Disclaimer: This is a story based on the Manhwa Love In The Mask. All Characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto, Author of Naruto.
Hinata had a hard life. Nothing about it was easy. If she turned her back away from the people who had given her a home, they would find her and kill her. Every time she made a mistake, she would be punished and threatened to be thrown out onto the streets. Worst of all, she had to pretend to be a guy for the rest of her life. She had to guard the Haruno family's only survivor, besides the grandfather, from any possible threats. It never used to be like this. In fact, life before this was worse.
12 years ago, in the winter of 1990, Hinata Hyuga and her little sister were begging for food on the streets of Konoha. Hinata was only 5, while her sister was 3. They never got to keep the money they earned. It all went to the gang they worked for. But on this particular day, Hinata's life would change forever.
Hinata and Hannabi were trying to sell gum to the passengers on the train. Many ignored them while others felt sorry for them and placed small donations in the small cardboard box Hinata was holding. Hinata and Hannabi would smile their brightest smiles and give their thanks. The strange thing about both Hinata and Hannabi was, they both dressed as boys. They had boy hairstyles and clothing. They even wore boy's underwear. Hinata had raven colored hair, while her sister had a deep brown. Both had grey, pupil less eyes. Hinata and Hannabi were just getting off the train when a man from a different gang attacked them. He grabbed both their arms and pulled them into the men's toilets.
"Give me all the money you earned today and I'll spare her!" The man yelled at Hinata, holding a knife to Hannabi's throat. Hannabi squirmed and cried, but the man didn't loosen his iron grip. Hinata was scared. She needed the money so the gang wouldn't hurt her or Hannabi, but she needed to save her sister.
"Okay, okay. Here, take it!" Hinata placed the box on the floor and backed away. Her eyes never left Hannabi's. The man grinned and dropped Hannabi. He took the money and left, but not before he punched Hinata in the side of her face.
"Hinata!" Hannabi yelled and ran at Hinata. Hinata grinned and Wiped the blood that was escaping her mouth away. She looked up at Hannabi's face that was swimming in her gaze, the man had hit her a little harder than she expected.
"Are you okay?" Hannabi was frantic. Hinata sighed and stood up, allowing Hannabi to help her up from the cold bathroom floor.
"I'm okay Hannabi. Are you?" Hinata asked, scooping down and checking Hannabi's neck for any marks or cuts. When she was satisfied, she stood up and smiled.
"He obviously wasn't the sharpest Knife in the Kitchen." Hinata grinned and pulled off her shoe. She always put a small bit of money in her shoe so both she and Hannabi could get a good meal on the way home. Hannabi grinned too once she saw the money. But the smile faded once she realized that the gang would be enraged when they found out that they had lost their money. Hannabi shivered at the thought. Hinata saw this and took the smaller girls hand and lead her away. They walked for what seemed like forever, until they came to a sandwich stand. Hinata ordered two tuna sandwiches and lead Hannabi over to a church. They took their seats in one of the rows of benches. Hannabi, so eager with hunger, raised her sandwich to her chapped lips to take a bite. Hinata stopped her.
"We have to pray before eating Hannabi." Hinata told her with a kind smile. Hannabi nodded and pressed her two cold hands together. Hinata did the same. The two girls prayed for a better life. A life where they would never starve, where they would always be loved and cared for. After they had finished their prayers, the girls began eating their food. When they were done, they left the church and walked back home, prepared to face their punishment.
…..
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN THE MONEY'S GONE? WHO TOOK IT?" The gang leader raged at small cowering girls. Hinata tried to act brave, yet she feared what might happen to her.
"T-the Man T-took it S-sir." Hannabi stuttered. She was absolutely petrified of the fearsome gang leader named Mad Dog. Hinata hugged her younger sister close, she wouldn't let anything happen to her.
"THROW THEM OUTSIDE! IN THE SNOWSTORM! LETS SEE IF THAT WILL TEACH THEM A LESSON!" Mad Dog yelled. Two gang members picked the small cowering girls up and threw them into the blizzard. Hinata instantly shuddered. Beside her, Hannabi was laying face down in the snow. She wasn't moving.
