The Therapist
Chapter Ten
o o o o o o o o o o
Hey guys! :D
Friday, January 22, 2010, 3:42 a.m.
REEDIT: Dec 17, 2010 6:40 p.m.:
Hi everyone! Another update. Sorry it took so long, I was also writing a HidanTem fic and it shall be coming out shortly :3 I hope you read it. :3
And oh my damn. I restarted my computer just now and some weird roll-back happened. I lost my document of the therapist plot. I LOST THE DOCUMENT. OF THE WHOLE THERAPIST PLOT. HOLY CRAP. THAT THING HAD TWENTY PAGES OF STUFF I NEEDED FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY. WHAT TO DO, WHAT TO DO. WOE IS ME. WHAT TO DO?
I really screwed up. I was actually writing the new chapter ten of this story in FF Doc's manager. BUT. I THOUGHT I SAVED IT ON MY COMPUTER. SO I DELETED IT WHEN CLEANING OUT MY DOC'S MANAGER. SO I HAVE TO REWRITE THE WHOLE DAMN THING LOLOL. DAMN. Oh well.
A notice, small parts of old ch.9 have been implemented into this chapter ten. But there's a lot more GaaHina. Hahah.
"Come here."
Hinata slowly approached the Matriarch from her place in front of the desk. Her injuries tingled with anticipation.
"Show me the areas where your body sustained damage."
Gulping, Hinata very reluctantly undid her tie and sash and exposed her injured skin; she looked down and felt nauseous. She turned her eyes away from the mess of mottled flesh, choosing instead to focus on the prim, red-robed lady that circled her with silent footsteps.
The Matriarch lifted her hand, which was glowing with green chakra, and placed it hand over one of the wounds. The chakra felt bubbly and warm.
Though the wound healed within a matter of seconds, Hinata saw that the ensuing scar made the Matriarch upset. She walked back to her desk while Hinata quickly yanked her clothes to correction again, knotting the tie and sash much harder than necessary.
"The shallow cuts shall heal nicely, but the deeper cuts will leave some scarring. It appears as though someone had tried to heal you; the wounds on your hip are mostly healed - but their chakra was not complex enough to prevent scarring. You will still need to pay attention to them. Do you remember who treat you?"
Hinata shook her head. "N-not that I recall, ma'am. ...My memory wasn't the best, because of Shikamaru's medicine..."
"Take this to Ino, and go purchase some petroleum jelly from a pharmacy." The Matriarch was holding out a glass bottle of clear liquid and some yen notes in her extended hand.
"T-thank you very much," Hinata said, taking the items and bowing deeply. The Matriarch uttered a small sound of compliance and kept her eyes to her work. Breathing deeply and lingering on the spot, Hinata tried to find the right words to say.
"M-Matriarch, it was very irresponsible of me to have put myself in s-such a dangerous situation, and I a-apologize that because of this I brought myself to a condition unsuitable f-fo-for adequate work a-and I hope—"
"It wasn't your fault." The Matriarch put down her pen and stared at Hinata. Her face was positively cringed with annoyance. "Who are you to think you can apologize for the Raikage? That mutt"—she hissed the word—"put one of my most valuable workers into a generous amount of harm! Which not only grants you marred skin, but also a loss of revenue for yourself yesterday, from the Kazekage!"
She shut her notebook loudly. "He wasn't satisfied with Sakura's service, and he didn't ask for it so he didn't pay for it! Why? Because the Raikage injured his favorite masseur, Hyuga Hinata, forcing her to spend productive nights in recovery! Why are you apologizing to me for something you didn't do? You know what to do with your apologies."
"I-I'm so—"
"Are you being ridiculous on purpose?"
"N-No—"
"I thought so. Now go to Ino. I'm waiting for the right person to come and apologize."
Hinata quickly ran out of the room and shut the door. She rolled onto the wall, eyes wide with bewilderment. How could her boss be so understanding yet so mean at the same time? She gasped when she heard the familiar raspy voice of the Raikage a small distance away; he was approaching the office. She swiftly turned and jumped onto a nearby branch, using the cover of the tree foliage to make her way to Ino's station.
"My poor Hina!" Ino cried when Hinata entered the aromatherapy station. "Come here!" She threw her arms around Hinata and wailed. "Are you badly hurt? Did you lose a lot of blood?"
"I'm okay, Ino. Really." Hinata smiled and patiently answered the hoard of questions Ino flung at her. When it appeared Ino wouldn't stop, Hinata lifted her hand and showed Ino the bottle.
"Did the Matriarch give you that?" she said. "Ah, why didn't you just say so? Follow me." Ino lead Hinata into her office and Hinata went inside, looking around. Typical of Ino, her office was covered in ribbons and posters of attractive men. But there were a lot of other objects too, like syringes and boiling wax that made the decorations look like they were there more for comfort than for interest.
Ino closed the door and reached for Hinata's arm. She lifted her friend's sleeve to her elbow, then gasped lightly. "My gosh. Your skin. It's all scars." Ino's hands were tremoring slightly as she stroked over Hinata's forearm. Hinata did not want to look.
