Chapter Nine
Surprises
Choji Akimichi blocked out the roaring voices of the kids nearby opting to hear only the sounds of the plastic bag ripping open and spilling out his favorite snack. Munching on the delicacy that was his chips he hungrily ate enjoying his mini snack break. Still, the buzzing of the voices irked him again, Shikamaru wasn't there with him that day, he preferred having a solitude day watching the clouds. Choji respected that but he really wished his friend was there, Ino had stopped hanging around them choosing to be with Sakura. Everyday he dealt with the bullying and he was slowly getting tired of it. Passing his gaze over the four kids making fun of him he looked beyond and watched how Kiba, his dog, Hinata, Sasuke and even Naruto , played together leaving behind their worries.
" Hey, aren't you listening. We're talking to you!" One of the three boys slapped the bag of chips from Choji's hand, that was all it took for Choji to get up and tower over the three boys and girl. No one threw his chips away and got away with it.
"Hey! I don't like it when people gang up on others! Just because he's alone doesn't mean he wants you to bother him!"
" Why don't you- uh..." The boy who slapped Choji's chips away turned around and stammered, behind him stood Naruto, Hinata , Sasuke and Kiba and Akamaru; all of them glaring at him and Akamaru barking and growling at the them. They said no more before running away like the cowards they were. Hinata picked up Choji's bags of chips and handed him what was left of it. Choji dumbfounded took them without taking his eyes off of the group that just helped him out. It was crazy to think that in some way they had heard his mental pleas for help. " Do you want to join us ?"Hinata asked.
" Bushy brows is coming too, he's going to teach us some things!" Naruto said.
" What do you say?" Kiba added with Akamaru barking. Choji didn't think it twice he nodded, he let himself be guided by the group enjoying the warm feeling that spread through him.
Shikamaru furrowed his eyebrows, everything was weird in some way, one way or another the group of friends would always find a way to go to the people who seem to be having a hard time or most likely the people who are being treated wrong. They would always be there but the person who would notice the trouble the person was going through would be his fellow classmate, Hinata, he mentally stored her name for another time. Right now it was too troublesome to think about her and her group of friends, he had other pressing matters to attend- like cloud watching. Choji would be fine he mused.
The walk to the Hyuga compound was slow and bitter, Hinata could only think about Eiji and the conversations they would have, Ko, was there but it wasn't the same, yes she's had Ko for most of her life since she could remember but it was different like everything else. She was kind of mad at herself for not talking to Ko, she was happy he tried talking to her but she couldn't, not yet even if it had been more than months since Eiji's departure. "Miss, your father" Ko spoke out, Hinata closed her eyes, No, Don't say it like him. Opening them again she looked up. In front of the Hyuga gates was her father with Hanabi in his arms, she knew his father would take any opportunity to hold her sister, Hanabi had her mother's eyes. Often times she found herself in her sister's room just staring at her or taking care of her when she could. Her father's expression was the same as always, hard lines and eyes and always a frown in place but in that moment she saw no warmth in them his eyes like before.
"Follow me." Hiashi handed Hanabi to her caretaker as Hinata followed behind him racking her brain for any possible explanation as to why he wanted to talk to her, training was until later. So far it had been going great, she's been able to spar longer than before and she's been able to build up her chakra reserves. After walking through corridors they arrived at her father's study room, he closed the door behind them and told her to take a seat. He took the seat opposite of her with his arms across his chest.
"There have been some pressing matters that I would like to talk to you about."
Hinata said nothing letting her father continue. " I have been hearing rumors about you, have you been hanging with the Uzumaki boy?" Mind going blank Hinata understood where the conversation was headed to, he found out, she had planned this, the moment she would have to talk to her father about Naruto. Although she did wonder why he never brought up the subject, she figured he had learned about her friendship with Naruto a long time ago, so why now? Hinata was glad she had planned ahead, if not she knew she would have to fight for Naruto's friendship. " You know I don't like hearing rumors about the Hyuga clan, I would ignore them but rumors about my daughter is something I cannot ignore. Now tell me are you friends with that boy?"
"Yes." Hinata said.
Hiashi expression changed even more so than before, his frown deepened and his eyes stared at her with judgement in them.
"You will end that friendship."
"No." Hiashi was taken aback, he knew his daughter had changed drastically and it was something he was getting used to but that was just something very out of character, his own daughter was challenging him.
"Hinata!"
"No. I'm sorry father but I will not end it, he is a very precious person to me."
"Why?"
"Why?, because he suffers and I want to make things better for him, he lost so many things- I-I just- it's not his fault, he wasn't the cause of the attack, he saved us…"
" what do you know about him and the attack?"
" Every one talks about it when Naruto walks by, I hear everything and it makes me sad that people would do that to him. He is not at fault. if he was such a dangerous person why is he still here in the village?!" Hinata was very passionate about her speech to her father, she didn't even notice the tears running down her cheeks, she wanted to protect her friend when he had no way of defending himself. She was tired of everyone and their hatred, she sometimes wondered how Naruto protected them, the village, when all they did was hurt him and treat him poorly, they were the cause of his pain.
"Very well, you are dismissed." Hinata openly stared at her father, confused he didn't say yes nor he said no and that was something her father never did. After his daughter left Hiashi couldn't help but let out a little laugh and smile, she really would change things- for the better he hoped. Hiashi was in some extent happy that his daughter changed him without him even noticing, if she would change him she would have the strength to change many things.