"HANNABI!" Hinata shrieked and launched herself over to her sister, trying to shake the small girl awake. Hinata had tears in her eyes, she couldn't let her sister die!
"Wake up Hannabi! WAKE UP! SOMEBODY HELP! SHE'S DIEING!" Hinata wailed, but nobody could hear her because of the howling wind. Tears were falling from Hinata's cheeks, she couldn't bare it. She hugged her little sister close for warmth, still crying out her name.
"H…Hinata?" Hannabi whispered. Hinata looked up in shock and saw her sister was still alive. She hugged her closer.
"Stay with me Hannabi. Stay awake okay? Do you hear me?" Hinata sobbed into her sisters chest. Hannabi smiled weakly.
"I can see Mamma Hinata. She's beautiful. There's food everywhere, and a pretty light." Hannabi murmured weakly. Hinata cried harder.
"No. No, Hannabi stay with me! Don't go! Don't go!" Hinata whimpered. But Hannabi spoke no more. Hinata broke down in sobs. Her sister had died.
It was five in the morning when a gang member came out to check on them. When he saw Hinata sobbing on a rock and Hannabi's body lying in the snow, he only sighed.
"There goes another one." He mumbled and grabbed Hannabi's arm, preparing to dispose of the body.
"DON'T TOUCH HER!" Hinata yelled. Fresh tears streaked down her pale face. She kicked the man in the leg and bolted for all she was worth, not once looking back.
She ran until she found the train station. She boarded the train and attempted to sell some gum she had in her pocket. A woman dropped a bit of spare money into Hinata's hands and smiled. Hinata tried to smile back, but she found nothing to smile about. She turned away from the woman, only to bump into a man wearing a black suit. The man grabbed her and lead her onto the platform, another man wearing the same clothing followed him.
"Come, where taking you to a better place." The man who had grabbed her. Hinata kicked but it was no use. She went limp with defeat and allowed them to drag her away. They put her in the back seat of a long black car and got in with her. They drove for awhile before coming to a stop at a house that looked more like a mansion. Hinata gasped, she had never seen something so grand. The men lead her to another man. He was tall and also wore a suit, only it was grey. The man wore glasses and had mousy brown hair. His eyes were cold. He stared down at Hinata as if he was looking at a piece of dirt. Hinata instantly disliked the man. He wasn't nice at all.
This strange, unkind man grabbed her wrist and lead her into his bosses office. Hinata stared at the man behind the desk. He was old with dark silver hair. His eyes were like his secretaries, hard and cold. He gazed down at Hinata and studied her. His eyes widened.
"I asked you to bring me a boy! Not a girl!" The man shouted at his secretary. The man in the grey suit frowned then turned to Hinata.
"Are you a girl?" He asked her. Hinata's eyes filled with tears. What were they going to do to her? She was scared, but tried not to show it.
"Y-yes. I'm a girl." Hinata stuttered an answer. The man behind the desk glared at her before turning back to his secretary. "Take her back where you found her." He said coldly and turned away from them.
"No. No. NO PLEASE! I'LL BE GOOD! I'LL BE GOOD! PLEASE! DON'T SEND ME BACK, THEY'LL KILL ME! PLEASE PLEASE! I'LL BE GOOD!" Hinata wailed and clung to the secretary's clothing. She kicked and wailed, pleading for them to take her in. After a moment, the Old man decided.
"On second thought…we'll test her. I'll give her a year to train. If she fails, then she can be sent back. She must also hide her gender. She must be a boy." He said simply. He watched the girl's eyes light up. She stood and bowed. "You won't be disappointed mister!" She put on her bravest face and left with the secretary. The old man pondered his decision. 'I like that girl. She has spirit.' He thought to himself.
A year of harsh training had passed, and Hinata had learned a lot. Not only had she learned to fight, but she learned many logical ways to keep her target safe. She gulped as the secretary man, who had revealed to her that his name was Hiroshi Kagoshima. Hiroshi was of course, harsh, strict and cold towards Hinata. Every night, he would take Hinata down into the basement and force her to scream until her throat was raw. This was to ensure she would have the voice of a male.
