Super busy right now, but if I don't write then I'll forget this so here we go.
o.o.o.o.o
Chapter 13 Save Yourself First
o.o
o.o.o.o.o
o.o
5 years ago / Hinata age 15
The children were always hungry. Hiashi, despite his irresponsible habits, always made sure to pay for his daughter's room and board several months in advance. Hinata looked at the dinner tray before her. She got a slab of bread, a chicken drumstick, and a handful of lentils mixed with carrot bits. She snuck the slab of bread and drumstick into her sleeve. She ate her lentils and drank some mead.
Kurenai walked over to Hinata. "Hinata, worry about yourself first. If you are dead, you won't be of help to anybody."
Kurenai's red irises bore into Hinata.
"I am taking care of myself, Kurenai." The teenager talked back to Kurenai.
The nurse scrunched up her nose in annoyance. "Alright, meet me behind the garden nursery at 8 pm sharp."
o.o
o.o.o.o.o
o.o
"Kurenai? You're so pretty!" Kurenai remembered Hinata as a child. The bright-eyed girl would wonder at Kurenai's soft black hair and flawless pale skin. The same little girl had grown up to be quite beautiful herself. At times, Kurenai forgets that Hinata was not her daughter, but someone else's.
Hiashi had wondered why Kurenai had offered to watch Hinata. Kurenai was no longer getting paid to care for the girl. Being a nurse herself, Kurenai took a teaching position as a chapel nurse at the Women's Abbey in Caen. Kurenai told Hiashi to consider it thanks for taking her in.
Kurenai had never been interested in men. She had been a noble lady once. When she refused to marry, her parents had casted her out. Afterwards, Kurenai joined the Akatsuki. Kurenai fell in love with Tsunade of England. Fugaku caught the two women kissing. Needless to say, Kurenai was casted out of Akatsuki as soon as her orientation was discovered. Hiashi was not aware of this incident. Minato Namikaze, Head of Akatsuki, requested that Hiashi take her in. The former spy became Hinata's nurse and body guard. Hinata was such a sweet and loveable child. Kurenai's heart squeezed. She worried about the girl's survival.
Hinata would marry Sasuke Uchiha in the future. Someday, her little girl was going to be queen of the French underworld. Kurenai needs to train Hinata to be sharp. Hesitating before the enemy resulted in death.
About two miles away from the abbey was the garden nursery. The warehouse stored plants and herbs for the winter. Trees shield the two women from nosey nuns.
"Ugh! It's not working Kurenai. All the knives feel different." Hinata said. Two of the knives landed into the tree with a ribbon tied around it. All the other knives scattered the forest floor.
"Catching on are we?" Kurenai smiled. "Feel this knife, how does it feel different from the one in your left hand."
Kurenai handed Hinata two knives. One for her left hand and one for her right hand.
"Uhm. I'm not sure. The one in my left takes more work to hold." Hinata said.
"That's right. The knife in your left hand has a heavy blade and a light handle. The one in your right has a light blade and heavy handle. The ideal throwing knife has equal weight all across, but you won't always have that luxury."
Kurenai held out her open palm. "Give me the one in your right hand."
"Since the handle is heavy. I hold it by the handle and I do not snap my wrist." Straightening herself into a front stance, she sent the knife into the ribbon tied tree.
"Now the other one." Kurenai said.
Kurenai held the left knife blade in a pinch grip. She used the side of her fist as support and closed around the knife with her thumb. This way, the knife rotates away from her hand without slicing fingers.
"Since the blade is heavy, you have to hold it by the blade."
Kurenai threw the knife into the tree.
"Practice, Hinata."
She made the girl practice for three hours each night.
o.o
o.o.o.o.o
o.o
Exhaustion overwhelmed Hinata. She worked eight-hour shifts at the clinic. Then, Kurenai would train her another three hours. In between, Hinata ate and wash her clothes and studied. Hinata crept over to Moegi's bed. Moegi was whipped and beaten for stealing food from the kitchen. Moegi was just a little girl.
"Moegi? Moegi, I brought you food." Hinata shook Moegi awake. It was 5 am in the morning.
"Hhm? Good morning, Hinata." The six year old child with orange hair yawned and rose in bed.
Quickly, Hinata pulled out the drumstick and bread wrapped in paper. "Eat."
"Thank you." The little girl ate and looked at Hinata curiously. "Hinata, how do you wake up so early?"