At the training grounds on a saturday was a group of children hidden behind trees and bushes, the summer that day was hot but not enough to stop the friends from doing something they had been planning for a while now. They all kept quiet and still awaiting for the signal so they could come out and surprise Sasuke. His birthday had arrived and they teamed up to make a surprise party, in about three minutes Shisui and Sasuke would be arriving now they were just waiting for Itachi's signal. Choji softly muched on his chips, Kiba had Akamaru hidden in his coat, even though it was hot. Naruto and Hinata peeked behind the tree observing, Lee was currently diffusing his energy with some push ups. Itachi gave the signal, the friends jumped out at once and yelled 'surprise', Sasuke was genuinely surprised. He sprinted to his friends and embraced each one of them, they all took out presents and gave them to him. For a second there Sasuke thought that maybe just maybe his friends had forgotten his birthday. Guess he was wrong. As the children played and had a friendly spar, Itachi and Shisui were in the sidelines preoccupied with their own demons. Talk about the coupe was getting more and more fuel as time went on, and with the missing children many of the Uchiha were treated differently. According to Shisui he was asked by the clan to keep an eye on the higher up and on the Hokage. The plan would soon be taking place and it worried Itachi, he was having second thoughts about everything. He needed to talk to Hinata. When the group of friends dispersed to their own home Shisui took Sasuke to the Uchiha compound and Itachi volunteered to take Hinata back home.
"I have concerns."
"Don't we all?"
"Yes, but this is different, the plan…"
"You're having second thoughts aren't you?" It wasn't a question it was statement, it was getting easier and easier to read Itachi he had the same expression as Sasuke's from time to time.
" To tell you the truth I am too, but we will make it work." They stayed silent as they walked down the dirt road, each in their own thoughts, Hinata rubbed her forehead for comfort.
"Why do you do that?" Shishi flickered out of nowhere, he looked at Hinata's forehead. She removed her hand and contemplated if she should tell them or not. She went with the first choice." In the future, many of the Hyuga were targeted for their eyes, I was paranoid they would go after me, hunters, so I created a seal for the main family. Everytime I feel scared I trace over the seal," Hinata said pulling up her bangs and showing them her clear forehead, "The person who helped me create it was a very powerful person, he died that same day too."
"Hunters?"
"Yes, Toneri offered a place amongst him, where they would be part of the new world. He asked for the Byakugan, we were hunted down and killed off if we refused. The branch family was killed off, without them the main would be vulnerable so I made the seal but I was too late to save many."
"I'm sorry." Shisui said.
"It's okay, it hasn't happened yet, I'm prepared. Thank you for getting me home."
All three said their goodbyes before leaving. In the remaining months Hinata and her friends celebrated each other's birthdays. Each and every one of them were emotional about the whole thing, they felt that they were special and to Hinata that meant a lot . But, like always the happiness Hinata felt always ended with something worse than before, and she wasn't prepared to what was going to happen next- she was going to be blind sided to a very high degree.
A year later;
Her breathing was so shallow she barely looked alive, death caressed her oh so gently lulling her to sleep to embrace the darkness that was edging her to surrender. Yet, she did not, it would have been the best option. But, she had things to finish, things she started when she was sent back. It was her duty to finish it, to make it to the end. I failed, heavy hands fell her pale face, stopping the incoming tears from escaping. A sob etched their way past her throat and out her dry lips. I'm sorry Sasuke. I'm sorry. Red liquid pooled underneath her, soaking her clothes and the grass. I managed to put up a fight at least. Hinata was sprawled on field of flowers, her hair was matted with blood and sweat and grime covered her face. She turned her face towards the direction of the Uchiha compound and jerked when she heard screams coming from there, the screams pulled at her heartstrings, she wanted embrace the darkness be one with it. But the screams jolted her back to the present, slowly and in pain Hinata turned to her side then on her stomach. Her arms dragged forward, nails and fingers clutching the grass and pulling herself forward. I have to stop him! Continuing she desperately clawed, every second new screams erupted and that only filled her to keep going. Stop, she mouthed. With little strength she had her muscles managed to lift her up on her fours, limbs shaking she put on foot up and the the other and stood up. She swayed but caught herself on a nearby tree. Her lungs burned with every breath, and the blood would not stop flowing.
" Hinata, darling. Come, we must go."
" Mother?" Her back was to the tree holding her in an upright position across from her stood her mother, she was beautiful; Blue black hair framed her pale complexion her eyes gleamed with warmth and her hand was outstretched welcoming Hinata to take it. Hinata desperately wanted to take it, to make it all go away.
"Miss! Do not take her hand!"
Blinking Hinata looked to her hand and noticed her hand was reaching for something, she then looked to her side. There he was, Eiji, stopping Hinata from succumbing to her wounds and stopping her from accepting death. Last thing Hinata heard was the screams of her friend, Sasuke, before she blacked out.
Author's Note: Hey guys, I'm sorry for always leaving you guys in a cliffhanger, but I must. Hoped you enjoyed this chapter! the next chapter will explain what exactly happened to Hinata! If may feel that I'm rushing things but I have reasons as to why I'm doing that. Soon. I will be seeing you guys on the next update. Adios.
