Hinata's Glasses

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

Genre: Drama

Rating: Teen

Summary: Hinata was having enough troubles confronting herself and now her cousin whom despised her most has found her in her most intimate of places. Oh the awkwardness... On top of things, Hanabi is asking for advice on... BOYS! Hinata can't stop her own head from spiraling off her body and now she has more problems to deal with. First things first...

Chapter three: My Own Problems

Hinata shambled to school, her head down as leaves and flower petals whirled past her. Typically she'd stop just to watch the rain of debris fly and dance through the air gracefully. However, her stomach felt upset. Last night... Ugh, she didn't even want to think about it. The embarrassment was enough for her to want to cover her face in shame and hide under a rock for the rest of her life!

How could she just let herself be caught in the Zen garden? And by her cousin, of all things, er, people!

No! Hinata asserted. She was mad, she was upset and she couldn't understand herself! I shouldn't even call him human! What am I thinking? He doesn't even treat me like a human!

She tried her hardest thinking of Neji as the worst things in the world but was having some trouble. She wasn't used to thinking of people badly. But she let her mind wander until her eyes began to cloud darkly so much so she could hardly see before herself.

"Don't forget to curse his penis so it'll wither and fall off."

Hinata jumped so badly she probably would have hit her head on the branches of the shedding trees if she wasn't walking on a path.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you that badly." The blonde girl tried to smile reassuringly as she scratched the back of her head embarrasedly. "It just looked like you were cursing a guy."

Hinata made an effort to shrug off the scare Ino gave her. "How could you tell?"

Ino laughed and tapped her head mockingly. "I'm psychic, that's why."

Hinata raised an eyebrow and pushed her glasses further up her nose.

Laughing, Ino brushed her bangs out of her face. "Oh wow, that was cute! And funny. You should do that more. You gave me the weirdest look that way. It was kinda unexpected from you of all people." Ino brushed an invisible tear from her eye. "Don't worry though, it was definitely cute. But, uh, yeah. About my psychic-ness. Not really, it's just," Ino braced the back of her head with her hands and tilted her head to the sky, "it's just that only a guy can put that kind of face on a girl. You break up with a boyfriend or something?"

"Wh-wha!" Hinata blushed. Boyfriend? Her? No. "Oh, no. It's not like that!"

Ino gazed at her. "Is it a crush? Or multiple crushes maybe?" Ino bent down below Hinata's head and glanced upwards into her face. Hinata blushed and moved her head to a side. "It is, isn't it? And... something else, but... None of my business, right?"

Hinata didn't respond, just keeping her face pointed to the ground.

"But, about these crushes, does your heart pound so heavily it hurts even through your chest? does your head feel like it's constantly spinnning? Does your chest sometimes feel really heavy and when you think about his face, the weight seems to lift momentarily until you feel embarassed again?"

Hinata's head sharply snapped up to stare at Ino who was grining brightly.

"Am I right?"

"How did you know?"

"I'm good at these kinda things."

"Good at what, being a pig?" Sakura burst in behind Ino. She turned her pink head to Hinata. "Don't listen to her, she doesn't know what she's talking about. But, this guy, does talking to him make you feel so incredibly happy and sad and shy all at once, like you don't want to do anything stupid before him? And when he speaks or laughs, your heart feels giddy and you want nothing more than that moment to just keep going on?"

"H-how do both of you know?"Hinata felt confused and a little claustrophobic between the two rival girls who'd glare at each other every other sentence.

Ino smiled sweetly to Hinata. "Well, every girl feels the same about things that come to the heart. Whether it's Love or Like. So, what is it for you? Love or Like?"

The Hyuuga considered things for a moment. Neither. I don't Love or Like Shino. She winced, just thinking his name caused her stomach to dip and twinge oddly. "I, uh, I--"

"Oh, you don't know yet?" Sakura asked. "Well, that's okay."

"Actually, billboard-brow," Ino interjected, earning a glare from Sakura which she was just too happy to return, "I think she's torn between two guys. Riiiiiight?"

"Uhm, well." Hinata paused. "I..." she hung her head. "I wish I knew."

Both of the other girls held off strangling each other to stare sympathetically at Hinata, wishing they could help some more.

"Well, we'll let you think it over." The two girls hurried to run into the school they finally arrived to. Both were busy trying to see who could make it there faster.

Hinata shuffled to the school, slowly considering what they said. She set a hand to head and closed her eyes. She felt dizzy and so very sick to the stomach. I can't work today.

