I don't usually do this: but don't want to explain it in the text of the story, please forgive me.
In Japan, some would consider '4' and '9' to be unlucky numbers. 4 is pronounced 'shi', the same word as 'death'. 9 is pronounced 'ku', the same word as 'pain'. I mention this only in passing ...and for future reference.
o.O.o.O.o.O
Hanabi was utterly enjoying being the center of attention. She leaned back watching her father and Shizune hover over her. Maybe she'd been too quick to dismiss the idea of pairing Hiashi with the Hokage's assistant.
"We're going to keep her here overnight, just to be careful." Shizune was saying.
Hiashi frowned lightly. "I trust the venom has been neutralized?"
Shizune nodded, undaunted by his haughty attitude. "We're just keeping an eye on the swelling, actually. The envenoming process has been halted and with Anko's help, we've administered the correct antivenom."
"Then why do I have to stay?" Hanabi whined, pouting a bit for her father's sake.
Hiashi's hand tightened on her own as he gave her a quelling look. "The swelling?" He asked as he eyed his daughter's arm. The bitten appendage was swollen to almost twice its size already.
Shizune nodded. "The snake venom is no longer a concern. But the swelling needs to be monitored to make sure that none of the veins get too compromised."
"Japanese please!" Hanabi stared at Shizune, trying to decipher the medic's meaning. "Please speak in plain Japanese!"
The dark-haired kunoichi smiled down at her patient. "When tissues swell like this, it presses on the veins in your arm. Like a tube that has been squeezed closed. When no blood can get through, then tissue starts to die."
Hiashi nodded while Hanabi stared at her swollen hand and tried to wiggle her fingers. Finally, the sausage sized digits moved a bit.
Shizune smiled. "Don't worry about it. The flaccid paralysis you're experiencing will be gone by morning, along with a good portion of the swelling. You'll be fine."
Hanabi shot her a suspicious look. "You're not just trying to keep 'the kid' calm are you?"
Shizune gave a snort and then a true laugh. "You're going to be fine, Hanabi. We're not hiding anything from you.
"Knock, knock!" A voice interrupted them from the doorway. "Anyone up for visitors?"
"Sensei!" Hanabi struggled to sit up taller, wincing as this motion pulled on her injured arm.
Shizune clucked her tongue chidingly as she put her hand on the slats used to keep Hanabi's arm immobilized. "Hold on there! Don't undo all our hard work."
"Uzuki-sama." Hiashi greeted the blue haired jounin with a respectful nod. He'd been pleased when Hanabi had been placed under the former ANBU's tutelage following her Academy graduation.
"What? Are you genins out to make me retire early?" Teased the blue-haired Uzuki Yugao. "First Rokuro stupidly broke his arm and now you go get bit by a snake? Michi and I can't go on missions alone. I refuse to help catch that silly cat anyway. If the cat wants to get away so badly, it should hire us to help it escape."
Shizune snorted and looked away. She'd often felt sorry for Tiger too. It was almost a joke in the Hokage's office. How many times would the owner hire ninjas to find Tiger anyway? It helped that she was a rich widow, but Shizune often wondered if she let the cat out on purpose just so she could run to them for 'help'.
Hiashi gave Yugao a rueful look. "With two of your team members down, what will you be doing?"
"Sitting with my pupil." Yugao said as she pulled up a chair. "If you don't mind, that is. We have to talk about how she got bit by a snake. Your techniques should have kept you safe."
Hanabi blushed hard, sinking down lower in her bed.
Hiashi smiled, good, he thought. "I don't mind. In fact, I'm due at home as we have guests tonight."
Shizune looked up at that. "You're going ahead with the dinner plans?"
The Hyuuga Clan leader grimaced. "I have Lord Tomi and Lord Kanouchi both coming tonight. I'm supposed to impress the Leaf village's stability to Lord Kanouchi. He's on the fence about voting on the tariff issues."
Shizune pulled a face. "You're right, you can't just pull out of that at the last moment. We need all the votes we can get from the noble ruling families. I hadn't realized they'd both be there."
