Disclaimer: It's the curse of the man skirt! (Neji wears a man skirt in Shippūden in case you didn't know ;))
Chapter Eleven, Future
--
Show me what it's like (to be the last one standing), and teach me wrong from right (and I'll show you what I can be) and say it for me and say it to me and I'll leave this life behind me, say it if it's worth Savin' Me. –Savin' Me chorus by Nickelback.
--
Hanabi paced from one end of the chamber to the other, her hands sometime folded in front of her body, sometimes rubbing together and sometimes clenched at her sides as she waited for the bounty hunter to return with her sister and cousin.
She had awakened irritated, and her mood had only grown worse when she realized that she had awakened almost an hour before she normally did. She had refused breakfast when it came as was her custom despite the protests of her servants and Hitachi who seemed to think that his whole life's goal was making her miserable. The morning had continued on the horrid path it had started on, paperwork, paperwork, request of marriage from a rival clan denied, paperwork, the news that her sister and cousin had been captured, and more paperwork
She had tried to get Hitachi to concentrate on the cousin and sister captured one but the man had other ideas and kept forcing more and more boring stuff on her. She had finally gotten a reprise when the bounty hunter himself appeared only a half hour ago and presented evidence that he had captured Neji and Hinata, and then promptly demanded payment.
Hitachi looked like he would have given it to him then and there if Hanabi hadn't of spoken up and said that she wanted her sister and cousin formally presented to her before any bounty was paid. Hitachi had given her the look that said he was going to argue but she had stood and walked away; calling for her guards in preparation of her reunion with the two people that she had once considered herself closest.
She turned when she heard voices in the hallway, that accursed bounty hunter probably snickering as he thought about the money he was going to get out her, she thought. She crinkled her nose in disgust and dropped into her chair, something Hitachi had told her that she didn't need but she had stopped taking orders from him the moment the ninja had burst into her chambers and told her that her father had committed seppuku. She had known in that instant that he hadn't done it willingly and she knew that Hitachi had something to do with it. She had started refusing the meals that he brought her and only then had she started noticing the changes about her and to her person.
She had theorized that the elder had been drugging her and it had proven correct when she secretly went through Hitachi's room she had found ground up moon flowers that gave her no doubt that he had been drugging her and she had then realized that she had lost almost six months of her life. The withdrawal symptoms that came afterward hadn't been pleasant at all, but at least they had told her that her days under Hitachi's less than loving care were over.
She sneaked a glance at the man, standing tall next to her, him still thinking that he had her favor but she had only allowed him to stay like that so he didn't suspect anything about her desire for Neji's return. Her aversion grew as she thought about the man, ruling from the shadows like he was, the only way he would ever be able to rule the clan.
The rice paper door at the far side of the room opened slowly, giving her enough time to compose herself so she could face her cousin, and sister that had always been like a mother to her. They entered the room one by one, the distasteful bounty hunter coming first, his hand clamped around her sister's wrist like a manacle, a smile on his sleazy face. Hinata came next, a terrified expression on her face as she let out low whimpers. One of the hunter's apprentices came next and then there was Neji, not looking at all like the man of her dreams, no, this Neji looked like he had been to hell and back, his bet with the devil lost.
The bounty hunter stood there with a smile then he jerked Hinata around and pushed her forward, unsettling her. Hanabi saw a second before it happened that Hinata wouldn't be able to catch herself, her swollen belly making her movements awkward and unsettling. Hinata's face was full of horror and a half scream half sob emitted from her mouth as she started to fall forward, her hands waving in the air as if she expected to find something to hold on to.
Hanabi was just about to dash down and save her sister when Neji darted forward and caught her arm, steadying her and then promptly receiving a blow to the head that knocked him flat on his front side. Hanabi watched this all transpire without a thought and then suddenly she felt Hitachi's hateful glance at her sister and cousin. She knew that if she didn't act quickly they would be at the mercy of the sadistic man behind her so she did the one thing that she could to get them away from him if only for a little while: she drew a kunai.
"You!" She yelled. "How dare you touch my sister! I will kill you, Hyuga Neji!" She jumped down off the dais and glared at her cousin. "Take them to my chambers!" She hissed at her nearest guard.
"Hanabi-sama," Hitachi said smoothly, gliding down beside her and looking her in the eye. "You do not wish to do this. I will deal with them."