Told you that all you wanted was to avoid Shino.

Hinata cringed, that voice had refused to leave her alone. That cruel voice... That cruel voice that sounded more like Neji today.

Her eyes snapped open. That's right. Neji...

"What do you think you're doing here?"

That cruel glare. She lived in the Hyuuga household so the pale eyes of Hyuuga's shouldn't scare her like other people, but Neji was the only one with the harsh eyes that could scare her. Even her father and Hanabi couldn't quite create that stare of utter hatred, sadness, dissapointment, anger and... and something else Hinata couldn't quite pinpoint. It was like fear and anguish, she would say if she didn't know Neji... or if she knew him better. Hinata shrugged it off, she didn't want to know or care about what was behind her cousin's eyes.

He didn't treat her too kindly when he found her the night before.

XXX

The two Hyuugas were frozen out of surprise for a moment that felt likes eons to the smaller Hyuuga. Then the taller Hyuuga grunted disgustedly and dropped the smaller girl.

Hinata landed in the sand uncomfortably as she abruptly tried to jump off the sand onto the rocks so that she might not ruin the sand to make it obvious someone fell in the dirt. Scrambling on a rock she glanced at the messed ground and then her cousin. He stood confidently on another rock, his arms crossed and one foot before the other so he could fit on the smaller rock. Hinata almost laughed ruefully when she recoginized the rock, remembering when she had pondered if that was the Village of the Clouds rock earlier that night.

She then cast her glance away when she realized how shameful she appeared, a main branch Hyuuga, clumsily sprawled on a rock, glasses askew as another Hyuuga stood so confidently not even a meter away.

"How pathetic. A main branch Hyuuga sprawled across a rock like some vermin. And to think, a Hyuuga needing glasses!" He scoffed rudely. "Of course we are talking about you. You'd find some way to disgrace yourself and this family title, and what better way than to need glasses. Hah! A Hyuuga needing glasses! Are you even capable of activating your Byakugan?"

Hinata's face burned deeper and deeper. She just wanted to melt into the ground and never come back.

"And what's worse, the news I hear?" he sneered cruelly. "I hear you've been running around with an Aburame. What, now you want to taint the Hyuuga blood?"

Hinata snapped her head up forcefully and glared. "Shut up!" Even before she finished speaking she regretted it, but at the same time, a satisfied feeling settled over her peacefully as her stomach squirmed.

Neji's eyes flared, he seemed to seriously consider kicking her or spitting. But he controlled himself, the fire in his eyes still burning though. "Oh, now you wish to talk back. You finally growing a spine, you worm? Why try now? Why not just let yourself stay the way you are." He knelt down to her level as she shuddered fearfully. He whispered conspiritorially. "After all, aren't you perfect the way you are? You don't fit in with a family with such a great name like ours, so why not just let yourself become more of a disgrace? Maybe one day people will look down upon you just the same way as they do to Naruto. Isn't that what you want? To be on the same level of scum as him?"

SLAP!

Hinata couldn't couldn't control her shaking then as she slapped Neji with all the force she had in her. He actually fell back a bit on his rock his behind and elbows smacking painfully against the hard stone. Her breathing came in heavy breathes, as sweat dripped off her face, staining the gray of the rock deeper and muddying the sand. Her head spun violently and she wanted to vomit. she had slapped her cousin!

Neji was frozen momentarily aas disbelief was playing in his blank eyes now. Then he scrambled to his feet as a red crept in his cheeks, probably embarrassed to be hit by someone he never considered a threat before. His face was so angry that Hinata shrank back, afraid of what he would do but gently tried to stand and not fall over from her shaking adrenaline pumped limbs. She hardly noticed that both of them had fully activated their Byakugans and that her glasses lay uselessly in the sand.

Then Neji's face seemed to calm and before she could fully swing her arms up to protect herself, Neji struck her with his rigid fingers, closing a tenketsu point. She ggasped in pain and doubled over. Her rib felt as though it was on fire and she could almost feel the bruise spreading over the lower half of her right rib.

Neji grabbed her chin and forced her face before his. "This never happened." He growled and let go of her violently, causing her to fall back on the rock. He then dissapeared so fast, Hinata couldn't catch it.

Rubbing her injured chest she bent and gathered her glasses. They were scratched from the sand but they weren't broken.

