Happy Belated Holidays (I know super late)! Okay guys, and it's been a while. Sorry. You guys loved the last chapter so much, and I was trying to make this chapter be as awesome as the last one in your eyes. Honestly, I don't think I did, sorry. It seems more like filler but it seemed that this chapter didn't fit with the other material I had been writing, but I felt that it needed to be included. It's late (after 2 am) and I didn't really proofread so if mistakes are too plentiful to bear let me know.
Here is chapter nine. The first part of this picks up with the scene at the restaurant after Hinata left.
~Kurenai Cakes
Chapter Nine: SCHISMS AND THE MOON
At the Restaurant (kind of a mix of everyone's POV)
As soon as Neji and Tenten ran after Hinata, three things happened. Shikamaru picked up Ai and left. Out of nowhere, somehow the table flipped over, and Kiba, Akamaru and Shino lunged for Naruto. They caught him off guard— he was staring at the flipped over table in a dazed fashion, trying to figure out exactly how it happened—and threw him up against the wall.
"What the hell Kiba! Shino!"
Kiba didn't answer. He just pulled out a kunai aimed it Naruto's throat. Shino, who was mainly pinning Naruto to the wall didn't say anything either. He let his kikaichū do the talking for him. They began to pour out of his coat, and began to swarm near Naruto.
"What the hell are you pissed at me for! I didn't do anything wrong!" Naruto replied, pushing forward, trying to dislodge them without using his true strength.
Instead of replying, Kiba looked at Shino and nodded. Shino's kikaichū surged forward with enough force for the wall behind Naruto to give way. The blond went flying, though he righted himself before he hit the ground. He got up, blue eyes narrowed to slits.
Kiba and Shino quickly followed through the gaping hole in the wall, both ready to attack. Only this time there was a barrier in between them. Choji had invoked his family's well known transformation and stood in between them.
"Stop this guys. We can talk about this." Choji tried to placate.
Shino and Kiba couldn't be placated. They were about to charge again when someone else beat them to it. A kunai flew and Ino, who had been standing with Sakura and Lee –both who were just confused as to how everything escalated so quickly— practically materialized out of nowhere to stand in front of Naruto. She had a kunai to his throat.
"All she ever did was believe in you. When no one else did, when no one else cared. She believed in you. She fucking fought for you when no one else was around and this is how you repay her. She never acts without reason. She's a thinker, a fighter. And if she did this, she has a fucking reason to. She's…" Ino paused as tears began to fall from her eyes. "And it was wasted on you. It was fucking wasted on you"
Neji and Tenten had just come back, only to find their table flipped over, a gaping hole in the wall, through which they would see the backs of some of their friend. They rushed outside just as Ino raised pressed the kunai to his throat.
"Ino, honey!" Tenten finds the words flying from her mouth before she can stop them. And the Ino goes rigid.
"He deserves it." She calls out.
"She wouldn't want this." Tenten replies.
"He made her cry. Of all people…he has the nerve to make her cry."
She draws her hand back and ready to punch him in the face only to have her hand be intercepted by Sakura.
"You need to calm the fuck down," Sakura growled, the pinkette's grip was strong but Ino had experienced way worse, and it didn't stop her. Ino could feel the bruises already forming.
"No, you need to let me go." Ino should have felt bad for speaking to Sakura like that. But she didn't. She couldn't care less. The fact that Sakura was holding her arm meant that Sakura had chosen Naruto's side and she could very well just go and fuck herself in Ino's eyes. Naruto had no right to tear into Hinata like that, breaking her heart further than he'd already done before. The pinkette's grip faltered a bit at Ino's tone, but she didn't let the blonde go.
.
And it seemed that everyone had reached a stalemate. No one really knew what was happening. Hinata and Ino weren't that close, were they?
"You're crying honey." Tenten spoke again.
"I know, but I can't stop it. It's over. EVERYTHING IS OVER! And he has the nerve, she…" Ino choked, her body visibly shaking.
"I know honey; we'll figure it out. We'll talk to her. Everything will be okay. Just walk away from him before you do something you'll regret. If you attack him, there is no coming back from that. He's your friend."
"Not anymore." With that, Ino yanked her fist out of Sakura's arm, and punched Naruto in his face. The hit wasn't something that could knock him out, but it got the point across. His body hit the ground like a sack of potatoes and he was pretty dazed. Ino felt a distinct amount of pleasure when she sees a small trickle of blood coming from his bottom lip. That pleasure bubbled into a broken laugh when she took in the rest of his face. She had put more chakra into that hit that she planned, but his crooked nose made her happy and she feels accomplished.
She walks away from him, Tenten following behind her without so much as glance to anyone, leaving everyone else…everyone except Sai.
He just walked away behind the girls. Without a word.
And that left Kiba who looked at Shino and said the words that everyone was thinking. "What the fuck just happened?"
Everyone is just flabbergasted and confused, but they don't really get a chance to dwell on it. Neji walks over to Naruto, and holds a hand out to help him up. The blond grabs his hand, and Neji pulls him up only wrap a hand around his neck.
"You, irrelevant piece of shit. When this is over, and she is no longer of this earth, I hope you realize that she wasted all of her life loving you, and caring about you. Sasuke left years ago, and you still hold hope that he will come back. You fought—you still fight for him. But the person who was willing to believe in you when no one else thought you were anything, you write her off as if she is worthless. As if she is a traitor. You're the traitor. You've already given up on her, and I'm giving up on you." Neji who'd been increasing the pressure on the blond's neck just let go, letting the younger boy fall to the ground. With that, Neji turned and left. Shino and Kiba did the same.
This left Rock Lee, Choji, Sakura and Naruto alone in the middle of the street with a group of fellow Konohanians standing around them with their mouths and eyes wide open in shock. They ignored the onlookers.