"W-why, it's that bad?" she asked, attempting to sound nonchalant.
"It...It looks as if you were raped by a cactus!"
Hinata laughed feebly. But she knew Ino's description was very accurate. She could only imagine what her arm—no, what the left side of her body would look like, now that it was peppered with injuries.
"Hinata-chan, see this bottle?" Pale eyes turned to the bottle, the clear liquid inside swishing back and forth from Ino's hand.
"This is a scar remover. The Matriarch sends me this when she wants me to completely remove evidence of an injury," Ino said, eyeing Hinata's arm.
"It's very generous of her, she thinks very strongly about scars and believes they are a source of pain even after the wound is gone. So she provides this expensive scar remover to those who might need it. Also in sending me this, it means you'll have to spend the day recovering in the medicinal bath. Tell me, was your whole left side of the body harmed when you fell?"
"Yes. Especially my hip. Sakura forgot to remove glass there, but the Matriarch helped. According to her, someone else tried to treat it but I don't remember who."
"Hm." Ino turned around solemnly. "Now there's two ways to do this. You can mix this clear liquid with some petroleum jelly, or you can inject this directly into your skin. Using jelly will take at least three months for the scars to fade and it won't hurt. Syringes on the other hand, will fade the scar immediately. We can do the shots here right now. Which do you choose?" As she said this, Ino pulled out a large syringe, its needle glistening ominously in the light.
"Jelly!" Hinata yelped. She jumped off the table and ran out of the office, glancing behind her shoulder to make sure Ino wasn't chasing her. She absolutely hated shots. To her great relief, only Ino's laughter followed her throughout the halls.
o o o o o o o o o o
Taking the chance to her advantage, Hinata brought along her wallet as she left the bathhouse to the pharmacy. Thanks to her work, her wallet was slowly filling up. She bought the petroleum jelly as duty demanded then quickly made her way to the market square, grinning mischievously.
On her nightly excursions to and from the hotel, she had passed by a certain jacket shop numerous times. Hanging in its window was a beautiful blue trench coat with silver buttons and a white dress. Seeing the clothes in the shop window, Hinata smile was joyful as she entered the shop to buy them. Her wallet was just about empty as she left, but there was still enough to survive till the next paycheck.
Back in the hotel Hinata brought the jelly to Ino, who promptly told her to undress from her shirt and pants so she could examine the scars. Hinata's face fell and she protested.
"Take it off or you'll be getting the shots," Ino said, untying Hinata's sash in one swift jerk. "I have to measure how much scar remover to put into the jelly. Waste not, want not."
Hinata suppressed a groan and complied. In a matter of seconds she was standing in the middle of the office in her underclothes, squirming from embarrassment. Ino observed Hinata's pale skin with a grimace as she stood there, but calculated liquid measurements out loud as she analyzed the scars. Her face turned surprised.
"Hey, what's the matter with your skin?"
Hinata muttered incomprehensibly, growing somewhat irritated. Yes, she was quite aware of her skin's monstrous state. No need to rub it in.
"There's a PATCH on your side." Ino pointed. She was having trouble suppressing giggles.
Hinata lifted her arm and looked down. True to Ino's observation, there was a clean streak of scarred skin right where she had sustained the most damage. She stared at her ribs and hip, mystified. Needless to say, it looked ridiculous.
"Well, whoever's chakra healed you has a good sealing ability, but poor scar-removing technique. Quite a unique combination in chakra capabilities."
Hinata half-smiled but said nothing. Ino cleared her throat. "Well, your jelly should be ready in seven hours. Right now, head immediately to the medicinal baths. It is in a hidden room, so find Temari first."
Hinata dressed quickly and left the room, blushing as she heard Ino burst into quiet giggles. Then she smiled.
At least I made someone laugh. I wonder who healed me like that.
Leaning over the wooden railing of the second floor balcony, she quickly spotted the sandy-haired Temari barking orders several floors below. She seemed to feel Hinata's gaze and she looked straight up, meeting the pearly eyes. She waved an energetic greeting and leaped up to greet Hinata.
"Hey. How are you feeling?"
"I'm good. Ino is preparing medicine for me right now. May you take me to the medicinal baths?"
"Ah, yes. Come." Temari observed Hinata's skin from the corner of her eye as they walked together to the fourth floor. Leading Hinata back into the aromatherapy rooms, Temari stopped at a portrait on the wall. She pushed it aside. Behind it was a tunnel that ended with a sturdy wooden door with a steel lock. She punched numbers and letters into the lock and, with a grunt, pulled open the heavy door to reveal a ceramic tub that lay in the center of the wooden room. Approaching it, Temari pressed some buttons on a panel embedded onto the side of the tub and it began to fill with swirling hot water.
"Undress and go into the water. It will automatically stop when its filled." Hinata obliged. When her bare injured skin came into contact with the hot water, she hissed in pain.
