Chapter IV: Dismissal
True to Neji Hyuuga's words, there were no P.E. classes.
In fact, there were no more classes for the rest of the day.
The disembodied voice of the woman boomed from the P.A. system installed in the elevator. I turned to the metallic box, hanging on to her every word, while my companion opted to try to melt me with his nonexistent heat vision. Neji's gaze was unwavering, and firmly planted on my person. I felt the sweat trickle down from my forehead, but I dutifully ignored it, as I had with him. "Good morning, students. An emergency meeting had been called by the board of directors, asking for the audience of all your teachers. Classes are suspended for the rest of the day. Please remember not to loiter…
"I was right, wasn't I?" Neji chuckled, crossing his arms across his chest. I unconsciously observed the movement, carefully trailing my gaze after his strong, strong arms, and his muscular chest, well defined beneath the fabric of his sweater. "Just as I had always been right with…" He trailed off. My head whipped upwards, and I glowered at him. Finally, the elevators skidded to a halt, and the doors began to open. As we disembarked, I grabbed Neji's arm and forced him towards me.
"What is your problem?" I seethed, unable to tolerate his antagonisms any longer. I stomped my foot, unconsciously, in an effort to emphasize my point. Neji's poker face was shattered. He returned my glower with far more malice than a person you only met some one hour ago should have. I was caught off guard, but held my ground. He was being unfair, and rash, and here is where I draw the line. "Look, I don't know what poor creature lodged itself up in your ass and died there, but I don't think you should be taking it out on me!" I hissed.
Neji's eyes widened by a fraction, but he quickly remembered himself. Narrowing those pale, pale lavender eyes at me, he said in a low, menacing tone, "I—"
"Tenten!" I quickly relinquished my iron grip on Neji's forearm, and stepped away from him. Ino bounced over to us, with Sakura and a familiar girl in tow. "Tenten, this is Hinata. She wants us to come over to her place. Are you free this afternoon?" I smiled, ready to accept her offer, when Mr. Devil Incarnate stepped from behind me and made himself known.
"Hinata-sama." He said fluidly, "Will you need me to escort the lot of you?" I stiffened. Neji and Hinata were cousins. And they live under the same roof. I could not possibly visit the Hyuugas any longer. I turned to glare at him, but his gaze was fixed on Hinata.
"Actually," I cut in, "I don't think I could—;" I saw Ino's eyes perk up in hopefulness. Sakura gave me an encouraging smile, and Hinata was beaming with honest excitement. I choked on my words. I cannot decline. I felt Neji's glare on the back of my head and realized at once that he likely does not want me in his property any more than I would want to be there myself. An idea brewed and clicked in my head, and I craned my neck to look him square in the eye. I smiled, benevolently, innocently, at him, "I don't think I could pass up an offer like that." I turned back to the girls, "Alright, I'll just drop by my locker first and I'll meet you guys in, let's say, ten?" They nodded.
"Here's my number." I fished for my phone and dutifully saved Ino's digits. We said our goodbyes, and I headed back for the elevators. Until I was safely inside the metal contraption and the doors slid to a close behind me, I could feel Neji's gaze boring a hole on the back of my skull. I shuddered.
"Hello? Auntie, yeah, my new friend asked me to—what? Of course I can make friends!—yeah, I don't know about dinner, but I'm likely not going to make it. I'll call you if I could or could not. Hinata… Hyuuga? Yes. Hinata Hyuuga. Your—? Really? Wow! Cool. Okay, I'll talk to you later, bye."
Click.
I found the girls and the Devil Incarnate lounging about in one of the plush couches on the lobby of the science building. I announced my presence, and they stood, prepared to leave. Neji led us to the parking lot, past rows and rows of fancy cars, and finally stopped before a sleek, black Ferrari. Boarding the vehicle, he eased it out of its slot. Hinata opened her door, motioning for us to follow suit. Once settled, Ino began, in her usual chipper tone, to talk. Sakura was surprisingly a chatterbox herself, and much girly talk was parried between the two of them. I listened with interest to their conversation, and occasionally gave my input when called for it. Neji had not said a word nor made a sound.
"How was life back in the Land of Lightning for you, Tenten?" Hinata asked conversationally, glancing at me from her seat in front. I shrugged.
