Love at second sight.
A/N: Oii, you guys!!!! I just recently found out I can actually answer your reviews! I mean, personally, not in the A/N-thingie… I checked my e-mail yesterday, and I got a shitload of e-mails in one day!!! I thought nothing of it, and erased them… - -' (smacks forehead) How stupid could you be!!!! I'm really, really sorry, but I'll try to answer you all from now on!!! So… review, please? (puppy dog-eyes) Oh, and Reikotsu, thanks for your review! I didn't even realize halve of my mistakes, so I uploaded chapter ten again! You didn't sound too critical! And of course: all the others who reviewed, thank you very much also! XD I'm so happy that you all like it!
Chapter eleven
Neji scowled.
Damn.
Hiashi-sama was back again. He couldn't sniffle around just like that anymore. The Hyuuga genius had to think of something else, considering the fact that his uncle almost slept in his office, always busy with paperwork and such. Tsch. Workaholic.
"Neji-sama. Hiashi-sama calls for you."
Hm. Speaking of the devil.
"Hai. I'll go right now."
Walking towards the office, Neji noticed that the servants were quite nervous. That could only mean two things. One: Dinner was burned, or two: Hiashi-sama was not in a good mood. Considering the events that had been happening, it was probably the latter.
Standing before the door he knocked three times, guards eyeing his every move. "Hiashi-sama. May I come in?"
He heard a low grumble and a "Yes, you have permission to enter."
He stepped inside and looked at Hiashi, who was sitting behind his desk, looking a bit…angry. He looked up from his papers to Neji. Well, more like glared.
"Neji, as you can see I'm back from Suna…"
'Or so I noticed,' Neji thought dryly, but decided to not say it out loud, for his uncle was already pissed enough. "How was Gaara-sama?"
"The Kazekage was convalescent. At least, I think so, for he was quite rude. He's the same as before."
"That's…nice. But did you call me only to tell me this, uncle?"
White eyes narrowed. "No, there was something else…"
Neji looked as his uncle's expression changed from angry to quite dangerous. He mentally scowled. That wasn't too good. If he had found out about his little… investigation, then…
"I would appreciate it if you stayed away from my business, Neji. I'll keep an eye on you, so be warned. Next time I may not be so… forgiving." White eyes still narrowed, Hiashi kept glaring, silently treating him.
Shit.
He did find out.
Silently raging on the inside, but completely stoic on the outside, the Hyuuga genius bowed. He knew it was for the best if he kept silent about this whole matter. "Can I go now?"
Hiashi nodded, while glaring at him. "You may leave."
Neji turned and left the office as fast as he could walk.
He didn't know how his uncle found out, but now he really had to be careful. Hiashi hided something, and it was most certainly not something positive.
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A single white flower was standing on the desk.
Dark eyes were fixed on it, as if they were in a trance.
The Uchiha was troubled.
How the hell was he going to tell Hinata about his previous… job? He didn't know at all. Now that he was alone, for Hinata had left to do some groceries, he had time to contemplate about it.
He didn't really think about it lately, but since she gave him that flower, he remembered it again.
Damn it.
How could he tell her? How could he tell her they were in danger? How could he tell her he had killed people? How could he tell her… what he was?
He didn't know the answer. But what he did know was that he had to confess it soon, before it was too late. He couldn't keep the truth from her forever.
But how should he tell her?
A creak was heard. "Sasuke-kun, I'm back…"
He had to tell her… now. Now or never.
"Hinata-chan, we need to talk…"
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Black-ringed eyes gazed out of the window, looking at nothing in particular.
'Hinata…'
When would he see her again? Smell her again? Hold her again? He missed her so much, that his heart ached. Many years ago, it would be an unknown feeling to him, but when he met Hinata, everything changed. Including his feelings. And now he felt this.
The feeling as if she wasn't his anymore. He could barely take it. Her screams haunted him in his dreams, he saw her face everywhere he looked, and he could smell her every second of the day.
He had to find her. He had to find him. In two days he was out of this place and then he could begin the hunt…
…for Uchiha Sasuke.
Leafs rustled.
Snapped out of his thoughts, the redhead looked outside. There was no wind. But he knew for sure he had heard something. Seeing nothing, his gaze wandered off to the sky again.
'Probably a bird or something…'
Again a movement was heard. Sand flared up now, ready to attack anyone who would try something funny.
A piece of fabric, stuck in a branch, got his attention. His hand reached out, grains of sand moved towards the cloth. Jerking it roughly from the branch, Gaara brought the piece of texture to himself, throwing it on his bed. Picking it up, he sniffed at the dark cloth.
Blood.
It smelled of blood. Dark… liquid… pure…red… blood.
Old feelings flared through him again, overwhelmed him again.
Hunger.
Hunger.
Hunger.
Green eyes widened a little. Gripping his hair, Gaara chanted a few words to himself as a mantra. "No. No. No. No. Shukaku is gone. Shukaku is gone. I…. can control myself…."
Lifting a shaking hand up, he crushed the piece of fabric with his sand until almost nothing was left of it, except for a few small threads. The smell of blood still attacking all of his senses, he tried to calm himself a little.
"I can control myself….. no…. no…. I can control myself…."
Little by little the scent faded away. Breathing heavily, Gaara slowly let go of his hair. Head spinning thoroughly, he fell backwards onto his white pillow.
Whoever it was…
whoever had been watching him…
was no good.
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Temari sighed.
Looking at her idiotic brother who tried to hit on the nurse for the seventieth time, she grumbled a curse and went to the coffee machine.
"Damn, I need some caffeine..."
Beeping in the code for a cappuccino-extra-creamy, she leaned against the large dispenser, looking at the ground.