Temari headed to a cabinet in the wall and pulled out a container of the fortification blend used for the hot springs. Next to that was a jug of yellow watery liquid. Setting the containers on the floor, she also pulled out a large beaker and glass stirring rod. Hinata watched as Temari spooned careful measurements of powder into the beaker. Then she poured half the bottle of yellow liquid into the beaker and mixed it with the rod. The resulting mixture was a peachy orange color.
"Temari-chan, what will that do?" Hinata asked, her eyes watering slightly from the stinging of her wounds.
Turning around, Temari gave her a solemn look. "Hinata. I have Suna blood, so I might hold some sort of bias against the physical endurance of Konoha girls. But I trust you will be tough enough to endure this. Alright?"
"W-what will that do to me?" Hinata tensed in the water. She felt nervous. Temari finished mixing the blend and brought the beaker of orange liquid to the tub. She opened a small shelf in the side and poured in all the contents as she spoke.
"This is a medicine that will disinfect your wounds and get rid of the alcohol that dangerously entered your system. In addition to detoxifying your other body systems as it enters your bloodstream, it will heal and fade your wounds. With very precise care, you'll leave with beautiful skin and good health. But it comes with the price of pain."
Lavender eyes widened. Hinata's hand was resting on the side of the tub and Temari grasped it.
"It will hurt," she said shortly.
True to her word, it did.
o o o o o o o o o o
"Is she okay?" Tenten asked Neji for the fifth time as he went into the room where Hinata lay, her breath hitching and her body shivering. Neji simply nodded and closed the door. Kneeling by his cousin's side, he watched her shockingly sallow face turn to face him.
"I-i-i-it h-hu-hurt-hurts..." she squeaked out.
"Shh. Everything will be alright," he said, placing a hand on her burning forehead. She cringed in pain.
The pain was so bad it was ridiculous. It had so many textures of feelings; burning, eating away, a horrific sensation of her skin stretching and tearing and regenerating and repeating, and a very peculiar ache traveling through all the veins and arteries of her body. She must've had more alcohol in her system than she was aware of.
She felt a tear fall involuntarily down her cheek and Neji wiped it away with his sleeve. Her eyes were swollen from all the random tears she'd been having. Just then Ino entered the room holding the jelly and a roll of bandages, with Temari trailing behind. Neji promptly stood up and left.
"Hinata, my poor baby," Ino cried.
Hinata laughed and her breath hitched again. "I-I-I a-am n-n-not a b-ba-baby."
Ino knelt beside her and opened the jar of jelly. She lifted the thick blanket to expose the necessary areas of Hinata's body. "'Kay, just lie still. I'm gonna apply the jelly and wrap you with bandages afterward, alright? Wow, a lot of your cuts healed already!"
Soon a numbing sensation overtook her aching wounds and Hinata stared at the texture of the ceiling. Temari sat down on the other side of Hinata and she turned her pale eyes to her friend.
"T-T-Temari-s-san..."
"Shh, don't waste your breath. Just rest. You were very good back there."
"I w-want to k-keep m-my scars."
"...You need rest. Seriously."
"I-It's not w-worth the p-pain..."
"Don't worry, only one session of medication is good enough."
Hinata sniffled, glancing at Temari's hand. "I-I-I-I'm s-s-so so-sorry for w-what I d-d-did t-to–"
"Don't say sorry! You did nothing wrong. Just focus on healing properly."
In the medicinal bath, Hinata had gripped Temari's hand so hard that it left a dark bruise there which would last almost a week. Another tear fell down her cheek. Temari wiped it away with a finger. "Your eyes are so swollen, " she commented. Then a baffled look came into her dark green eyes.
"Some news, Hinata. Gaara is taking you out of work for a bit. If you want. He got permission from the Matriarch."
"What?" Hinata jerked her head up, then slowly let it down. "Oh. W-well, I-I guess I'll go. I h-hope this d-discomfort w-would be gone by then."
"It will be in around three hours, so the pain would be temporarily gone. You should be able to move somewhat comfortably by then. So enough time to recover." Temari hesitated, then a sly grin appeared on her features. She appraised Hinata mischievously.
"W-What, Temari-s-san?"
Her grin grew more pronounced. "Is there something going on between you and my little brother, Miss Hyuga Hinata?"
"N-n-n-no. No! I-It's j-j-just a b-business m-matter, y-you'll see."
Throwing her head back, Temari laughed hard.
"Yes. Yes, I agree. I think." She left the room laughing, leaving Hinata in a state of bewilderment.
o o o o o o o o o o
By four o clock, the pain had died down considerably and Hinata was able to move with little pain though the slight tremors and hitches remained and her energy was considerably drained. She discreetly made her way to the secret headquarters. Though her memories after the medicinal bath were a drunken haze, she was aware of the concern she had caused amongst her friends. She did not want to impose anymore worry onto them.
In the headquarters, she saw the paper-wrapped package lying on top of her backpack. Smiling, she unwrapped the paper to reveal the soft wool trench coat she had bought earlier that morning. She slowly held it out, the blue threads glistening in the light. Pushing her arms into the sleeves, she went to the mirror. It was slimming and long enough to stop at her knees, as was the white dress. She felt she made a good choice.
