Author Note: I dedicate this chapter to someone who made a picture for this story, which managed to inspire me enough to get out of my temporary writer's block and finish it. So a big thanks to NarutoAngel and her awesome Divinity moving-picture! (The link is on my profile for anyone who wants to see). Thanks for all the reviews!
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
Important Note: I wanted to let you guys know that I made this chapter quite LONG so as to make up for my few months of absence. I'll explain more at the end.
Age Reminder: Rookie Nine: 12 — Neji, Tenten, Lee: 13 — Kankuro: 14 — Temari: 15
Divinity
Chapter XII
Strength
"Sorrow and silence are strong, and patient endurance is godlike."
- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
"One faces the future with one's past."
- Pearl S. Buck
"Experience: that most brutal of teachers. But you learn, my God do you learn."
- C.S. Lewis
"This isn't working. Something else needs to be done." Tsunade mumbled during one of the adults' nightly meetings.
Jiraiya glanced casually over to the matriarch. "What are you talking about, Tsunade?"
Kakashi broke in. "Are you referring to their progress?"
Asuma fingered an unlit cigarette between two of his fingers. "We told you that the boys' training is going well. They're all showing improvement as each day passes."
Anko nodded seriously. "Same for the girls. They've all changed since they were first starting out. Temari's wind can shatter a boulder and Sakura can nearly punch a crater into the ground. Tenten can turn a rotting twig into an excellent weapon in under a second. Ino has learned to break through most mental barriers, and Hinata can heal anything she pleases for hours on end without tiring as much as she used to."
Kurenai nodded in agreement. "They've all improved far beyond any of our expectations, even academically. What more needs to be done, Lady Tsunade?"
A sigh of exhaustion sounded from the dark-haired doctor. "If you push them any further, you're going to cause them some serious damage."
Tsunade frowned. "I wasn't meaning any of that, and I wasn't planning on 'pushing' them as you say, Shizune." She paused to take a breath before explaining. "I agree that they have improved tremendously, but there's only so much that they can learn and understand to the maximum. What's knowledge if they can't understand it? How can they understand it if they don't have experience?"
"Experience?" Gai murmured, hand to his chin in thought. "The boys spar with each other, and I've seen the deities practice on the objects around them."
"That's true, Gai, but…" Tsunade shrugged, standing from her chair. "They've been kept in this temple since they arrived here. All that I'm insinuating is that maybe…we let them out on their own and see them put their training to real practice."
Jiraiya laughed humorlessly. "Very well. I'll just go capture the first demon I see, and let the kids go at it. If they get injured or killed, that's their fault, right? At least they died with experience."
Tsunade watched as Jiraiya doubled over in pain from the blow that she dealt to his stomach. "Try listening for a change, you idiot. I'm not stupid enough to let them go outside the village walls yet. I only mean for them to get experience around people they don't know and can't predict."
Kakashi laughed below his breath. "I'm afraid you'll have to clarify with what you're planning, Lady Tsunade. I'm a bit confused as to what you're wanting to do."
The matriarch cleared her throat before shrugging again. "I'm not sure about the details yet, but I really want to test the deities and the guardians, as well as the security force. Of course, the villagers won't pose a great threat or anything, but it'll be nice practice. Maybe we could let the deities roam around the village—people will surely know who and what they are, which will allow for the guardians to be tested on their ability to protect their deities from unwanted attention."
Asuma folded his arms across his chest, cigarette still clinging to his fingers. "And the security force?"
Tsunade puckered her lips in contemplation. "Well, the boys in the security force could be tested on their strategy and subterfuge. They'll be acting as the guardians to the guardians, so to speak."
"Ah," Kakashi nodded in understanding. "Watching from the shadows, you mean. Test them to see if they notice what the guardians won't have time to notice."
"Exactly." Tsunade smirked.
"Heh," Anko smiled deviously. "Sounds like fun."
"Will this be safe?" The red-eyed woman asked, a finger to her lip in concern.
"Maybe…maybe not." Tsunade yawned. "I suppose that's why I'll be sending you all to go and watch how they do, and be prepared to jump in when necessary."
"Mmm…" Asuma sighed with a slight upward turn to his lips. "Just when I was hoping for some time off."
When Jiraiya seemed to be recovered, he stood erect and leaned against the table near him. "I say let's give it a try."
Tsunade nodded. "Everyone else agree?"
Kakashi seemed bored when he replied. "I'm all up for giving them a small taste of the real world."
"Asuma? Gai?"
"Sure. Why not?"
"It'll be a youthful experience!"
"Anko?"
"Hell yeah!"
Tsunade gazed at Kurenai, awaiting her answer.
The woman seemed to think it over for a moment before consenting. "Very well."
"What about you, Shizune?"
"I don't mind…but, keep an eye on them. I don't want all of the children in my ward because of this."
"No need to worry about it." Tsunade chuckled. "I have a feeling they'll be just fine. It's the villagers I'm worried about."
"So, when do we tell them?" Jiraiya asked curiously.
"Tomorrow, before breakfast. We'll send them out as soon as the meal is over."
The sun was bright that morning. Or, at least, it was to Hinata as she sat, dressed and ready, on the edge of her bed. While staring outside her balcony, one of her hands clasped around the significant pendent, which was hiding beneath her gown. As she thumbed the diamond, her mind seemed to drift as it had been doing since the day he left.
It was strange and confusing. Her world, her reality, just wasn't the same since his departure. She wasn't the same. Was that right? Was that supposed to happen?
As she matured over the years, she began to wonder seriously about just how much her demon really meant to her if his leaving had affected her like it had. It was like a part of her, a large part of her, had gone missing, causing her to only function half as well as she used to. For only knowing him for barely a year, he had come to mean much more to her than she could ever imagine. Even after four years, she still couldn't quite comprehend it all.
A sharp rapping on her bedroom door made her jump out of her reverie and snap her gaze over to her closed door.
"Hinata?" A muffled voice sounded from the other side of the door. "Are you ready?"
Knowing the voice, she smiled. "Oh, yes! I'm coming!" After escaping from atop her bed, she ran over to the door, opening it hurriedly, only to come face to face with her beloved guardian.
He returned her smile, an unknown glint to his eyes. "I apologize if I made you wait long."
She closed her door behind her, entering out into the hallway with the dark-haired boy. "You didn't. I just woke up earlier than I thought I would."
"Hm, I see." It had almost become automatic for Neji to reach his hand over to grasp onto her own as they walked side-by-side.
Just as automatically, Hinata would offer his hand a quick squeeze before shyly leaning closer to him. She had confirmed with herself over the years that out of everyone at the temple, Neji was truly her best friend. To her, he was completely selfless to devote himself to her entirely. He doted on her constantly, gave her affection, and comforted her even over the minimalist things. Only a best friend would provide that kind of treatment, right?