She glared at him in hatred, knowing that he was trying to assert his control over her, the moon flower leaving it's victims highly susceptible to all forms of physical and mental attacks. "Take them to my chambers or I will banish you," she bit out, turning her gaze from her crazed uncle to her guard.
"What about my payment?" The bounty hunter asked, glancing around in confusion.
"Since you returned your bounties in less than top condition, you will incur a reduction of twenty-five percent." She watched the man's face drain of color even though a twenty-five percent reduction wasn't that much.
"Hyuga-sama is gracious as always." He said with a bow. "Thank you, Hyuga-sama." He glanced over at Hitachi who had a scowl on his face as if he expected the man to contradict her and when the elder didn't, he slowly turned and motioned for his apprentice to follow him out the door.
"Did I not tell you to take these criminals to my chambers?" Hanabi hissed and her guards both reacted by grabbing Hinata and Neji and pulling them out the door.
"Hanabi-sama," Hitachi tried to reason though his face was devoid of all color and he had panic rising in his eyes. "You do not have…"
"I will do as I wish, Hitachi-ojisan." She threw over her shoulder as she made her way to the door, feeling much older than her short fourteen years.
"Hanabi-sama!" He tried one last time but she had already shut the door and was walking down the hallway to where she would face her sister and cousin and would be able to ask their forgiveness.
She entered her office slowly, spying around the corner before she entered, motioning to her guards that had taken up watch outside to be quiet and let no one enter.
Neji was leaning up against the back wall his face twisted in pain, his hand clenching his side, wincing every once and a while as the hand move slowly over what appeared to be cracked, or broken, ribs. She also noticed that he as putting all his weight on one leg, the other braced against the wall as if it would help keep it straight.
Hinata sat at his side, her head bent toward her greatly expanded belly, her hands making small circling movements over it, and if she strained her eyes enough, she could see that her sister's shoulders were shaking in silent sobs.
Hanabi bit her lower lip as she slowly entered the room, careful to keep her hands in sight at all times but it didn't matter as Neji's eyes were closed and Hinata's head was bent. "Onee-san, Onii-san," Hanabi whispered, coming to a stop in front of them.
Neji's pearly eyes opened and regarded her with a closed expression, Hinata's head remaining bowed.
"I," she started and then stopped when Neji slowly sat next to her sister and took her hands in his.
"Hinata," he whispered softly, brushing indigo hairs away from her cheeks. She slowly raised her head and shook her it, indicating that she was fine.
"Hanabi-sama," Hinata whispered, raising her face. "Please continue."
Hanabi stared at her sister before nodding. "Neji-oniisan, Hinata-oneesan, I am… Not sure how to phrase this. All I can do is beg for your forgiveness. I know that I have not been the Head that I should have been and I know that I have not been the sister I should have been."
Hanabi bowed her head for a long time before she raised it and started her tale.
"The days after you left, Hinata, were filled with toil for our clan, the thought that the Byakugan could slop out of our control and its secrets learned too great a threat to ignore. Neji was sent out several times to find you and I know that your annoying teammate went searching for you many times, he even would sit outside the front gate for hours on end, waiting for news of you. Two weeks passed by this time and all hope of finding you were fading into the background when it began." Hanabi glanced over at her sister, noticing for the first time her eyes weren't settled on anything; rather they were staring unfocused at the wall over Hanabi's shoulder.
"Please continue, Hanabi-sama," he older sister requested in that soft voice of hers that seemingly never raised about a whisper.
Hanabi gave a slight smile before she continued.
"An internal battle started then, between the purists of the clan and radical members that thought that our strict policies concerning our famed kekkei genkai should be reformed. Father was not at all for this change and the let me know in one ear while Hitachi started speaking falsehoods in my other. That man started to grow on me to the point I thought that I could not survive without him and truly, I would not have because he had been secretly feeding me moon flowers, weakening my defenses against him." She bit her lower lip as Neji met her gaze, concern written in his eyes. A small chuckle escaped when she thought about that look. Several months ago she would have demanded that he become hers, but now she knew that her insane desires for him were nothing more than a need for someone to need her, not just as the head of the Hyuga, but as a woman.
"Hitachi's presence continued to grow and in the end, it was too late to stop him." She continued, her hands starting to rub together without her conscious thought. "The moon flowers had done their job perfectly, they had diluted my brain to the point I didn't know anything other than the fantasy world my mind created. But," she chuckled, "the thought of bringing the two of you home helped me stop allowing myself to be drugged, it helped me regain control, but it was already too late." Her eyes dropped to her lap and when she looked up again, there were tears in her eyes. "I was pregnant."