"I drink lots of water before I sleep. And then by the time I need to wake up, I get up because I have to pee." The bluenette joked to the child. Moegi giggled against her drumstick.
Hinata swept the bread crumbs off Moegi's bed. She said. "Here, wrap the bone up in paper. I'll take care of the trash."
The small child wrapped her dirty arms around Hinata. Hinata returned her hug.
"Thank you, Hinata. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" The child muttered.
The little girl went back to sleep and Hinata left the room.
Down into the dark hall, Hinata crept quietly. The darkness seemed to expand. The teenager felt like she was walking into a tunnel. Hinata fainted.
o.o
o.o.o.o.o
o.o
Soaking a wet towel into the water, Kurenai's hands squeezed worriedly. The nurse brought the towel up and wrung it out. Gently, Kurenai patted Hinata's forehead.
What a sweet and stupid fool, Kurenai had raised Hinata to be. Kurenai found the chicken bone in her sleeve. Hinata had been saving her food for the children. With her long hospital shifts and combat training, Hinata needed to eat heartily. Kurenai felt Hinata's arms with her hand. The girl was just skin and bones.
To be honest, Kurenai was pissed. Had she not warned Hinata to take care of her damn self first?
Blue butterfly eyelashes fluttered.
"Lie still." Kurenai warned. Hinata was sporting a head concussion.
"Why am I in the hospital wing?" Hinata asked sleepily.
"You tell me, Hinata." Kurenai replied sarcastically. "You lied. You haven't been eating proper. Medical and combat training takes a lot out of a person. You need to take better care of yourself!"
"I'm sorry. I just felt a little tired. All around there were children dying. If I don't eat, I just get a little tired…" The delirious girl was muttering. She was probably severely dehydrated to boot.
Patting the girl's head, Kurenai said. "Yes. That is the way of our world. We let children die every day. Our lives are built on the death of others…Do you love me, Hinata?"
"Of course, lubb you, Kur-enai." She was slurring her speech. Her brain was starving.
"Then, eat. Take care of yourself. Let those orphans take care of themselves." Kurenai handed Hinata a cinnamon bun bought from La Maison Rouge Café. She urged the girl to drink some orange juice. Orange juice would treat Hinata's electrolyte imbalance.
The girl gobbled up the cinnamon bun and drank the orange juice. She had been starving.
With her cheeks stuffed with food, HInata started sobbing. "But it's so sad. I do not want to watch people die."
Kurenai was at the end of her wits. One day, Hinata was going to have to kill people to survive. And the girl tells Kurenai, she does not want to see people die? How in the world would this child live among the Akatsuki?
"Well, Hinata. Think about me. I do not want to see you die. Think about how sad I feel seeing you like this, right now!" Kurenai's voice trembled. Tears were leaking out of Kurenai's red pupils. Kurenai turned away.
Leaning over, Hinata hugged Kurenai's back. "I know. I want to do as you say Kurenai. I really do. I just feel so guilty, it's hard to breath. I keep seeing their faces in my dreams. The dead children."
"You can't save them all, sweetheart." Kurenai turned towards HInata and held the child to her breast. "You know, I used to be new nurse once. It scared me too. There are so many patients. There's never enough to go around. You can't save everyone. If you try, everyone will end up dead. Including you. Pick one person, just one person you want to save. Save yourself, and then save that person."
"Okay."
Hinata picked Moegi.
o.o
o.o.o.o.o
o.o
In the following days, Hinata became more pragmatic. She adapted. She learned the rules of safety. Check. Call. Care. If you see someone in a life threatening situation, do these three things. Check first to make sure it is safe for you to help. Call for help. Finally, care for the victim.
She learned self-love. The nurse is a patient, too. The nurse should treat herself as a priority patient. If she lives, she can help many others.
Hinata was still the same person with the same heart. She still loved too much. She still helped others. She just saw things a little different now.
o.o
o.o.o.o.o
o.o
Rage and anguish coarse through Naruto's body. Injustice laid before his eyes. Choza Akimichi had his hands cuffed. The excutioner closed the clamp over his neck. The guillotine descended onto his neck. Choza's weeping face rolled on the stage.
