YAY! The beginning of a new ERA. Well no… it's more like the beginning of a new Part, but whatever.

Part Two, for your reading enjoyment. Provided by myself. Lol.

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Pwetty pwease? Thankyous!

-Inky

"Neji-kun?"

"Hai, Hinata-hime?"

"Is it… because I'm ugly?"

Neji stared at her, seven years old and incapable of understanding what she was trying to say. But he knew better than to agree with her. Whatever it was, certainly wasn't caused by her being ugly, because she wasn't.

"Nani?" he asked instead, cocking his head.

Hinata swung her legs silently, her little kimono bright pink in color and dotted with off white flowers, like her eyes.

The sun was setting behind her, and it was making the water from the pond they sat by sparkle. Rows of delicately set stones were bordering the fish pond. Goldfish big enough to try to eat her little arm swam below, eyeing her little toes thoughtfully. Neji eyed them back, with distrust.

"Ano…" she mumbled, resting her small head on her hands as she stared at the swimming fish. "Is it 'cause I'm ugly that I can't get daddy to like me?"

Neji stared again, startled. "…he likes you-"

"No." she cut in, so soft it wasn't even an interruption really, but it left him without words with which to reply. He saw it each day, his Uncle wasn't very nice.

"Well… he cares, at least."

"You sure?"

"Well… I care, and… my dad cares."

Hinata turned to look at him, blinking her large eyes. "Yeah?"

"Hai." He nodded firmly. She turned to look back at the fish and the way they swam in circles, continuing their rounds to peek at her little toes.

"I'll protect you, Hinata-hime." Neji smiled, taking her hand as it left her face. Hinata blinked at him again, then smiled.

"Arigato!"

Voices drifting… why did it sound so strange to hear them mixing?

"Don't try it again, you're not strong enough."

"He didn't mean it!"

"It's okay… I understand."

"Leave. You're not welcome here."

Arigato… Gomen.

Gomen…

Forgive me…

Sasuke watched silently, arms crossed over his chest, a cup of coffee steaming beside the table. He leaned against the door frame with a sigh, studying the way she turned in her sleep, struggling with forces he didn't understand.

Covered in sweat and flushed, it was obvious that she had a fever, self induced by the vomiting and silent stream of tears she had shed.

He'd never seen a girl do something like break down without a single sound. Nothing but her apologies, and he wasn't even sure if they were directed at him. It wasn't that she was delusional, but it seemed like that was the only word she knew to say in her condition.

It wasn't like him, to comfort someone he felt he hardly knew, and there were few he considered close enough to 'know' per say.

But she had helped him, and received the worst possible reply from her family as such. The least he could do was let her rest and hold her hair back while she vomited out all of the shock her system was going through.

He had begun to worry when an hour went by and she hadn't stopped. There wasn't anything left for her to vomit, but she still looked ill.

After she passed out he had had no choice but to wash her face, and her arms, and changed her into one of his shirts.

Thankfully she wore enough layers that removing the first two wasn't making it wrong. She probably had a wardrobe under the other ones too.

Not that it mattered, he'd been too preoccupied with the fact that she was receiving unfair blows from her family to notice the fact that he was taking clothes 'off' of her.

Though it came back to haunt him later while he washed them.

It didn't even occur to him that it might be strange, to be sitting there in his own laundry room washing Hinata's stained clothes, pondering what he would do to make her feel better. Somehow in his mind it was just what he was supposed to do. His mother… she would have died of shame if he hadn't.

Well… she would have died if she wasn't dead already.

Sighing the Uchiha leaned his forehead against the cold doorframe, pondering for the fifth billionth time the situation, while listening to Hinata's odd moans of obvious confusion and fear as she tossed in his bed.

If that fever got any worse he would have to call Tsunade, or Sakura… someone at least had to come look at the girl. He was no med nin, he didn't have a clue what to do.

But he didn't want to do anything without talking to her first. The situation was a little beyond his understanding.