In Neji's mind, he knew that everything he did for her originated from more selfish intentions. Even though he also knew that she only thought of him as a close friend, it was his every endeavor to change that, no matter how long it would take.
--
Their hands separated when they reached the breakfast table, so that Neji could pull out Hinata's chair for her. She murmured a quiet 'thank you' to him as she took her seat, allowing Neji to scoot her closer to the table. Only when she seemed comfortable did he take his seat next to her.
Temari watched from her chair at the head of the table on Hinata's right, the same seat she had been sitting in since the boys and girls were told to sit at the same table. The seat arrangements obviously hadn't changed since those days. The older girl had her brow raised as her tilted head rested on her upraised fist. She rolled her eyes before leaning back into her chair, arms folded under her matured bust. "You know…just because you two are Deity and Guardian doesn't mean that you have to act like a married couple."
Neji was indifferent, but Hinata couldn't help but allow a blush to graze her cheeks. Waving her hands in front of her defensively, she remarked, "T-Temari, it's not like that."
Neji mirrored her raised brow. "What makes you think we act like we're married?"
"Hmm…" She tapped her finger to her chin before she nodded to herself. "Actually, perhaps not a married couple, but…you act a lot like newlyweds."
"Newlyweds?" Hinata asked, her voice almost coming to an embarrassed squeak. If she had turned towards Neji at that time, she would've noticed a pleased smirk take dominance over his mouth.
"Oh yeah," Temari nodded, briefly closing her eyes. "Like newlyweds, it's like you two have to always be holding hands, be near each other, and by the goddess, have you seen the way he treats you? Despite that he's your guardian and he's supposed to be protective, he treats you like you're his favorite toy that he doesn't want to share with anyone!"
A slight pout came onto Hinata's features as she switched her gaze between Neji and Temari before finally lowering her eyes to the table. "It's not like that…" She mumbled defiantly.
Temari chuckled and patted her little friend on her head. "Oh, don't worry, Hina. You know I'm just playing with you." She laughed again, while delivering Neji a warning glare. "I know you two will only ever remain friends. It's not like it could ever be anything more than that, right Neji?"
His eyes narrowed in a hateful scowl. He really hated Temari sometimes…her and her protective tendencies.
"Stop it, Temari." Gaara's deep voice sounded from his seat on Temari's right. "You're embarrassing her."
Another chuckle came before Temari embraced the small girl into her arms. "You know I'm only teasing you, right Hina?"
The dark-haired girl smiled brightly at her older friend. "I know…"
"Man, I'm hungry!" Naruto shouted as he entered into the dining room, alerting everyone to his presence.
"Shut it, loser." Sasuke insulted as he walked next to the blonde-haired boy. "Every time you speak, it's annoying."
"Yeah, well, same goes for you, Sasuke!" Naruto retorted angrily as each of them took their designated seats at the table.
As they continued to bicker, Hinata's eyes couldn't help but follow after the young Uchiha. Even though her face remained blank, her heart seemed to pick up speed just from the astonishment at how much he reminded her of her demon friend. They were alike, and yet, so very different. In some strange way, by seeing Sasuke everyday, it was like being able to remind herself of what he looked like.
As if sensing someone's eyes on him, the young Uchiha snapped his black eyes over to the end part of the table until he settled on the pair of opal eyes staring at him blankly. He gave her a small glare, watching as her own eyes widened and her face burned at being caught before she immediately looked away. Despite her not looking at him anymore, Sasuke kept his own eyes on her regardless.
Ever since the first time he met her, he knew there was something different about her. She wasn't like the other girls there. While Sakura and Ino flaunted themselves at him, Hinata didn't. If she held any romantic feelings for anyone, he would've guessed it would be towards her guardian. Tenten and Temari didn't seem to hold the same feelings toward him as the other two girls did; but then again, they still seemed annoying in their own way. Hinata, on the other hand, was quiet and only spoke when spoken to. Someone like him had a tendency to appreciate that kind of mannerism.
That wasn't what made her so different, though. There was something about her that he couldn't understand. At times, even he would see when her shy nature fell away and she would fall into a daze, appearing much older than she was. What she would be thinking about, he didn't have a clue, but it was obviously enough to pour solemnity into her expressive eyes.
Finally turning away from her, he settled his gaze onto the wall ahead of him. Just what are you trying to cover up, Hinata Hyuga?
"I'm starving…" Choji's voice was heard as he and Shikamaru entered the dining room with Shino and Kiba following.
Shikamaru yawned, stretching his arms behind his back before entwining his hands behind his head. "It's so troublesome having to wake up this early."
By then, the two friends had neared the table, causing Temari to smirk at the lazy boy. "Why does it always seem like you're whining about something?" She watched as he turned slightly toward her, still looking bored. Temari laughed. "I thought men weren't supposed to whine and cry so much."
Shikamaru raised an eyebrow before sighing. "And here I was hoping that women couldn't get anymore troublesome."
Her face scrunched into irritation. "Oh, shut it."
"Gladly." Following Choji to their designated seats at the opposite end of the table, Shikamaru walked away from the blonde with the barest hint of a smile tickling the corners of his mouth.
Walking behind Hinata's side of the table, Shino and Kiba made their entrance known; well, at least, Kiba did. Shino walked by quietly.
Seeing them, Hinata smiled warmly. "Good morning Kiba, Shino."
Shino nodded and Kiba grinned toothily, placing his hand atop her head. "How's it going, Hinata? Climb any good trees lately?"
Hinata blushed brightly. "Kiba…You know we don't do that anymore…"
Retrieving his hand back to his side, his face became worn. "Yeah, tell me about it. Those were the good days, huh? Now, we don't seem to all hang out together as much as we used to."
"You'll find that as you age, Kiba," Shino murmured. "Responsibilities take priority. Climbing trees is hardly a responsibility."
Kiba turned to him with his fist ready. "No one asked you, bug-lover."
Shino merely turned on his heel and began heading towards his seat as if he hadn't heard Kiba at all.
That only seemed to infuriate the other boy even more. "Hey! Don't walk away from me! I wasn't done with you yet!"
Hinata couldn't help but chuckle to herself at her two friends, who seemed more willing to start an argument than make peace. She often wondered how they even managed to be friends most of the time.
"Naruto, you bastard!" Ino shouted furiously, stomping her way into the giant room.
Sakura was trying to keep up with her friend, but it was proving difficult. Already knowing what was going to occur, she sighed before seating herself at the table. Lee followed his deity, spouting something along the lines of how "youthful" Ino was being.