Hiashi shook his head. "No, I won't be brokering any deals tonight. This is an informal dinner, nothing special. But I can't cancel, or it would look as if we are unorganized. Lord Tomi wants to show his friend that we of the Leaf village are the same as those of the noble families. Normal."
Hanabi's eyes connected with Yugao's, but then their gazes slid away from each other before they could laugh. Normal? Since when had the Hyuuga family been considered the epitome of normal?
"I'm afraid that I can not attend." Shizune told him. "I'm going to remain here with your daughter until I see a trend in the decrease of swelling."
Hiashi nodded. "I quite understand. But the Hokage will still be attending?"
Shizune nodded. "I'll be sure to remind her."
"Thank you." Hiashi said simply, then gave a small smile. "Think she could stay here with Hanabi and you come to dinner?"
Hanabi caught her breath. Was her father actually asking Shizune for a date? Hope sprung up within her.
Shizune chuckled. "I'm sorry, you'll have to have the Hokage instead. She may not be diplomatic." She phrased it politely. "But she IS our Hokage."
Hanabi's hopes died and she frowned slightly. He'd just hoped that Shizune would be there to blunt some of the Hokage's rougher edges.
Hiashi nodded, resigned. "I'll hide the sake."
Shizune nodded. "Good idea."
o.O.o.O.o.O
"W...we're sto...stopping so s...soon?" Hinata asked hesitantly.
No one really answered as they prepared the camp for the night. They weren't on a mission and the way between Suna and the Leaf villages hadn't seen rouges or bandits for a long while. Yet, they were still ninja and a rotating watch would be set up.
Hinata looked around as Baki set up the watch. "I...I can t...take a sh...shift." She offered shyly.
Baki looked over at Kankuro, who was back in his usual puppeteer gear, and then to Gaara, who just shrugged. "It's alright Lady Hyu ...Hinata." He stumbled over his words slightly. Now that she was married to Kankuro, he was no longer sure if she retained the 'lady' prefix to her name.
"H..Hinata, pl..please." She stammered prettily, reading his discomfort.
Baki nodded gruffly, not used to pretty manners. He actually didn't know how to respond. If it had been Temari, she'd have gotten a shift no question. And though he technically knew that Hinata was a jounin, he'd never seen her fight outside of that one battle with her cousin during the chuunin exams. "We have enough for tonight already." He stated baldly.
"O...oh." She murmured, her pale-lilac gaze dropping to her fingers.
"I'll put you on a shift tomorrow night." Baki continued roughly.
Gaara glared at Kankuro who shrugged. "You don't have to you know." The Kazekage spoke for the first time directly to his new sister-by-marriage.
Hinata nodded, her gaze not rising to meet his eyes. "I...I want too."
Baki nodded and the girl turned away to help ready the camp.
Gaara glared at his brother. "If I didn't know better, I'd think she was trying to avoid sleeping next to you."
Kankuro shrugged, not wanting to explain about the debacle of his bedding his wife for the first time. He was too embarrassed about what he'd done.
Baki watched her go around, fruitlessly trying to find something or someone who needed her help. But the Sand ninja with them had set up camp so often, there just wasn't anything she could do to help. Finally, one sent her off to gather fire wood.
"Your women don't tend to want to find ways to stay out of your bed." Gaara teased his brother blandly.
Baki snorted with derision. "That's because none of the women in his bed got there as virgins." He coughed lightly. "Neither of you have dealt with the type of woman that Hinata is like."
Gaara threw a glance at his former sensei. "Temari. She's a lady, and still a virgin."
Baki choked and Kankuro turned hastily away.
"What?" The Kazekage looked at the both quizzically. "What???"
The wind master recovered first, but still kept his gaze averted as he answered. "She may be one, but hardly the other."
The red-heads eyes went wide. "Nooooo ..."