All he knew was that she wasn't a Hyuuga by name any longer, that being the only sentence she had managed to get out before rushing to the bathroom.

Torn from your family, huh?

He opened one eye, staring at her again as she turned in her sleep, frowning fitfully.

I know what that feels like…

Her lungs were burning, but she didn't care she ran anyway, Ino ran right behind her, the two ninja's pushing their extremes as they sprinted and jumped skillfully onto the rooftops, clattering from one to the next quickly.

"How could they!?" Ino growled, unable to contain her anger any longer. Her fist connected with a passing tree. There was no chakra in it for a reason, so it just numbed her hand, but felt good anyway.

Being able to hit something the way she wanted to hit Hiashi's god forsaken face.

"I don't understand why!" Sakura growled as well, eyes searching through each street…

The sun was setting off in the distance, a round orange orb being devoured by the mountains and trees.

Hanabi had appeared at Ino's flower shop, looking pale with red eyes and frantic. She had only to say that the Clan had disowned her sister, and begged as proudly as any Hyuuga could that they find her and take care of her.

"…what if she- what if she does something t-to herself…"

Sakura had left at that moment, a sickening feeling of dread starting at the pit of her stomach. Somehow the image of a surprisingly cheerful Hinata didn't match the idea that maybe she would purposefully harm herself in her distress.

But she and Ino didn't hesitate to go looking as quickly as possible, because they knew Hinata well. Being disowned had been her fear, her terror since she was young. It was the thing that might just push the gentle girl to the edge…

"Perhaps one of us should inform Tsunade-sama." Sakura muttered, glancing at the mountains near the Hokage's home. "And the rest of the original Nine, no?"

Ino nodded, stopping abruptly by Shikamaru's house. "Hai. I'll get that going, you keep searching."

Sakura waved and continued to run, searching with anxious eyes.

She needed to find Hinata.

Hinata woke, staring dazedly at the dark roof and a slice of the sky past a huge glass window. It wasn't a familiar room, and her body didn't feel familiar. Sore, and throbbing vaguely with pain.

Her neck was sore, she didn't even want to move, all of her shoulders and there was a sickening taste in her mouth, along with the dryness making it feel like sandpaper.

Sighing softly she closed her eyes, recalling the words her father had said, and his cold eyes as he said it. There was no mercy in those eyes. Begging wouldn't do anything to change his decision now, even if he felt he should. He was too proud.

So it was finally over, she had lost the last claim to her clan...

"Okasan... I'm so sorry..." tears filled her eyes for a moment and she turned onto her side, her fingers tightening around the soft covers.

Suddenly her eyes realized she was staring at the same dark blue material she had seen earlier in the morning and her heart stopped for a moment.

The smell of the covers, and the hugeness of the bed rattled through her brain, making the headache there if possible a little worse.

Gasping she sat up sharply, throwing off the covers and looking around at Sasuke's room. Empty, thank all the gods, but still Sasuke's room. She looked to stare down at herself, hands moving to touch the soft folds of a shirt that was most definately not her own. It was too big, and black as night.

Letting out a breath she scrambled out of bed and froze, watching the door open slowly.

Caught like a deer in the headlights she stared, looking pale and ill and a little scared. Sasuke blinked back at her candidly for a moment, trying not to notice too much how the shirt fit her like a dress.

Very much like himself, he cooly leaned against the door frame, arms crossing over his chest.

"You're awake."

Hinata nodded rapidly, her whole body loosening at his voice. Her shoulders dropped slightly and she rubbed her face, taking an unsteady step back to sit on the corner of the bed.

"Gomen.." she murmured, "I'm so sorry for imposing-"

"Quiet." Sasuke shrugged, his voice a lot softer than his words... or word. He didn't say anything else, but watched her fiddle with the ends of her long hair, staring at them dazedly.

"What will you do now?" He finally asked, drawing her attention away from her thoughts. Hinata just sighed in response, glancing up at him, rosy cheeked from the situation and the strain. The fever had gone down a few hours ago.

