Day 6
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Midnight.
Hinata couldn't believe he asked that. Was he eavesdropping? The hairs on the back of her neck stood up as she shivered upon hearing the sacred name.
"No one," she said. "We need to get going." Without looking at him or her sister, she sped out of the cabin. One brow raised, he looked from the direction he saw her leave, to her sister who was just as confused as he was.
"Habi, who's Toneri?" Hanabi looked at Naruto with her face twisted in anger.
"What's up with you kid?" He asked.
"My name. It isn't Habi!" He didn't flinch when she yelled, Kurama did and he grew pissed at that. "What is it then?" Hanabi sighed and told him in a slow tone, that her name is Hanabi. He gave her a seldom look which caused her to giggle.
"Alright, Hanabi, who's Toneri?" Hanabi immediately stopped giggling and looked down.
"A man,"
"No shit."
"A man that...hurt my sister..."
Someone had hurt Hinata? She seemed so...sweet.
Is that why she had that outburst and kept looking into space? Was she maybe thinking about why happened to her? Is that why she hates men and think they use woman? Something twisted in Naruto's chest. Anger maybe? He didn't know but one thing he didn't like, was a man to hurt a woman.
"What did he do to her?" He demanded in a serious tone that made it hard for Hanabi to not tell him.
"U-Uh he d-"
"What is the hold up?" Hinata peered in the cabin and looked at her sister and Naruto questionably. Why are they both still in here? She refused to think that Naruto probably liked little girls. He didn't look like the type.
"Kurama was afraid to leave the cabin sister, we're just trying to help him."
Good one kid. Naruto thought.
Kurama looked at Hanabi and cocked his head to the side, looking confused. Something changed in Hinata. She instantly went to Kurama, talking sweetly to him, telling him that it'll be okay and that they'll keep him safe. Kurama was still confused but awestruck at Hinata that he just gave in to her caresses and walked with her out the cabin. Hanabi followed suit leaving an awestruck Naruto to himself.
Wow.
"You coming?" Asked the brown haired girl with low pigtails.
Naruto shook himself out his thoughts of what just occurred not too long ago, and started to take baby steps out the cabin, careful to not open any healing wounds.
The cold air hit him like needles. It almost felt like it pierced his skin. Seeing Hinata with Kurama made him forget the cold winter air.
"She would make a great mother." He said.
"What was that?" Hinata asked when he finally came up to them.
"Nothing. We need to get going. I still have unfinished business to attend to."
"Where will we go? There's nothing out here."
"There's plenty out here Hinata, you just weren't looking. Your eyes were set on one thing. And that was hunting for food."
"Well, yeah, that's because I didn't think Hanabi and I would lose our home."
He wasn't going to lie, he actually felt very sorry for her. For them. The look of sadness etched across her face almost haunted him. He never wanted to see that emotion spread across her face again. And just to make matters worse, she spoke again, causing the look of sadness to etch deeper into something Naruto couldn't name.
"This is all my fault."
"Don't you ever think that, or say that again." He demanded.
"It is. If I wasn't being so hardheaded and just listened to you, all of this wouldn't have happened."
She was right. But of course he wasn't going to tell her that.
"Everything happens for a reason Hinata, we just got to go with the flow and move on."
Hinata looked over at him so fast, he could've sworn he saw her head almost fall off.
"Everything happens for a reason you say?"
Where is she going with this? Why her attitude just all of a sudden change? Is she bipolar? She's probably on her period. Or maybe she's... No she can't be pregnant.
"Yeah, everything happens for a reason. There's a reason for everything."
Hinata saw her sister playing with Kurama ahead of them. She was livid beyond recognition. She wanted to slap-no punch the shit out of Naruto right now.
But he's all man. He'd hurt me before I could hurt him.
"Hey! Big sister look! A house! A real house!" Her sister yelled out to them. Hinata squinted and wanted to smile, but she was too angry.
She saw Kurama bite the nob of the house and watched them both run inside. She had to admit, it was a nice looking house.
