A/N: Hello to all my lovely readers! :-h Good news! Your (not so loyal) servant is back, well and alive!
But about 240 of my countrymen have died in the tropical storm locally know and 'Ondoy'. To you, it's probably 'Ketsana'. Anyways...
This storm has brought a month's worth of rain to our country (and that's a lot, mind you, since it rains practically every other day here in the Philippines). More than half of the capital (Manila) was underwater. 1.4 million (estimated) people have been displaced by the flood. Heck, my friend's whole village was submerged in water. My stepfather's friend died after his house was flooded, a cabinet fell on him and he drown, unconscious.
You may be happy that my family and I weren't affected, since we live in this huge-ass building complex. But please, Filipino based readers, let's help out our country. To those too far to help, prayers are often appreciated.
This chapter is dedicated to all those who lost their lives in Tropical Storm 'Ondoy'/'Ketsana'; to those who have been displaced and lost their homes, friends, family, etc.; to Vietnam, who is next to face the fury of this storm, that they may be protected; and to my fellow Filipinos, may they be kept safe from the coming storm this week.
{If you want to see how heartbreaking this story really is, type in 'Typhoon Ondoy', 'Flooding in Manila/Philippines' or 'September 26, 2009' in Youtube's search bar. It can really bring you to tears.}
Enjoy.
Hiashi was skeptic. His mansion has been transformed into the Royal Guard's headquarters! Of course, he didn't show it. He had to be professional, especially during this time of crisis.
The high prince's fiancée was missing.
The head count was complete, except her. Though half of the partygoers were injured, they were all accounted for and in the hospital or their respective homes. The royal family and the Harunos were being housed here as well. Guards in business suits carrying fancy laptops were running around his home, trying to get details of the attack. Who did it? Who could evade the guard so easily?
All these questions wracked the Guard's brain. They were running around trying to figure in out. The only people who knew were Hoshigaki Kisame and Uchiha Itachi. The latter was in a coma while the blue-skinned man was delirious (he apparently fell and hit his head). Answers weren't going to come from them.
The head of the Hyuuga family fell into bed, exhausted from provided drinks and accommodation for the hundreds of guards plus the royals and Harunos. The Harunos were especially troublesome. They've been panicking all day over their daughter. Haruka even had an asthma attack!
He rubbed his temples in an attempt to soothe his throbbing headache. It wasn't working at all.
Two consecutive hits on the large wooden door and a loud creaking noise alerted him that his eldest daughter entered holding a tray of tea.
"Father," She called out, stepping on the magnificent royal blue and white carpet, her feet padding silently. "I brought your afternoon tea."
Hiashi grumbled in response, but Hinata walked forward and placed the silver tray on the bedside table and poured some earl grey into a cup. At the herbal scent, Hiashi sat up and his daughter presented him his cup. She sat on an empty chair beside her father and neatly tucked one ankle under the other.
The father-daughter pair sipped on their tea quietly, thus a morbidly awkward silence hung upon them. Well, you couldn't really consider it awkward since they practically did this everyday, except for the fact no Hanabi was present. It didn't matter anyways. Hanabi was in the in-crowd who couldn't spare a second for father-daughter bonding time.
Her eyes were downcast, not meeting her father's impending gaze, as they always were. She never met eye to eye with her father, which is exactly why she's the shame of the family. Just because she preferred to go to London Institute of Interior Design for college instead of Harvard or Yale for business, didn't mean she was refusing the great honor of running the Hyuuga family.
Hiashi shook his head in disappointment. Ever since Hanabi was born, Hinata was always looked down upon—by herself. Her self-esteem went down, and she was rejected from the circle of the other nobles' daughters. She constantly was playing with her forefingers, pressing them against each other in a playful manner. Her eyes were veiled by long bangs, instead of the short crop she used to have when she was younger.
She had pretty white eyes and a doe face—just like the wife he lost 15 years ago in that car accident. Her petite figure and graceful walk made her even more like her mother: the pride of the Hyuuga branch all those years ago.
"It's perfect! Kagome of the Branch family, our pride and joy, marrying the son of the Head of the Hyuuga! It's a dream come true!"
Hiashi shook his head inwardly. Hinata is NOT Kagome.
"Father, are you done with that?" Her light, soprano voice broke his trance. "May I take the tray now?" She asked.
"Oh, of course, Hinata." He nodded, before his daughter stood up with the silver tray and left.
