Their return to the manor resulted in quite a commotion. Firstly, they had returned with an unconscious, half-naked boy who was tied down on hands and legs, which was weird enough in itself. Secondly, when Hiashi had come down to inquire what they had seen, he had noticed how dirty Hinata had become and gone on a rampage. Currently Neji was being thoroughly scolded while the others could do nothing but stand as they were, feeling slightly embarrassed.
Thirdly, the boy started to wake up. Hinata could hear him give a small groan from where he was lying on the ground where he had been slung by the one who had carried him. She intended to rush over to him to check him up, but apparently one of the men had also heard him, and promptly strolled over to him and hit him unconscious again. She wanted to scold the man, but couldn't quite muster the courage to do so, and before she could do anything else her father bellowed:
"Hinata!"
She cringed, but hurried over to him nonetheless. She lined up beside Neji, who she was sure was looking at her quite sourly. It was her fault that he was in this mess, after all.
"The one time, Hinata, the one time I let you out on something I know may be dangerous, you manage to do something as stupid as to run off?!"
Hinata could hear that her father was trying to keep his anger under control, but he didn't manage completely.
"I'm s – "
"Do not try to give excuses!" Hiashi interrupted. "This is outrageous! I demand you explain me why you put yourself in such a danger!"
Hinata flushed. She didn't exactly want to say why she had strolled away on her own, but knowing her father he would only build up more anger if she didn't relent.
"Um, I-I needed to, to use the t-toilet," she whispered, hoping that no one but her father could hear her.
Hiashi straightened, and said nothing more regarding her need for a toilet. But he obviously wasn't done just yet.
"Neji has informed me of what happened," he said and glared at her. "You encountered that boy over there, and he became violent when Neji tried to take you away." He looked at Neji, who nodded. "I will have nothing more of this sort, Hinata," he stated. "You will not leave the grounds unless you have company, and the woods are strictly prohibited! Am I being clear?"
Hinata just nodded, trying to swallow away the lump forming in her throat. There went that freedom.
"But as for that boy over there," he said, looking at the unconscious form on the ground, his voice serious. "What should we do with him?"
"Throw him in the lake," Neji muttered sourly. Hiashi overheard him.
"It does not look like he has had contact with humans at all. Neji informed me that you had told him that he had run together with a pack of foxes, is that right?"
Hinata nodded again. Hiashi pondered a bit, and then said:
"I am wondering what we should make of him. I do not know how dangerous it will be to have him here, but letting him out into the forest again is not an option. I am quite sure it was him the hunters saw. Maybe we could send him away somewhere, maybe to the government – "
"Can he not stay here?"
Hinata looked at her father with pleading eyes. He stared at her with surprise.
"Why?"
Hinata fumbled a little with the words.
"Well, because, um, i-it would not be good to let the government take him. You know how they are; they would lock him up in a cell as if he was an animal, and – "
"He is an animal," Neji interrupted. "It would be unwise to have him here, uncle. This time he attacked me, but what if he attacks Hinata next? She wouldn't be able to defend herself."
"That was a dirty one, Neji," Hinata thought angrily, although Neji could of course not hear her. She quickly looked at her father, who seemed like he was about to agree with Neji. She hurriedly continued. She felt pity for the boy; he had lived all his life in the company of foxes, without ever being able to meet his biological parents or other humans. And besides, she was lonely. She usually spent most of her days alone; her father was always tending to 'important business', as he put it, and Neji was out training most of his time. To have one to spend the days with would be fun.
"He will not try to harm me, father," she said calmly, hoping that he would believe her. He looked suspiciously at her.
"How can you know he will not do so?"
She hesitated. How should she answer? She had no proof he wouldn't do anything to her, but at the same time she knew that it just wouldn't happen. He had seemed nothing but genuinely curious when she had met him.
"He did not try to harm me when I was alone with him," she started carefully, watching her father's reaction. "I think the only reason he attacked Neji was because he came very abruptly on him, and that it triggered his defence instinct. He was completely calm until the search team showed up."
Her father looked like he was thinking it through, weighing the positive sides and the negative sides.
"You won't have to bother with him, I can take care of him and teach him basic behaviour," she hurriedly said. "I will make sure he does not disturb you in any way."
Hiashi stayed silent for a while, and Hinata desperately hoped that he would listen to her instead of Neji. After a little while he spoke up.
"He can stay for now. I agree with what you said about the government, but if he does anything to cause the least bit of harm to you, he will be sent away."
With that Hiashi turned on his heel and marched towards the manor, leaving it to Hinata and Neji to figure out the rest. Neji gave a big sigh and rubbed his forehead, but nonetheless he went over to the unconscious boy.
"Hinata, turn away," he said as he crouched down.
"Why? What are you going to do?"