"Remember to bow in front of the boss. Disrespect will not be tolerated." He told her as they walked to the Bosses office. The bosses name was Isao Haruno. He ran a large company. When his granddaughter was only a year old, her parents died in a car crash, leaving Sakura Haruno to live with her only remaining family member. Her Grandfather.
Today, Hinata and another little boy would be tested to see who would be guarding Sakura's life. Hinata was terrified. She knew if she failed this, she would be sent back to the streets. She gulped as she entered the room. The office was exactly as it was a year ago, nothing had changed what so ever. And of course, behind the desk sat Isao Haruno. He smiled politely, but it wasn't at all friendly. Hinata's instincts were begging for her to run, only her feet were planted firmly there on the Persian rug.
"Ahh, Hiroshi…so these are the two last survivors?" Isao asked. Hinata shivered, remembering how she had to fight the other boy's that were all competing for this role. Now, only the boy beside her stood in her way.
"Is this the one that…." Isao trailed off, staring at Hinata. "Yes, this is the one sir, only his name is now Hiro." Hiroshi smiled and put a hand on Hinata's shoulders. 'So that's the name he picked out for me' She thought. The other boy was frowning at her, wondering how she knew the boss before him.
"And may I introduce Fumio." Hiroshi pated the other boy on the back.
"Ah, pleasure to meet you both. Now, this test is different from all the others. Instead of you both fighting one another, you're going to answer some questions." Isao smiled evilly, as if he had caught his prey in a net.
Hinata gulped. She wasn't sure how smart Fumio was, but she was going to beat him!
"Alright, you will each take turns answering. Now, Problem. Your walking down the street and a vicious dog appears. What do you do?" Isao asked them
"I…I…I" Fumio stuttered, trying to think of something to say.
"That's enough. Hiro?" Isao turned and asked Hinata. Hinata stood tall, her face calm before answering.
"I stand still and not move." Hinata answered simply. Isao raised his eyebrows.
"And what if the dog attacked?" He asked. Hinata looked at him, calm as ever.
"After staring at the dog for awhile, I will knock it down with one blow." She answered. This was the easiest test so far! Isao laughed at the girls boldness.
"Hiroshi, what have you been teaching these kids? That wasn't the least bit childish!" Isao continued to laugh.
"Wait outside." Hiroshi instructed the two children, who bowed at both adults respectively. Once the two kids were gone, the adults began their discussion.
"She really has turned out to be some guy hasn't she?" Isao nodded impressively. "You really worked hard with her. Was she annoying at all?" He questioned.
"Not at all. I think it's because she's afraid she'll be sent back. For the past year, I had her do physical training, Guard Training as well as training to control her emotions." Hiroshi reported with a bow. Isao nodded in approval.
"I see you have both worked hard. I choose her to be Sakura's body guard." Isao sighed and leaned back in his leather chair. Hiroshi smiled and nodded in understanding and left the room. He congratulated Hinata and lead her away. Hinata didn't notice Fumio being slowly taken away. Hiroshi took Hinata upstairs. He lead her into a room that had a bed, bookcase, Chester draws, and a bathroom next door. Hinata looked around in awe. Never, until now, had she ever had some place she could truly call home. The place was nice, and she was sure she would be well fed.
"You are now Miss Haruno's personal Guard. Just as you have been trained, you are to be respective to her at all times. Control your emotions." Hiroshi told Hinata sternly. Hinata nodded. She would not disappoint them.
"Report everything to me at the end of the day." Hiroshi added. "You will be attending the same school as Miss Haruno and everything. You two will act basically like siblings at school. The boss has also set up a training room for you downstairs for you to practice. Never neglect your training. Now, come and meet miss Haruno."
Hiroshi lead Hinata into another separate room across the hall. When he opened the door, it revealed an adorable pink haired girl, who was standing up sweetly for them. She wore a cute dress that came down to just above her knees and she wore little black dress shoes with frilly socks. The moment she saw Hinata, she smiled her biggest smile. "So you're the strange new boy!" She squealed, and ran over to Hinata. Hinata glared at the newcomer reproachfully. She was unsure who this girl was. It only took a second for her to realize that this was Sakura. Sakura frowned when Hinata took a low bow.
