Wow… So… I completely forgot that I had one more story left in this series (you know, older fics, very little traffic) x_x; My bad. Still, better late than never! … Don't hate me. Here is the final piece in my seasonally-titled HinataxKurenai series. Closure, if you will.
-(Down)Fall-
"All good things must come to an end" as the saying went.
Kurenai bitterly hated whoever had first uttered that wise, all-too-correct statement. It had been inevitable that whispers of her relationship with her student spread to her father and Hiashi had locked Hinata up in the Hyuuga Complex like some sort of imperiled princess.
Which made the Chuunin's sensei the villain?
That wasn't too far from the truth to some of the villagers: civilians and other Jounin now looked at her as though she was some sort of social pariah. It wasn't as though the girl hadn't willingly engaged in, er, "relations" with her! Who cared if they were both women?
Apparently Hiashi did—very much so. He had threatened to disown the eldest Hyuuga if she so much as looked at Kurenai again, publically disapproving of their relationship in a way that made it so that the brunette could hardly walk down the street without hearing the buzz of gossip.
Her friends remained loyally at her side and tried their best to console her, their gazes pitying. She almost preferred the disgust.
Except for Anko, of course. She had been an angel through it all. Her choice words about Hiashi's bigotry against lesbians had been fervent enough to make the brunette blush and she had taken to keeping little tabs on Hinata so that Kurenai knew the younger woman wasn't entirely unhappy. The violet-haired Chuunin was still training hard and her growth was phenomenal. In fact, she would be a Jounin just next week.
"Proud" didn't even begin to describe the Genjutsu user.
"I need to get out of the village, Anko," Kurenai sighed, kicking her feet out in the open air. The two were seated on a rooftop high above Konohagakure, passing a bottle of sake back and forth under the stars. From here, she could see the lights of the sprawling series of buildings that made up the Hyuuga Complex and she had to wonder what Hinata was doing at that very moment.
She sighed again and Anko shook her head. "Stop with the moping. She'll be out of there before you know it."
After three and a half months of waiting and wishing, she definitely "knew it."
"If I don't do something to keep myself busy, I'll go mad."
"So what're you gonna do?" The brunette wordlessly held up the satchel she had sitting against her thigh and the younger Jounin took it, peering inside curiously. "Whoa, you serious?"
Inside was a porcelain mask—the typical headwear of an ANBU—carved to match the visage of a cunning fox as well as a grey flak jacket, metal arm guards and gloves, and sandals with spikes along the soles for more uneven terrain.
"I haven't been marked yet," she said, referring to the spiral tattoo that all ANBU bore on one shoulder. "But the Hokage recognizes that I am qualified."
Tsunade was yet another Konohagakurian who sympathized with the brunette's predicament. She managed to refrain from those pitying looks, however, and for that Kurenai was grateful.
Anko nodded slowly, dark eyes gleaming with something her best friend didn't quite recognize. "Alright… I'm coming with you."
"What!?"
"Yeah. There's nothing here for me but you, toots." She grinned. "I'll be bored without you."
"Anko, that's not a good reason to—"
"We all have a reason to run away."
Kurenai opened her mouth then closed it, understanding that sentiment completely. She knew better than to pry, knew that behind that grin there was darkness that Anko would rather not broach. Finally, she sighed and slumped against the purple-haired Jounin, resting her head against the other woman's shoulder, and her friend reached up and mussed her hair.
"We'll be fine."
Three days later…
Kurenai looked around her room one last time, sighing and raking a hand through dark brown waves. She would miss this place… Or rather the memories it held—memories of love shared and irreplaceable moments that would forever be in her heart.
Memories that were the only bit of Hinata she had left.
With another despondent sigh, the woman turned, locking the door behind her and taking the stairs two at a time, exiting the narrow stairwell and into the street moments later.
This was really it. Her shoulder still throbbed duly from the Chakra-infused mark it bore as evidence of her loyalty to her country and she was armed to the teeth beneath her ANBU uniform. Once she left the outskirts of Konoha, she would be a special operative who acted above the laws and rules that governed her fellow ninja with the sole purpose of maintaining peace—no matter the personal cost.