'If I put myself in Ken and Haruka's place…' He let his mind wander, wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead. "My daughters are the only things I have left of Kagome. I can't loose them, like Ken and Haruka lost Sakura…"
--
Sakura opened her eyes only to see total darkness. She was just about to pull her hand up to her temples to cease the pounding headache she was experiencing, but instead tugged on the chain that attached itself to her wrists, restraining her from doing any of the desired calming actions.
She decidedly let out a groan and found that her throat was unbearably dry. Settling for mentally groaning instead, she pulled her knees towards herself and let her head fall on her knees. Only then did she realize that she was sitting comfortably on silk sheets.
Once her eyesight cleared and she adjusted to the darkness, she could pick up the faint outline of velvet curtains by a heavily tinted window, and marvelous wooden posts that held the queen-sized bed up. She also saw that she still wore the red gown Temari had given her for the Christmas Ball, except the ends were tattered and slightly charred.
"Oh, so you're awake." A smug voice filled the room along with the pouring of blinding light from the newly opened doorway. In less than a second (in Sakura's 'just-been-drugged/too-fast-for-my-life terms), the silhouette that owned said voice pushed her down on the bed. His whole body sandwiched hers, not leaving much options for escape as his tongue dragged across her neck.
She let out an aggravated moan as she tried to fight the tingling sensation he was giving her. "Bastard," She managed to whisper as she felt the weight remove itself. The pinkette was about to sigh in somewhat-relief when the man brought out a handheld video camera.
"If you want your precious fiancé back, Gaara-kun…" The man chuckled darkly, caressing Sakura's cheek. She cringed as the lens zoomed in on her scowl. "Well, you're just going to have to pay the price."
And with that, the cover snapped shut.
The pale hand swept over Sakura's face one last time before the figure stood up.
"Apparently, I'm not allowed to touch you…yet." Sakura swore he smirked. "I'll be back my dear!"
--
"No Kisame, Itachi is not a unicorn." The nurse explained for the umpteenth time. "He's your partner."
"ARE YOU TELLING ME I'M GAY?" The blue-skinned man jumped up, ready to pound on anyone, regardless of chivalry or respect for human rights.
The room was filled with an awkward silence. "Er…no Kisame." The nurse replied, dumbfounded.
"Well, I would've been okay with it, as long as the dude is hot. Is he?" Kisame asked, prodding his chin with his forefinger in contemplation.
The nurse, a die-hard Uchiha fan girl, looked totally mortified at the thought of 'her' ("I swear, Itachi will be mine!!") Itachi-kun in a yaoi fanfiction with that…gilled thing. Immediately, she ran out of the room screaming morbidly as she made her exit from the Hyuuga mansion.
"Well…" The female Subaku Sibling, who was present with her brothers through the whole 'unicorn-gay-KisaIta' incident, broke the pregnant silence hanging over the room. "That was…interesting."
Gaara was resisting the urge to bang his head repeatedly on the table as Kisame challenged his older brother to a 'who can drink an ice slurpee the fastest' (A/N: Yeah, I don't know where the slurpee came from either) contest.
"I'm leaving." He announced unemotionally, storming out of the room and down the hallway to his makeshift suite.
--
Matsuri peeked from the small crack of the door, just to see High Prince Gaara pass by. She turned to Karin who was currently throwing articles of clothing over her shoulder from Hanabi's closet. Said owner of the closet was catching thing and putting them against her body to check if they looked good or not.
"Okay girls. It's time for me to work my magic on Gaara-kun." She chuckled as Karin handed her a blood red coat. She gladly threw it on over the short black halter dress and fishnet stockings she wore.
"Good luck, Matsuri. Maybe after, you can help me win Sasuke-kun, ne?" Karin hinted, her red-orange eyebrows lifted under her glasses.
"With that pest of a bitch is gone, it will solve all our boy-troubles. Not that we had any, but we will get rid of that nuisance anyways." The brunette replied as she opened the door and left the room.
--
Gaara lay face up on the bed set for him in the Hyuuga Mansion. His headache wasn't ceasing, even though he was willing it with all his almighty royal powers to cease it. He closed his eyes, attempting to forget the slurpee contest, Itachi the homosexual unicorn and…
"Sakura,"
Her name, her image, her pink locks and luscious lips would always come into his head. And her eyes, those haunting emerald orbs, wouldn't get out. She was everywhere and nowhere at the same time.
He missed her so much that it hurt.
In the middle of his inner turmoil, he heard his door swing open and high-heeled footsteps make their way through the room.
"Go away." He bluntly commanded, not bothering to check who it was that infiltrated his personal space. When he didn't hear the door close once more, he repeated his command. "I said—"
"I thought you wanted some company…Gaara-kun."