Then spotting her face, she cringed. Her eyes were pink and swollen. Her face looked beyond its normal paleness—her body never failed to show any physical stress inflicting her body. She looked tired all over.
The door clicked and Tenten entered the room. She spotted Hinata. "Gosh, Hinata, you were here this whole time? I've been looking everywhere for you." She paused, then gasped.
"Oh my goodness. Hinata! You look so pretty!"
Hinata blushed. "I...Thank you. I'm j-just trying this on right now."
Nodding, Tenten pointed to Hinata's legs. "The coat would look good with leggings. But it's too hot to wear the coat. Ah, I have a spare pair of ankle-high open toes I got from the Konoha Weapons center. They gave it to me for free because I've been promoted Jounin rank."
Hinata clapped happily. "I'm so p-proud for you, Tenten-chan!"
Tenten giggled. "Here, let's try on those shoes now, shall we? I bet it'll look great."
o o o o o o o o o o
"Hinata, you look sexy!" Ino shrieked when Tenten brought her over to the aromatherapy office. Tenten had made Hinata to take off the jacket, which Hinata had no excuse for since it was a warm day. So she was forced to wear just the white dress which revealed her fully bandaged arm and leg, along with the open-toed shoes Tenten had donated.
"The bandages add a touch of toughness to counter the femininity of the image," Ino gushed. "This is lovely. Oh, if only I could run over to my parents' flower shop and fetch a flower for your hair! We have to show Temari!"
"Oh p-please, I-I wanted to j-just–"
"Oh shush, shush! Beauty like this cannot be ignored!"
She protested but they still succeeded in pushing her down to the first floor.
"Temari! Temari-san!" Ino spotted the four blond pigtails towards the entrance of the building and waved her arm vigorously.
"Temari, look at Hinata!" Tenten called. Temari turned around to see. And from behind her, Kankuro and Gaara looked over Temari's head towards Hinata.
The blood drained from her face. No. She couldn't have them see her like this, in a sleeveless dress that showed her arms and legs. Especially not Gaara and Kankuro.
"P-please!" she protested. "P-please, let me go! I-I have to c-c-change b-back!"
"No way, lady. We're gonna show you off."
She had trouble escaping; her bandages restricted and stiffened her movements. Tenten's and Ino's strong arms steered her to where the Sand siblings stood.
"P-Please!" A particularly strong wiggle successfully gave Hinata the chance to escape Tenten and Ino. She began running down the path. Unfortunately, Temari was faster.
"Hinata, you know you agreed to meeting Gaara," Temari said, blocking the path. Her teal eyes watched Hinata sternly, her hands were on her hips. This meant Hinata was not getting away with anything. She looked over her shoulder timidly. Gaara was simply standing there, his eyes appraising her in a strangely familiar way she couldn't place. Her blush grew profound and she faced Temari once more. Temari now crossed her arms and scowled.
Knowing that she was accountable, Hinata slowly backed up. She turned around again and to her great relief saw that only Kankuro was there, pretending to arrange the shoes on the mats. His face was red from restraining his laughter.
o o o o o o o o o o
His head turned when the sound of soft footsteps stopped behind him. Gaara looked up at Hinata from where he was sitting on a rock. Her hair covered her eyes but still disclosed the embarrassed blush on her face.
"Are you feeling okay?"
She nodded.
"If you're too tired, you don't have to come."
She shook her head.
"Well then, shall we go...?"
She nodded. They began a slow walk out the garden gates into the bustling town. It was nearing sunset; warm orange light was shed on the sides of the houses and buildings, stretching long blue shadows across the landscape. The clear blue sky was speckled with cirrostratus clouds that were changing color with the sun's movement.
Gaara and Hinata strolled quietly, simply appreciating each other's company. Though Hinata felt she bored her company with her quiet talk and occasional awkward silences, it didn't feel that way with Gaara. In fact, upon secretly observing him, he seemed to like the silence more than talking. They passed through the vender-filled paths, pointing each other out to an interesting object or funny antic of a child. Eventually, they reached the outskirts of town where grass fields stretched into rice paddies. They stopped at the foot of a hill, where they travelled upward on a dirt path through the grass. Gaara gently wrapped his arm around Hinata's waist to help her while she followed his footsteps.
He took in Hinata's weary appearance while she was busy watching her step. Noticing her swollen eyes, her unusually pale skin, and a small tremor shaking her frame ever so slightly, he could only wonder what compelled her to choose his company over rest.
At the top of the hill, they were in a meadow of grass. In the middle was a small pond of clear water. Since they were in direct sunlight, it took Hinata a while to notice the small pond. It held no plants or fish.
"I made this pond," Gaara said, reaching into his pocket, "for this."
He held out a small pitch black stone to Hinata. She turned it over in her hand.
"It's a mineral my demon had taught me to cultivate."
Somewhat surprised but not at all startled, Hinata did recall that the Sabaku no Gaara of Suna was a jinchuuriki, host to the Shukaku. It had been taken from him years ago, along with that unforgettably bloodthirsty and psychotic expression he wore when they were only children at the Chuunin exams. She looked to check if any signs of his previous insanity was still apparent on his face.