Upon hearing Ino's obviously angered voice, Naruto tensed immediately and slowly turned toward the origin of the voice. His face was practically painted with nervous anxiety.
Ino's usually white face was red, surmounting how many times the word "murder" was running through her mind. As soon as she saw the other blonde attempting to run from the table, she sped toward him.
Naruto squeaked a curse when her arm wrapped around his neck in a tight grip, emanating unmistakable brutality. "I-Ino! S-Stop it!" he choked out.
"I am so sick of you always ditching me! I tell you over and over to come pick me up at my room at a certain time, so you can escort me like you're supposed to do!"
Naruto struggled in her grip. "Come on, Ino! I forgot! It—It happens!"
She growled. "It's not supposed to happen every damn day! You are such a useless guardian, I swear!"
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Let me go!"
"Are you going to forget again?"
"No, no, I won't!"
"You swear?"
"I swear!"
"Okay, then." She released him with a pleasant smile riding over her lips. "Now," She bent over to continue smiling at him as if she wasn't just choking him earlier. "I'll let you make it up to me, and I won't hurt you anymore."
Naruto rubbed his throat from his collapsed position on the floor. "How?"
"You let me sit next to Sasuke."
Naruto's face contorted into confusion. "Why would you want to go and do that?"
"Oh, no you don't, Ino." Sakura stood from her seat, placing her palms on the table, glaring at her "best friend". "If anyone is allowed to sit next to Sasuke, it should be me!"
"Like he'd want to sit next to you and your big forehead!" Ino retorted vehemently.
"What did you say?!"
"Yes, Sakura, my blossom!" Lee shouted with his thumb sticking up. "You are always so youthful!"
Temari rolled her eyes before resting her head on her upraised hands. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me…This again? Seriously? It never ends."
Neji glanced to Hinata's concerned face before shaking his head at the goings on. "It will never end."
"Well, well," Kankuro spoke up as he made his way into his chair, Tenten sitting in her chair already. "What'd we miss?"
"The usual." Temari grumbled, rubbing her fingertips against her temples. "It's everyone's morning headache."
Kankuro turned to Neji with a raised brow.
Feeling the need to clarify, Neji answered Kankuro's unspoken question. "Naruto forgot his duties again."
"Oh…" He chuckled in reply.
Tenten leaned forward on the table, entering into the conversation. "No way! He forgot to escort Ino again? Doesn't he learn?"
Neji shrugged. "Apparently not."
With her delicate knuckle resting against her bottom lip, Hinata continued to stare with concern. "I hope no one gets badly hurt. I'm sure Naruto didn't mean to forget."
"Right," Neji murmured dryly. "And that would make Naruto a victim of his own idiocy."
"Neji," Hinata turned to him with her brows furrowed in disappointment.
"What does it matter, anyway, Hina?" Temari intervened. "If they get hurt, it's their fault. If it gets bad, it's not like you can't heal them, right?"
"Oh, well, I suppose that's true…but still…"
As they quieted, the voices of Naruto, Sakura, and Ino continued to boom loudly in the large room. Fortunately for those around them, it was put to a quick halt when Tsunade entered the room with Jiraiya following. "That is enough!" she yelled to the entire table of young teenagers. "Shut up, all of you! Especially you three!"
Jiraiya winced at the matriarch's voice, feeling as though she were yelling in his ears directly. Walking past him, the other adults made their way into the room. Unlike their usual pattern of going to their designated table to have breakfast, every one of them stood near the children's table instead.
Tsunade sighed once they were all quiet and sitting down in their seats. While rubbing her head in annoyance, she walked over to the opposite end of the table, positioning herself at the head with Temari at the other end. The older woman rested her palms on the table surface, leaning over slightly, and gazing at each one of them so as to gain their undivided attention.
However, Naruto's attention could only be held for so long before other matters entered his fickle mind. "Hey, Granny, where's the food? We usually have it by now, and I'm starving!"
"Shut up, Naruto. You'll get your meal in a second, but I have to make an important announcement first." She waited until all attention was on her before she began. "Today is going to be a little different. There won't be any classes or training…well, at least not the kind that you're used to."
Confusion spread across all of their faces, some more curious than others.
"Anyway, here goes. As soon as you all finish your breakfast, you will be escorted outside the temple and straight into the village center." She paused briefly, gaining a small amount of satisfaction at each of their astonished expressions. "For the rest of the day, you will be allowed to go anywhere in the village and do whatever you please as long as you don't damage anything." At the last statement, her eyes went directly to Naruto.
"So…" the blonde boy started, still obviously in shock. "We can go into the village…with all the people there and everything?"
"Yes," Tsunade replied. "But, keep in mind that this is a test, a training simulation of sorts. The deities can wander wherever they please, but must try to keep a low profile. Guardians, I want all five of you to stick to your assigned deities and make sure that no harm comes to them."
Sakura's eyes seemed nervous as she spoke up. "Will we be in danger?"
"Mmm…" Tsunade's lips pinched together as she tilted her head. "Not the type of danger that's fatal, but…Well, I'm sure you girls remember when those around you saw your powers first hand, right?"
Hinata looked down, remembering vividly the reactions of the villagers, and their constant remarks of her containing goddess blood. She remembered just how frightening it was, too.
Tsunade continued. "The villagers have the ability to become very obsessed with the deities and their powers. So much so, that they could unintentionally hurt them. That is why the guardians need to keep their eyes on their deities at all times. Is that understood?"
Neji, more than the other guardians, nodded seriously with determination.
Another sigh came before Tsunade turned her attention to the boys closest to her, speaking in a quieter tone. "As for you boys, the soon-to-be security force, you'll have a similar task to perform. Stick to the shadows and corners, the places that no one will see you. Be stealthy and invisible to the villagers. Your only task is to provide back-up for the guardians should they need it. The guardians won't be able to see and notice everything, so you must be watching for any sign of the deities getting in trouble."
They nodded their understanding.
"Okay, then." Tsunade nodded. "After you finish eating, I want the security force boys to go with your masters. Deities, you will go with Kurenai and Anko. Guardians, you will follow Jiraiya. At that time, if you have any questions, then ask them. They will give you more detailed information about this training session, so pay attention when that happens. Until then, eat your fill and enjoy it."
It wasn't until all the adults were seated at their table and the food was served when Temari exited her temporary stupor and glanced over to her timid friend. Hinata was staring blankly at her plate of untouched food, hands wringing in her lap. Temari leaned closer to her. "What's wrong?"
Hinata blinked and turned to the older girl with eyebrows raised, showing visibly her attempt to seem normal. Gently shaking her head, she gave a small smile. "It's nothing. I just…I can't believe that we're actually going into the village. I haven't…seen it in six years, and I was born there." As if an idea struck her, she looked at Temari with wide eyes. "My parents…Maybe they're still there. Do you think…"
Overhearing their silent conversation, Neji leaned toward Hinata and spoke in the same whispered tone. "If you want, Hinata, we could look for them while we're there."