Choza Akimichi was Choji and Moegi's father. He owned La Maison Rouge bakery and café. He was the best baker in town. He was a fat and merry man. He was the former Head of the Baker's Guild. But, he read and write at an elementary level. One day, Deidara came to renew Choza's contract. But, it was trick. The other bakers plotted a coup. Unwittingly, the baker had signed his entire shop away. La Maison Rouge sold for dirt cheap price. Enraged, Choza broke into Deidara's mansion to tear up the contract. As punishment for trespassing, Choza was sentenced to death.
Deidara's men came to collect Choji and Moegi. Only Moegi was home in bed. Choji had gone over to seek Iruka's advice. The men took Moegi to a local orphanage. When Choji came home Moegi was gone. Naruto and Iruka had been hiding Choji in their barn house.
At fifteen years of life, Naruto learned the way of the world. The less for you, the more for me. Better yet, I will take everything when you are dead.
o.o
o.o.o.o.o
o.o
For the first time in months, Hinata got the opportunity to go into town. The candleholders and knives at the chapel needed maintenance. Kurenai and Hinata headed to blacksmith forge in the town of Caen.
Then, she saw him. Her archangel. He had grown a lot since she's last seen him. His frame was taller and wider. He had the same tan skin, icy blue eyes, and golden hair. The same chiseled jaw and gorgeous face made her heart beat faster. Strong muscular arms pounded hammer to metal. The boy who saved her was now a man. Hinata felt her cheeks warm up.
"Good day, sir. I'm Kurenai from the Women's Abbey. How much would it be to repair the candleholders and sharpen the knives."
Naruto inspected the wares. He calculated the time and material expense for the work. "Two silver diner coins, ma'am."
"Here." Kurenai paid Naruto. Hinata sat down and read her book. The bluenette did not want Kurenai to catch her staring at Naruto. Naruto. She still remembered his name.
The girl was smiling too often for a girl reading a book about diseases. The boy was grinning too wide for a boy who only earned two silver diner coins.
Kurenai walked over to Hinata and said. "Girl, watch the knives for me and make sure he doesn't steal metal off of the candleholders. I have to excuse myself for a bit."
Hinata nodded and closed her book. Kurenai rushed to the nearest available washroom.
Walking over to the blacksmith, Hinata pretended to be inspecting his work. He did very fine work.
"Do you remember me?" She whispered.
His smile widened. "The girl on New Year's Day. Are you a nun?"
Hinata was wearing a veil since she lived in the abbey. He thought she was a nun. He hoped she was not officially a nun. Not that he wanted to marry her or anything, they just meet, really!
"No, I'm not a nun. I'm a nurse's apprentice at the abbey." Hinata's answer brought unexpected relief for the boy.
Cheekily, he asked. "You're a quack doctor, now, are you?"
Her pert nose scrunched up adorably. "What if I am? Are you scared?"
"O, I'm very scared. You'll promise to take care of me. Then, you butcher me up!" He teased her like an old friend as he worked on the knives. It was very peculiar. Naruto felt uncomfortable around girls, most of them were full of pretenses. Hinata felt natural. They have just met again, yet Naruto felt like he has known her from long ago.
"I take very good care of people." She argued obliviously. She had no idea what her words did to him. Like a shameless adulterer, Naruto felt his cock harden. Sharpening the knives did not help either. Back and forth, back and forth, Naruto would rub the knife against the cleaved sharpening stone. Imagine Choji eating with his mouth open! Imagine Choji eating with his mouth open!
"I-I-I, I'm sure you do, Hinata." The smart-mouth boy was at a loss for words with her. He did his best not to drool like an idiot. He didn't want the conversation to end. She would leave. "So-so, I was wondering if you could help a friend of mine, Hinata. He got beat up pretty bad."
"Sure." She said.
"Well, can you meet me in the alley between town hall and the flower mill? At noon?" Naruto asked. Choji really did need medical help. Choji tried to fight the men when his father was taken away before his eyes.
"How about midnight tonight?" Hinata finished her knife training an hour before midnight. She would have time to walk to town.
"See, you then." He said. The older lady was walking towards them. Naruto didn't want Hinata to get caught being too friendly with him.
Kurenai walked over behind Hinata. "How are the knives coming along?"
"Almost done ma'am."
Awkwardly, the boy and the girl stopped talking. He would sneak glances up at her as he acted like he was only watching the fire. She would flick her eyes at him as only if watching his work.
o.o
o.o.o.o.o
o.o
AN: Both Naruto and Hinata have seen some real shit. I'm not bashing them. It's character building. You don't become ruthless in a day...
o.o
o.o.o.o.o
o.o