Gaara turned to meet her gaze just as she looked up. They stared at each other. Falling into his deep and intense stare, Hinata forgot why she looked up at him in the first place. A blush bloomed on her cheeks and the sickled cut beneath her ear began to throb. She desperately wanted to look away but at the same time didn't want to hurt his feelings. He held the gaze before looking at the mineral in her hand.
"This mineral can memorize an individual's chakra," Gaara explained, while casting another glance at her. "If a person inserted their chakra into something with this mineral, the mineral would memorize it. Then the mineral would disclose its powers only to the person whose chakra it had tasted."
"R-really?" Hinata observed the stone in her hand with interest now. "W-what power does it grant?"
"A defense barrier. A user should leave the mineral to mature for at least one or two months before using it. Also, it will defend you based on the element you cultivated it in. By preserving the rock in fire, it will use fire to protect you. Preserve it with ice, and you will be protected by ice. Mature it by multiple years and the barrier becomes an involuntary response whether you are aware of it or not."
He gestured to the pond. "It works with all elements. But it has a particularly interesting reaction with water. Try it."
Still feeling somewhat weak, Hinata had to concentrate hard to summon chakra. Soon a blue glow emanated from her hands and she forced her chakra into the mineral. By activating her Byakugan she saw the chakra circulating easily throughout channels in the mineral. It began to grow hot and glowing cracks appeared on its surface. Blue plasma forced itself out of the cracks and down her hand.
"Now ease it into the pond," Gaara instructed. Doing as he said, she gently lowered the rock into the water. Her chakra swirled and hardened into vapor-like formations within the water. The chakra froze and attached to the exterior of the rock, pulling it outward. With much tension, the stone slowly cracked open into the shape of a pitch black lotus. Blue lines coursed through the solid petals, shooting needles of tinted glow through the water that was now thick and viscous.
"B-beautiful," she said breathlessly. She turned to Gaara. "D-does this mean to say you cultivated your mineral in sand?"
He nodded. "My demon's element is the sand and it is naturally rich in this mineral. I had no choice but to adopt it from him at birth. Because my chakra generated through the sand for the duration of my life, it granted me an absolute defense."
"W-why did you need an absolute defense?"
His intense eyes turned to her. "Many have tried to assassinate me when I was younger. Mainly due to the orders of my father."
Her eyes opened significantly; staring at the dark circles of his eyes and knowing that each shade darker had been earned, she felt somewhat horrified.
"Eventually it worked out to my benefit greatly. The assassinations have stopped as well."
"T-thank goodness." Her voice was barely a sound but it did not go unheard. His brow creased as he examined her from the corner of his eye. Something perked in her brain. Her voice rose two octaves. "I-is someone t-t-trying to a-a-a-assassinate me too?"
Gaara fully faced her, his eyes wide. Then a genuine smile touched his eyes, hardly discernible but there.
"No." He looked away, his eyes still amused. "It's because you're always getting injured. Yesterday's incident was...unacceptable. And since you're always around water..." he trailed off.
"Thank you, G-Gaara-sama." Carefully she reached over and placed her hand on his, though her heart was slamming in her chest. "Thank you for being so considerate."
Gaara quickly looked away in a manner that was almost shy, his eyes focused hard on the lotus. That strange tight feeling was rising in her heart again, but this time it wasn't unpleasant. Her smile was unstoppable and she held her warm cheeks to the soft wind that blew across the meadow, stirring her hair and the grasses all around. The sun was setting, tinting the clouds in the purplish sky a brilliant glowing pink. Birds flew across the colored void, reflected in the water of the rice paddies within the distance. It was a breathtaking view, but they were quite a ways from the bathhouse and it would be dark soon. Gaara stood up and reached for Hinata's hand to pull her up with him. Her dress swayed as she shakily got up and he secretly appreciated the refreshing change of outfit she wore.
They walked over to the steep incline that led down to the path. Hinata planted a foot upon the dirt.
"Are you sure you can walk down yourself?" Gaara asked warily. His eyes were focused on her shaky ankles.
"I-I'm okay," she said confidently. For some reason, she felt rejuvenated and ecstatic. Of course, her body didn't administer the desired response. She tripped.
o o o o o o o o o o
"I'll be your waitress for tonight!" Ino beamed. She was positively giddy with excitement.
Laughing, Hinata put a hand on her pink cheeks. Gaara was watching Ino with some trepidation, alerted by her animation.
"P-please, just b-bring me something simple, Ino-chan." Hinata requested.
"And you, Kazekage Gaara?"
"The same."
"Alright! Your orders will be coming immediately!"
She headed up the stone path, her speed stopping just short of sprinting. Realizing the weak state of Hinata, Gaara had offered to treat her to a meal in hopes that some of her strength would return. They were sitting on a rail-less veranda overlooking the bathing room, leaning against the pillars and hanging their feet off the edge.