Neji reacted the way she thought he would, his eyes flew open and then hardened, looking around for the man that would dare touch his younger cousin, a jūken blow to the heart courtesy of him already shaping his palm. Hinata's reaction was less predictable; she merely raised her head and gave a horrified sob and then slumped in defeat.
"Who?" The single word came from Neji's mouth but it wasn't his voice; this voice was hard and full of hatred.
The head of the Hyuga clan regarded her sister and cousin for several long moments before she said softly, "Hitachi."
--
It was that infernal singing again, his mind said as he fought for consciousness, but this time it was singing a song that was even more out of the person's voice range.
"Gosh dang it. Stop that infernal singing!" He cried, rubbing his hands over his face to bring life back to it.
"I'm happy you're awake, too." The voice that had been singing said dryly, coming closer to him.
"Hijiri, as much as much as I like you, you were not meant to be a singer." Hanashi groaned as he sat up, taking in the fact he didn't know where he was.
Hijiri pushed her puffy lower lip out in a pout. "Yoriko-san has been teaching me while you lay there, dying. Hanashi, you should fight harder to live or actually commit to dying instead of hovering between the two. I had to smack you around a couple of times to see which way you would go." She tilted her head to one side and observed him thoughtfully.
"Really?" Hanashi frowned, scratching the back of his head. "What happened?"
Hijiri's face fell. "You don't remember?" She asked hesitantly, reaching up to touch the bandage that was wrapped around her forehead.
"Not really, no. What happened?" Hanashi frowned.
"We got our butts whooped, that's what happened." A voice came from beside him. Hanashi turned his head to see the young man that lived on the farm that Neji and Hinata had been staying at, wrapped in white bandages, looking pissed.
"Neji and Hinata-sama." Hanashi said suddenly, his eyes widening. He looked over at Hijiri who shook her head.
"They were taken." Hijiri whispered, tears in her eyes.
"We have to get them back!" Hanashi yelled, trying to stand but failing.
"How? They have been gone for three days, three days, Hanashi! You know what that means!" Hijiri yelled. "They are out of our reach."
A sob came from the other side of the room and Hanashi turned to see the little girl that he had been told was the daughter of this land's lord, cuddling a white and grey kitten to her chest.
"Suzume," the son of the farmers sighed. "It'll be okay. You know how Neji is when he is in defensive mode."
"I'm not worried about him." The blonde girl turned and glared at him. "I'm worried about Hinata-chan's baby. What will they do to it? Will they let it be born? Or will they…" She broke off, leaving the rest of her thought unspoken.
"They won't." Hijiri muttered in the background. "They will take the child away from her and raise it the way they want it to be raised. A child born of Neji and Hinata-sama will be something even the elders can't pass up. They will want the power that the child will have, the Byakugan it will have."
"Yeah," Hanashi muttered, rubbing the back of his head. "That kid would be the death of the Hyuga if they don't get their hands on it. Neji's crazy eyes and Hinata-sama's frank and to the point attitude… I'm almost looking forward to seeing what the bastard and the rest will do when they find out she is quickening with Neji's child."
"They won't be happy," Hanko said as she entered the room with Haji trailing. "The child is a threat to the very lives the Hyuga live. If it is allowed to live, it would never be able to see its parent's ever again."
"And the council would make sure that Neji and Hintata-sama never have anymore children." Hijiri sighed heavily.
"Why not?" Haji frowned, looking up at his elder cousins and mother. "Why can't Neji-niichan and Hina-neechan have anymore children?"
"It is difficult to explain, Haji-kun." Hanko said softly, looking away from her son.
"If Nii-chan loves Hina-chan why can't they be together?" Haji cocked his head to the side, his simple logic hitting the adults hard.
"The squirt is right. We have to make sure that they don't do anything to them." Hanashi said, walking over to the door.
"Where are you going?" Hijiri yelled, standing up and rushing over to him. "You are recovering from some nasty wounds."
"And think about the wounds Neji and Hinata-sama have." Hanashi said without turning. "It is our duty to protect them, Hijiri. That is why we were born."
"Neji is a branch house member also," Hijiri huffed, crossing her arms over her chest and looking away.
"But he is still of the Royal line." Hanashi reminded her.