The boys helped Naruto up, and guided by Sakura, they carried him to his apartment. Once they deposited him on his bed, they left without a word. But their eyes held so much disappointment that Sakura knew that something had fundamentally changed between her friends.
A line had been drawn and according to everyone Naruto was on the wrong side. And she couldn't help but agree with them. But she stayed at Naruto's side. If she left, he'd be alone again. And she couldn't bear to let that happen to the man she loved.
.
.
At The Yamanaka House
With Ino
She stared at her parents. She, Tenten, and Sai had come to her house. The latter two were in her room right now. Her parents had come home earlier than usual—it was family dinner night at the Nara house –and called her down to have a talk. The information that they shared wasn't something she thought was possible. This had to be a joke. Hinata was okay; her life didn't hang in the balance (what the fuck did that even mean?), and she didn't have to get married.
"You're lying!" she screamed at her parents. Their faces were solemn though, and she found her eyes filling with tears.
She, Tenten, and Hinata had been though a lot together. They had made it through Suna* and all the terrible memories that came with the mission; they'd made it through the loss of Asuma sensei (she'd grieved with Choji and Shikamaru on one level but the bond that her sensei shared with her and the other two girls was different, and couldn't be mourned the same way). They had made it, and now Hinata was being forced to get married to a random man. And her life was in danger for reasons unknown. What the actual fuck was happening. It wasn't fair. Hinata deserved better. She suffered the most in Suna as she protected Ino and Tenten. She still blamed herself for Asuma sensei's death. She loved everyone with all of her might. She carried the world on her shoulders. She was the reason Sai and Ino fell in love with each other. She deserved all he happiness in the world, to hear that she wasn't going to get it. It wasn't fair.
Ino couldn't hear another word out of her parents' mouths. She just ran into her room where her boyfriend and one of her best friends were. She snuggled in between them, and told them everything. Pretty soon Tenten was crying along with her, and Sai just sat there, his face impassive but his hands clenching and unclenching constantly.
.
.
With Choji
He'd found himself not going straight home. The whole scene at the restaurant played in his mind constantly as he wandered. The look of sadness on his friend's face as Naruto to accused her of being a traitor was one of utter sadness. Sure she yelled at him, but her eyes held so much sadness that he found his own heart breaking for her. And Choji himself questioning Naruto's friendship. Anyone who knew Hinata, knew that she was a wonderful person and didn't deserve those harsh words that the blond spewed at her.
When he finally made it home, it was dark and his parents were waiting up for him in the living room.
And over next thirty minutes he was well caught up on the fact that she had stepped down as heiress and was going to pretty much be used as a political pawn and forced to marry. He didn't understand why her life hung in the balance, but he understood she would need his help. She was family, and he would be damned if he didn't help her stay in the village.
"How do I sign up?"
.
.
At The Nara House
With Yoshino and Shikaku
She sat down at the kitchen table across from her husband. He'd just finished telling her of the meeting he and some other parents had had with the Hyuga Clan head. And it felt like her world had fallen apart around her.
"What do you mean her life hangs in the balance?" Yoshino asked, her heard thudding in her chest.
"I don't know. He was being secretive as always, but he asked for help. When have you known Hiashi to do that?"
"He's scared."
"His daughter just stepped down as heiress, who wouldn't be afraid of the uncertainty that comes with that power shift." As soon her husband says the words, his eyes widen and she can tell he has had an epiphany. "She's going to get the seal."
The mention of that seal does something to her. Yoshino's world begins to spin, and she finds herself on the floor. "I just got her back. I just got her back"
Shikaku joins her, wrapping his arms around her as she begins to whispered the mantra to herself. He doesn't know if the "her" that his wife refers to is Haruhi or Hinata.
.
.
With Shikamaru
Night had long ago settled around them, and his tears have finally dried. But she still her arms around him. "Sh-Shikamaru, do-do you feel be-better?"
He doesn't feel better, but he still replies with a "Yeah thanks." He curses internally at the watery, shaking voice that comes from his mouth. His cheeks heat from embarrassment.
"You're welcome."
She doesn't let go of him though; she just snuggles more closely. "Um Hinata, you can let go."
"I-I do-don't think th-that I wa-want to." Her speech is a little slurred, and he knows she's halfway asleep. "The m-moon is up; we-we can s-stargaze and fo-forget th Sun," she whispers as she snuggles into his chest, her eyes nowhere near looking at the sky.
He smiles at her words. He's sort of glad because he doesn't want her to let him go. If she does, he knows that he will begin to think about Temari, and he just wants to forget the blonde for now, forever. And he wants her to forget the blond that plagued her as well.
"Whatever." He snorts, but doesn't say anything else. Instead he just falls back into the grass, pulling her down with him. He finds himself staring at the sky, where a full moon hangs amongst the stars. And pretty soon they fall asleep each other's arms. His last thought before slipping into unconsciousness is that looking at the moon is like looking in her eyes. And he can honestly say that he doesn't mind at all.
Suna*- This refers to a mission that Hinata, Tenten, and Ino went on in Suna with Asuma as their handler. I use the word handler because it was an undercover mission that didn't follow the standard procedures of a sensei guiding them. This mission will be further explained in future chapters.
I hope this didn't disappoint you guys too bad. I promise there will be more Shikahina coming up. I just really felt that this needed to be posted before I moved on.
Also I just want to reiterate that Naruto isn't a total asshole or a bad guy (though everyone right now thinks of him as one). He's just being stupid because he's scared (I can attest to doing stupid stuff when I'm scared).
Thank you for reading. A new chapter should be up soon (hopefully this week). Tell me what you think.
~Kurenai Cakes