"I...I d-don't know."

Sasuke just waited, blinking at her patiently.

Hinata fidgeted. "I-I-I'll leave- I-I j-just need to f-find S-sakura-chan-"

He started, controlling his features to show no surprise. He really must act like a complete ass around her.

"That's not what I meant." He muttered, turning away. "You can stay, if you need to."

"I-oh..." she blinked, surprised by his offer. Sighing softly in relief she lowered her gaze to her hands. "Arigato, Sasuke-kun... I t-truly d-do apprec-ciate it."

"It's fine." he shrugged, glancing out to the burning sunset framed by the giant window. Silently he ruffled his own hair, noting that it was a vaguely nervous trait he had begun to develope. He'd have to work on not doing that.

"Are you well enough to eat something?" He enquired, starting back out to the hallway. Hinata blinked, staring after him for a moment before stumbling to her feet and running after him... or at least walking rapidly. Running didn't seem like a good idea when she was still dizzy.

"Ano- I-I can m-make dinner..."

"You can hardly stand." Sasuke stated thinly, glancing over his shoulder at her as they decended the stairs.

Hinata blinked at him, fiddling with the long sleeves of 'his' shirt.

"Eh, I-I can, r-really." she nodded rapidly. "I-It's okay." she sighed, rubbing her eyes. "I-I've c-cooked in worse c-conditions."

Giving a weary shrug Sasuke nodded towards the kitchen. "Suit yourself."

Little did she know that he had gone out to buy things a few hours before. He hadn't know what exactly, but trying to remember the grocery lists that his mother used to come home with he picked out a reasonably long list with many a variety of things.

All of which he assumed women used to actually cook things. He still couldn't figure out how in the hell a whole onion was of any use at all.

Glad, for the moment, that she had something to do, Hinata slipped into the kitchen, fiddling with her hair as she walked, already pulling it into a low braid. She'd never be able to handle the strain of having it up in a bun like she usually did when cooking.

Rolling up the long sleeves of Sasuke's shirt she looked around the clean kitchen. It didn't just feel clean, it also felt utterly unused. Briefly she wondered if he 'ever' cooked anything in there.

Does he even have food to cook with? She frowned slightly, opening the fridge to find it full of things.

Oh thank God.

Sighing softly she pulled out the onion, weighing it in her hand as she searched for other vegetables.

Maybe while she cooked she'd be able to come up with 'something' to do. Like finding a place to live...

Okasan... I wish you were here.

Sasuke slumped onto one of the couches, studying a scroll's smooth tainted surface but not concentrating on it at all. The smell coming out from kitchen was making him vaguely dizzy with hunger. He hadn't eaten anything all day except for coffee and water and his stomach was being attacked repeatedly by the scent of very good food cooking not too far away.

Willing himself to stay put he continued to stare at the scroll. If Hinata bothered to ask what it was, he'd have to come up with a lie, because he had no clue.

He had even been tempted to get up and just ask her if she needed help, because sitting there waiting was worse than not doing anything.

But he didn't. When he was upset he didn't want anyone around. Assuming most people were like that, he decided to give her room.

(a/n:such a guy... ((rolls eyes)) give her room, w/e)

Shifting around in his seat for the fourth time in a row he threw the scroll down on the ground, moving to stand up and go to the kitchen. She'd been there for over an hour. The sun was practically gone. He 'needed' food. Around this time he would have already gone to the Ramen Shop to meet up with Naruto, and though he wouldn't eat anything there he'd have stopped at a sushi shop a few streets away.

Whatever it was she was cooking though beat sushi, it just smelled better.

And he would have gone to ask if she was done and needed help, if the door hadn't suddenly been pounded on.

The echo was irritating, whoever was hitting the door was strong enough to knock it down if they wanted, seeing as it was jumping on it's hinges, and the sound of the pounding was echoing out and into the house.

Hinata ran out, looking wide eyed.