"Yeah," she conceded, looking away. "But that doesn't mean that I'm going to risk my butt for him."
Hanashi gave her a thoughtful look before turning back toward the door. "All the same, I am going back to Konoha."
"Get yourself killed." Hijiri said dryly.
"Thank you."
"You should change first romantic lover boy," Hijiri rolled her eyes, laughing at his attire that consisted of a very loose fitting white robe.
"Yeah," Hanashi blushed. "I could do that."
--
"Hitachi, Hitachi, Hitachi," Hinata moaned over and over again, clenching her belly.
Hanabi glanced at her cousin out of the corner of her eye, gauging his reaction to her news with detachment, no emotions playing with her mind as he sat there in silence, his eyes brooding, but that was all emotion he showed.
"Why? Why?" Hinata cried. "What does that dirty old man have to gain by that? Why would he do this to you?"
"Power." Neji answered with a blank face. "He desires power and right now Hanabi is the one with it; so Hanabi is his tool in his quest for lordship over the Hyuga." He said with the cool logic Hanabi envied and had always desired.
"Yes. I am the one with the power, so I am the one that he has to defeat to get to the top; only, recently, I haven't been the mindless machine he wants. I have rebelled." Hanabi chuckled as if she was revealing some deep, dark secret that might cause the Hyuga to crumble.
"What happened after," Hinata whispered, "you found out…" She trailed off, not wanting to think of her fourteen-year-old sister with a child.
"I had a miscarriage before I could have an abortion. An ectopic pregnancy I am told is the "scientific" name of what happened to me though it is more readily described as the fertilized egg implanting itself in my Fallopian tube and then growing in an area not designed for pregnancy. I did not know that it was happening until I started bleeding, but by then it was too late. I had a hysterectomy because the damage done could not be repaired. No matter how hard they press me for a child now, I can not have one, all thanks to their own co-patriot. It is almost a poetic end to this tale, do you not believe?" Hanabi gave a humorless chuckle. "They did it to themselves. No heir will be born of my body."
"No," Neji said in a hard voice, "But that doesn't mean that they won't try to make you have one and by that time you will have to tell them what has happened. But we all know that they won't believe you. Hitachi has them all wrapped around his fingers. They will not believe your story."
"But you believe me?" Hanabi raised her eyebrow.
"Yes." Neji bit out, his mind having already come up with a thousand different ways to kill that man.
"Good." Hanabi folded her hands on her lap. "I can imagine that you are hungry."
"Famished." Hinata groaned.
Hanabi threw her head back and laughed. "I will arrange for food to be brought in." She giggled as she stood and went to the door. "Bring food and drink." She ordered, opening the door only to come face to face with Hitachi.
"Hanabi-sama," he tried to start but she cut him off.
"Bring food and drink." She hissed at the servants wandering around outside and then turned back into the room and shut the door with a loud clunk.
"Are you okay, Hanabi-sama?" Neji asked, glancing at her.
"I am fine." She replied, noticing that he had pulled Hinata onto his lap and was stroking his fingers through her hair. Her heartstrings started to pull tighter and tighter, the overwhelming desire to slap his hand away from Hinata assaulting her continuingly but she fought to overcome it as she sat a safe distance away from them.
They sat in silence for several minutes before a knock came to the door. Neji glanced over at Hanabi who nodded and he rose to greet the servants that were carrying several heavy laden trays. They were arranged around them and as soon as the servants left the room Hinata attacked her food, eating like she had never tasted food before. Neji watched her with amusement and Hanabi just shook her head as her elder sister managed to devour two tray's worth of food in a short while.
"Wow," Hanabi muttered, setting her bowl of rice down, her appetite lost. "How long has it been since you ate, onee-san?"
"We got some food yesterday…" Hinata placed her chopsticks down with a frown. "It was a crust of bread and some water. We've been so hungry." She sighed, rubbing her hands over her swollen belly, feeling a slight tingling inside.
"I see." Hanabi sighed, studying her sister's face. "Hina-oneesan, what happened to your eyes?" Hanabi asked, fearing the answer.
Hinata head dropped into her chest, her hands twisting together. "I, well, that, then… The day you were made head," the indigo haired young woman whispered, "I was called to a council meeting, but neither you nor chichi-ue was there, just Hitoshi and Hitachi along with the other elders. Hitoshi told me that he was going to brand me and I was willing to face my fate but then… Hitachi stole my eyesight." She said softly, wiping a tear from her eye.