Feeling self-conscious, Hinata kept fidgeting on the plush floor seat, discreetly trying to cover her revealed shins with her dress; she still did not feel comfortable wearing a dress in front of a man.
"Relax."
She jerked her head up at him. Gaara's expression was mellow.
"The dress looks fine. It is pretty."
Hinata blushed, unsure of how to reply. And to Ino's word, bless her, the food came in immediately.
"Here you go," Ino gushed. She placed two bowls of steamed rice, a stone pot of hot soup and a kettle of tea between them. "Something healthy and delicious!"
"Thank you."
"You're welcome, Kazekage Gaara! You too, Hinata!"
Hinata smiled gently and gestured for Ino to calm down.
"Ah, excuse me. Today was just quite hectic. Have a lovely meal, you two," she gushed as she bowed deeply, grinned and left. It was silent for a minute as they concentrated on eating. Having regained some energy, Hinata put her spoon down and smiled.
"Ino is such a character. She is so b-bubbly yet quite intelligent."
"She's very...hyperactive."
Hinata laughed. "She is s-surprisingly observant, as well. S-she found an interesting discovery with my wounds during examination today. I injured my whole side but apparently someone had tried to heal a patch of my skin. I-it's very bizarre."
Gaara looked up sharply.
"But..." Hinata racked her brain for memory. She remembered blood, the painful shower, someone opening the bathroom door, and the surprise she felt when she woke up in the morning wearing nothing but a towel. She shook her head. "I...can't r-remember much of last night. But whenever I think about it, bits and pieces come back."
Turning her eyes to Gaara, she cocked her head. "I-I have a feeling that you might've been there." She leaned forward. "M-maybe you know what happened?" she inquired.
Looking away, Gaara lifted his teacup and took a sip. "Not that I know of," he replied, his voice low.
o o o o o o o o o o
"You are dismissed early from work today," Temari announced to Hinata.
"B-but why? I f-feel fine now."
"Your skin is in a state of extreme sensitivity right now. Cuts have healed, but they hold the potential to tear open again. And besides, you're still weak. Doing the heavy duty things like you usually do might get you injured again."
"I can sweep the floor."
"No. Go home and rest."
"B-but..."
Temari crossed her arms aggressively over her chest and narrowed her eyes. Hinata immediately stopped her query.
"Y-yes ma'am."
Walking slowly to the entrance of Yuuto Springs, she tried once more to decipher her memories of last night. Who had carried her to the hotel? She recalled taking a shower before sleeping so that explained the towel. Could Gaara have healed her...? No, that idea is absurd, she thought. She knew that Sakura had been at his service last night and that massage sessions could last for hours depending on the customer's demand. And Gaara was quite time-consuming based on his list of demands. Besides, she thought with appall, there was no way she would be able to face him after allowing him to see her in such a vulnerable and sparsely clothed situation.
A hand rested on her shoulder and she started, glancing behind her with shock. It was just Gaara. She shook her head, attempting to clear her mind. She was nervous that Gaara might be a mind-reader and was not prepared to have him read her current thoughts like he did before.
"Let's go," he said.
Walking through the garden, they came upon Deidara who was bent over the ground, busy weeding.
"Dei-kun!"
He turned around and his face instantly lit up. "Hinata-chan!" Then spotting Gaara, his expression darkened as he noted with some anger how the distance he and Hinata had previously kept towards each other had shortened.
"I d-didn't see you all day. H-how are you?"
"Good. Hm."
"L-lots of work?"
"Yeah, whatever. Hm."
Hinata frowned. She took a step towards him.
"Dei-kun? I'm gonna b-be going now. G-Goodnight...have sweet dreams."
"Hm. Whatever."
Hinata stepped back, feeling somewhat hurt. It wasn't like Deidara to be anti-social and she sensed that Gaara's presence might've had something to do with it. Gaara eyed Deidara with some distaste before putting his hand on Hinata's elbow. He began leading her out the garden.
"Oy, Hinata!"
She and Gaara turned around at the same time. Deidara was sitting up on his haunches, pointing his shovel at her.
"Maybe you haven't heard, but you better cancel any appointments tomorrow. The Raikage invited you to an apology dinner."
"A w-what?"
"I'm sure your frequent customers would understand," he said, his voice containing a hint of a sneer. "And my birthday dinner is in three weeks. Remember that you're a guest of honor."
Narrowing his bright green eyes, Gaara turned away to hide his face. He made a point of placing his hand on Hinata's back to encourage her walking. Deidara pouted angrily. He took the shovel in his hands and threw it angrily into the dirt.
o o o o o o o o o o
"Kazekage-sama? Aren't you going back to the bathhouse? I-It's only seven in the evening," Hinata called from the bathroom. She was carefully cutting away the bandages on her arms and legs with a kunai she had borrowed from Gaara. Gritting her teeth at the weird sensation she felt when she pulled off the strips, the pungent and slightly minty smell of ointment struck her nose hard.
"There's no need for me to go there tonight."
Poking her head out the door, Hinata snuck a peek at Gaara. He was sitting at the desk in the corner, looking through numerous papers. "Why not?"