"We could? Really?" Her heart was suddenly beating so fast.
His brow lowered. "I'm sure it wouldn't hurt."
"It might." Both Hyugas turned to Temari when she said that…both seeming confused. Temari merely sighed and folded her arms, her eyes looking everywhere at once. "I'm not saying that your parents would be like this, but…most parents, after giving up their child to the temple…they move on. They learn to forget that they had a child with unnatural abilities. It doesn't matter if they wanted to keep their child or not; it's just easier to pretend like that child never existed." She shrugged nonchalantly, glancing at her brothers once before meeting Hinata's eyes. "At least, that's what our mother did."
Hinata didn't know what to say. She wanted to say something to make Temari cheer up again, or at least provide some type of comfort, but her mouth would only open in silence.
Temari inhaled and offered Hinata a slight upward twitch in her lips. "All I'm saying is that if I were you, I'd rather avoid it. If your parents moved on already, it'd only open past wounds if you met up with them again. Of course, I could be wrong since I don't know anything about your parents."
Hinata only nodded in reply, signaling her understanding of Temari's opinion.
For the rest of the meal, the Hyugas and Temari remained relatively silent, along with Gaara who was almost always silent. Tenten and Kankuro kept conversation mainly between themselves, but everyone else did not. Sasuke was mostly quiet other than the occasional insult toward Naruto. The same went for Shino, except his insults were directed toward Kiba and Naruto. Choji and Shikamaru would add in a word or two every once in awhile, but the body of the conversation was mainly among those in the center of the table. Sakura and Ino carried a conversation with Lee and Naruto interrupting most of the time, along with the usual verbal battles that Naruto had with almost everyone near him.
The excitement of that morning consisted of discussions over what they would expect from their first time in the village center, for they hadn't left the temple grounds in years.
--
As soon as breakfast had ended, everyone walked through the temple until they were standing at the front entrance to the majestic building itself. All were divided into three groups with Tsunade checking over each one. The deities were with Kurenai and Anko, the guardians with Jiraiya, and the other boys with Kakashi, Asuma, and Gai. Each group was going over what to look out for, what to expect, and any other details that Tsunade chose not to mention. As far as the young teenagers knew, they were going on their own, even though that wasn't the case. The adults would just watch and follow at a distance.
-
"Now, remember," Kurenai warned the girls once again. "Do not use your powers unless it's completely necessary."
Anko rolled her eyes. "Or you could use them and make it interesting."
"Anko,"
"What? If you've got it, flaunt it, I say!"
-
"You can't forget to always keep one eye on your deity and the other on those around you." Jiraiya drawled, feeling irritated that he had to explain it again, since Naruto still wasn't getting it. "Your deity's safety is your first priority."
Scratching his head, Naruto piped up. "So, then, why do we have to keep an eye on the other people too? They're not our priority, are they?"
"That's not what I'm saying!"
"Then what is it, you perv? Stop confusing me!"
Jiraiya could only smack his hand against his face.
Kankuro shook his head, while Gaara and Neji both muttered "idiot" under their breath.
-
"Do all of you understand what you have to do now?" Kakashi asked and watched each one of the boys nod their replies. "Good. Asuma?"
"Right. Okay, boys, you're going to divide up and stick to following a certain guardian and deity. If at all possible, make your presence unknown to all but the others in the security force. Even though you will be separated, act as a team." He paused, glancing over the group of boys.
Kakashi gave Sasuke a pointed stare. "This is your chance to prove yourself to us, Sasuke. Don't waste it."
The young Uchiha only scowled.
"Anyway," Asuma continued. "Choji, you'll be following Kankuro and Tenten."
"Okay."
"Shikamaru, you have Temari and Gaara."
"Great…"
"Sakura and Lee will be assigned to you, Kiba. Lee has a lot of energy, so stick with him."
Kiba looked away with his lip curling in disappointment.
"That leaves Shino with Ino and Naruto, and Sasuke with Hinata and Neji." Asuma first stared at Shino. "Sorry about that, but we figured that you'd be the only one to keep Naruto in line should he get out of hand."
Shino didn't have to say anything for his displeasure to be noticed.
Gazing at Sasuke seriously, Asuma warned. "The Hyugas shouldn't cause you any trouble, but we thought that it'd be good training for you. Neji is very sharp, which will keep you on your toes since you're aiming to stay unnoticed."
"Whatever."
Kakashi yawned. "Well, that's it, so don't screw it up."
"And may the power of youth be with all of you as you make this most amazing journey of training and life!"
"Okay, that's enough!" Tsunade sounded loudly. "It's time, so now your masters will take you to the outskirts of the village center, and then you're on your own." She directed her attention to the adults. "Take them near the watch tower and let 'em go."
"Yes, ma'am."
"All right, good luck and stay out of trouble. See you all at dinner."
The guardians and the deities were the first to depart into the village center. Those training to be in the security force had stayed behind with the intention to head out after a short while. Rather than staying together in a group, each pair was given orders to head towards different parts of the village with the endeavor to stay separated from the others. However, they knew that staying away from each other was going to be difficult.
Hinata didn't seem to mind either way. She headed straight towards the marketplace with Neji staying by her side. After all, the marketplace stretched throughout the majority of the village. Surely, she wouldn't run into any of the others there.
She kept her pace slow, taking time to re-memorize the sights around her. She was happy that she hadn't forgotten her way around the village, but she was surprised at how everything seemed smaller than she remembered. Of course, as a small child, everything around her seemed colossal. It was almost…too normal now, yet very nostalgic. She had become so enthralled in the sights around her that she jumped at feeling Neji's hand wrap around her own. She turned toward him in slight shock.
Neji only offered her a soft smirk. "Where to first?"
Facing forward again, she held her closed hand against her lips in thought. "I…I'm not sure…"
"Well, we could shop and see what the vendors are selling, or we could wander aimlessly, if you prefer."
Hinata couldn't help but smile widely at him, absently leaning into his side.
Tilting his head to glance at her, he offered one more suggestion. "If not those, then we could always go visit your parents if you happen to remember where you used to live."
She stopped walking, feeling as if her body had tensed into an absence of movement. "My parents…"
Gauging her reaction, Neji backtracked quickly. "Or we could not, and perhaps forget that I mentioned it."
Placing her hand over his own, she tried to assure him. "No, it's…it's fine. I'm just not sure about that yet." She paused. "I want to, but…after what Temari said, I'm starting to think that maybe it would be better if I stayed away."
