The limp body in front of Itachi put a pit in her stomach. Worry washed over her, she pushed aside the fear and danger, she was a doctor and this man needed one. She also knew if he was asking for medical help and she refused it would probably end badly for her. She dropped the bag off her shoulders pulling out her medical supplies. She decided it best not to look up to Itachi. He seemed fine with this as he backed off to watch her from the base of a tree. Hinata finished he set up and glance where he sat, his was studying her like she was something new. Had he thought she would put up more of a fight? Was he surprised she wouldn't stand loyal to her village and refuse them help? She was a missing nin as well she was in no position to make the claim in her mind. Not that she would. Though if the blue man hadn't been flat out unconscious she may have put up a bit of a verbal fight, but she was not going to let a man die, criminal or not when she had the skills to save his life.
Hinata peeled open his bloody wet robe to see the damage. She felt the need to vomit when she looked at his mangled chest. She started to work without further permission and did so for three straight hours without so much as a glance in Itachi's direction. This gave him time to study her. She could feel his eyes on her as she worked but she hadn't the time to worry about him, or think about what he thought of her, she had a patient.
She did start to wonder who it was that could have taken down such a massive powerful man. She had reached far into his chest to patch up wounds. She had let tears fall for him as she stitched together gashes and pressed chakra into him. Ignoring who he was she felt so horrible for this man she had never met. She couldn't push the thought out of her mind that he had felt each one of these wounds then kept fighting only to get the next one. She always felt this way patching up ninjas. Whether they were protecting their village, their way of life, or their own personal mission in life, not matter how selfish or ambitious she always had a soft spot for and injured ninja. Those injured were received fighting for a purpose. She wondered what this man purpose for fighting was.
By the time she felt it safe to stop work and to wrap him up, she felt exhausted. Her patient was still going to need a lot of rest to heal and some follow-up care, but she had stitched and force healed all of the large wounds. She used the rest of physical energy to lift his massive form and wrap his chest and arms. She was ready to close her medical supplies when she remembered Itachi had been bleeding implying he too had injuries. She had neglected him while she was operating on his partner. She gathered her supplies and cautiously moved over to his spot setting them down at his side. His eyes hardened on her dangerously daring her to touch him without permission.
She bit her lip and gathered her courage. "Y-You're hurt too, Uchiha-san" She forced her voice to be calm and soft. She was not about to let him go without medical help, not after he carried the dead weight of a man three times his size despite his own injuries. She knew that they were much worse than he was letting on. She wouldn't be lied to. When he didn't respond just continued to stare she reach for the close on his robe. He snatched her wrist holding just shy of his robe.
"You're tired. Sleep." He commanded firmly.
A sudden surge of dumb courage, stubbornness, and pride washed over her she would later blame on her being drained. "You are hurt as well. Now let me heal you!" She scolded sternly. Many hours at the hospital had made her use to ninja that wanted to get out as soon as possible and would try to leave with serious injuries. She reached forward with the other hand only for it to be stopped like the first.
"I said sleep." He barked harshly into her face.
"You asked for my help now let me give it!" She barked back, she was concerned that he was neglecting his health for his partner. If Gaara had good caring side after all that he had done and had been done to him then so did he. Her nature was not going to let her rest until he had the help he needed.
"You can heal me tomorrow now sleep." His commanding voice got harsher, she was at risk, but what were the risks of her not treating him, or even letting him go without medical treatment now. What were the risk to her pride if she let him win this screaming match.
"I won't be able to sleep if I know you are still unhealed." She weakly yanked her arms out of his hands which he allowed. She wouldn't have been able to if he truly wanted to hold on to her in her tired state. She went once again for his collar, but instead of grabbing her he just glare daggers at her.
She pulled the robe open to looking at the damage and the color drained from her face at what she saw. His shirt was in tatters and burned he wasn't bleeding that much simply because most of the wounds were burns and were seeping. She looked in shock and wondered how he had not fainted from the pain of these earlier, especially carrying the mass he was following her for hours. She pulled out some of her experiment salves to start with and started gingerly rubbing it into the burns.
