The late morning light wore on Hinata; she felt simultaneous dread and excitement, which took quite a toll on her stomach. She couldn't bring herself to eat the breakfast she prepared for herself and sister (a parfait and hot tea). She did manage to drink the tea, but burnt her tongue in the endeavour. She sat across from her sister, tongue stinging, and hands wrapped around a brittle floral cup.
"You look like hell." Hanabi announced stirring a large mound of honey into her tea.
Hinata nodded, "I had a restless sleep."
Hanabi squinted at Hinata, "You better not be upset with me. You told me it was fine for me to accept."
She smiled brightly, "Of course not," Hinata's voice broke, "it had nothing to do with you."
Hanabi quipped, "Of course not. Silly me." She set her silver spoon on the bare wood of the table. Tea pooled beneath it.
They sat in silence for the remainder of the meal. Hanabi ate more than her share, as per usual. Hinata poked at her own. Soon, she rose to collect empty plates and soiled utensils. Her sleeve bunched up as she reached across the table towards the tea pot, revealing a thin, inflamed wound. Hanabi pretended not to notice. Hinata couldn't help but blush. Hanabi excused herself, as she had a full day of work as the head of family ahead of her.
Hinata proceeded to wash the dishes in the kitchen sink, rather than fetch a servant to do it for her. There was something relaxing in the ease of domestic chores. Hinata felt she was exceptionally well suited to them. It was the only realm where she was entirely confident in her skill. Of course, over the years she had developed a sureness in herself, other's had commented on it, but she felt like her skills paled in comparison to so many others. Take Naruto for an example. He had fulfilled his dream in becoming Hokage. Hinata was embarrassed by the pride she felt for him. He was so strong though, and brave, and so happy, like rays of summer sunlight. But it was winter. The stresses of responsibility have worn on him, he still radiates life, only less frequently. Hinata liked to think this was only an attempt on his part to appear a professional amount of serious.
The sink overlooked the courtyard. Cold air was slipping from between the frame and white washed walls. Two of her young distant cousins were roughhousing in the fresh snow, of which they tossed at each other. She could hear their screeches of joy through the pane. As a child she hardly participated in such exploits, it was not dignified. She retreated into memories of their academy days. She remembered them fondly, despite being neither the most popular or most talented. Much of her childhood had revolved around Naruto, and perhaps to become full grown she would have to leave him behind, wrapped in his political documents and other, more beautiful, women. For a moment she was breathless and the beginnings of tears stung her eyes. Her burnt tongue felt numb and limp in her mouth. How silly, to be so sentimental, she thought. The thing about goodbyes is their tendency to be unexpected and unsavory. She needed to accept that the last time she would see Naruto would be in his denial of her prowess in not permitting her to join ANBU.
She was drying a white clay plate with a stripped hand towel. Somehow the dish slipped from her hands and crashed to the ground. White splinters flew into the air and caught the midday light, like snow. Hinata blinked at the mess, hand towel suspended in sudden uselessness. She folded the towel and placed it on the counter. With pale bare feet she stepped over the brokenness and walked back to her room, leaving it behind her. Back in her room she settled onto her neat bed. She wondered for a moment how she ended up in that grimy hotel room. I didn't really matter.
She caught her reflection in the mirror across from the bed. Her long hair looked like navy ink spilt across her shoulders, down her front. She rose, her eyes unblinking. A pair of silver scissors lay in the vanity drawer. She hadn't used them in forever. She sat at the vanity and retrieved the item, careful in her movements. The scissors were elaborate in their decoration; vines and small flowers were embossed on the handles by an expert hand. The design pressed uncomfortably into the divot between her thin thumb and fingers. Pretty but unpractical. She ran her fingers through her long hair from beginning to end one last time. Oh how many times had she wished Naruto to do such a thing. With a breath and decisive pressure on the scissor's handles she cut the first strand of hair to just brush her collarbone.