His grip tightened on her hand. "You don't have to decide on anything now. We have hours ahead of us, and people to avoid."
Hinata giggled, feeling contented by Neji's unique humor.
Offering her a gentle smile, he kissed her brow before starting to walk again. "Come on," He began to lead her away. "Let's go wander."
Choji followed Kankuro and Tenten in ways that he assumed would keep him hidden. Either way, he had nothing to fear since the two he was supposed to be watching were too engrossed in the conversation being held between them. Keeping his eyes on them, he attempted to silently eat from the stash of snacks that he had hidden in his pocket. He was also somewhat curious as to what they were talking about that managed to get them to ignore everything else around them. If only he wasn't too far away to hear.
Deciding to stop for a break, Tenten leaned against the side of a building, just as Kankuro stopped walking to stand in front of her. Turning her eyes on him, she raised a brow. "So, how are your dolls coming along?"
He felt a twitch of irritation. "My puppets, you mean?"
She shrugged. "Whatever."
Rolling his eyes, he answered. "Two of them are finished, and I'm still working on the third. Although, now I have to go back and fix up Crow, because Shino's bugs totally screwed it up."
Tenten laughed. "Oh yeah! I saw that spar between you two. It's too bad you lost, but Shino is pretty intelligent, so…"
After hearing her compliment the bug-lover, he scowled in indignation. "Intelligent, sure, but don't you think he's a little on the disgusting side?"
"How so?" She seemed shocked by his opinion.
"The way he uses those bugs…He lets them climb all over him, and uses them like weapons as if he controls them or something. Since when did he pick up that talent anyway? It's unnatural."
"The way that you have a fascination with dolls is unnatural." Tenten grumbled, knowing what was going to happen next.
Kankuro nearly exploded. "They are not dolls. They are puppets!"
"Sure, sure." Tenten smiled, waving it off.
"I'm serious!"
"Uh huh."
Oh, what he wouldn't give to be able to lay down and gaze at the overhead clouds before falling into a nap. Even just the cloud gazing would've been great for Shikamaru. But no, he had duties to perform, and he had just realized that he was being watched like a hawk. It really should've been no surprise to him to know that Gaara would detect his presence from the moment Shikamaru started trailing both him and Temari. Gaara was, after all, something very otherworldly. Shikamaru had yet to figure out why, though.
They were all situated at one of the many areas included in the marketplace. Temari was going between the different stands, which were selling foreign artifacts and other various items. She was bartering and exploring, talking with each trader for a great amount of time. If Shikamaru had to guess and based upon how well he knew her, he would say that she was merely figuring out the history of whatever item had temporarily captured her interest.
Despite that, it was Gaara who had Shikamaru gritting his teeth in annoyance. The redhead would simply lounge a good distance away from people, selecting somewhere to sit back and close his eyes, arms crossed over his chest casually. How was it that he could relax, and Shikamaru had to stay alert? If he weren't so intimidated by Gaara, he wouldn't care. However, he learned his lesson quickly.
All Shikamaru had done was lie down when Temari was taking an extra long time at one stand. The minute he did, he managed to catch the eye of the redhead as he was resituating into a more comfortable position. Gaara had stared at him with a slight threat in his aquamarine eyes. Shikamaru only had time to gulp before standing up and trying to look more alert. Only then did Gaara turn away and close his eyes again.
Shikamaru was truly starting to hate Asuma for assigning him to the two siblings. He could at least pride himself in the fact that Temari still had no idea about his following them.
Before he knew it, Temari was moving again. Shikamaru watched as Gaara calmly stood and followed after her, but halted to glance back at his position to see if Shikamaru was going to follow.
Sighing to himself, he stuffed his hands into his pockets and planned out how he was going to stay in the shadows until Temari found something else to catch her eye. "Man…This is really troublesome. Damn you, Master Asuma."
Kiba wasn't having a great time either. Sakura wanted to shop, and Lee was following her around like a lost puppy, and a very loud one at that. He couldn't understand how Sakura could so easily ignore the green-clad boy. It wasn't just that, though. The more that Kiba observed them, it was amazing to see that Sakura could also control Lee with a snap of her fingers. Kiba couldn't help but shiver at just how scary that girl was. What is wrong with Lee? Better question, what does he see in her?
Sakura smiled as she placed the jeweled ring on her left ring finger. Smiling wider at the vendor, she giggled in excitement. "It's beautiful!" Inside her mind, she could easily fantasize Sasuke giving her a ring as beautiful as the one she was wearing. Ah, if only.
"Hey, hey, hey!" a man on the opposite side of the street called out to the others around him. "We have more to carry, so get on it! I want three or four men on every log! Get moving!"
Sakura couldn't help but turn her attention to the group of men. They were obviously working by carrying large, long logs to some shop at the end of the block. There were a lot of logs piled up, and it appeared that every man was straining to carry the heavy burdens. Sakura's green eyes followed two men, who were hauling a log towards the shop together. One of the men was obviously much older than the others, but despite his visible struggle, he was still moving, the muscles in his arms growing taut.
He was suddenly baring his teeth before crying out in pain. He automatically let his hands free of the log to place at a certain spot on his back, not realizing what he had just done. Sakura gasped.
With a brief flash of green, Lee caught the end of the log before it had time to drop to the ground. The younger man, who was holding the other end, merely blinked at the replacement. "Who the hell are you, and where did that old man go?"
Lee smiled widely. "He is behind me, and I am Rock Lee—here to help!"
When the pain had subsided, the man turned his eyes to the origin of the two hands that were helping him to stand straight up. Sakura smiled gently at him. "Are you okay, sir?"
He blocked out her question to turn wide eyes at the boy in green, who had apparently taken his place. "How…How did you get there so fast?"
Lee turned back to him, raising his thumb while smiling, his other hand supporting the weight of the log. "Not to worry, sir! I will take care of everything! Let us carry on!"
After Lee had departed with the other man and the log, Sakura faced the older man again. "What are you guys doing anyway?"
"Our jobs." He ruggedly replied. "We're all carpenters working under a major contractor. We're stocking up today, which explains why we're moving all this wood into the shop. We've a lot of work to do, y'know."
"Oh, well…How often do you have to…'stock up'?"
"Every damn day. We just take turns carrying the damn things."
"I see. So, uh, how many more logs do you have to carry?"
"As much as we can before nightfall."
Silence passed for a short moment before Sakura questioned warily. "Would you…like some help?"
He shrugged. "I don't see why not. That friend of yours should do nicely."
"I'll help carry, too."
He quickly snapped his attention back to her in astonishment. "You? A girl?"
"I assure you, sir, I'm strong for my age and gender."
"Yeah?" He stared at her skeptically. "How much can you lift exactly?"