"There's everything in here!"
"Are there any people?" Naruto said, he didn't have to yell, his voice was already deep and he didn't want anyone to know of their whereabouts.
Hanabi shook her head no and ran back into the house.
Seeing her face twisted in anger he wished he didn't care and that he would've kept his mouth shut.
"Are you somehow in denial that everything happens for a reason?"
Hinata quietly snapped so that her sister wouldn't hear her yelling.
"Everything happens for a reason?! So, is there a reason to explain on why every single day for 4 years, on how I was beaten and raped just so I could have a place to live?! Is there a reason to that?! Is there a reason on why I had to put up with it and sleep in the same bed with that man?! Or that My sister and I had to only have one meal a day? Is there a reason she had to see me get beaten? Or hear me getting raped?! Tell me Naruto, Would you still agree that everything happens for a reason?!"
She was crying now. Naruto felt like he was on the brink of tears himself. This woman has been through so much. And for what? Just to have a place to live? And in that fucked up ass cabin where there really isn't shit there? He balled his fists, thinking about how this woman must've been so afraid. No one deserves that.
He wanted to hug her. To hold her. But, he thought that maybe that would be a bit much considering she's been touched by a lustful man for four years. It's best to just take baby steps. Would hate to have her be afraid of me.
"How old were you?" His voice was thick. He looked angry.
"I was 18...he was 21... Hanabi was only 11..."
"Correct me if I'm wrong, was it that name you spoke of earlier?" He wasn't looking at her, he was looking at something over her shoulder. Nothing in particular, he was just too angry.
"Y-Yes... Toneri."
"Where is he? Do you know?" He clenched his fists tighter. Any little animal that ran past, he would quickly draw out his gun, thinking it was the person that hurt her.
"He is dead."
"Good. You killed him? Tell me you did and that he didn't die by coyotes or some shit."
Hinata chuckled briefly by his statement and continuously wiped the tears that were falling uncontrollably down her face.
"My sister did actually."
He looked at her, stunned.
"Wow. I'm impressed. Guess she couldn't handle you suffering. Especially with it happening in front of her."
"Yeah, I thought the same." Hinata briefly smiled and looked at Naruto. He wasn't looking past her shoulder anymore. He was looking at her now. Actually looking into her eyes.
They stared at each other that seemed like hours. Hinata never noticed how close they were until he spoke and did the unthinkable.
"I'm so sorry that that happened to you Hinata. I actually wish that it would've been me to kill the son of a bitch and not your sister."
She never thought he would feel sorry for her. He didn't look like the apologizing type. Hinata just stared into his ocean eyes. She never knew how blue they were. She saw how his pupils would dilate whenever he looked at her and return to normal once he glanced away. It was odd.
"You didn't um..." For the first time, Naruto was nervous to speak the words he wanted to say. He thought it would be inappropriate to ask.
"What?" She asked.
"This might be a bit sudden to ask but, you didn't um, get uh, you aren't pregnant by him are you?"
Hinata had a blank face and then looked at the ground.
"No."
Naruto let out a breath of relief.
"Throughout it all Naruto, I haven't gotten pregnant once by him."
"Thank goodness for that."
"Yes, thank goodness. So, I guess everything does happen for a reason." She looked at him and gave him the warmest smile. He didn't even notice that his hand was on her cheek until she jumped.
"Uh, sorry, your cheeks are very red, I figured you were cold." He lied.
"Well, it is midnight and winter. Your hand on my cheek won't warm them up since your hand is just as cold." She giggled and he envied her for that.
She's been through all that and yet, she can still smile and laugh?
"Let's go in and check this place out."
All he got was a nod from her and as she walked toward the house, he placed his hand on her back and let out a breath of relief when she didn't object.
Right then and there, Naruto felt like holding Hinata and never letting her go.
Dammit, she's like a Fire in the middle of Winter. Burning just for me.
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NH18: I know, I'm late. But now you know why Hinata was acting the way she was. This story is going to get really intense! Hope you liked this chapter!