"That man," Hanabi growled. "He needs to be put in his place."
"Hanabi-sama," Hinata moaned. "Please do not do anything that you will regret later."
"I would never regret killing Hitachi," Hanabi growled, flipping her lank brown hair over her shoulder. "After all he has done, after all that he is still trying to do; no, I would never regret his death."
Hinata's face registered shock. "Hana-chan," she whispered, using the nickname that she had come up with as soon as her newborn baby sister had been place in her five-year-old arms. She bit her lower lip and then shook her head, reaching out a hand toward the sister that she had raised in her mother's place. "Please, do not say that you will end someone's life. All life is precious," she said, wrapping her arms around her distended belly, feeling another slight tightening in it. "All life is precious."
"That may be well and good for you, Hinata, but I am the head of the Hyuga clan and I have to dole out punishments everyday. I am the one that has to give men and women of my clan sentences that end their ninja careers. I am hated already, why can't I do this one last thing that will bring me my own sanity and happiness? Why, Hinata? Why? Haven't you ever killed? You are a ninja, too."
"I," Hinata murmured, a frown creasing her brow. "I…" Her face became confused and her eyes were darting around in bewilderment. "I," she gasped, placing her hands under her belly as if to support it. "Something is wrong," she moaned. "Something is really wrong, Nii-san." She let out a little squeak. "No."
"Hinata?!" Neji yelled, his arms going around her shoulders. "What is wrong? What's happening?"
"The baby," she gasped. "I think I'm losing the baby."
"No! Listen to me, Hinata. You aren't losing the baby because we are in Konoha now and Tsunade-sama can take care of the two of you. You will be fine," he growled.
"I'm scared." She sobbed.
"I'll take care of you; I'll always take care of you." He said as he gathered her up in his arms. "We're going to go to the hospital now. You'll be well taken care of."
"You're hurt too, Neji." Hinata whispered has her eyes started to darken. "You have a broken leg."
"That doesn't matter right now!" He growled as he gritted his teeth and carried her to the door, limping the whole way.
"Neji," Hanabi called. "We can get someone else…"
"No! I will take care of Hinata." A look of fierce determination came to Neji's face as he forced open the door and carried Hinata through. "I will get you to the hospital. I should have insisted you go there first." He whispered into Hinata hair. "That man landed a blow right on your belly. We have to make sure that everything is okay."
"The baby," Hinata moaned, only half conscious. "Save the baby, Nii-san."
"I will." He said, making sure that there was no room for questions in his tone, his determination to save Hinata and their child driving him past his body's limits. He felt every step with his broken leg, he saw the black and white dots flying threw his vision, he could taste the coppery taste of blood and the revolting taste of bile in his mouth, he gasped in pain with every breath as Hinata's body pressed against his broken ribs, his deflated lung burning, but he gritted his teeth and continued forward, even when the members of the main house tried to stop him. He heard Hanabi arguing with several people as he made his way to the compound's main gate and allowed himself a faint smile that was soon replaced with a grimace.
The gate came and went as he dove into the foot traffic that told him the village was thriving just as much as it had when he left. The hospital was halfway across Konoha from the Hyuga's compound but Neji didn't even notice the distance as he was intent on seeing the sign proclaiming the village's lifeline, the hospital that the Hokage helmed and had saved over half the ninja population only a short while ago in the last great ninja war that had also cost Konoha some of it's best shinobi.
Neji plowed into the lobby, almost running over an older lady that was hobbling along with a cane in each hand. He grumbled something that he hopped was an apology and then he was yelling at the woman that sat at the information desk.
"She needs help!" He cried. "Help her! Get Tsunade-sama!"
"Tsunade-sama is not here right now." The woman said; annoyed with people that demanded to see the genius medic-nin Hokage for minor things like a paper cut.
"She's in labor," Neji growled. "She's only just at six months. Please, she needs help."
"Neji-san?" Sakura's voice said from beside him. "Why are you yelling?"
"It's Hinata," he hissed, angry with everyone who was stalling him from getting Hinata the treatment she needed. "She's in labor. She's only six months."
Sakura's eyes widened and darted to Hinata's swollen belly before she bit her lower lip and glanced at the woman behind the desk. They held a private conversation with their eyes before Sakura sighed and nodded. "You are both officially missing-nin, but… You are both my friends. Come with me and we will help Hinata."