"It was fun." I said, "I mean it rained a lot, so most of the time it puts a damper on everybody's mood, but you get used to it. Our village leader is strict but his brother is quite eccentric. My dad is in the government, so I get to see the Raikage's brother, Bee-san, often. We played a lot." I launched into a brief but detailed explanation of my life, pre-Konoha. They listened and offered comments here and there. At last, we pulled up in front of massive gates bearing the character Hyuuga. Neji rolled down the car window, and spoke on the intercom.
"Neji Hyuuga. The bird is caged by its destiny." A password? Seconds later, and the colossal double gates slid apart. Neji drove forward, and around the handsome garden, until he found a suitable parking space at the back of the compound. We detached ourselves from the vehicle, and I stretched my limbs a little. "I shall be in my wing if you need me." He nodded politely to Hinata and disappeared without another word. He did, however, look back and pointedly glare at me before he disappeared into the massive edifice's back door. As soon as he was gone, I turned to Hinata.
"Forgive me if I'm too forward, but why is your cousin such an ass? And what is up with that stiff formality?" Ino and Sakura laughed, sharing a high five. Hinata smiled, not unkindly.
"Neji-nii-san is from the Branch House." Hinata began, ushering us inside the mansion through the same route her cousin had taken. She led us through a series of corridors, and stopped in the receiving room. The place is colossal, embellished by an array of lavish decors—massive paintings, expensive vases, and extravagant furniture. We decided on a comfortable spot by one of the long couches, and a butler attended to us. "Since time immemorial, the Hyuugas have always had a bifurcated system dividing the clan—the Main House, that is where I hail from, and the Branch House, where Neji-nii-san is.
"Originally, the duty of the Branch House is to protect the members of the Main House, where leaders and powerful men are raised. The Hyuugas are one of the pillars that support Konoha and, consequently, the Land of Fire itself. This had gone on since the ancient times, possibly even around the founding of Konoha itself.
"The Hyuugas have had many traditions that are… not necessarily fair to all concerned. Usually, the Branch House is subject to the shorter end of the proverbial stick. Circumstances have molded my nii-san into who he is now. But Father, as head of the Hyuuga clan, is working to abolish such law, now. I only hope that the elders will side with him." Hinata finished, as we consumed our treats. I nibbled on the delicious cookies, occasionally downing it with a glass of orange juice. The Hyuuga clan… the sudden influx of information is too much to take in at once, and I sat in silence, attempting to digest it.
But not once had he…
As we finished our course, Hinata guided us through a spiraling flight of stairs and rounded up some corridors, until we reached another set of massive double doors, bearing the characters of Main House in golden strokes. Two guards flanked either side of the entrance, and upon the sight of Hinata, immediately prodded open the gigantic wooden doors. Hinata led us inside the main house's wing, until we reached a hallway adorned only by three doors. "Ummm… this is my corridor…" she mumbled sheepishly, kneading her fingers and twirling the hem of her shirt. "And this is my room…" She led us to one side of the corridor where a lone, violet door stood in contrast to the sterile white walls. Pushing it open, she allowed us in.
Hinata's room is easily two times the size of our homeroom. I gaped, unaccustomed to luxury of this degree. Ino happily lunged for Hinata's scattered beanbags, giggling to herself. Sakura opted for Hinata's queen bed, and hugged and hogged her pillows. I stood awkwardly by the doorframe, taking in the sight that is Hinata's bedroom.
My mother had never brought me up in such luxury. I had only known of our wealth and actual status on the social pyramid very recently. She had always taught me to be frugal, to be wise with my money, and to never spend unnecessarily. I had never known luxury the way Hinata was brought up in. "Uhh… wow. Your room is… awesome." I said. Ino smiled sympathetically.
"It's a lot to take in, I know." She sat up and propped herself on her elbows, "The Hyuugas are a filthy rich bunch, eh?" She smirked at Hinata, who smiled shyly in return.
"Yeah, no kidding." I breathed out. I walked around, observing each and every nook and cranny of Hinata's room bared for me to see. I occasionally picked objects up, asking what they are, who they are from, where they are from. Sometimes I stopped at pictures. Who are they? Where was this? When was this? Is this Neji? "Hinata?"