"You must be miss Haruno." Hinata said, still bowed. Sakura giggled. "And you're like a robot! How old are you!" Hinata was slightly shocked as to how the girl took to her so quickly. Hinata hid her emotions and answered.
"I can't reveal that classified information." Hinata answered simply. Sakura rolled her eyes and giggled some more. Sakura's care taker stumbled in the room. "Sakura! You shouldn't make friends with lower class people! Your grandfather will be furious!" She scolded. Sakura stuck her tongue out at the lady and clutched Hinata's arm.
"He's my body guard!" She yelled happily. Hinata frowned at the Pink haired girl, but smiled on the inside. The girl was adorable.
"But….Miss Haruno…" The care taker trailed off. Sakura bit her lower lip before shouting at her "Grandpa never lets me have friends!" The care taker was shocked at Sakura's small outburst. Sakura turned back to Hinata. "Can you fight well? Are you going to protect me from bad people?" She asked Hinata.
"Yes Ma'am." Hinata answered confidently. "You're no fun!" Sakura pouted. Hinata was shocked. "Let's leave Teacher!" Sakura ordered the care taker and left the room. The woman immediately scurried after the small girl.
Late that night while Hinata was laying in her bed, she stared up at the ceiling, wondering how she got in this mess. She looked away when she heard her door creak. She saw, peeking from behind the door, little Sakura staring up at her. "I can't sleep. It's scary. You should protect me." She smiled up at Hinata. Hinata sat bolt upright, staring at the little girl. 'For a second, I thought that was Hannabi.' She thought to herself. "Let's go into your room, I'll protect you until you fall asleep." Hinata said out loud. She took the small girls hand in hers and lead her into a frilly pink room.
"Can you please give me a piggy-back ride? I always fall asleep when someone does that." Sakura asked. Hinata sighed and squatted down. Sakura climbed onto her back and snuggled into it. "Wow! This is great! How old are you? Since no one is here, please tell me!" Sakura giggled from Hinata's back. Hinata stopped suddenly. Sakura whispered in her ear. "I promise I won't tell anybody." Hinata pondered this for a second before answering. "I'm 8 years old." Sakura laughed in delight. "Okay! Let's be friends! From now on, don't speak to me so formally."
"I can't." Hinata said blandly. Sakura frowned. "If you don't then I'll ask Grandpa to kick you out." Sakura half heartily threatened. Hinata inwardly panicked. "Only when we're alone then." She sighed. Sakura was pleased. "Alright, then call me Sakura. Hurry!" She smiled happily.
"S-Sa….Sakura" Hinata stuttered. "Again!" Sakura commanded, truly happy with her new friend. "Sakura!" Hinata answered with more confidence. Sakura squealed in delight and wrapped her arms around Hinata. "What's your name?" Sakura suddenly asked.
"Hiro." Hinata lied. Sakura however, didn't notice anything wrong. "During Kindergarten, there were always these strange men hanging around, so I couldn't make any friends." Sakura said sadly. But then she suddenly brightened up. "But you're my friend Now Hiro!" She told her new friend. Hinata remained silent. "Why aren't you answering?" She demanded.
"Sorry Ma'am." Hinata apologized. "Informally!" Sakura yelled. Hinata rolled her eyes. "Sorry Sakura." Sakura smiled. "I'm sleepy now Hiro. Can you sing me a song?" She asked politely. Hinata racked her brains for a song, when she thought of a song she used to sing to her sister at night.
"Twinkle, Twinkle little star,
How I wonder what you are.
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.
Twinkle, twinkle little star,
How I wonder what you are." Hinata sung softly and sadly. She noticed that Sakura had stopped talking and had fallen fast asleep. She smiled at the tiny 7 year old girl. She placed the small girl on her bed, turned the lights out and left. She climbed back into her own bed and fell straight to sleep, dreaming of her sister Hannabi, and the new girl in her life, Sakura.
Alright, so what did you think of that? If you like it. Review! Otherwise I won't continue it.
R
E
V
I
E
W
!