--
His eyes slowly opened to see a bright white ceiling. His head throbbed, and he didn't have the strength to close his eyes once more. He had no control of his limbs; therefore he had the state of a paralyzed person. Or was he already paralyzed? He wouldn't know. The last thing he ever remembered feeling was the sharp and acute sting of the bullet lodging itself into his torso.
Maybe he was dead. After all, they say heaven was a blinding white light, slightly chillier than earth.
No one said that his mother, father and younger brother would be in heaven.
"Ita-kun!"
Contrary to popular belief, Uchiha Itachi was a momma's boy. He was spoiled silly as a young boy to think that the entire world was his, and he could have anything without even asking. He grew up being known as the genius, whether it be in sports, academics or random hobbies. He was praised as perfect, just because his mother said so. And anything Uchiha Mikoto says, goes.
"Ita-kun!" The voice repeated. "He's waking up doctor! He's waking up!"
The feeling of blood rushing through his numb veins let him abruptly sit up, and his head instantly became lighter. A weight attached itself onto his torso, tucking its head in the crook of his neck, repeating: "My baby's alive! He's alive! My baby boy!"
I told you Itachi was a momma's boy.
--
"Matsuri, what are you doing here?"
Leaning on the door, she smiled slyly and playfully lifted a knee out of the opening of the blood red coat she wore. "Why Gaara-kun? I thought that without Lady Sakura, you would want some…" She inched closer to the bed, where the High Prince now sat up in, looking at her disbelievingly. "…company."
"Get out Matsuri." The redhead commanded bluntly.
She kneed her weight on his king-sized bed as she stuck out her bottom lip in a pout. "Why do you do this to me Gaara-kun? All I want is to give you some company while Lady Sakura isn't around. Is that a crime?" She asked.
"Yes. It is." He back sassed the brunette and stood up from the bed to stand by the window. "And as far as I know, Lady Hitarashi,"—he said her name venomously—"everyone, including you, runs in fear of my presence."
"Of course not, Gaara-kun. I rather enjoy your company, just as much as I know you'll enjoy mine."
--
After the (may I say, tearful and relieving) reunion with his parents, his family left leaving all but his little brother and his notepad. Though one could see this as 'brotherly bonding', the presence of Deidara with his bandaged burns and Sasori with a makeshift eye patch and Hyuuga Neji (who was comparatively unharmed) destroyed the whole basis of 'brotherly bonding'.
"So Kisame thinks I'm a homosexual unicorn?" The older Uchiha asked, an eyebrow lifted in a questioning manner.
"Pretty much." Sasori affirmed with a wave of his hand.
"Fish man was gonna snap someday, yeah." Deidara added. "So what happened before the shooting? Do you remember? Kisame obviously doesn't, yeah."
Itachi lowered his head into his hands and stared down at the white blanket bunched up on his lap. "There were these men outside the ballroom." He started, and Sasuke scratched it down onto his little notepad. "They had suitcases worth of weapons. They said something about a guy…his name was…Kabuto."
"Orochimaru's right hand man." Neji said with a nod. "But Orochimaru wouldn't initiate anything on his own."
"Was there anything before you saw the men with the weapons?" Sasori asked.
He thought long and hard. The room was filled with silence as the bedridden man recalled the events of the past evening.
"Well aniki?" Sasuke said in irritation.
His brother looked up at them in alarm, as if he had remembered something of the utmost importance.
"Hitarashi Matsuri."
--
"I'm going to ask you one more time Lady Hitarashi: get out of my room." Gaara snarled, pushing away from the pursuing brunette. She fell backwards on the wall, her head hanging low.
"Why Gaara?"
"Why what? You've been asking an awful lot of questions lately." He growled, his back turned away from the intruder.
"Why her? Why her over me? I've been admiring you for so long! I've been here for forever, but you choose someone who you've just met over someone like me! Why?" She cried and grabbed on to his pant leg.
He looked over his shoulder to see her crying on the floor, disheveled.
"I've loved you! Please Gaara!" She screamed. "Chose me…"
The door slammed open, shaking their attention back to reality.
Neji, Sasuke, Shino, Kankuro, Temari and a few other guards stood there, all with guns pointed at the woman on the floor.
"High Prince, please step back." The Hyuuga commanded calmly, his pearl eyes never leaving the tiny tear streaked face of the accused woman.
Gaara abided, and stepped aside. With a nod from the High Prince, Shino continued with the accusation. "Lady Hitarashi Matsuri, you are under arrest for manipulation and initiation of the terrorist attack."
Review please! It would really brighten up my mood right now. :)
~Bella