Neji stared at her for several long seconds, trying to figure out why she mentioned the fact he and Hinata were missing-nin then Hinata gave a groan, reminding him why he was there. "Please help her, Sakura-san. Help her and the baby."
"Follow me," the pink haired kunoichi said, pointing down the hallway then taking off in the direction she indicated. She stopped and looked at a sign over head before going to the end of the hallway and opening a door. "This way." She called, motioning that he should follow her.
The Hyuga genius gave her a her a questioning look, a funny feeling coming to the pit of his stomach as he observed the Hokage's apprentice. He wasn't quite sure what was wrong but he didn't have the luxury of thinking about it when Hinata gave an earsplitting scream. A thought of Sakura's behavior disappeared as Hinata started thrashing around in his arms, her small hands pounding his chest.
"Make it stop!" She sobbed. "It hurts. Make it stop, nii-san."
"I can't make it stop, Hinata, but Sakura is going to look at you and do what she can," Neji soothed, trying to calm her fears even though he himself didn't believe his words. Sakura might do all she could, but she wouldn't be able to do enough. Hinata needed the care that only the Hokage could give, but according to what Sakura said earlier, she would just as rather throw them in a prison cell. Gritting his teeth one last time, he plowed into the examination room Sakura was in, setting Hinata down gently on the blue raised table in the middle of the room.
Sakura went to work immediately, her hands probing Hinata's belly gently, a frown on her face the whole time. "Neji," she finally said in a strained voice, "Find Tsunade-sama, quickly. I'm doing everything in my power to help Hinata-san, but I'm not at the level Tsunade-sama is. Only she can save the babies."
Neji gave a sharp nod of his head and rushed out the door; he was halfway down the hallway before he realized Sakura had said babies instead of baby. "Oh, Hinata," he moaned, the fear of losing not just one baby, but two driving a wedge in his heart.
--
Hanabi stood face to face with that detestable man, Hitachi, outside her office right after Neji had taken Hinata and ran, the glaring match now entering its tenth minute. Being in such close proximity with him stirred all the bad memories she had of what he had done to her, but this was the only way she could make sure that Hinata and Neji got to the hospital without the man detaining them.
"Hanabi-sama, be reasonable. Those two should be thrown in prison and forgotten." Hitachi's eyes were crinkled around the edges, the sign he was about ready to blow but Hanabi wouldn't budge.
"I do not care what you think, Hitachi-san," she growled, using the honorific as a curse. "I am the head of the Hyuga. I decide what happens to those that belong to the Hyuga clan, not you. It is my job, not yours and you will be well to remember that."
"Your father gave you the title with the stipulation that there be a regent until you rise to your majority. You are yet to rise to that majority and since that man is dead, I have become the regent. I decide what happens in this clan." The head's great uncle hissed; trying to regain the ground he had lost with threats.
"Oh? Really?" Hanabi cocked her head to the side. "I though that when the regent was murdered by the new regent, that new person forfeited his claim to that title. Or what about when that new regent starts claiming things that aren't his? When he starts trying to assert his rule by raping the head and getting her pregnant?" Her eyes hardened when the man had the gall to look surprised by her statements. "I know it was you. It is always you that does such horrid things to your own flesh and blood. You take Hinata's eyesight, you take her birthright, and then you take mine, along with the gift that should be my husband's and you still have the gall to try and stop me from fixing your befuddlement? You sicken me." She growled, waving at her guards. "Take Hitachi to the stockade and lock him up. Post a guard of our best ninja so he doesn't escape."
"You think you have won," the man hissed in her ear as he was lead away. "But I have lain down a foundation that not even you could undo. You are a weak head and never will amount to anything."
"You are right," Hanabi said, turning her back on him. "But I believe that not even you accounted for the fact I was going to give up my title to my sister and cousin as soon as they return, dragged home by your bounty hunters. What do you say to that, Hitachi-ojisan?" She glanced over her shoulder to see the look of complete shock on the man's face, and allowed herself a tight smile. "In this game you always have to be five steps in front of your opponent or it isn't even a game any more. It is just a farce." She allowed herself a slight laugh before she turned to follow after her sister and cousin, needing to make sure that they would be alright, needed the guidance and help they brought her.
--
The next chapter is called Firstborn, Kiba catches wind that Hinata and Neji are back in Konoha and comes to the hospital and is none to happy to find out that Hinata is pregnant and it is Neji's child while Tsunade contemplates whether or not she can give Hinata back her eyesight.