She could only offer him a mysterious smile in return.
Kiba watched in confusion from his hiding place. Eyebrows furrowed, he leaned closer. "I've got a bad feeling…"
Hands entwined behind his head, Naruto watched Ino from the corner of his narrowed eyes, lips pursed in boredom. "Aren't you done yet?"
Still gazing over the expensive-looking jewelry, Ino pretended to ignore her guardian.
"Hey, Ino! Are you done yet?" Naruto just asked louder.
"Shut up, Naruto, I'm busy." She retorted, hearing him growling under his breath. Seeing a sapphire-embedded necklace, she held it up to the trader. "Are these real sapphires?"
"Of course, miss. I examined 'em myself. Of the highest quality, they are."
Narrowing her eyes at him, she let every thought of his be transmitted to her mind. "Oh, really? You see, I'm not sure. They look more like blue quartz to me."
The trader gulped before giving her a disarming smile. "Now, why would you think something like that?"
Curling her lip in anger, she leaned toward him, palms pressed onto his set-up display. "The better question is why would you think that?"
"What?"
"Yes, exactly."
"But, I—"
Ino smirked. "Don't bother. I already know what you're saying." She dropped the necklace, and turned on her heel. "Let's go, Naruto."
"Finally!"
"Onto the next one!"
"Aw, damn it…"
Ino casually glanced back at the blonde boy, seeing him stuff his hands into his pockets while glaring at everything at once. "If you didn't want to shop, then why'd you come?"
Feeling his anger boil up inside of him, Naruto threw his hands up into the air. "Because I had to! This is supposed to be training, but it sucks!" He was shouting fairly loudly at that point. "This would be so much better if I could just fight someone or something!" Out of nowhere, something hard and small knocked into the back of his head, causing one of his hands to immediately cover up the slowly forming bump. "Ow! What the hell was that?" Glancing down onto the dirt ground, he spotted an out-of-place rock, which was no bigger than the tip of his thumb. "What…?"
"Hurry up, Naruto, and stop making an ass of yourself." Ino hollered, gaining more distance from him as she had quickly spotted another jewelry stand.
"I'm not making an ass of myself…" He grumbled below his breath as he began walking again. Quickening his pace to keep up with Ino, he had failed to keep his distance from the passersby. One man had bumped into Naruto, causing for the both of them to stumble back a few steps.
The man merely scowled at Naruto. "Watch where you're going, kid."
It definitely wasn't a good day for the blonde boy. "You were the one who bumped into me, asshole."
"What did you call me, punk?"
"You heard!"
Readying his fists, the man stepped closer. "Don't make me put you back into your place."
"Go ahead and try! I could kick your ass easily any day of the week!" Pulling his hand into a tight fist, Naruto reared up to attack. "Ow! Son of a—" he cradled his head in pain after feeling another random rock collide into his skull. Feeling tears prick his eyes, he looked around him frantically. "Where are those rocks coming from?!"
"Naruto! Damn it!" Ino suddenly grasped onto his arm tightly, dragging him away while apologizing to the man. "Sorry, sir. He didn't mean it." Turning to Naruto, she hissed at him threateningly. "If you were anymore idiotic, I'd kill you myself! Just shut up and stay with me, cause I swear that if you cause trouble here, I'll hurt you a lot more than I ever have!"
"But I didn't do anything, Ino!"
"Shut up!"
Out of sight of the villagers, along with Ino and Naruto, stood a dark figure on top of a nearby shop. Shino was motionless and without expression, clenching onto the multiple small rocks hidden within his fist.
Sasuke could easily see Shino's position, along with Kiba's and Shikamaru's. Where Choji was, he had no idea. Despite that, he couldn't help secretly wishing that he could trade Shino, since the bug-lover had the most amusing duty of hurting the clueless Naruto. Nothing was more fun than causing pain to the most annoying of people. Actually, he's not that bad compared to those two love-struck idiots who insist on obsessing over me. Perhaps I don't envy Shino that much.
Glancing back to the two that he was supposed to be watching, he panicked at not seeing them anymore. Looking further ahead, he saw the pair approaching the end of the marketplace. Shit. Jumping from his hiding spot, he ran across the houses and shops, staying as stealthy as possible.
He jumped onto the nearest building from where the two Hyugas were walking, trying to locate a spot to stay so that others would not see him easily. His heart nearly stopped when he had placed his foot too heavy on the roof, allowing for a few pebbles to roll down.
Noticing the out-of-placement, Neji snapped his attention to that spot, not seeing anything there. He only narrowed his eyes before turning back to his deity.
Hiding on the other arch of the roof, Sasuke cursed silently. Damn. Asuma was right about that one. The corner of his mouth turned upward. Heh. Perhaps this will be more challenging than I thought.
--
"Here," Neji motioned over to a nearby bench. "Sit down. We've been walking for awhile."
Hinata nodded, taking her seat on the bench, while watching Neji sit down next to her. It was silent between them, which usually wasn't a problem. It became one to Hinata as she continued to stare at her guardian, noticing his distracted expression. She opened her mouth to ask him what was wrong, but he spoke before she had a chance to make a sound.
"Why don't you ever wear that necklace I gave you for your eighth birthday?" He didn't look at her as he asked.
Momentarily stunned by the question, Hinata absently covered her chest with her hand, absently hiding the pendant just beneath her clothes.
Neji continued, still not facing her. "If you didn't like it, you could've said something."
Widening her eyes just slightly, she leaned toward him, grasping onto the hand closest to her. "That wasn't it." She protested, watching as he turned to stare at her blankly. "It was beautiful, Neji…and it looked so expensive. I couldn't stand something happening to it while I was wearing it. I would feel so guilty." Inwardly, she couldn't help but chastise herself for being a hypocrite in that nature. After all, she never took off the necklace that Itachi gave her, and it was diamond.
"I gave that necklace to you so you could wear it…not hide it away."
She lowered her head morosely. "I know…I'm sorry, Neji…"
Entwining his hand with hers, he squeezed it gently. "I didn't mean to make you feel bad about it, Hinata. I was just curious." He tilted her chin up so that they were looking eye-to-eye. "I gave that necklace to you for you to do with it what you want. I was just wondering what you were doing with it. I apologize if I made it seem like I was angry about it."
She nodded in understanding before sighing to herself.
Silently, Neji wrapped his arm around her shoulders, while pulling her closer to him. She didn't seem to mind his silent request. In fact, she nestled into his side, curling her body until she was able to rest her head within the crook of his neck. From there, Hinata amused herself by playing with Neji's free hand, following the lines on his palm with her fingertips.