Ino's voice sprung into her thoughts, "You would look so cute with a side part, you know, it's very trendy. I'd do it, but my hair is too heavy." Ino always had suggestions to enhance Hinata's appearance. She knew, of course, that Ino meant only the best, but she was a sensitive soul and couldn't help interpreting the suggestions as criticism.
Hinata had dismissed the idea in the past, because trendy was not her priority. On a whim she brushed her hair back, part cut and uncut, and pulled more of her hair to the left. The angle sharpened her features. Perfect. When she had finished she left the remnants of hair stream around the vanity. The darkness of the hair stood out with violence in her pale lavender and white room. She pulled on her ninja uniform, dark pants and lavender jacket and closed the door to her bedroom one last time.
She walked down the hall, sandaled feet breaking the din. Hanabi would be out learning the fullness of responsibility associated with the head of clan, so it was empty except for her. What a big house to have to one's self. "Well", Hinata thought, "Hanabi always has been a lover of excess."
It was now midafternoon. She, huddled into herself, crossed the courtyard to the expansive greenhouse. The thing was made of panels of polishes glass and wrought iron embellished supports. This had become one of her favorite places. She smiled as she remembered showing her pride to Kida, who though uninterested, indulged her. She suspected the plethora of smells were overwhelming to him. His nose had been crinkled the entire time. To her, the scent of the place was just comfortably potent, and upon entering she inhaled fully.
The humidity made her skin sticky, but it was lovely. She wandered toward her target, taking time to check on her sunflowers and tomatoes. Rosemary was her target. She would have preferred lavender, but she had used the last of it last week. Besides, 'Rosemary for remembrance' was a nice thought. She clipped a small bundle from a larger bush of the herb. Between two fingers she carried the gift. With her left hand and mouth she tied a white ribbon around the stalks. She tucked it into the safety of her pocket.
She exited the compound, offering a small wave to the guards. They seemed to be momentarily thrown by her altered appearance. She felt a surge of nausea at the attention. She had never been a fan of lingering eyes. The streets of Konoha were now mostly clear. A few genins were still bent over shovels, a couple propped against snowbanks, drained by their efforts. The sky was cloudless and the watery winter sun offered no warmth. She shoved her hands into her pockets, wrapping her left one around the soft rosemary. She bent her face down against the cutting winter air.
The graveyard was empty, unless counting the ravens which dotted the spindly oak trees. People had been there though; footprints of various shapes and sizes marked paths to those fallen nin. She tread lightly toward Neji. Her cheeks and nose dyed pink by the cold. A dark mass caught her eye from the distance. Someone had left something for him. She attributed Lee to the thing. Tenten, although in love with the fallen man, hardly seemed to leave such sentiments. Approaching nearer she noted the details of the gift; a wreath, dusted with morning snow, of pine and shining red berries. She smiled at its beauty. She pulled her gift out of her pocket, she brought it to her mouth and kissed it. She bent, her left knee cracked, and rested the rosemary so it was leaning in the very center of the wreath. She stood for at least a few minutes, her head bent, eyes closed, and a bittersweet whisper of a smile on her mouth. She then turned, feeling an incredible degree of peaceful. She always did after coming here. A raven called from an oak tree. The sun was falling lower and lower into the sky.
She figured she should head out. Or at least head that direction, not that she would be particularly sad if Sasuke proved impatient and had left the fishing village. She passed through familiar streets, past familiar faces. Her heart skipped a beat as she passed Ichraku's. A pair of orange clad legs extended beyond the curtains. He never wore orange anymore, but still.
She entered the final stretch. The village gate rose before her at a dizzying pace. Those tall red gates became all she could see. Suddenly, she felt a heavy hand on her shoulder.
"Hinata, it's been so long. You look different." Such a deep harsh voice. He laughs. Kiba.
She didn't even see his face. He spun her, his hand pressing into her arm, into an all-encompassing hug. The soft fabric of her jacket's lining was rough against her tender wrists. She inhaled the earthiness of him, and her laughter was muffled by his chest. He pulled away in a second, but held her at arm's length, bending forward slightly to examine her face.