'Hinata-chan… Where are you?'
She sighed again. Her sister-in-law was away for too long. Not only did she miss her, but someone else too. Every time she and Kankuro were visiting Gaara, they could notice the heavy atmosphere. Gaara seemed to blame himself for what had happened, and everyone who knew him, knew that he couldn't take the feeling of guilt for very long. Sooner or later he would break down.
Kankuro and she were in the waiting room, waiting for the visiting hour to begin.
Temari looked at the large clock, which was hanging above the doorway.
15 more minutes.
Fuck.
She didn't want to visit her brother. It wasn't like she didn't love him, it was just…
…he was so sad.
She couldn't handle it very good. It was hard for her, and for Kankuro too, to see their brother being torn apart by guilt. In their childhood she had been too afraid for him to hold him, soothe him, tell him that it was okay. After Shukaku was dispersed from him, she had vowed to never let her little brother be sad again, but …
she had failed.
And she hated herself for that.
Suddenly she felt someone tap her shoulder. Looking up, the fan-user met the kabuki-painted face of her other brother.
"Oy, sis, your cappuccino is ready for a while now…"
Temari turned and grabbed the cup out of the machine. Sipping from it, she scowled a little.
Damn. It was lukewarm. She hated lukewarm cappuccino.
Karma. That had to be it. It was always karma in the end.
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Hinata was walking through the streets of Amegakure yet again. After they had come back, she had noticed there wasn't anything to eat or do. So she decided to go and get some groceries. Sasuke grudgingly had let her go, under the condition she stayed close by.
She really liked it here. Although Amegakure wasn't the same place as Suna or Konoha, it was a really nice place. And the people were all so friendly! It was just too bad they had to leave soon again…
Hinata really wondered what it was that put them in danger. Sasuke had never spoken about it again, but she still wondered about it. Maybe she should ask him about it…
Opening the door of their hotel, she waved warmly at Yuriko, who was behind the desk, cleaning everything thoroughly. The large woman smiled widely and waved back frantically, before going back to cleaning again.
Smiling, Hinata walked up to the stairs. Carefully she took her steps, cautiously to not let her bags fall.
Standing still before the door, Hinata placed one bag down and grabbed the key of their room with her free hand. Finally finding it, she put the thing in the lock, turned it around and pulled the door open with a creak.
"Sasuke-kun, I'm back…"
She saw him sitting on the bed, staring so intently at the flower she had given him as if he wanted to burn a hole in it. At the sound of her voice, the Uchiha looked up.
Directing his gaze to her, he opened his mouth slowly.
"Hinata-chan, we need to talk…"
The plastic bag with groceries was put onto the ground carefully.
Transforming in herself again, she directed her white eyes onto the seemingly stoic man in front of her.
But Hinata knew better.
Something was troubling him.
"Y-Yes, what is it?"
He sighed. "Sit down, please…"
Silently she walked over to him, placing herself next to him. Inwardly asking herself what was wrong, Hinata looked the Uchiha in the eyes again.
"Hinata…"
Silence.
There was really something that was bothering him. He could always come out of his words, except when he was nervous. And he was very nervous right now. She could see it in his eyes. Deep in those black pools laid worriedness, and an emotion she couldn't directly place.
"You know we are in danger, right…?"
She nodded.
"I haven't told you why…"
Shaking her head a little, Hinata was curious now.
"I don't know how to tell you this, but I have to say it…"
Closing his mouth again, he turned away from her, looking at the wall in front of him.
"I am a bad person…"
White eyes widened a little. What was he saying? "No… no, you're not…"
He put a hand on her lips, still not looking at her. It was almost as if he was afraid to look at her.
"I killed people…many people…"
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He felt her stiffen.
Inwardly he could stab himself right in the heart, but he had to tell her. If she found out from someone else, she would never trust him again.
Hell, she probably would want to never even see him again. Let alone talk to him.
But it was so fucking hard.
He didn't want to continue, but now that he had started, he had to finish it too. Finally looking her in the eyes, he opened his mouth again.
"I was an assassin. For two years, I've worked for a man named Kenji Yokohama, and killed human beings who never had done anything to me…"
Hinata shot up and stumbled away from him, a look of fear and hurt in her eyes. When she was at the door, her hand reached out to the door-handle, but his hand stopped her. Sasuke pulled her away from the door and sat down, dragging Hinata down with him while putting her softly next to him.
Never letting her hand go, he spoke further. "Please listen to me…" Silently begging her to stay, he looked at her. Eyes still sad, Hinata nodded.
"When I thought you were… dead, I held no feelings anymore, except the constant feeling of sadness and guilt. I could not forgive myself for what had happened to you, and I hated the person that I was. Trying to forget everything, I drank myself completely numb every night.
And in one of those nights, I met Kenji Yokohama. After he had questioned me he asked if I wanted to do a few 'cleaning-jobs' for him, and I said yes. After I got the addresses of the victims and killed them, I still felt nothing. But the guilt was fading away also. So after that night I continued assassinating people, because it helped me to forget the guilt, and slowly I climbed up until the point I became the top-ranked assassin.
I was content with that life, cared for nothing in the world. And then…I got that mission…"
After that the Uchiha was silent for a while, as if being in deep thought. Should he really tell Hinata this? But he decided he had to. She had the right to know.
Looking straight into her eyes, he continued.
"I was ordered to kill the Kazekage of Suna and his wife…"
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End of chapter eleven.
A/N: Well, that was chapter 11!!! Hope you liked it! Sasuke was a bit OOC, I know, but I couldn't think of another way to let him tell Hinata the truth… I'm going to stop now, for Donnie Darko is on TV and I have always wanted to see that movie! Woopie!!! XD Please review!!!!