She rubbed a finger over one of the deep scratches on the right lens. She couldn't help but remember Shino taking her to the optomitrist and all that time and effort he put in to help her get those glasses. And now she had scratched them. Shaking, she didn't realize she was crying until a large drop landed on the lense. Then she let herself cry fully, letting the pain just wash over her.

XXX

Scribbling in her notebook. Hinata slowly let herself land back into reality. The large spirals and deep, violent scratches from her black pen were played out all over the notebook paper. The class day was almost over and once again she hadn't paid much attention to Iruka-sensei.

Eagerly awaiting dismissal, Hinata shut her notebook and sighed. Only a few more minutes to go and she could leave. However, home wasn't too tempting of a thought, the fear of perhaps running into Neji playing through her mind though she couldn't think properly so she hardly realized she almost never saw him on a daily basis. Then, she didn't want to go to work. She wasn't feeling good and she just didn't feel comfortable working with Shino today. Just the thought of being in the same room with him made her squirm.

But the thought of having to tell him she wasn't coming to work today didn't make her feel good either.

Finally dismissed, Hinata held back for a little, knowing Shino tended to leave near last. She rubbed her face, as though that would remove her blush and grabbed her satchel tightly. She walked up behind Shino and tried to clear her throat, but her throat wouldn't work so instead she reached for his sleeve and pulled gently.

Shinno's head whipped around quickly and almost defensively. Hinata forgot, Shino never let anyone touch him, so why should now be different?

"Ah, uh," She wished that she wouldn't be so shy and embarrassed. "I just wanted to tell you, um, I'm-I'm not feeling good today. C-Could you tell Ojii-san I cannot work today, please?" She averted her eyes, almost afraid to look at him.

"Hn." he grunted. "I-" Hinata glanced up, "I hope you'll feel better later."

With that he left and with that her heart nearly imploded. Just him to simply wish she'd feel better made her stomach drop and her heart pound as her head spun giddily. Of course when someone set a hand on her shoulder, her adrenaline pumped body jumped nearly a foot in the air.

"Oh, sorry Hinata." the person guided the both of them out of the class gently.

"K-Kiba?" She set a hand on her heart, willing it to stop going a million miles a minute.

"Yeah, sorry about that scare." Kiba smiled innocently, the red tattoos on his cheeks bending gently with his dimples. "I just overheard you saying you didn't feel good, and I," he coughed, almost embbaressedly, "I was just wondering if you wa-wanted company to walk you home. ya know, just in case you don't feel good and ya faint or something. Not that I'm saying you will!" He scratched his chin seeming to think, as Hinata was thinking about his stutters while speaking. "Hmm, don't I sound like an idiot." he muttered.

"Um, actually, that was really nice of you think of that!" Hinata spoke up. "Thank you for being concerned about me! I'd really like it if you'd come with me."

Kiba's cheeks reddened boyishly a little, then he laughed. "Yeah! Oh, and you won't mind Akamaru coming along?" The white dog woofed from under his jacket.

"Of course not." The two then set off for her house.

"So, uh," Kiba scratched his head, trying to seem nonchalant. "You and Shino work together or something?"

"Huh? Oh yeah!" Hinata smiled, her eyes closing. "Yeah, it's really great!" She then dropped the smile and smiled softly, glancing at the ground. "I'm sad I won't work today though."

Kiba stared at her blankly, his eyes seeming curious as a little of the ruddy color crept back in his cheeks. "Oh. Well, what do you guys do?"

"Hunh." Hinata thought about it for a second. Should she say so? Shino never exactly made it known that he works. Than again he never really talks to anyone. "Well, I don't know if he wants me to say..."

"Hey, I can keep a promise!" Kiba interjected, then he held up Akamaru's paw and his own. "We swear!" Akamaru woofed as though to confirm Kiba.

Hinata smiled and let out a chuckle, but covered her mouth with a hand embarresedly.

"Hey, don't cover your laugh. I like it!" Kiba grinned.

Hinata blushed a little but shrugged and let herself smile a little more easily. She brushed some her hair from her eyes and pressed her glasses up her nose. "Well, since you promised. Remember the day I had problems seeing and you told me to see Shino?"

"Yeah, uh," Kiba thought for a moment. "I saw him near the fish market."

Hinata nodded. "Yep, that's the place."

Kiba stared at her for a second. "No way."

"Yeah," she smiled and turned to him. "It's great. It's a lot of fun too."

"Maybe I should come by someday and check out your work."