"You're gotten so pretty." He said, and she was hit with a whiff of sake breath. He touched a strand of her short hair, rolling it between his fingers. She was struck by a sudden melancholy. She brought her hand up to rest on his cheek. Warm, almost too much so.
"So have you," she smiled.
Kiba smiled back a moment, before becoming defensive, "I'm not pretty, I'm handsome. I'm a man. A strong one too." He puffed out his chest and hit a fist against it.
"I see," Hinata chuckled, out of habit raising a hand to cover her mouth to hide the action. She added, "But you are also a drunk man."
He swayed, dismissing her accusation with a wave, "just temporary." (But of course, so is handsomeness). His drunkenness was becoming more evident by the second.
Hinata, before really thinking, grabbed a hold of his arm. "Let me walk you home then."
"I can walk myself. Akamaru's waiting. He's old now, but he'll still come look for me if I'm gone too long. He's a good boy." His face dropped. Hinata had never seen him more heartbroken in her entire life.
"I know," she consoled.
The pair walked arm in arm. Silent in the sunset. Kiba was hunched in drunken lethargy. Hinata cherished the moments.
At the fishing village, in a quaint bar, a team of four shared a booth. Karin sat beside Sasuke, across from Jugo and Suigetsu. Jugo and Sasuke modest in their appetites, only had plain rice and tea. Karin indulged in the most expensive meal, a stylish meat dish. Suigetsu ate like a child. He decided to order only off the dessert menu.
"So someone's hunting you," Suigetsu clarified, his voice muffled by the atrocity of food shoved in his mouth.
Sasuke nods, "And I have other things to take care of. You and Karin will track them down and bring her to me."
"I can't just kill 'em? Sasuke you sure like to challenge me." He wipes the corner of his mouth with the back of his hands.
"You and Jugo sure spend a lot of time together," Suigetsu chides.
He hardly finishes his statement, before a flustered Karin sprung up and slapped him hard across the face, "How dare you suggest such a thing!"
"What did I suggest, Karin"? He looks up at her by raised brow. She plops back to the plastic bench in a huff and red face. Sasuke sips his tea, undisturbed by the scene.
Back at Konoha the pair reach the Inuzuka compound. There was never any gate or guards, just a large snoozing dog that was sometimes brown, black, white, or any mixtures tones. In this moment there was a reddish beast, greying round the muzzle. It opened its eyes, and upon recognizing Kiba promptly returned to sleep.
Hinata let go of Kiba's arm. It was so unlike her, but she rose on tiptoe and wrapped her arms around his neck. He looked at her through heavy lidded eyes. Sadness tore through her, but she had made her decision. Her first decision for herself that didn't require permission from somebody else, so of course it was going to hurt. She would never be completely herself here. Here, in Konoha, she would always be haunted by her status and bashful reputation. Kiba leaned in. She started back to reality. Her face erupted into flame and she dropped away from him. He gazed at her with far away eyes.
"You're good from here?" She asked, bringing her hands together before her chest. She touched her pointer fingers together in old habit.
He nodded, dropping most evidence of drunkenness. He turned and begun shuffling down the dirt path into the compound, raising his arm in farewell. She watched him disappear into the dark, letting finality sink in.
She turned. Excitement seemed to have abandoned her. It was replaced by a sharp misery; yet, such a feeling did not deter her. She was familiar with the emotion and to stay would ensure her acquaintance with it. It was about time she took a chance. The red village gates were now cast in heavy shadow. Bright lights lined the tall city walls. With an unusual air of confidence, she walked through them, exhaling into the winter air. She checked out on the sheet with the guards. She signed her sister's name by whim. It's not like the guard would know the difference. Hinata knew it was a transparent lie, Hanabi had a solid alibi, but the easiness of it was freeing.
