother figure to Hinata. At the same time she met Ino at the boarding school. Despite Ino not living on site, as not all of the children did, they still became very close friends and Hinata was finally able to be a little happy again and have hope for a brighter future.
(End of Flashback)
…
'That thing you have seen was not real!' She berated herself. 'What you think you saw were only tricks of the mind, a dream.' She screamed at herself. 'My own imagination'. The inner battle within her seemed to have been evident to the old man who only smiled strangely as if knowing something she did not.
Something flashed in her eyes, determination of some sort, of wanting to prove something to herself.
"How much?" – She spoke.
"2,500 yen will be sufficient." (It's about £20) – The shop keeper answered as he turned to walk back to the counter with the box in hand. While handing her the carrier bag with the board inside it he warned her to be careful.
"Read the guidelines I have provided carefully. Remember to not take your finger off the glass planchette no matter what happens before you finish the session."
Blinking and slightly confused from what the old man said Hinata nods nevertheless and pays for the item. He gives her brief directions on how to get to the main street, so thanking the shopkeeper she walked out of the shop to return to her dorm. After continuing along the narrowed path it finally joined onto a main street and to Hinata's relief she was able to find her way back.
On her journey back she started to have doubts and was tempted to take it back. 'Maybe it wasn't such a good idea…what was I thinking?' The carrier bag felt heavier and heavier by every passing minute. It almost felt like dark energy was being emitted by it. Swallowing her panic she dismissed her paranoid thoughts and runs back to her dorm.
Breathing a heavy sigh Hinata walked into one of the four flats on the top floor of a four-story accommodation building that she shares with Ino and 4 other students. She walks briskly to Ino's room and knocks before entering. Every room was a decent size, not too small and not big either, with a single bed, a desk with shelves above it, a built in wardrobe and an en-suite bathroom. It was a luxury to have your own bathroom as a student and the rent was a little higher, however it was well worth it in Hinata's eyes despite the location being the furthest end of the university grounds.
"Yo! Hinata! What took you so long?" exclaimed curious Ino from her spot on the bed drying her hair after the hockey practice. Hinata noticed that Sakura and Karin were also present so she smiled and they exchanged greetings. The two lived in one of the flats just below them, however they would usually hang out together in their flat as the view of the forest was nicer from the fourth floor. All three were members of the female hockey club at the university. They tried to convince Hinata to join at the beginning but Hinata politely declined as she didn't like contact sports very much and besides her strengths lay in the water athletics.
"What did you get?" - Piped in Sakura spotting the carrier bag in Hinata's hand.
"Erm..I..I got an Oui..." – Hinata suddenly nervous was unable to finish her sentence as she literally had the bag snatched from her hands by the girls.
It was silent for a moment as they peered inside the bag and excitedly opened the box.
"Classic! An Ouija board! Not bad Hinata. Not bad at all! Looks pretty spooky to me" – Ino burst out as she grinned good-naturedly.
"Good find Hinata! This might freak a few people out on Halloween! Haha!" – proclaimed enthusiastic Sakura.
"Look at the markings on it, it's beautiful…it looks antique." – Karin informs the group thoughtfully observing the board while nodding in agreement.
"I don't know you guys…maybe it wasn't such a good idea after all…maybe?" – Hinata trails off uncertainly as everyone turned to stare at her. Only Karin seemed to pause for thought but only for a moment. Ino started snickering mockingly behind her hand while Sakura made chicken noises for emphasise. Hence Hinata's argument 'against' ended right there and then with a merciless pillow fight following shortly after.
…
It's about 2 days before the Halloween party and Hinata felt more anxious by the hour. She tried to reassure herself that there was no reason to be nervous and being a woman of science she shouldn't believe in the supernatural. 'Nothing is going to happen'.
The majority of people in the group thought it to be a great idea. Kiba and Naruto were both especially enthusiastic about the idea after Ino explained to them what an Ouija board was to everyone's amusement.
Shikamaru on the other hand thought it was a waste of time, as he didn't believe in such nonsense as ghosts, being a man of science himself. Shikamaru noticed Hinata's discomfort since the topic has arisen a week ago and had tried to reassure her subtly in his own way.
"The users subconsciously direct the path of the triangle or the planchette as they call it, to produce a word that is in that person's subconscious thought process. Some people may be convinced that the 'powers' of the Ouija board are real because they are unaware that they are in fact moving the piece themselves, and therefore they assume that the piece must be moving due to some other 'spiritual force'." explained Shikamaru glancing briefly in Hinata's direction catching her eye to which she smiled a little in gratitude.