"No!" Hinata asserted quickly. Catching Kiba's hurt and confused face, she stuttered. "Er, I meant, I don't know how Shino feels about my even telling you! But, other than that, I'd like that."

Kiba's face smoothed. "Oh, okay."

The two walked along in silence for a little bit. Hinata glanced around herself, feeling the cool air blowing through her hair and carressing her warm cheeks. This is nice. Hinata then stumbled in her mind. It was weird. It was only yesterday that pauses of silence made her feel so uncomfortable, but now this felt so natrual.

"Ahh, looks like we made it to your house." Kiba almost seemed sad, even Akamaru's ears were pressed sadly at the sides of his head.

Hinata turned to Kiba. "Thanks for walking me home..."

"Hey, you look better already." Kiba tried to smile.

"Huh? Oh, yeah." Hinata chuckled a little. "I guess you made me feel better already. Thanks for everything."

"Hinata!" The front door opened and her younger sister popped her head out. "Do you know where--" She stopped abruptly when she saw Kiba. Her face seemed a little red and she covered her face by the door and averted her eyes.

"Hmm. That's your sister right?" Kiba asked.

"Yeah, that's Hanabi."

"Hey Hanabi!" Kiba called.

Hanabi's face seemed to dissapear even more so behind the door. "H-he--" She could hardly speak out.

"Hnh. She did the same thing last time I talked to her. Well," he scratched the back of his head, "see ya at school tommorrow." He waved his goodbye and jogged away in the other direction.

Hinata trudged calmly into her house, as Hanabi closed the door behind her. Once the door was closed, Hinata was busy letting her eyes adjust to the darkened room when Hanabi spoke up.

"Is the Inuzuka boy your friend?"

Hinata turned to her sister,surprised. Hanabi's head was lowered which looked kind of unusual. "Um, well, he goes to my school."

"Really? Do you two hang out a lot? You guys friends or something?"

"Hanabi? Why are you asking?" Then something seemed to dawn on her, as though shining light into a dark room she couldn't see into before, but when she could finally see, it was the same room she's been in. "Do you like Kiba?" She breathed slightly.

Hanabi turned away abruptly and made to run away. Hinata reached out and grabbed her sister's arm forcefully. Hanabi slowly raised her face to Hinata's. What she saw was enough to cause Hinata to let go of her arm.

Tears were dripping out of her siblings eyes slowly. Then she nearly had the wind knocked out of her as Hanabi grabbed her about the waist tightly. Hanabi was actually hugging her!

"Hi-hinata! Father would hate me if he knew! Please don't tell!" She sobbed into Hinata chest.

The other girl stood uncomfortably, uncertain as to what to do. Then she slowly raised a hand and pet Hanabi's soft hair slowly. "I won't tell."

"Hinata? Why-why does it hurt then? I thought... It's not right! I'm stronger than this!" Hanabi's sobbing caused her voice to break a little.

"Hanabi..." Hinata just didn't know what to say. Even she didn't know why things had to be the way they were. "It's because were human, I suppose." Hanabi's bottled up emotions, her silence aroundthe family. Hinata was piecing things together and it felt like her eyes were seeing a little more clearly. She set her face in her sister's hair and inhaled to soft scent. "I just don't know..."

Hinata had her own problems. And Hanabi never treated Hinata the greatest before, acting like a brat, but... They were sisters. She couldn't let her sister suffer and sleep peacefully at night. Her problems with Shino and Neji could wait.

Family was first.

XXX

Shizuru Speaks: When I wrote the last section of the interaction between Hinata and Hanabi I was listening to BoA's Everlasting, which is a very good song and the beat seemed to go with that part, so I suggest that to listen to. Right now I'm listening to some Nana Kitade. She is definitely one of my favorites, I have to say with BoA. Ahh, another chapter done though and I made good time on this one surprisingly! Anyways, thank you to all my loyal readers! You are what makes me willing to write more to this story every moment. So keep supporting me, and send reviews! I love to read what you have to say! Well, I'm off to write chapter four and probably do something else. Oh, and an entertaining new anime out is the Nerima Daikon Brothers. It's an anime musical but it's a hundred times better in English than Japanese in my opinion because the team in America was willing to poke fun of the series and themselves, more so than the Japanese team was. That and hearing Luci Christian, Greg Ayres and Chris Patton sing has made my day over and over again! I'm personally a big fan of the three but Patton's my favorite. Well, till next time!