She began her trek through the cold dark. She knew travelling during night, was not the wisest, but she had already gone and feared if she returned she might never leave. An owl cooed at her, its eyes gleamed in the dark. Her eyes gleamed as well, only she did not know this. A nasty wind picked up as she entered a clearing. The sharpness of it cut her thoughts to nothingness and she blindly walked forward. The stone sign of the bridge rose before her. The sea was choppy and black. She tilted her eyes to the moon. It was a perfect half.
A figure approached from across the bridge. A man appeared, tall and cloaked in ivory that matched his hair. A large sword was fastened to his back. He grinned at her revealing pointed teeth. She ignored him, staring forward, past him. Her foot slid from beneath her. The concrete was coated by sheer ice. She felt stupid by not noticing the gleam prior, but her reflexes prevented an ungraceful spill. The man stepped in front of her. She looked up at him without raising her chin. Her eyes determined and clear as winter air.
"You need i.d. to cross this bridge," the man smiled, "Papers please."
Hinata ducked to the side as he stuck. They slid away from each other. Hinata's lower center of gravity proved helpful. The man wavered on his spot. He flashed a wicked grin and started forward brandishing his weapon. Hinata ducked again. He swiped again and again. One hit and she was dead, Hinata knew, but she kept flickering out of the way of his aim. She was waiting for him to make a mistake. She needed to be close range, and the weapon he wielded was not friendly to her fighting style.
He stopped, resting the blade on his shoulders. "What are you doing?" She rushed forward, with a simple kunai gotten from the holster round her thigh. He swung his sword, but her low angle did not permit for a hit. She slid low slicing his leg. His leg burst into clear liquid and formed together just as quick. Hinata was not fazed; she'd seen stranger. She swung behind him hitting the back of his neck. He turned and caught her hand with his right. He squeezed her wrist with iron strength. She brought her knee to his groin. He flinched, but tried to bring the sword above his head. His eyes widened. He could not raise it. He released her wrist to grab his own, trying to lift his own arm. Hinata brought her palm in a harsh movement to his forehead. He dropped. She ran across to the other end of the bridge, her feet ignoring the ice.
Karin leaned against the exit of the bridge. She was smiling. Seeing Suigetsu in pain was so pleasurable, she thought. Sasuke was back in the hotel, doing whatever he did. She never asked what he did when by himself. Maybe laundry. He did always seem to smell nice, which was unusual for male nin. The girl ran past her. She stopped to catch her breath, bent by resting her hands on her knees. She ran fingers through her short hair. Short. Karin smirked. She wondered if an identity crisis had driven her to such action.
Hinata turned to her, caution in her eyes. "That was a test?" A statement in question form, so like her.
Karin nodded. She would fit in well here. She approached the girl. She hadn't noticed in their prior encounter, but the girl was an inch or so shorter than her. She murmured, "Follow me." And adjusted her glasses before beginning forward.
"What about the man who attacked me?" Hinata asked. Her demure cuteness annoyed Karin.
"What about him?" She snapped.
"If he's a part of the team shouldn't you not leave him out in the cold?"
Karin rolled her eyes, but turned. Sasuke wouldn't want to lose the asset, the aggression of the man could be useful. His stupidness too. It was easier to manipulate him compared to most nin. The pair started across the bridge in heavy silence.
"What a stupid name for a bridge," Karin offered to the quiet.
Laughter burst from Hinata. A broken hearted kind of laughter. Karin shut up for the rest of the way to the crumpled heap that was Suigestsu. The boy was out completely, mouth hanging loose, hair cast across his closed eyes. Karin, used to dealing with unconscious bodies, walked round to his head. She lifted him by locking her arms under his. She looked from Hinata to Suigetsu's sword. Hinata promptly attempted to lift it. She couldn't. Each girl was dragging a thing down the bridge. It was a painstaking pace.
"Won't it look strange to carry a limp body through the streets?" Hinata asked.