"Did you also know that the number and the variety of reports that couldn't be explained scientifically, about the harm that the Ouija board has done, has been too great compared to the results of your theory? Consequently, your theory hasn't been able to be officially proven due to that number." – Karin teased the both of them.
Shikamaru frowned disagreeing with Karin regardless. The two liked to engage in a debate often challenging each other's knowledge. Karin's words seem to ring in Hinata's ears, which distressed even more. Seeing Hinata's uneasiness Shikamaru offered some words of comfort - "Don't worry about it Hinata, nothing is going to happen". For the first time since she has known him, the reason in the genius's words were unable to calm her worried heart.
….
On the day of the Halloween party Hinata couldn't help her nervousness. The flips that her stomach seemed to be doing were making her slightly nauseous. Trying to brush the feeling aside she observed herself in the mirror. She was dressed in a white frilly sleeveless Victorian like dress cut short above her knees at the front while it was long at the back. The outfit suited her and fit her frame perfectly, as she had natural porcelain complexion, molten silver eyes and midnight coloured heir, which cascaded down her shoulders in waves reaching her lower back. She had some help with the make up from Ino, which consisted of light make up of cream, pink and lilac blended eye shadow, eyeliner along with some mascara to frame her eyes, light blusher and plum coloured lipstick. Karin drew cracks on her skin for effect, so to appear as a broken porcelain doll. One on her cheek and a few others scattered around on her arms and legs.
Hinata was pleased with her appearance despite not looking scary at all. It was the softness of her face and the gentleness in her eyes that could never make her appear menacing despite the outfit she wore.
'…A Victorian doll…' she thought to herself with anabsent mind before Ino suddenly burst through her door making her jump three feet in the air.
"Ino-chan!" – reprimanded Hinata in a stern voice.
"A bit jittery are we hime?" – snickered the blond intruder.
"Now come on wear these shoes and we'll go join the rest of the group" – Ino said while handing Hinata a pair of open toe, white patent leather, high heels she was letting her borrow. Hinata wasn't a fan of heels and tried to protest but like most of the disagreements they had in these kinds of situations Ino always won. Ino wasn't a particularly girly person she just had a good fashion sense. Nor was she the type of girl to take hours to get ready or thoughtlessly gossip. She knew what she wanted, loved sports and was a bit of a feminist. Her father was a strong role model in her life, it was also where she got her love for sports of course and despite being a single father he raised her well on his own with his late wife in his thoughts and heart. Her mother passed away in a car accident while she was still very young. A hit and run driver distracted by his phone had crashed into her when she was driving to pick up Ino from the nursery, she later died in hospital from severe head injuries. Ino doesn't remember her mother very well but through her father's stories she felt a little closer to the memory that was her mother. Apparently she was a strong willed feminist and a successful lawyer. Yamanaka, Inoichi, Ino's father, told her often how much she reminded him of her late mother and how much of her fiery will lived on inside Ino.
It was one of the things that Ino and Hinata had in common, which drew them even closer, loosing their mothers in childhood. Inoichi was a kind man with a big heart and he liked Hinata from the moment Ino introduced her to him as her best friend. He liked to call them his daughters. Hinata loved spending time with them both and was grateful that they allowed her to become part of their little family. Hinata was never a jealous sort of person and despite feeling deep sadness towards her own father whom only called her on her birthday and saw briefly at Christmas, she never held it against them.
Ino wore a frilly, dark purple Gothic Lolita dress and had patent leather, black high-heeled shoes on with blood red roses on the straps. Her make up mirrored that of Hinata but the only difference consisted of different shades of purple eye shadow, her long platinum locks hang straight on either side of her shoulders and a witch's hat adorned her head. She looked very cute.
"Hehehehe, you look absolutely gorgeous in that dress Hinata! I'm so glad I picked you this one to rent out. I'm a genius. You really do look like a China doll in that dress." Ino exclaimed while grinning at her handy work.
Hinata with a heavy sigh exited their room alongside Ino to make their way to the Forum where the Halloween party was held.
…
The place was huge and decorated impressively with all kinds of things from banners, props to lights. The budget must have been fairly vast to go all out like this, however it was an investment as the students brought in a lot of business and no one drinks or parties as much as the students do. It's also almost like the right of passage, you go to university and drink yourself silly.