Could she really do this?
Hurried footsteps approached and she tensed instinctively, palming the rounded hilt of a kunai.
"Kurenai!" That voice was unmistakable.
Her muscles locked and she nearly dropped the weapon, caught between her heart's desire to hold the young Hyuuga and her mind's warning that such a display—and in public—would only make things worse for the both of them.
She couldn't turn around. Seeing Hinata would break her resolve, making it impossible for her to leave, and if she didn't, that would only make things harder on the younger woman. Hiashi had eyes everywhere—even now she could feel the weight of an unfamiliar and unfriendly gaze.
She could because this was the right thing to do.
With that in mind, Kurenai straightened her spine, securing her ANBU mask and leaping up onto the rooftops just as another shape blurred past her, landing right in front of the young Hyuuga.
"Let her go," a gruff voice said.
"I need to talk to her." There was the soft sound of a scuffle and the brunette clenched her hands into fists, her muscles screaming for her to turn back even as she placed distance between herself and the young kunoichi. "Let go! Kurenai, please!"
'Hinata…'
When Kurenai alighted on the roof of the building that functioned as the Hokage's offices, the other three members of her squad were already there, the air between them tense. Death was a very real outcome in such dangerous missions, but each had made their peace and, for one reason or another, was prepared to throw their lives away.
"You ready?" The ANBU with the hugely grinning porcelain visage—a fanged beast of some sort—was Anko.
"Hurry it up. We've got shit to do," the second member of their unit, this one a male with a simple wolf mask, snapped.
"Move out," the fourth and final member of their unit, this one another male with a bear mask with a slash through one eye, commanded. "Not a word until we reach our destination."
A year later…
"Hang in there, Anko!" Kurenai snarled, hoisting her best friend over her shoulder and making a mad dash for the trees. Her squad mates flanked her, bruised and bloodied, but otherwise okay.
Not like the kunoichi who was becoming paler and paler with each passing second, her eyes moving feverishly behind closed eyelids. The wound across her torso was deep and there had likely been a toxin of some kind lining the rogue ninja's blade, though they'd never know for certain because the man lay dead in the center of a clearing, several kunai embedded in his jugular.
The brunette stumbled and would have fallen had the ANBU wearing a bear mask not reached out and steadied her, wordlessly reaching out and received the purplette's inert form. He cradled her carefully, proof of the bond they had developed over the past year the ninja had spent together, and the trio ran faster than before, the forest blurring all around them, until they had reached the base camp that was hidden away under the overarching roots of a massive tress.
"Captain! We need assistance, immediately!"
A tall, white-haired ninja emerged from the center-most tent, shading dark eyes against the sun. When he caught sight of the wounded kunoichi, his jaw dropped and he hurried over. "What the hell happened to Mitarashi?"
"She managed to kill our mark and got injured in the process. She needs to be cared for immediately."
He nodded, but his expression was grave. "We don't have a med-nin on site. The closest one is in—"
"Konohagakure." That was several miles away and, at the rate the purplette was losing blood, there was no telling whether or not she'd make it that far. Dread sent a chill along her spine. "There isn't much time."
"You can't just storm out of here, Yuuhi. You're injured. You need to be seen to or—"
"I'm fine," the female ANBU said sharply. "And if no one will accompany me, so be it. I won't let her die."
Anko was all she had left. She loved the brutish purplette like a sister and she'd fight them tooth and nail if that meant her "psycho ninja of Kohona" had even the slimmest chance of survival.
"Kurenai." A hand rested on her shoulder—the ANBU with the wolf mask. "Don't be stupid. Of course we're going with you."
"Thank you, Yasuo. Shiba." The relief blooming beneath her breast did nothing to lessen the all-encompassing panic that whirled chaotically in her mind, but it did undo some of the tension in slender shoulders.
There wasn't a moment to lose.