Kankuro nearly fell down laughing at his brother's shocked expression.
o.O.o.O.o.O
Hiashi leaned back in his chair, contemplating his dinner guests. Everything was going well. Almost too well. The Hyuuga clan leader not only believed in 'fate' but he was also slightly superstitious.
He frowned. Including himself, there were nine seated at his table. Hiashi fought not to wince at the unlucky number. On the way from the hospital, nine birds had been on the walkway in front of him. As he'd approached, most flew away, but four remained. As an omen, it was a disturbing one. No one wants a prediction of 'pain' and 'death' when your youngest is in the hospital.
"Your daughter is doing well, I trust?" Lord Tomi spoke up almost as if on cue. "I was disturbed to hear of her injury.
"Hai." Hiashi nodded his head gratefully. "She is well, thanks to the knowledge and talents of our Hokage." He gave Tsunade a grateful smile.
Lord Kanouchi leaned forward in his seat. "I will admit that I wasn't sure of your appointment, Lady Tsunade. Not that I felt you not up to the job, but you had been traveling quite extensively. I am not so high I will not admit a wrong."
Tsunade just shook her head at the noble lord. "No offense taken, as long as you no longer have those concerns."
Hiasha nodded, relieved that Tsunade was playing 'nice' tonight. Her temper was notoriously unpredictable.
Lord Kanouchi smiled and shook his head. "I am pleased to make your acquaintance at a less structured event as this. Your mastery of the healing arts is but one of your charms."
Lord Tomi and Hiashi's gaze met and then both looked away. Lord Kanouchi was well known as a womanizer. The last thing they needed was for the fool to hit on the Hokage.
A giggle interrupted them as a busty blond patted Lord Kanouchi's hand. "I had no idea you were a medic! That's soooo interesting. I wouldn't mind if you looked at a place on my knee later. There's this little knot ..." The woman continued, but everyone just tuned her out.
And here was the source of Hiashi's discomfort. Lord Kanouchi had seen fit to bring his latest mistress to a family dinner party. As if neither he nor Tomi Daiki knew his Lady wife. As if Daiki hadn't brought along his wife and middle daughter.
Earlier Hiashi had asked Misyu not to attend, based on the fact that with Shizune not coming it brought the number for the evening to nine. An unlucky number. With the unexpected arrival of Kanouchi's slut, they were back at nine. And when the blond had entered before the laughing noble, Hiahsi had sent for the Hyuuga elder, but the man couldn't be located.
As they'd arrived, the weather had turned a bit threatening. Now, as he was about to take a bite of the superbly cooked dinner, there were several flashes of lightening. Four thunderclaps followed, one after the other.
Lord Tomi's wife looked alarmed. "You have an omamori?" She asked, referring to a good luck charm.
Hiashi nodded, although the repeated use of the numbers four and nine this day were worrying him. He motioned for a servant. "Send someone to the hospital to check on Lady Hanabi's condition and report back to me." He instructed.
Lord Tomi nodded in his direction, and his wife looked relieved. Their daughter didn't seem to notice, she was spending too much time giggling and looking at Neji. The young man in question just sat there stoically and ate in silence.
"Oh posh!" The busty blond spoke up again, and for the life of him Hiashi couldn't remember the woman's name. "You're not some old silly goat herd whose afraid of shadows are you? Imagine, being superstitious in this day and age."
Lord Tomi's wife gritted her teeth and smiled, but remained quiet.
"You don't have to be superstitious to be prudent." Anko spoke up from Neji's other side. "Just as the trouble with people is not that we know too little, but that we know too many things that just aren't so." She paused and smiled brightly at the now confused blond. "Or it could be knowing too little for some."
"Uhm yeah." The blond smiled uncertainly, missing the verbal barb entirely.
Lord Kanouchi gave Anko a look, but turning to look at his companions, took note of their amusement and let the moment pass.
Lord Tomi's wife bit back a smile and took a drink of tea while giving the kunoichi a thankful look.
"Excuse me Hyuuga-sama." A male servant interrupted.
Lord Kankouchi's arm candy gave a shrill laugh. "Gee! That was fast. I can't seem to find servants worth a hill of beans. Yours are well trained though!"