The atmosphere definitely screamed Halloween. There were four themed rooms in total with a bar and a DJ in each one playing different types of music: a Graveyard themed room with Rock/Alternative music, Frankenstein's castle - Techno, Egypt - House and Plague - RnB. People were dancing to the music and enjoying themselves with various alcoholic beverages in hand.
The group of friends try to navigate through the crowed to get to the bar. While waiting to be served Hinata observes her group of friends with great amusement.
Karin wore a torn but fitted white dress to resemble a banshee, messy red locks, strappy high heels and no glasses 'Must be wearing contacts, she should wear them more often' smiled Hinata to herself. Standing along side her was Sakura in medical scrubs and a fitted white lab coat covered in fake blood splashes with syringes and fake scalpels in her pockets and a stethoscope around her neck. Her scrub bottoms were rolled up past her ankles and she wore red heels. She literally looked like she just murdered someone but people love medics in uniform and so she was definitely noticed. These girls definitely got the right idea for scary outfits. 'Maybe I'll get some ideas from them for next year' thought Hinata with a small chuckle.
Then there was Naruto and Kiba dressed as were-wolves. Unable to resist Hinata had to snicker. It looked as if hormonally raging fan girls had assaulted them. It was a sight to see. Both were dressed in ragged and partially ripped clothes stained in fake blood. Naruto had sported red contact lenses, which gave him a slightly demonic look.
Ino snorted and laughed at them openly, to then get into a heated debate with Kiba about the latest Rugby game between their rivalling teams: The Konoha Eagles and Konoha Fangs. This time the Eagles had won a match against the Fangs but Kiba was eager to remind her that they had only won by a margin and overall his team played better than her team. Ino of course had a few things to say about that and so they went on back and forth teasing each other relentlessly. When their turn came to order drinks Kiba let Ino go first. The bartender was a cute freshman with a charming smile that tried to hit on Ino, which wasn't a surprise as she was a very good-looking lady and was looking very pretty that evening. However, one of the things that Kiba and Ino wouldn't do in front of each other is flirt with other people despite how meaningless it was. It was almost like an unspoken agreement between them and both unsure of the real reasons behind it. Ino wasn't a simple type of girl that would flirt with a man to make another jealous. She had more respect for herself than that and wouldn't lower herself to such an act intentionally. She was also a bit conservative when it came to showing interest in the opposite sex, she believed that men should always make the first move. A girl should never degrade herself by running after a man. The girl's pride as a woman should be upheld. So she politely smiled and ordered drinks for herself and her friends, first round was on her. Kiba smiled a secret smile despite himself and lowered his head just above her ear to say to Ino that the next round was on him. Looking up at his handsome face with a confident smile despite such close proximity made Kiba's cheeks heat up momentarily. The closeness wasn't surprising after all as the music was very loud, as per usual in any club, and the only way to be able to hear each other was if you shouted in each other's ears. However, Ino secretly enjoyed these rare occasions when they would all go out as a group and she could be like this with him.
Hinata didn't understand those two and how afraid they were to make a move on each other despite getting on well and being attracted to one another. Kiba may have had the bad boy looks but he had a heart of gold and the same went for Ino. Were they doubtful of each other's sincerity? Maybe they were afraid that the dynamic in the group might change or if it didn't work out would it cause a drift in the group? But if you feel in your heart that it's the right person the risk would be worth it, thought Hinata. No matter how she tried to approach the subject with either of those two they dodged it skilfully, nevertheless Hinata was determined to see both of her precious friend happy.
"You alright Hinata? Seemed a bit far away for a moment there!" – shouted Lee through the loud music smiling down gently at the petite girl.
"I'm ok thank you! I was just thinking about something!" – Hinata shouts back at him standing beside Shikamaru as Lee passes her her drink. She thanks him and makes small talk about the venue. Both Lee and Shikamaru were dressed as zombies with fake bite gashes on their shoulders and necks as well as their arms to add to the effect but still managed to look very dashing. Lee had his dark silk like hair swept to the side while Shikamaru let his hair down naturally, which was indeed a rare occasion, his spiky shoulder length brown hair looked good that way, it suited him.