He looked up, his eyes a spindrift tint from the lamplight. "The masseur I prefer is unavailable."
Hinata smiled and concentrated once more on her bandages. She stared at her skin in horror. It looked even worse now than in the morning: bloodless and moist, similar to the skin of the preserved bodies she once had to dissect in a medical class. Rolling up the bundle of soiled cloth, she tossed it into the trash and locked the door to shower. Within thirty minutes she was once again covered in ointment and bandages around her arm, waist and leg.
She glanced at Gaara in hopes that he wouldn't be looking at her. Thankfully he was in a state of deep thought, probably absorbed in his work. She smiled at the way he leaned his chair back, guarded from falling by a rope of sand that pushed the chair up once it came down too far. She wondered if work was all he did during the nighttime as she never actually saw him sleep. She went and sat on her bed. Reaching for the paper-wrapped trench coat she had brought with her from the bathhouse, she spread it on the covers and examined its beauty. Then she looked around the room. There was nothing to do. She wanted to be back at the bathhouse, working and serving. Staring at her bandages, she sighed dejectedly and ran a hand through her wet hair.
"You look like you could use a massage."
Hinata turned to Gaara. He was in his usual place at the desk, rocking lazily on his chair and watching her. She smiled. "Y-Yes, one would help right now. H-how is your work coming along?"
"Tedious as hell." There was silence for a moment. "Maybe you can teach me. So I can give you a massage instead."
Hinata tilted her head. "You would like to learn how?"
Gaara approached and sat next to her on the mattress. He grasped her hands in both of his and positioned his fingers, imitating Hinata's style.
"Is this right?"
"Y-Yes. But there is actually six steps. I'll teach you them all. F-first, you increase sensitivity to Qi. A-another word for chakra. P-prayer position of the hands, and then you pull them apart. Like this."
"Ah."
"Second, you relax the hands. S-support the wrist...then hold the person's thumb with your thumb and f-forefinger. T-then rotate clockwise and counterclockwise three times."
"Like this?"
"Yes. Repeat for each of the fingers."
"What do I do after?"
"S-stretch the palm. We need a flat surface."
"Just use my thigh."
"T-thank you...palm down, you form the peace sign with your peace fingers."
"Ha. Peace fingers?" Gaara smirked.
"Yes...then you flip the finger. Like this."
"Okay. What's fourth?"
"You loosen the wrist. H-hand-chopping technique. Like this. Palm outstretched. And you lightly s-slap the palm in a chopping motion. Then fifth, you gently pull t-the wrist."
"Is this right?"
"C-correct. Then you stroke the hands. Please bring your lap here. I-I need your lap. Okay...palm down. Y-you web your fingers and you stroke the back of the hand toward the wrist, in one direction, three times." Hinata blushed deeply as he stroked her hand gently as she instructed. Gaara was quite a good student for a beginner.
'Now please position your hands like b-before. Right. Oh...M-massaging that m-muscle can t-treat the transverse colon. The abductor pollicis brevis."
"...What?"
"The thumb muscle that sticks out when y-you stretch your palm."
"This one, right?"
"Y-yes."
She giggled quietly. "T-there's supposedly a map on your hand...massaging certain areas p-produce reflexes in a d-different part of your body. I'll teach you the lung reflex. Y-you put your fingers there. T-then you knead it like I did."
"Am I doing it right?"
She smiled. "You're doing very good."
"Can you teach me everything you know?"
"Of course."
And any anxiety of having to wake up early for work eventually faded into oblivion.
o o o o o o o o o o
The next day, work seemed somewhat duller than usual. She still was not allowed to handle heavy duty work and Deidara was nowhere to be seen. Kiba had pointed out Deidara's location once but upon looking at him Hinata sensed his surliness and didn't even attempt to approach him. Later, the Matriarch called Hinata up to her office.
"I hope you remember that the Raikage has invited you to a dinner that's happening in half an hour," the woman said. "If he gives you anything, bring it to me. You are free to leave after you report to me."
"Yes ma'am."
Hinata found the Raikage pacing around the room, his ochre-colored robe fluttering around his legs. He spotted Hinata and grinned widely.
"Ah, sorry, Hyuga-san!" He cried. "I had to cancel the dinner last minute because some matters arose in my country. I have to return as soon as possible."
"Oh." Surprised, Hinata perked up. This was good; she didn't want to have an apology dinner with the Raikage anyway.
"I have brought you a gift, in hopes of appeasing the trouble I put you through since day before yesterday," he murmured. "Please take it as a token of my sincere apology." His large tanned palms held a silk-wrapped square package. She gingerly took it and bowed.
"Thank you, Raikage-sama," she said.
"Please, do not thank me! I do not deserve it! I wish you the best of luck with your massage. When I come back I shall be sure to request you! I must leave now, farewell!" And just like that, he was gone in a cloud of static shock.
"He just gave you this and left without even treating you to dinner?" The Matriarch said later, examining the Raikage's gift between her fingers. It was a small comb fashioned from polished black coral, with an elegant design of emerald vines and leaves.
