"It hurts...so much..."
Heavy breathing sounded within a small room, agony clearly heard in each breath. Clear eyes half shut from excessive pain from the waist. A body half torn on the side lay in a painful position on a mattress attempting not to scream.
"It burned...it hurt...!"
Tender and burnt flesh was wrapped tightly with bandages and many narcotics were given to suppress most of the pain.
The white eyes stared into the room that they had found themselves in. IT was dark; the moon glistened scornfully in the darkness. Everything seemed to be closing in, completely against them.
A startled gasp sounded as the shutters of the window banged against the walls, long dark hair swayed with the fearful wind. IT was almost as if the elements were completely against them as well in fear.
The pearly eyes looked deep into the moonlight before scanning the room it lay in.
White walls, windows, ceiling and door, all they could see even in the dark was white.
"This...this is a hospital room. How did I..."
The body shifted, wincing as the pain in their waist grew intense before remaining completely still. Resigning themselves to lying down.
In an attempt to look around without moving, the head turned to the side and noticed a mirror.
"I don't understand...why...?"
Strands of hair fell in front of their face as they stared at their reflection.
Ten fingers, two white eyes, one nose, one mouth, dark blue hair and tears, many, many tears.
"Neji..."
The one many would call the complete opposite of Neji lay in a hospital bed.
Hinata Hyuuga.
Hinata groaned in pain as a dull ache burned at her side. Tears had fallen from her eyes and with her attempted excessive movement; blood had been smeared on her palms.
"Why...why did it happen?"
She fisted the sheets of the bed she lay on, white sheets began to stain red as she unintentionally reopened her wound more than she already had.
It was dark, very dark and the only thing that signaled her being alive was the rush of cold air that swept across her fair skin.
"Why am I here...? They should've left me and saved Neji...I would have been fine."
She stared around the blank room in deep sadness, fresh tears making themselves known as they ran slowly down her paler cheeks. Memories of how or better yet why she was there was unbeknownst to her until now.
Death, she had tasted the very essence of death.
What she believed was the living embodiment of the unholy apparition had come and she had nearly fell victim to its wrath.
Everything had been so fast that no one else other than her had reacted to the movements. That figure that she could only refer to as death had ran towards her unconscious cousin and in an attempt to stop it, she got in the way. What happened next was shocking, excruciating and bloody. As quickly as she had moved to save her cousin, the blow to her waist was struck. She remembered black flames suddenly erupted on her side, burning through her flesh and disappearing almost as soon as it emerged. That area was now fleshy and bleeding, it was the reason she lay in the hospital. The person or creature had assaulted her as soon as she had made the movement and nothing could have stopped it.
"Too fast..."
She remembered herself falling to the ground; shock was evident as her body lay frozen. Eyes glazed over in fear as she saw it smile at her. There was screaming, ripping and the running footsteps. She couldn't move, her eyes were wide as she stared up to the ceiling. She felt could feel her very warm life essence drain from her body as she began to give in. The caring and concerned white eyes everyone had seen before became blank and emotionless. She saw Neji taken away and the others chase after him. Only Naruto, Kiba, Shikamaru and Sakura stayed behind to help.
"They shouldn't have stayed...they should have gone after Neji...he'd be here right now if they had."
"But them he would be sad because you would be dead."
Hinata made herself sit up and lean against the pillows for support
"You should be careful, you're starting to become like Naruto. Don't force yourself."
She looked at the intruder solemnly before stating "I was wondering when you'd make yourself known...Shikamaru."
Shika stepped into the moonlit part of the room and stood next to Hinata, pulling up a chair and sitting down. He stared at her agonized and depressed expression, he felt saddened just looking at her as well.
"Sorry about disturbing you but I was trying to keep quiet so you'd rest."
"I suppose I should be thankful for your concern but Neji..."
Shikamaru sighed lazily before clearly stating, "he'll be fine, you know that Hinata. He's strong and far to determined to let anyone kill him."
"I...you're right...but what if?"
"Don't work yourself up; you can't do anything about it right now. You'll only prolong your recovery and you and I both know that's the last thing Neji would want."
"O...ok...Shikamaru"
Shikamaru sighed slightly irritably before looking rather seriously at Hinata.
"You know, with all the chaos no one got a good look at the attacker but we do know that he was after Neji."
Her saddened expression grew more depressed as he quickly added "that's not what I came here to tell you though, Hinata...I have to ask you some questions."
"Questions?"
Why would he want to question her, she wanted just as many answers as anyone else in their group. Shikamaru stared slighted as he thought of how to ask the hyuuga heiress.
"Yah...I need to clarify something."
"Ok but what could you possibly need to ask me?"
"Well for starters...when you are at home or when he is with you does Neji...act strangely? As if he were deep in thought?"
Hinata took far less time to answer his question than he had thought.
"Yes."
"Oh I didn't think you'd—"
"He's been acting strange for months...
"Months?"
"Yes..."
Hinata stared sadly out the window and towards the weeping moonlight. It seemed to will itself to cry in her stead.
"He's been growing...distant lately though. I noticed that it seemed to start about...six months ago when I and Tenten suddenly fell ill.
"Cold you be more...specific? Like what did he act like?"
"He seemed to be kind of cold, closed in, enraged without warning. I can't really think of what else he was right now though..."
"Though?"
"There was one time...he got back home late and I caught sight of him...his eyes, they never looked so...so..."
Hinata's eyes widen with the remembrance of a certain memory of Neji one day in the past, his eyes were unlike any she had seen from him before. It was so wrong for him to even look that way.
Shikamaru caught on rather quickly and prodded the girl into finishing her sentence.
"So...so what Hinata?"
"Broken."
Akuma: Well here you go, the next chappie, took a little longer than it should have but at least its out, right? Oh yeah and to all you pein and konan fans i decided to make a fic on them, i started it a while ago so i thought why not post it
Itachi:...
Neji:...
Shikamaru:...
Akuma: What!
Hanabi: A little longer?
Akuma: Ok, ok alot but this wasn't entirely my fault this time. Yes ii was lazy and procrastinated but it would have been out last week if my mom hadn't closed my document without saving it T.T All that work...GONE! (cries)
Shikamaru: Sure, whatever you say...
Akuma: I'm telling the truth!
Itachi: Ok Akuma, we believe you
Akuma: Always ganging up on me, I'm not lying...
Hanabi: Sure...
Akuma:...
Shikamaru/Itachi/Hanabi: We really do believe you.
Akuma: You three suck