Hinata glanced up from her conversation with Sakura, "Yes?"
"Was this Neji?" I held up the metallic frame. Hinata's eyes widened in alarm for a fraction of a second, and she nodded.
"Yeah…" she said, tentative, reluctant. I replaced the picture on the shelf, and resumed my little sleuthing. Then that must be… After I had finally rounded the expanse of her room, I padded over to the girls, and slid next to Hinata. Ino had fallen asleep and was snoring softly in her fort of beanbags. Sakura was smirking at a beet-red Hinata, who was flailing her palms wildly, attempting to dissuade Sakura from something-or-the-other. I joined in. "What's up?"
"Oh yes, Hinata, why don't you tell us what's up?" Sakura probed meaningfully. Hinata blushed to the roots of her hair. I nudged Sakura's leg, giving her a questioning look, and she turned her Cheshire grin at me. "Tenten, did you know that Hinata has—"
"Sakura-chan!"
"—this massive crush on Naruto Uzumaki?"
I blinked in surprise. Hinata's outburst was rather passionate, and she all but lunged at Sakura as she relayed this valued piece of information. Sakura's eyes gleamed in excitement, easily thwarting Hinata's attempts of keeping her quiet, by holding the latter at arm's length. "Well… yeah, Ino told me." I grumbled dispassionately. I gauged Sakura's reaction to my lukewarm response. Her face fell for the briefest of moments, but her Cheshire grin was in tact, just as soon.
"Figures. The whole world practically knows it." Sakura sighed melodramatically. Hinata has resigned to fidgeting with the hem of her shirt, and boring holes on the floor. The poor soul. "But did you know that Naruto might actually return her feelings?" my eyes widened, and I glanced at Hinata on impulse. Her face aflame, and brighter than ever, she screwed her eyes shut, and slapped her palms against her cheeks. I grinned cheekily, deciding against nudging her meaningfully to spare her from the embarrassment. I shared a look with Sakura.
"Oh, and what makes you say that?" I challenged, "Hinata is a really sweet girl, but I don't think Naruto is a guy who is quick on the uptake." I noted. Sakura cocked an eyebrow.
"How did you know?" There was a hint of skepticism in her voice.
"I…" I struggled to explain. How did I know? I simply did. I decided that honesty was the best course of action, "I don't really know how I know. He was exuding the 'I'm the densest guy on Earth' vibes, Sakura. Come on, even a blind person could have seen it from a mile away." I shrugged casually, using air quotes to emphasize my point. Sakura regarded me with curiosity, but nodded sagely.
"You have a point." Hinata peeked from her fingers, and Sakura bit her lip, struggling to keep a face-splitting grin at bay and failing miserably. "But I think there's more to him than what meets the eye. Naruto and I practically grew up together, so I know, occasionally, he's not as transparent as we take him for." She grinned at Hinata, "And I think someone knows what exactly is going on behind closed doors." I laughed, loudly, heartily, and uncontrollably.
Hinata moaned hopelessly. Over my rambunctious mirth, Ino stirred, and woke up with a groan. She glared at me, disheveled and incoherent, and my mirth ebbed slightly. I eventually dissolved into quiet giggles. Hinata buried herself beneath her pillows and beanbags, and Sakura launched into a lengthy explanation, justifying her theory that a secret romantic relationship has blossomed between sweet, shy Hinata, and loudmouthed Naruto.
"She slapped him once, you know." Sakura said. Ino scrambled off her soft, cushiony fort, and clambered next to Sakura. No longer disoriented, Ino offered her own inputs on the "NaruHina theory" (as they have taken to calling it), which somehow made actual, realistic sense (and not just a blather rumors and exaggerations) to me. I listened with keen interest, but from the corner of my eyes, noticed that Hinata seemed quite riveted as well with their extensive anecdote of her love life. "It was in junior year of middle school, when Naruto first lost a game. He was out of it, even and especially for someone as bubbly as Naruto. I think it was because Neji got seriously injured over the game. Naruto thinks it's his fault."