Unfortunately, the moment didn't last long. It was ruined by a few kids running right in front of the couple, heading towards some unknown destination. The smaller boy in the back of the line was shouting to the others, telling them to wait. They didn't seem to hear him, and before the boy knew it, he had accidentally tripped, allowing his body to crash harshly into the dirt ground.
Hinata gasped and sat up before rushing over to the boy within only a few seconds time. Neji followed shortly after.
The boy was lying on the ground, clutching his knee to his chest, and crying. In Hinata's eyes, he couldn't have been more than five years old. Situating him into an upright position, she placed one of her hands on the top of his injured knee, which had been cut fairly deeply, and the other hand cradling his face. "Shh, it's alright. You're okay." Her fingers brushed over his dirtied cheeks, wiping away his river of tears.
"No, it hurts! And it's bleeding!" He cried, keeping his eyes sturdily closed.
Hinata tried to contain a smile. "Are you sure that it still hurts?"
He nodded his head fervently.
After retrieving her hands back to her sides, Hinata smiled sincerely. "Well, that's funny. Your knee looks fine to me, if not a little dirty."
He sniffed in surprise and opened his eyes to gaze at his once injured knee in utter shock. He could've sworn that there was a huge cut there a moment ago. Now, there was nothing, not even any pain. Not knowing how to react, he stared at the person who was trying to calm him down, only to see that it was a young, dark-haired girl, who happened to have white eyes and a motherly smile. His own mother smiled like her. "Did…Did you make my owie better?"
"Mhm. You're all better now."
He warily stood up, still staring at her curiously. "Can you make anything better?"
"Mmm…" She shook her head. "No, not anything…just owies."
"Oh…" His face brightened. "If I was sick, could you make me feel better?"
Hinata giggled. "Probably. I've never tried that before, though."
He smiled back at her warmly. "Well, I gotta go. Thanks, lady!" He waved, while running off in a different direction than before.
Hinata waved as well, watching him depart from her sight.
"Are you sure that was wise?" Neji murmured as he approached her from the side.
Glancing at him, she retorted with defiance. "Well, I couldn't just stand there and do nothing, Neji."
Sighing, he eventually nodded. "At least nobody saw. That's the important thing. As long as it's still a secret from the villagers."
"No more healing anything, okay? We'll keep it our little secret. You can keep a secret, can't you Hinata?"
Her mother had said that. Why did it always have to be a secret?
"Hinata?"
Snapping out of her momentary reverie, Hinata turned to Neji questioningly. "What?"
His brows furrowed. "I asked if you were hungry."
"Um…" She forced herself back from her memories, while trying to determine if her stomach was demanding food or not. Finally offering Neji a small smile, she replied. "A little, yes."
He nodded slowly. "Are you alright?"
"Of course."
"Okay…Stay here." Glancing at her with concern, he turned on his heel to walk towards one of the nearby food stands. Only seconds later, he returned with two apples, one for each of them.
"Thank you." Hinata spoke upon receiving her fruit. However, before biting into hers, she couldn't help but wonder. "Um, Neji?"
"Hm?"
"How did you get money to pay for this?"
He waited until he had finished chewing before answering. "Pretty much the same way that all of us have money."
"But I don't…"
"Of course you do. Everyone at the temple does."
"Really?" She couldn't contain her surprise.
"Yes. For some of us, our parents left money with Lady Tsunade and Lord Jiraiya in case we ever needed it. For the others, if they ever need anything, Lady Tsunade would pay for it." He paused briefly. "I would bet that your parents left you some money too. If you ever want any of it, just ask the Lady."
"Is that what you did?"
He shook his head. "No. The money that my father left me, I keep in my room. I managed to run to my room to grab some before we had to head here."
"Oh…" The conversation ended there and suddenly, Hinata was back to gazing around the marketplace while eating her apple.
People walked by, minding their own business, as others went from vendor to vendor to buy groceries. It wasn't hard to remember all the times that Hinata had gone with her parents to buy their food. Of all the trips that she accompanied them on, only one went terribly awry.
She could practically hear her father's voice in her mind, as well as almost see the memory play out before her.
She remembered the old man exclaiming loudly about her being a deity and having goddess blood.
She remembered her father's eyes widening as panic set in just moments before he ran to her, grabbing her hand in haste. As soon as she was in her father's arms, he ran as fast as he could back to their house for safety.
"I'm sorry, daddy. I-I didn't mean to...I just wanted to h-help the doggy...I-I'm sorry, daddy..."
"Shh—Hinata. Now's not the time. We have to get you home."
"But, daddy...I-I gave away our s-secret...I'm sorry..."
"It doesn't matter anymore, Hinata. Just stay quiet for now."
Hinata stood, releasing herself from the memory. As she looked around her, it was strange to realize that she was standing in the same area where that terrible occurrence took place. Trailing her eyes away, she took notice of a small road, which led away from the marketplace and towards a row of houses.
She knew that road, for it was where her old home was located.
Without thinking it through, she began walking towards that road in the deepest of dazes. She nearly didn't hear Neji calling out her name while following her hastily.
To Hinata, it only felt like seconds before she and Neji were standing in front of her old home, a place that she had almost forgotten. It looked smaller and much older than she remembered, as well as exactly the same. Sadly, it had also become a foreign place to her. It was a place that she knew she would never be able to call "home" ever again.
Despite that, all that ran through her mind was whether or not her family was home.
"Hey, you kids!" A man called out to them, as he was standing outside the next house on the right. "I've never seen either of you before. You lookin' for someone?"
Neji glanced to Hinata, noticing her silence. Turning back to the man, he chose to answer himself. "You wouldn't happen to know where…Hiashi Hyuga lives, would you?"
The man was quiet for a few seconds, seemingly trying to recall the name. "Oh yeah, Hiashi Hyuga. Yeah, he lives in that house that you're standing in front of. You have business with him?"
"Yes," Neji continued the conversation. "We've traveled here in hopes to speak with him."
"Well," The man chuckled dryly. "You came at the wrong time. It's spring, you know. Those Hyugas are never here in the spring, and sometimes stay away even into summer."
Alarmed by the news, Hinata absently stepped forward. "They're not here?"
"Nah. Last I knew, they travel around between the villages during this time of year. Although, they weren't able to—what was it—four years ago when that demon warning was going on. Back then, no one was able to come to or leave the village. Definitely put a damper on a lot of trader's spirits."
Neji became immediately interested. "Demon warning…I wasn't aware that there was threat of a demon four years ago."
"Heh, you wouldn't. You don't live here, right? Didn't you say that you traveled here?"
"Yes." Neji replied snippily. "But tell me about this demon."
"Another time, lad." The man walked away from his house. "I have to get going, but if you really care to know, just ask anyone. No doubt they remember. Anyway, sorry that you didn't get to see Hiashi. Come back in autumn."