The journey was a blur of verdant scenery to Kurenai—a backdrop that didn't even register in her frantic mind as crimson eyes remained locked on the slumped form of her best friend, carried between both men on a make-shift stretcher.
After what felt like forever, the familiar stone visages of the previous Hokage loomed on the horizon and she dared to breathe a sigh of relief, pushing ahead of her companions in order to alert the buxom blonde Hokage of their arrival.
If anyone could save Anko, it was Tsunade.
…
That being said, it had been almost an hour since the aforementioned Sannin had locked herself in the infirmary with her impromptu patient and nothing had stirred since. Her squad mates had obediently dispersed upon being dismissed, but Kurenai still lingered, her pulse roaring in her ears.
If anything happened to Anko… Well, she didn't know what she would do.
Finally, the solid wood door creaked open and the brunette stopped mid-pace, rushing over to her superior. A little red flag went off at the back of her head at the older woman's displeased expression, but she ignored it in favour of asking, "How is she?"
"I need you to go home." It was said frankly, as though to a rather rambunctious child. "Remaining on your feet until you drop dead of exhaustion isn't helping you or Anko—who is absolutely fine, by the way."
She nodded slowly, her knees nearly giving out as they weakened with relief. "You'll send for me if anything changes?"
"You'll be the first to know."
"Thank you," Kurenai whispered, pressing her palms together and bowing at the waist.
"No need for all of that, kid. Go get some rest."
But rather than following her superior's orders, the brunette roamed Konoha, too high strung to even consider staying still and recovering the energy she had expended during her speedy journey and the battle before it.
She couldn't do this alone…
Before she realized it, Kurenai found herself standing on the wall surrounding the Hyuuga Complex, crimson orbs fixed on the stark white buildings, but not really seeing them.
The maelstrom of memories that whirled around her racing mind drew her in, guiding her motions in lieu of rational thought.
Soon, the ANBU leaped down onto a balcony—the motion so familiar that her heart ached—though, rather than press open the glass-windowed door and slip past gossamer white curtains, she stopped cold.
Sitting on a wooden chair with his back to the aforementioned entrance was none other than Hiashi Hyuuga. He was slumped, a bottle of saké within a brown paper bag clutched in his hand, and he didn't look up upon her arrival.
This was Hinata's room. So why was he—?
A chill zipped along her spine, raising the fine hairs at the back of her neck, as the man looked up, milky white orbs impassive.
Finally, he said softly, "You've broken my spirit already. You've stolen my daughter from me, destroyed my family, and dishonored the Hyuuga name. What sits before you is a broken husk of a man. Finish it."
It was as though the world itself had stopped spinning, frozen in place by the absolute terror gripping her heart. "What do you mean I've stolen your daughter? Where's Hinata?"
A sharp 'slap!' resounded through the courtyard as Hiashi struck her across the face and the woman recoiled, stumbling against the thin railing. A vein in his temple throbbed angrily as he scowled at the kunoichi.
"Don't you dare speak her name, devil-woman."
Little red flags went off at the back of her head as she regained her footing, unsheathing the thin katana strapped to her back and pointing its deadly sharp edge at the center of his chest. "Answer me."
She sensed the presence of another on the rooftop above and gritted her teeth, preparing her tired muscles for battle.
"K-Kurenai-senpai?"
Her heart skipped a beat and she swore time itself ground to a halt as she looked up to see—
"Hina…" Why hadn't she come from inside the building? Did it even matter?
For a ridiculous millionth of a second, the ANBU considered how awful she must look: dark locks were unkempt, her uniform was stained with blood, sweat, and earth, and crimson orbs were bloodshot from crying; wild with distress.
In the millionth of a second that followed, the purplette threw herself at her former sensei and the blade clattered to the floor as the older woman took in the familiar scent of her very reason for living. Hinata didn't seem to care that she was covered in blood; cupping her face with infinite tenderness, the Hyuuga kissed the brunette's tears away, whispering sweet, comforting nothings as Kurenai trembled.
"I thought I had lost you."