Anko's lips pursed and she would have said something if the Hokage's hand hadn't clamped down hard on her knee.
Hiashi didn't show it, but he was a bit concerned. It was too fast for a return message.
"I apologize, Lord Hyuuga, for the interruption but this can not wait." The voice called gruffly from the doorway.
The servant winced, he'd asked the woman to wait.
Neji's eyes were pulled inexorably toward the object of all his fantasies. A smile touched his lips, making the girl next to him erupt into giggles once more. He frowned, but his eyes never left the blue haired kunoichi standing tall and proud at the doorway.
"Hanabi?" Hiashi asked, more than a little alarmed now.
Yugao looked around the august company, her eyes passing right over Neji which made him feel invisible.
"Go ahead, deliver your message." The blond mistress waved one hand absently. "Then get out, I can't believe how serious looking these ninja women can be."
Now even Lord Kanouchi frowned at the silly blond. He gave Hiashi an apologetic smile as the clan leader excused himself to speak privately with his daughter's sensei.
"Hokage-sama? If I may interrupt?" Yugao asked, drawing a frown of concern from Tsunade as she too got up from the table.
Neji squirmed slightly. What was going on? Was Hanabi alright?
o.O.o.O.o.O
"It's going to storm tonight." Baki said, to no one's surprise. They all could read the signs of the impending bad weather. "Make sure the tent posts are sturdy and driven deep."
Everyone nodded and bustled around to make ready for the coming thunder storm.
Hinata watched a moment, unsure what part she should play. If she were with her teammates, they'd be tying down their gear and making sure everything was water tight. So she did that, gratified to see others doing the same. What next? She, Kiba and Shino would then get a tent ready and stay inside with Akamaru in the other tent. Shino's bugs would remain as their 'sentry'.
But this wasn't a mission with her long time teammates. This was different. And she didn't know these shinobi.
"Come on, Hinata."
She turned to find Kankuro holding out his hand to her. Unsure, she placed her hand in his, feeling her heart stutter a moment as his much larger hand engulfed her smaller one.
"W...wh...where are w...we g...going?" She stammered, then frowned as he frowned at her.
"What are you nervous about?" He asked, noting her stammer was back in full force.
Hinata shook her head. She wasn't nervous about anything in particular. It was just a matter of being unsure of her place in this group. Even at its worse, she'd always known her place within her family dynamics. Here, she was at sea.
Her husband gave a small sigh and led her to her tent. "Is your gear stored?" Kankuro asked her as he held up the flap for her.
"Yah." She answered as she crawled inside the tent obediently. Then gave a squeak of surprise as he crawled in with her.
"Just a moment." He told her as he dug through a small pile of things. He flashed her a quick grin that made her stomach tighten, then he pulled out of the tent.
Hinata released the breath she'd been holding as he exited, grateful for the reprieve. She knew there would come a time they'd have to sleep together as husband and wife. But out here, in a tent, with people all around them ...this wasn't an ideal locale for them to come together.
The purple-haired girl's breathing finally returned to normal as she started undressing. She folded her clothes carefully and searched the dim tent for her sleeping bag. Hinata reached inside and pulled out her night clothes, pulling the gown down over herself as she felt the tent flap opening behind her.
Kankuro winced as she gave a startled yelp and turned huge eyes on him as he crawled inside. "Sorry, should have said something to let you know I was coming in."
"D...did y...you ne..need so...something?" She stammered worse than ever.
"Just washed my face markings off. Don't want to cover you in purple mess." He said lightly, knowing she was going to have a problem with the sleeping arrangements.
He wasn't wrong. Hinata nearly had a heart attack as she realized what seemed so different about her tent. There were TWO sleeping bags in here. Side by side.
Kankuro sighed as Hinata promptly hyperventilated.
Hinata's hands waved in the air like fluttering birds. Kankuro caught them in his larger hands, his freshly scrubbed face leaning in close to her. "What do you need?" He asked, unsure of what to do.