"I'm going to cover him up," Neji grunted. "We can't have him running around naked." Hinata immediately closed her eyes. A minute later Neji told her to open them again, and then the boy was clad in the blanket which had been strapped to the horse's saddle. He motioned for one of the men to pick him up, and then they also headed for the manor.
"We'll keep him in a locked room until he wakes up," Neji said. "We don't know how he'll react to his new situation, but if we have to knock him unconscious you must not interfere, Hinata. Do you understand that? He is strong, and you don't stand a chance against him if he decides to attack you."
Neji gave her a strict gaze, and she nodded. That would probably be the best to do, but she didn't like the thought of locking him up.
Two hours later, nothing had happened. The boy still hadn't woken up; the second blow to his head must have been a bit too hard, and Hinata was very angry with the man who had hit him. Surely it wasn't necessary to manhandle him in such a way? She was getting pretty bored with just sitting in the living room, so she decided to go down to where they had placed him and check how things were proceeding.
They had placed him in a room in a part of the manor which was rarely in use, so that he wouldn't present a danger towards the servants if he by any means got out. Hinata thought they were overdoing it a little; Neji had been on guard ever since they brought him in there, together with three other men, and they hadn't moved an inch.
As she was walking, she caught the sound of faint banging. It sounded like something was trying to force its way through a wall. It increased as she came closer to the room, and she felt a trickle of cold sweat find its way down her neck. She rounded the corner towards left, and she saw Neji and the others standing in a semi-circle around the door. The door looked like it was about to give in any time. It jumped on its hinges and a big crack was running from the top to the bottom.
"Neji? What's happening?" she shouted, and started running towards them.
"No!" Neji yelled harshly. "Stay where you are! Remember what you agreed to!"
"But - !"
The big, splintering sound the door gave interrupted her. For a moment the door looked like it tried to hold back, but then it tore in the middle as if it was a flimsy piece of paper.
"Hinata, get away!" Neji yelled, just before he was tackled to the ground. The boy looked more predatory than Hinata thought was possible; his eyes were wild, his posture was fraught and he fought with a fury she had never seen before. Both Neji and the other men were a little taller than him, but he still managed to hurl at least one of them away. Hinata wanted to scream for them to stop, but what good would that do? They would certainly not listen. Instead she did what she had promised Neji, no matter how little she liked it; she kept her distance, and watched as they fought. Neji and the others were starting to overpower him; one of them had managed to grab a hold of his right arm and pin it up against the wall opposite of the door. Another had a solid hold on his hair and yanked his head backwards in a manner that could be nothing but painful. Yet he was still trying to fight; Hinata could do nothing but admire his spirit. She hoped it would be over without anyone being wounded, but then she saw that Neji had picked up a large vase from one of the small tables standing in the broad hallway, and that he was obviously going to crash it down on the boy's head. She watched in horror as her cousin raised the vase over his head, and shouted:
"Neji, no!"
The boy's head whipped over to the left and spotted her. She flinched and took a step backwards. His eyes were shining viciously, but as he was watching her something in his eyes changed. He tore loose from the two holding him with a harsh movement and headed straight towards her. She was rooted to the spot as she saw him running towards her, seeing Neji staring at her fearfully from far away with that stupid vase still in his hands. The boy's running was fleeting and effortless, as if he had just had a good rest instead of fighting. He didn't look predatory anymore; his eyes were the same as they had been when she had first seen him, curious and innocent. He stopped short in front of her, and she didn't dare to move away. She just looked at him, willing herself not to look downwards. The blanket he had been covered in had fallen off during the fight, and he was now as naked as a newborn baby. He slowly reached out a hand, and patted her hair in the same way he had done in the clearing.
"Hinata!" Neji shouted. He and the others were running towards them, but she waved at them to stop.
"It's okay, it's okay!" she shouted, but it didn't seem like they cared about what she said. They were still going towards her, and she worried that they would start to fight again. It certainly seemed like the boy was up for one more fight. His body was tensing up again, and he turned and watched them with a growl.
"Hinata, get away!" Neji yelled furiously, obviously distressed. But before she could what he told her, she was suddenly spun around and two strong arms fastened around her. She was confused for a second, not quite understanding what had happened, but when she realised she blushed hard. The boy had a tight hold on her, and was backing slowly away from Neji and the others. It was clear that they were as shocked as she was. This was beyond what they had expected.
"Hinata...?" Neji said insecurely, at loss for what to do.
"Um... I think it may be best if you keep your distance. I think he thinks of you as a threat, so you shouldn't come too close. He'll probably let me go if you guys are gone."
Neji stared at her doubtingly.
"What if he doesn't?"
"Then I will call for you, okay? Father won't know of it."
Neji gave her one last doubting look, a hateful glare towards the boy spooning her and then motioned for the others to follow him as they left.