"Well, it is quite pretty. Yours to keep." The Matriarch handed back the comb. "You may go home now. Tomorrow, you will be starting real work once more as I assume you are properly treating your scars. Also, I want you to come to my office first thing in the morning. We will perform the first healing procedure of your wounds."
"Yes ma'am."
"...Now. The massage for treating insomnia occurs on the feet. You start with the relaxation technique as always...the thing about this massage is that you perform a different rub on each toe."
"Show me?"
"Here, I'll need y-your feet."
"That feels funny."
Small giggles. "Did you wash your feet?"
"Nope."
Small hands froze and abruptly pulled themselves back.
"Just kidding." Gaara smirked bemusedly at the mock anger on Hinata's face.
"So this is how you massage each toe."
"Give me your foot. ...Like this?"
"Gaara-sama, that tickles!"
"Now you know what it feels like."
A large growl emanated in the room and Gaara dropped Hinata's foot. She blushed and shyly covered her stomach. "I-I'm sorry, Gaara-kun. The Raikage had to leave early so I-I was unable to eat dinner." She glanced at the clock and gasped.
"Eleven-thirty?"
It was a long while they had both been at the hotel. But what startled her was how Gaara had managed to memorize the body reflex maps on the hands and feet and adequately learn and perform seven treatment massages in less than seven hours.
"Y-you're a very swift learner, G-Gaara-kun," she noted, genuine surprise in her eyes. "And you have good control of your hand muscles. With practice y-you might even be able to surpass m-masseurs in training."
"Oh?" Gaara said. He was looking at his gourd in the corner, remembering. Under the Fourth Kazekage's tutelage he had been bestowed with endless studies during his sleepless nights as a child. Once having been a future war-machine, aside from training his ninjitsu he was forced to create and unravel complicated war tactics, excel at almost every logical subject available and know how to wield every single godforsaken weapon there was. Gaara learned to thank him for it. But perhaps the only thing the old man didn't teach him was love and some manners.
It was silent for a moment. "My father taught me to learn things quickly."
"What was he—" Hinata began, before common sense stopped her. She recalled how his father tried to kill him because of overt criticism, holding open desires to rid himself of the problem child. Just like her own father. She silenced the matter, contenting herself simply by knowing there was a reason Gaara was once psychotic in the past. Thinking of her father made her depressed; surely he must feel the same.
"You were hungry, weren't you?" Gaara said, standing up. He walked over to his gourd and strapped it to his back. "We can go to a late night vendor."
"Okay." Hinata pulled on her blue coat and waited at the door for Gaara.
o o o o o o o o o o
Later, sitting on a rooftop in the darkness, they quietly slurped their bowls of hot noodles and watched the stars. Hinata had her Byakugan activated, on the lookout for shooting stars that might appear. She sensed Gaara turn to her in the dark.
"I'm leaving tomorrow."
Her chopsticks stopped midway to her mouth. She was startled by the sudden pang of longing that struck her, similar to what she felt when she had her first sleepover with friends and eventually had to return home.
"O-one month?"
"Maybe longer."
Setting her chopsticks back into the bowl, she clasped her hands together and looked down without saying anything. As much as she wanted to avoid him before, she marveled at the transition now.
"I-I...I wish y-you could s-stay longer, Gaara-kun."
Gaara looked at her with some astonishment. He had heard many positive comments about himself as of late and had gathered many friends since, this was true. But no one ever asked him to stay longer simply because they liked his company. What bewildered him more was that she sincerely meant it. He swallowed.
"If..."
Hinata looked at Gaara. He was looking up at the sky, staring at the twinkling lights.
"If you...ever need a friend to talk to, about anything..." he drifted off, then started again. "Then I'm here. To listen. Even if I am in Suna."
A grin rose into her expression. Beaming, she shifted closer to him. "Thank you, Gaara-sama."
She smiled up at the stars in the sky, recalling all the times she had wished for someone who would willingly be there for her. The feeling that she might have found that friend pleased her to no end.
o o o o o o o o o o
The next morning, after a somewhat sleepless night for both of them, Gaara walked Hinata to Yuuto Springs. Staying for an hour or so with his siblings, the majority of the employees followed him outside to wish him a safe trip. Amongst the crowd, Hinata noticed Gaara repeatedly glancing at her. She waited in the entrance until everyone was gone before approaching him. She gave him a respectful bow.
"F-farewell, Kazekage-sama...please get back safely," she said, her eyes simultaneously happy and sad. Pointing to her hands, she added, "Remember to practice the reflex techniques!"
Gaara smirked. "Yes, I will. And you also mustn't forget..."
Hinata cocked her head. "Hm?"
Looking both sides, Gaara leaned in. "The lotus," he whispered into her ear. She felt his feathery red hair brush against her cheek. Her breath hitched but she quickly regained her composure.
"O-o-of course," she smiled.
HAHAHAHAHAH! THIS LONG CHAPTER IS IN COMPENSATION TO MY YEAR-LATE UPDATING. YO YO YO!