You to leave! Hinata thought, but couldn't say between her gasping breaths.
Kankuro felt helpless as he watched Hinata struggle to slow her breathing. Once he caught on to what she was trying to do, he reached over and placed his hand solidly over her mouth. Her hands latched onto his, but didn't try to pull his hand down.
Now, just breathing through her nose, her oxygen intake slowed and she was able to get control. Slowly the panic lessened its hold on her, although her eyes were still huge as she stared at him.
"Do you hate the idea of being with me so badly?" He asked long moments after she'd regained control of her breathing. "I really did hurt you didn't I? Why won't you tell me the truth?"
Hinata hung her head, letting her hair hide her face from him. The truth was harder and harder to keep from him. He seemed to hate it so badly. She felt ashamed of herself for letting him go on thinking he'd been so brutal to her last night. Still, it would be worse to tell him the truth.
"Y...you didn't hu..hurt me." She said with as much calm certainty that she could muster. "This isn't y...you, it's m...my pr...problem."
Kankuro shook his head, still unconvinced she wasn't lying to him. "What can I do to help you through this? Sleep outside?"
Hinata merely shrugged. He'd already promised to go 'slow', and by his standards he was probably keeping that promise. Lightening lit the area around them, and they both waited and counted before the thunderclap crashed around them.
"Can I take it back about sleeping outside?" He asked with a rueful grin.
Hinata felt her lips twitch upwards as what sounded suspiciously like a giggle escaped from her. She nodded and watched as he made a face at her. She giggled again.
o.O.o.O.o.O
"I was speaking with my student." Yugao started, once the three of them were alone in Hiashi's study. "I got her to tell me where she ran across the snake."
Tsunade pursed her lips. "I thought she was trying to hide a genin prank gone wrong from me. But that's not it is it?"
Hiashi rubbed his chin. "I have to admit, I thought something of the same. A childish prank that backfired."
Yugao shook her head. "She does like pranks, and was actually pulling one when this happened. But the prank itself had nothing to do with the snake." The blue haired kunoichi continued with a serious look. "I didn't realize that Hinata had gotten married, is this true?"
Hiashi nodded, not bothering to explain the details.
The jounin sighed. "It seems Hanabi has taken some dislike to her new brother-by-marriage, something vague about him hurting her."
Tsunade frowned at that. "He hurt her? Why wasn't I informed?"
Hiashi waved away their concerns. "Virgin night. Hanabi misunderstood the context of what she'd been overhearing."
"Oh!" Both women intoned under their breath.
Yugao looked uncertain for the first time. "I didn't even think, should I have a talk with her about these things? I didn't even consider the girl doesn't have a mother around."
Hiashi shook his head. "I've taken care of it." He informed her. "Now what about the snake?"
The blue-haired kunoichi cleared her throat. "Hanabi didn't want to admit that she was pulling a prank on Hinata's husband. She was putting an exploding tag in their bed, down where it would affect him but not her."
Hiashi merely sighed as Tsunade's lips twitched approvingly. "I'll be taking care of that too."
"The snake was in the bedcovers." Yugao told them. "Not too uncommon as winter approaches, but Hanabi informs me the snake isn't local?"
Tsunade scowled darkly. "No. No it's not from anywhere close by. And I've made discrete inquiries, but have found no one who has recently traveled from that area of the country."
"Was it put there on purpose?" Hiashi frowned, feeling himself becoming agitated. "Who was the intended target? Kankuro or Hinata?"
Yugao nodded grimly. "I don't know. But I have to admit, the chances that this was natural or accidental are decreasing. Intentional seems the logical conclusion right now."
"I'm going to bring Hanabi home right now." Hiashi said, his eyes almost glowing with his anger.
"No offense." Yugao interrupted. "But home was where she got hurt in the first place."
He paused at that. "I'm at a loss." He finally admitted.
Tsunade looked at him, considering their options. "It wouldn't be unusual for a father to stay the night at the hospital with his injured child." She began. "Nor for a cousin, and say ...a sensei?"