The light-hearted atmosphere helped Hinata relax a little and enjoy herself. She has received a number of compliments from many people on how she looked and a few secret glances from others. She felt a little embarrassed from the attention she was receiving, as she never really liked being the centre of attention due to her past experiences while she still lived at home with her father, it never resulted in anything good, however tonight like any other girl she found it flattering and it also made her feel a little more confident. Although not confident enough to dance with any of the boys that have attempted to ask her for a dance.
Trying to escape for a little while she hid herself by the chairs on the side-lines. That's where she bumped into Shino who was trying to do the same. Aburame, Shino was a family friend of Kiba's and the main reason behind how they became friends, despite their differences in character, was due to them being neighbours. Kiba introduced them last year when they crossed paths in the library by accident. Since then they have bumped into each other in the corridors a few times as their faculties were located next to one another. Shino was studying Biomedical science. He was a very tall and polite man who sometimes could come across as aloof but was far from it. He had dark brown hair, which he tied up in a topknot with the sides being cropped short. It really suited him thought Hinata. He wore glasses and was a rather handsome man. They seemed to get on well and made fast friends. Hinata liked his quiet and intelligent persona. He was dressed as the villain from the Scream movie with the mask pulled up revealing his face as he sipped his drink while leaning against the wall. She smiled up at him and he nodded silently acknowledging her. 'Even when I wear high heels he is still so much taller than me' mused Hinata.
Looking out into the sea of people she caught Ino's eyes and Hinata waved smiling before diverting her attention back to her 'hiding' comrade. They chatted lightly about their courses, their group of friends, about how Shino was convinced by his course mates to attend this party and how he regretted it meanwhile Hinata chucked at his story.
Without realising it Hinata's hand has been snatched by Ino and she was currently being dragged to the dance floor, which she had tried to avoid.
"Sorry Shino but I'm going to have to confiscate this lady for awhile. Do excuse us!" – exclaimed excited Ino. Hinata smiled in apology back at him as she was pulled away into the sea of bodies dancing to the House music. She waved to him politely, which Shino returned with a small smile.
…
Everyone was having a good time but it was cut short as the Forum was closing at 1am and everyone was slowly forced to return to their dorms or seek other places to continue to party.
The boys said that they would meet the girls at the dance studio in 30minutes as they were going to fetch the alcohol, snacks and all the necessary preparations for tonight's game, which were all left in their dorm for convenience purposes.
The girls proceeded to their destination located not too far from the Forum. It was in the gym building on the top floor, which was a 24-hour facility so it was fairly easy for them to sneak up stairs to the dance studios, as the dorms would be total chaos this time of night and cramped with drunken students getting up to all sorts. They needed a quiet and large enough space to accommodate them all and the studios were a good idea at the time, courtesy of Sakura.
Hinata was feeling worried to say the least as they walked down the well-lit corridors of the dancing studio towards the room they have chosen to try the Ouija board. 'It's going to be ok…' her thoughts have been abruptly cut short as the lights in the corridors started to flicker and suddenly went out completely.
One of the girls shrieked from the sudden darkness, as there were no windows, which caused the others to panic. Feeling alarmed they run towards the only light provided by the eerie moonlight shinning through an open door at the end of the corridor, the room where they were all suppose to meet. The corridor seemed to stretch and it felt like it was further away. They rushed and ushered themselves in to the room quickly locking the door behind them. They looked for the light switches but came to a sudden halt as the windows burst open violently and the strong bone chilling wind tore in to the room hitting them like shock.
They herd scratching sounds and were paralysed in place. Then two shinning yellow orbs appeared, 'No', standing out in the darkness, 'No', Feeling bile threatening to rise, it was like déjàvu. The only thing they could see was how demonic they appeared "No!" screamed Hinata, 'it cannot be'. Hinata couldn't move. Without another second going past the other girls rushed towards the exit but the door wouldn't open. With a dreading realisation they understood that there was no escape. Karin picked up a nearby chair and screamed that if it got any closer she would hit it, knowing full well that it most likely would not help anything but just prolong what was coming to them. 'No...no No!' Hinata felt blind panic to start to rise in her chest and it became difficult to breathe.
The shadow moved towards them and they screamed, banging on the door, shouting for help and it all seemed to be futile until they herd sudden burst of laughter. The lights were switched on shortly afterwards and Lee sheepishly walked in through the same door to join them, the one that wouldn't open earlier but now they knew the reason why. The girls were speechless and the only thing that could be heard was the roaring laughter of the boys except Shikamaru who wore the 'glow in the dark yellow' contacts, and was now closing the windows. Kiba, Naruto and Lee thought it was the funniest thing they have seen in a long time. It seemed like an eternity before Hinata found that her heart was still beating thinking it stopped when the figure approached in the darkness moments ago.