Karin paused, considering the girl's point. "Yes," she answered, flicking her head to control her mass of hair. "But it's late, there's like three hundred people in this town. Worst comes to worst we can kill them all." She watched Hinata for a response.
Hinata frowned, but said nothing.
They shuffled further down the bridge. "This is stupid," Karin proclaimed.
Hinata nodded, "We could try and wake him up. Splash him with water or something."
"I could hit him," Karin suggested.
"That might be counterproductive," Hinata pointed.
When they reached the end of the bridge Karin moved to drop him on the pavement. Hinata suggested they rest him on one of the many benches lining the shore. Karin didn't really care, and let the girl have her way. Hinata stepped down to the shore. She bent scooping water into her hands. The blackness of the ocean was foreboding. She walked back to the bench, droplets of water slipping between her cupped hands. She proceeded to splash the remainder on Suigetsu's face. The man spluttered alive.
"God that's disgusting." He spat ocean water from his mouth. He noticed Hinata standing, smiling, at him. He lunged forward, tackling the poor girl to the ground. She blinked at him. He reached for his sword, little emotion on his face, but the sword was not there. His eyes widened. He grabbed her shoulder and knocked her into the sandy ground. Karin was extraordinarily amused.
"What did you do with it? Give it back." He demanded, his lips furling in anger.
"Ask her," Hinata slighted her head to the right. Suigetsu followed her movement and noticed Karin. He immediately jumped off Hinata and stalked toward his teammate.
"What the Fuck!" He yelled, "Who the hell is she?" He thrust an arm toward Hinata, who was still lying on the ground gazing at the sky. She sat up, at his action.
"She's a new recruit, Sasuke used you to test her," Karin explained, a smirk playing across her lips.
"Fuck Sasuke!" Suigetsu cradled his forehead.
"Better tell that to his face," Karin airily suggested.
"I have," cried Suigetsu, "He doesn't give a shit!" Karin shrugged. Hinata stood, dusting herself off.
"Your weapon's over there," Hinata said pointing next to the bench. Suigetsu, glaring at Hinata, stomped to the weapon, swung it over his shoulder and stalked away from them.
Karin looked at Hinata, "He's a sore loser," She smiled, turning and beginning in the same direction. Hinata chuckled, covering her mouth with her hands. They smelt of sea water. She followed Karin into cobbled streets.
The town, though dark, was inviting. The buildings were set close together, and tall, creating a sense of safety in their nearness. The streets were well kept, Hinata hadn't spotted a single streak of graffiti or litter. They walked three or four blocks, tuning through thin streets, climbing up and down flights of worn cobble. Suigetsu disappeared behind the solid iron door of a basement suit to a small housing complex. Karin followed next, she looked up and down the street before entering. Hinata followed suit.
The interior was barren. A few chairs had been arranged around a wide table of the open space. Above the table swung a naked bulb. A small galley kitchen, set across from the entrance, was decorated only be a silver kettle resting on the stove top. Four doors lined the other two interior walls. A red haired man was sitting at the table, facing the door. His arms crossed and head knocked forward in sleep. Neither Karin nor Suigetsu moved to wake him.
Karin began, "You'll share a room with me tonight. We leave early. Do what you want with that information." She disappeared into the furthest room on the left.
Suigetsu cast an empty glance at Hinata before entering the room beside Karin's. He turned sideways to pass through the frame without altering his grip on the sword. The silence of the place clattered in her ears. Alone with her thoughts, her actions caught up to her. Giddiness surged in her, and she laughed out loud. The red haired man opened his eyes, only to close them immediately. Hinata covered her mouth with her hand and entered Karin's room. Karin was perched on the edge combing her crimson hair. Hinata touched her short inky strands. She mused, "What a life, however long, I have to look forward to."
Author's Note: I've never written a fight scene, so feedback would be appreciated. I struggled with how to end this for so long, so maybe it's not supposed to end quite yet? I'm unsure, but at least for now this is the end. I hope it entertained you.