"You left." It was said tearfully, a mere breath.
"I couldn't stay if I couldn't be with you, Hina. My heart wouldn't allow it."
Their eyes met, the utter lack of space between their frames allowing both women to feel the way their heartbeats seemed to synchronize—as though the muscles were greeting one another. And then, they were kissing and the anxiety and weariness that the ANBU had felt melted away as though they had never existed—as though none of the events of the past year had transpired and they had never been apart.
It felt as though she had just awoken from a bad dream and the sun was peeking in through the window to dispel the fear that lingered.
She tightened her grip on the young woman, completely oblivious to the outraged cry to their left, murmuring "I love you" again and again—as though the repetition would somehow make up for the time she had been unable to express the sentiment.
When she returned to reality, Hinata was holding her father's balled up fist in her hand, though her free arm remained slung around her mentor's waist, the raised veins spidering outward from the corners of her eye(s) indicating that she was utilizing her blood line's special ability, Byakugan.
"Father… Please."
Something passed across Hiashi's face and he grunted, jerking his hand away and turning his back on them both. He didn't speak for a long moment and his daughter rested her forehead against Kurenai's, their breath mingling as she returned the whispered sentiment, pale orbs shining with happiness.
His voice was glacial when he eventually spat, "Leave my sight. As far as I'm concerned, I only have one daughter." He didn't look at either of them, his tensed shoulders trembling with barely-contained rage.
Despite the implications of the statement, the violet-haired girl beamed. "Thank you." She turned to her lover, whispering, "We should go."
Her mind still reeling from the situation at hand, Kurenai followed her former student into the darkness.
…
The door to Kurenai's apartment seemed almost alien as she opened it, allowing her and her younger companion inside. Its innards lay untouched… In fact, the layer of dust that should have formed during the past year was curiously absent.
It was as though the kunoichi had never left.
"I kept hoping that you'd come back," Hinata explained softly. Slim arms wrapped around the brunette's waist from behind. "I thought if I kept it neat for you…" She laughed. "Actually, I don't know what I thought. I was so confused and hurt and desperate."
Her words hadn't been an accusation, yet the ANBU still felt a twinge of guilt and a lump rose in her throat. "Hina… I'm so sorry—"
"It wasn't your fault. There was a time when I blamed you, but I know it was all of the people who disapproved of us that drove you away."
She twisted in the girl's arms, turning to face her. Slowly, almost fearfully, she leaned in and kissed Hinata again, reveling in the familiar warmth and softness.
If this was a dream, she didn't want to ever wake up.
"That wasn't it," Kurenai admitted once they had parted. "I was afraid that you would begin to regret us because of how everyone treated you once they knew—"
The slap she received, though gentle, was utterly unexpected. "How could you say something like that?" Pale orbs glistened, but the tears didn't fall. "All I wanted was to be with you, Kurenai. I still feel that way. I would have done anything to get you to stay if I had known. I didn't care what anyone said or how they looked at me—as long as you were by my side, I could do anything."
Now didn't she feel like a fool?
Before she could begin apologizing again, the younger woman sighed and slumped, resting her head on Kurenai's collar. "I'm just glad you're here now. I missed you."
Why was it so difficult to speak? It felt as though she had to wade through quicksand in order to supply her brain with rational thought. The brunette embraced her lover, pressing a kiss to the crown of her head and murmuring, "I missed you, too."
They stood like that for a while, just drinking in each other's presence. But a niggling concern made the ANBU hold her former student at arm's length for an excruciating moment while she asked, "But what about your father?"
It bothered her immensely that Hiashi had seen it fit to disown his daughter in such a cold, abrupt way, but Hinata didn't seem to mind at all. That was confusing.
"That was my father's way of letting me do what I wanted. He doesn't condone my actions in any way, but he won't stop me, either." Hinata smiled slightly. "Believe it or not, that's the best we're going to get."
"Oh..." She hugged the younger woman to her, giving her a comforting squeeze. "I'm so sorry that you had to grow up with that."