"Can't believe I was dragged into this, how troublesome" muttered Shikamaru while shaking his head lightly and placed a hand on Hinata's shoulder inquiring if she was alright, which she returned with a tentative nod and a sigh of incredulous relief. 'It was nothing...just a joke...it was nothing...' she reassured herself.
Karin, Sakura and Ino were feeling murderous and attacked the laughing men. Suddenly the boys didn't think it was very funny anymore.
…
Cracking her knuckles Sakura glared at the guilty boys.
"You try that again and I won't be responsible for my actions".
"I second that" - added Ino.
"OK! As we got that out of the way let's begin the game!" - said Sakura excitedly.
Everyone took their chairs and settled around the lone round table in the middle of the studio, which they got from the back storage room. Joking and a bit of banter as they passed round the alcohol and snacks before putting them away to start the preparation.
"Here, why don't you read out the rules for us Hinata." – Ino passed the notes to Hinata while Karin placed the board in the middle of the table. Following Hinata's instructions Ino and Sakura arranged the thick white candles around the group on the floor encircling them and placing the last one on the top of the board. Naruto and Shikamaru then went to work on lighting the candles with a couple of lighters while Lee switched off the main lights in the room, bathing the room in moonlight.
Placing the glass planchette in the base position on the wooden board the group observed the old mahogany surface for a moment. It had letters from A to Z, with numbers from 0 to 9 below it, yes and no above it, a beautiful icon of the Sun in the top left corner and a Moon symbol at the top right corner, and goodbye at the bottom. Everything was written in neat italics.
The notes were quite thorough, mainly due to the excessive caution advised and proclamation of other chronological facts about the board besides the rules of the game.
"Never ask the spirit to prove their existence as in doing so provokes e-e-evil spirits into your h-home. To try and prevent an evil spirit coming to the board t-try starting the session and ending it with a prayer. Always end the s-session by moving the planchette to 'Goodbye' and turning the board upside d-down" – Hinata read tensely while the group listened distractingly.
"Skip that boring part, go straight to the main thing Hina" - Kiba rushed her slightly while sipping on his beer. Naruto nodded in unison beside him. She frowned lightly in protest and dipped her head in nervousness while skipped a few pages looking for the main guidelines.
The feeling of trepidation intensified in the pit of Hinata's stomach, clenching almost painfully. Nevertheless she carried on not wanting to ruin it for her friend's sakes. Her hands became slightly damp and shook as she started reading out the main rules of the game.
"Before the session everyone must hold hands to say 'Let there be no evil forces or demons'." - Everyone complied.
"Sit facing each other, knees touching if possible, designate one person as the medium" - She stops and they all look to her to be the chosen medium as she was the one who found this game. She almost can't swallow the sudden lump in her throat and the blood rushed in her ears. Swallowing thickly she carried on.
"Gently place your index and middle fingers on the planchette on the board. Slowly move the planchette in circles to let the board warm up, and concentrate on what you want to ask." - Everyone placed their fingers on the planchette, Hinata continued to read while doing the same.
"Rest your fingers on it firmly but without much force. The planchette should move to the letters. It will take some time so don't expect the spirit to answer immediately. Have the medium ask questions, one at a time. Do not take your fingers off the planchette before bidding the spirit goodbye."
Hinata wavered momentarily but continued quickly after. She put down the instructions in front of her.
"Is there anybody w-with us?" – She spoke quietly. There was a pregnant pause and they sat there in silence for a couple of minutes expecting something, anything to happen. Seeing some of her friends growing impatient she asked again but still nothing happened.
Then suddenly they were startled by the sound of the resonating clock tower located high on the main building close by to indicate that it was two in the morning. Regaining composure Hinata said it again but a little louder this time and the planchette moved to the left mid corner of the board.
'Yes'
…
Dun-dun-DUN! Cliff hanger…
Hope you enjoyed reading this new and improved chapter! Please let me know what you think! Please excuse any grammatical mistakes that I may have made as I don't have a Beta… :'( , any volunteers? :D
Sorry that there isn't any SasuHina yet but it's going to be a bit of a slow burn I'm afraid
Unless you count the eye smex between hinata and the scarlet box? Lol
The next chapter will be uploaded in a few days time
Stay tuned!