Itachi stiffened. Hinata stopped momentarily looking up at him. "I-I'm sorry. I know it hurts but this will make heal much faster." She said reassuringly, she almost cringed when she realized he would know that and she was being patronizing to a criminal that could kill her between blinks.
She had him pull off the rest of the robe and what was left of the shirt which he did with a face that she could almost laugh at had he not been who he was. He reminded her of the children who were mad at her because they didn't want to get a shot. She could now see the full marks on his chest and she continued putting on more salve. They looked like he had been hit by lightning. That thought made her stop in her tracks.
Her hand pulled back slightly as she looked up at him. "Ch-Chidori." She stuttered out mouth slightly a gaped. "You got this from Sasuke-san." She stated.
His eyebrows knitted together as his glare hardened at her. She hit a nerve, she shrank back down to continue her rubbing with her eye downcast. Her cheeks redden slightly. She hadn't thought about what she was saying, she had crossed a line. Thier feud was between them and had nothing to do with her.
She remembered him from when she was young. He was in the academy long before she was and he was at the top of his class, of course, that made her look up to him at the time. She wasn't allowed to go near him though because he was an Uchiha. She remembered the day of the Uchiha massacre and how it shook the entire village. She never thought ill of him for what he did though partly because she was not involved and didn't really have a right to and partly because she overheard her elder's rumor they were about to start a war. Hinata didn't quite know what to believe so she never formed a malice toward him. She was far too young to understand what was really happening at the time.
She felt horrible for Sasuke, he lost his entire family in one night, but she had a hard time grieving the family even in with her caring nature because his parents had always been so rude toward her because of petty clan rivalry. Hinata and Sasuke were never really close, but she had made better relation with him than other girls in the village. Her blatant interest in Naruto made him deem her safe to be around and not get jumped. He had invited her to lunch with him and Naruto if in return she would make him salves from the Hyuuga gardens. They had spared once or twice, but they stopped when they found she was much too weak for him to not hurt. He was sweet though he would never admit to it.
"Why were you leaving Suna?" He asked breaking the awkward silence she had made. She was sure he knew the answer, so she wasn't sure why he was asking. She looked up putting the salve down. She lightly pressed her chakra filled fingers to his chest hoping she would have enough energy to at least start the healing process after the surgery she just performed.
"Th-the Hyuuga heard of my presence there and could no longer be held back." She felt horrible leaving the very kind Kazekage with the task of explaining away her presence in the village. She would have looked up to judge his face, but her work was holding her attention. These burns would leave nasty scars and nerve damage if she didn't do this right.
"Are you going to run forever?" She had a feeling that wasn't what he was really asking her. He was working up to asking her for something else. She didn't think of him as one to beat around the bush so the fact he was was worrisome. He hadn't asked her anything directly since he had come to her. She really wished he would just get to the point, he was poking at her pride, but her irritation may be contributed mostly to her lack of rest.
"I wish I didn't have to but is that is what it takes." She answered truthfully. "I stepped down from my position as heir, I'll be branded if they take me back." Now that she thought about it, they were in similar situations. She was forever running from her clan, he was forever running from his brother. Well, running from his brother in a way. Sasuke was not yet strong enough to kill him or he would be dead and she wouldn't be healing him right now, but it was the same concept. "This is how I keep my freedom."
"Then come with us." The chakra stopped flowing to her fingers as she looked up at him in shock.
***TheUnstableLiz***
I appreciate CONSTRUCTIVE comments and reviews.
I can not answer questions of guests. I don't want this section a mile long and bloating the word count too much.
If you have a question please log in and PM me. I will answer any and all questions!
I will point out I am not sure of and will not be following the timeline of the show anything that seems out of place is a result of that.
I will also point out that anyone who is out of character by a lot is the fault of me not knowing the character well enough and I apologize for that.I apologize for spelling and grammar, I am a computer scientist, not a writer.