"Nani? W-what's that?" she enquired, hands held up and covered in what looked like flour. Sasuke blinked at her. She had flour on her cheek too, and his shirt was stained with what looked like tomato, but that didn't hold the attention of his eyes very long, it was that patch of flour on her face.

Resisting the weird urge to wipe it off, he strode past her towards the door, ignoring her question completely.

Obviously irritated he flung the door open and stopped, looking questionably at an out of breath Sakura, leaning against the door frame tiredly.

"Sasuke-kun." she panted, rubbing sweat off the side of her face. "Have you seen, Hinata-chan?" her eyes shifted behind him at the sight of movement and she froze, staring at Hinata.

Who was wearing one of Sasuke's shirts.

She could recognize it anywhere. It was the shirt she liked on him best...

"H-Hinata..." Sakura started. Sasuke stepped to the side silently, wondering when the whole 'shocked' factor would eventually wear off.

"Sakura-chan... Hi." Hinata began, blinking in surprise at Sakura's shocked behaviour. Surprising both the quiet ninja Sakura launched herself at Hinata, dragging her into a crushing hug.

"I was so worried! No one could find you again! Ino and the others are still looking everywhere, I couldn't think of anywhere else to go! What happened? Why is Hiashi freaking out?" The pink haired nin pulled back, giving Hinata a soft shake. "What's going on?"

Hinata stared back dazedly, hands still raised to keep the flour from spreading over everyone's clothing. "S-sakura- I... gomen!" she gasped, searching her face, blushing furiously. "I-I didn't realize everyone w-was..."

"What happened?" Sakura snapped, cutting her off short, giving her another shake.

Sasuke watched silently, waiting for the explanation he too had been waiting for.

Hinata's eyes lowered to the ground. "Ano... I... Oto-san...h-he disowned m-me." she murmured, lowering her hands to her sides with a sigh. "H-he thinks I-I am...t-tainted..."

Heat rushed to her face as she said it, and she tried not to cry, the tears just pooling helplessly in her eyes as she stared down, face hidden by her bangs.

Sakura frowned at her, confused, hands still on her shoulders.

"Tainted? What do you mean?"

Hinata glanced up nervously at Sasuke and then looked away pointedly, her cheeks so red they could have been confused as apples.

Sakura's hands dropped to her sides, mouth wide. "...oh."

Sasuke stared as well, having expected this, but having it more or less said was different. The words were bouncing around in his head, confusing all his senses.

That was as much a dishonour to her as it was to him...

He took a deep breath, calming his temper. It wasn't her fault, it wasn't his fault... it wasn't even Hiashi's fault...

To hell with it, Hiashi was going to take the blame, and he'd let him know.

"Is it... well, is it true?" Sakura whispered, making both Hinata and Sasuke flinch visibly. "What?" Hinata breathed, reaching to touch her fingers to her lips despite the flour. She stopped before she got there, apperantly too stunned to move.

Sakura searched her face. "It's not actually true, right?"

"Get out." Sasuke snapped, opening the door wider and grabbing the girl by the arm. "Right now."

Gasping, Sakura stumbled backwards out the door, staring at Sasuke like he had grown an extra head. "It's not true! It's not true, is it!?"

"No." Sasuke growled, slamming the door forcefully.

Hinata stood there, staring past the door. For all he knew she was watching Sakura with her Byakugan.

But after a moment she sighed, letting her shoulders droop. "...I-I guess... I s-should get used to t-that r-reaction, ne?"

Sasuke resisted the urge to flinch.

"Hai."

Sighing softly the girl reached up to push a strand of hair behind her ear, leaving another streak of flour across her face.

"Dinner's r-ready." she mumbled, walking back towards the kitchen.

Sasuke rubbed the back of his neck irritably, watching her go thoughtfully. He'd have to go talk to Hiashi after, there was no avoiding it. Probably Tsunade too.

But food first... or he'd pass out halfway through.

Chapter One of Part Two! FINISHED

READ AND REVIEW!!

-inky