"It was partly his fault, charging head on like that." Ino commented. "The bottom line is that Naruto was pretty miffed about losing the game; to Akatsuki, no less. They're Shinobi's eternal rivals. He started acting weird, moping around, and being all woe-is-me. We tried to cheer him up, but he woe-is-me'd on us. His parents tried to comfort him, but he went woe-is-me on them. Even when Iruka-sensei offered to treat him to ramen—and Naruto thinks the world of ramen—he still went all woe-is-me on him. It was a whole mess of woe-is-me-ing." Ino finished with a flourish of her hand. "Only Hinata was able to knock him out of his woe-is-me-ing. I mean, he was on a roll! And then Hinata bitch-slapped some sense to him, but she suddenly changed from being Miss-I-ain't-taking-no-woe-is-me-shit-from-you to I-care-so-much-about-you-so-please-don't-be-sad in a moment. She even caressed his cheek!" Sakura and I stared at her.
"Thanks for your input, Ino. That was a very intelligent way of putting it." Sakura smirked in disdain.
"I had a dream about Shakespeare." Ino whispered conspiratorially, her eyes darting about, back and forth.
"Ino, 'woe is me' is not Shakespearean. It's from the Catholic bible." I commented. Ino glared at me warily, rolled her eyes, and flopped on the bed.
"I'm coming down with a headache." She grumbled.
"Anyway, guys, who wants to watch a movie?" Hinata called, standing up, and clapping her hands to get our attention. I raised my hand.
"Can we watch Ted?" I grinned.
"I'm not sure I have that one. I think Neji-nii-san has it, though. He usually does."
"He keeps an inventory of the latest movies, Tenten." Sakura said by way of explanation. "And speaking of Neji... that reminds me. You two were pretty chill with each other. Even back in Biology. Alright, what gives?" Hinata sat beside me, smiling at me sympathetically. Welcome to the club.
"Can we talk this over Ted?" I pleaded, eyeing the violet door with longing.
"What would be the point of watching a movie then?" Ino grumbled, her voice muffled by a pillow on her face. "Besides, Tenten, we caught you in a pretty heated moment, too, now that Forehead mentioned it." She sat up, setting aside her fluffy companion, and opting to cross her arms across her chest. They zeroed their anticipating gazes on me, and I nearly broke out in cold sweat. Suddenly put on the spot, I stood up, reflexively, to defend myself. Offense is usually the best defense, right?
"Hey, look, the guy has a stick up his ass, and I'm just trying to make a world a better place, alright?" Their eyebrows arched simultaneously in an uncanny display of coordination. In any other situation, it would have been hilarious. I shuffled on the balls of my feet, instinctively moving away from them. A firm knock on the door resounded within the room, and I all but ran to it, thankful for the intervention. "Hey, Hinata you—whoa."
"Is Hinata there?"
"Sasuke?"
Sasuke? Sasuke Uchiha? Ino was spot on. He was one fine piece of the male specie.
K-pop reference of the chapter: Eyyy gurl~ I'm rolling down mah sexy car window~ Alright, so this isn't as blatant homage to a K-pop group as the previous ones, but it still is. You don't literally "roll" down a Ferrari car window, but I wanted to incorporate the term. EatYourKimchi, JYJ Nasty-Cassies, did you get my reference? Props to you if you did!
Did you guys see what I did there? The NaruHina slap has made its way on my fan-fic! Hooray! That slap (and consequent affectionate cheek-rubbing) was all sorts of epic. In fact, insofar as my experience with shounen manga slapping is concerned, they're all pretty epic. Orihime's slap on Ulquiorra was sweet and fluffy. Erza's slap for Jellal led to all kinds of things (mostly). And now Hinata's slap had merited a "thank you, Hinata", and a plethora of sweet and fluffy moments (that "thank you" had not better be a telltale sign of a friend-zone, Kishimoto!). Shounen manga slapping is beginning to take a different light for me.
On a side note, this chapter didn't have much going around—or is it? Keep your eyes peeled, folks!—so it was more or less just a filler chapter. Sasuke has finally appeared! I usually like the idea of using Sasuke as a third party for the NejiTen coupling, but I solidly ship SasuSaku, so maybe I'm not going to use his character for that. I have a lot of single guys at my disposal anyway (hoho, I'm looking at you Deidara, Sasori, Kankuro, Kiba. /Wink, wink)
As always, reviews make me happy. Ciao!