"I think that if he hadn't been so hard on me, I would never have had the courage to tell you how I felt," the girl admitted, snuggling back into the brunette's larger frame. She sighed again, the sound content. "You have no idea how much I've missed this…"
The ANBU nodded, her lips parting to return the sentiment, but she found that her mind was blank. Her vision swam and the room spun a bit, her heartbeat a dull roar in her ears. She was so tired.
Kurenai staggered, her body no longer willing to cooperate with the demands placed upon it, and would have fallen had Hinata not have been there to support her. She was helped down the hall and into the bathroom, where the purplette turned on the water and began stripping off her soiled uniform in a gentle, efficient manner. Had this been a different situation… The kunoichi's body heated instinctively, her muscle memory proving to be excellent, but she was far too exhausted to even think about capitalizing on the combined factors of proximity, hot water, and soapy, slippery skin.
Once the violet-haired Hyuuga had bathed Kurenai, she toweled her off, her actions a bit less businesslike, a bit more hesitant as they lingered over pale swells of flesh. Then, she half-carried the older woman into the other room, carefully laying her down on the bed; rather than join the dark-haired beauty, she stood for a moment, her pale gaze almost wistful.
"You're beautiful."
The weary kunoichi chuckled, reaching a hand out, and, when Hinata took it, she pulled the young woman into bed with her, spooning in behind that curvy little body and pressing kisses all over her neck and shoulders. "Mm… love you."
"I love you, too."
When she finally gave into the exhaustion weighing her entire body, the brunette still had that small, pleased smile on her lips.
"Anko!" Kurenai threw her arms around the kunoichi, crushing her in a hug, and Anko released a yelp.
"Shit, Kurenai, you tryin' to finish the job?!"
Apologizing quickly, the dark-haired ANBU released her grip, but not before planting a big wet one on the other woman's cheek.
"Wow. Maybe I should almost die more often."
"Don't say that!" She punched Anko in the arm for good measure, relieved laughter leaving her in a rush.
"Hey, hey. Watch it. Doc says no brawling until the cut heals up." Dark eyes slid to the open doorway just behind her visitor, widening slightly. "Well, I'll be damned… Hey there, short stuff. It's been ages."
Hinata laughed, crossing the room and giving the wounded kunoichi a much gentler hug. "I'm glad to see you're okay, Anko."
"Tch. It takes more than a dangerous, psychopathic rogue with years of Taijutsu experience under his belt to beat me." The duo shared a look and she pouted. "What? I managed to kill him!"
"Just before you collapsed," Kurenai reminded her, chuckling. She looped an arm around Hinata, reveling in the way the shorter girl leaned into her. "We should go. Tsunade says you should get plenty of rest—and don't even think of slipping out. Yasuo and Shiba will babysit you if they have to."
"Ugh. You're no fun, Kure." She grimaced, rolling dark eyes. "I don't need any fucking babysitters." Suddenly, her expression became sly. "But, yeah, you girls have tons of 'catching up' to do. Don't let me get in your way."
That wicked, debauched grin made the young Hyuuga blush, but her partner only smirked.
"Jealous?"
"A little. It's about time I got laid myself."
She shook her head. "Get some rest, Anko." The duo turned to leave, Hinata exiting the room first, and the ANBU half-turned, adding over her shoulder, "At least one of us should…"
The purplette snorted, settling back against her pillows. "Go get 'er, tiger."
With that, they were gone, leaving the kunoichi to her thoughts and the silent stillness that only a medical facility could afford. When the door opened to admit a pretty brunette young woman dressed in a dark blue kimono—Shizune, the Hokage's right hand woman—the woman's crafty mind kicked into overdrive.
Shizune was a smart cookie, but she was also eager to please and oh-so naïve… Perfect.
Anko grinned. "Hey, Shiz, I need you to help me with something…"
-End-
Thanks to those of you who were with me when I first posted A Christmas of Firsts. If you're still around… Well, I'm sorry this took so long ^^;
Happy reading!
-Distraction