Hiashi gave a small jolt. He'd been so worried about his daughters, he'd forgotten his nephew. But then Neji was quite capable of defending himself should the need arise. "I can guard them both."
"You're too close." Tsunade told him, but not unkindly. "For tonight, please allow Yugao to stay with you and Neji at the hospital. This will look entirely normal for anyone watching."
"So as not to tip them off that we suspect foul play." Yugao nodded. "What of Hinata and her husband? They probably were the intended target."
Hiashi mulled it over carefully. "They're on their way to Suna."
Tsunade too was thinking things through. "Just because the attempt was made here, it doesn't limit our unknown assailant from trying anything while on a journey. Or even while they're in Suna."
"I need to get word to them." Hiashi said, his breath hitching a bit.
Yugao thought about the dinner guests. "Send Anko. She's smart and reliable, despite appearances."
Hiashi nodded. "I'll send Hyuuga Hajime with her. He's just back from a mission and he's the son of one of my council elders." He paused to nod to Tsunade. "That's if the Hokage approves."
Tsunade nodded. Hajime was a fine jounin, although not a Byakugan user as he was branch family. But he was an excellent fighter just the same.
"Come on. We need to break up the party." Hiashi grimaced, then whispered to the Hokage. "Do you remember Lord Kanouchi's pets name?"
She hurumphed. "No."
Hiashi sighed. "Guess I'll just have to fake it."
"She probably knows all about that." Tsunade grinned evilly. "I would too if I were in Lord Kanouchi's bed."
Hiashi's face turned red a moment as he fought not to laugh out loud.
o.O.o.O.o.O
"Y...you p...ut the sl...sleeping b...bags to..together!" Hinata accused, failing to look him in the eye.
Kankuro grinned. "Don't worry. Nothing will happen tonight. Not with everyone around us like this. But we do need to get used to each other."
Hinata swallowed hard as she crawled into the sleeping bag, every nerve in her body twitching with the desire to run out into the night screaming.
The puppeteer watched as she managed to get inside the sleeping bag without flashing too much leg. He was amused at her modesty, but not that upset. He wondered about his own patience with Hinata. If asked the day before yesterday, he would have said she was no where near his type of woman.
Yet ...strangely, he felt a strong urge to make her comfortable. Ease her into having sex with him. Often. On a regular basis. It didn't hurt that she was arguably one of the prettiest girls he'd met. With a great body that she tried to hide, but couldn't. Kankuro grinned where she couldn't see him, not with her bloodline deactivated anyway!
He slid in beside her and felt her stiffen up. That was his modest little angel. He moved so that he was close enough that she could feel his heat behind her, but not touching.
"Good night." He leaned up over her to whisper.
Hinata shivered as Kankuro's breath tickled her ear hotly. "G...go...good n...ni...night." She managed, softly.
Hinata stiffened when she felt him close the difference behind her. He was now touching her in one long line all along her back, his breath tickling the top of her head. One strong arm wrapped around her waist and captured one of her hands.
Tense, she waited. And waited. And waited. But he made no further move.
"Go to sleep, Hinata." He finally whispered against the top of her head.
She gave a small hiccup and nodded, but couldn't seem to relax. Although his heat was like a sirens call behind her. Her feet, usually the coldest part of her body, tucked themselves between his calves without her permission.
Kankuro sighed, but didn't move. "You have cold feet, Hinatyan." He yawned against her hair.
Hinata started to relax as it dawned on her he wasn't going to do anything tonight. And the nickname had taken her by surprise. It made them a real couple. Such familiarity was new to her. What could she call him? Kankatyan? She felt a smile tease her lips as her body slowly relaxed.
"G...good n..night, Ka...Kankuro-kun." She said, blushing hotly as she chickened out. The honorific would have to do for now.
Kankuro smiled as the skies finally opened up, drowning out all other sounds, and all talk ceased. Kankuro-kun? It was a start.
o.O.o.O.o.O
As always, hope you enjoyed! Please review!