Neji watched the man walk away, feeling clearly disappointed at the lack of information.
Meanwhile, Hinata couldn't help but look forlornly at the house that she once called home. Thoughts ran through her mind, all confirming what Temari had warned her about.
Her parents knew that spring was her favorite time of year. As soon as winter ended, her and her mother would spend hours together, working on the garden.
Now…her parents chose to travel during that time of year instead. They had moved on—worked at learning to forget about their firstborn daughter's existence. It was better that way, right?
"Most parents, after giving up their child to the temple…they move on."
"They learn to forget that they had a child with unnatural abilities."
"It's just easier to pretend like that child never existed."
Grasping onto her hand, Neji forced her attention onto him. "Want to look around your house?"
She shook her head fervently. "I'd rather not. Can we just go back?"
"Hinata," Neji approached her. "It won't be trespassing or anything, if that's what you're worried about."
Still shaking her head, she attempted to pull him with her. "No, please, Neji. Can we just go? Please?"
Neji's eyebrows lowered in pity at her lost expression. "Sure…Let's go."
Neji glanced up at the overcast sky once they had emerged back onto the main street. "We have a few more hours before we have to head back." He paused to meet Hinata's gaze. "What did you want to do until then?"
Hinata smiled softly. "I'm not sure." She giggled. "It's been so long since I've been in the village that I don't remember what there is to do besides shop."
Neji chuckled in reply. "I suppose we could shop, then. At least until something stimulating comes to mind."
"Okay."
--
As interesting as the Hyugas were, Sasuke found himself rolling his eyes at the immense boredom he felt. The only ounce of excitement came when Neji was keeping the Uchiha boy on his toes. Unfortunately, whenever Hinata talked, Neji seemed to ignore the world around him and focus on her like she was some type of rare gem. Sasuke didn't understand it, and when he didn't understand something, he got very frustrated and temperamental.
Making himself more comfortable, he let his eyes wander to the people flooding the marketplace. He had no idea that there were so many people living in Konoha. That is, compared to the population of his old village, Konoha held quite a large number for itself. To Sasuke, that wasn't a good thing. All it meant was that there were more people to annoy him.
His eyes automatically followed the Hyugas for a second before he groaned in exasperation. I hate people…Pointless humans and their pointless existences…However, just when he thought he'd fall victim to a bored sleep, his eyes snapped over to a pair of humans running down the street. A thin and gangly woman held something bundled up in her arms as she ran with a panic. Keeping up with her was a small boy, just as thin as she was. Sasuke watched listlessly as the little boy pointed ahead of him, exclaiming something that the Uchiha couldn't hear or understand.
Although, now that he was really looking, the small boy looked very familiar. It only took a second for Sasuke to conclude that it was the same boy that Hinata had healed not too long ago. It was a risky move on her part, but only the boy was witness to it, so it didn't seem like something to get alert and ready for.
That didn't seem to be the case anymore since the boy and the woman were running straight for the Hyugas. Shit. This doesn't look good.
--
"Do you like any of them?" Neji asked, unwillingly letting his amused smile shine through.
"Hmmm…" Hinata brightened as she pointed to a ring, which was decorated with a dark amethyst. "I like this one. What do you think, Neji?"
Picking it up, he held his other hand out to her, motioning for her to give him her free hand. "Try it on and see…" He unintentionally lifted his gaze as an unnatural motion behind Hinata caught his eye. His eyes, in turn, narrowed skeptically as his body tensed when he saw the boy from awhile ago, along with a woman he could only assume was the boy's mother. The only problem in Neji's view was that they were running towards Hinata, their target.
"Hey, lady!" the boy called out, not stopping until both him and his mother were within a few inches of Hinata.
Recognizing the voice, Hinata turned around in surprise at seeing the pair.
Before she had anytime to speak, the woman was already speaking, while her breathing was heavy. "Miss, please. My son told me how you healed him, and if it's true, then that would surely mean that you are one of the deities, the one with healing abilities. If that is so, please, I beg you…heal my baby!" Uncovering a part of the cloth that was the bundle in her arms, the mother revealed a pale-looking infant. Its lips were unnaturally blue, and if it weren't breathing, Hinata would've thought it was dead.
Hinata's lips trembled as her eyes switched between the baby, the mother, and the little boy. No sound wanted to escape her lips.
Neji quickly intervened, placing his body in front of his deity's as a way to shield her from the woman. "Leave quietly or I will force you away."
The woman ignored him, having her eyes set on Hinata only. "Please, miss, I beg of you! If goddess blood truly runs through your veins, then you must help my baby! She's only a month old and very sick, so please! If she doesn't get better then she'll die!"
The boy stepped forward bravely. "I told my mommy that you could make anyone's owies better. Could you please make my sissy better too?"
Neji growled angrily. "Back away now. I will not warn you again."
"Please, miss!"
"Neji," Hinata murmured, placing her shaking hand on Neji's shoulder. "Let me help them."
His angered face turned on her instead. "Are you insane? Do you have any idea what trouble this could cause? We need to get out of here now before this turns any worse."
"Neji, it'll be fine." Hinata protested, pushing past him. "I can't just stand by and do nothing."
"Hinata!" Neji voiced desperately, knowing he wouldn't argue with her on it.
Silently, Hinata placed her hands over the infant, forcing her own energy into the child. As she did so, her opal eyes remained on the baby girl's face, watching as color was slowly draining away the pale and blue.
It wasn't until a blush of red rose up on the baby's cheeks that Hinata pulled away, knowing that her job was finished. The baby began whimpering, showing off a healthy cry. The mother could only weep as she held her child tight to her bosom. "Oh, thank the goddess…thank you, thank you, thank you…Oh, my baby!"
"Is sissy better now, lady?"
Hinata nodded slowly in answer to the boy's question. The baby was sicker than she thought, for Hinata had lost more energy than she planned.
Neji eagerly wrapped his arm around her shoulders, supporting her in case she couldn't. "Are you alright?"
Hinata nodded again, breathing deeply.
"Can you run?"
Furrowing her brows in confusion, Hinata turned to him. "Run? Why?"
He turned his attention away from her, and focused his eyes on their surroundings instead. "Because you have attracted everyone's attention. If we don't start moving, this is going to get really bad."
"A deity!" Someone yelled.
"There's a deity!"
"She's from the Divine temple!"
"She has goddess blood!"
"Damn." Neji cursed under his breath. Too late now. They're already crowding around us. Damn it!
The crowd had gathered around them, and before either of them could fathom it, dozens of humans were running up to them, begging the deity to heal their injuries or those of someone dear to them. Hinata had no idea that there were so many ill and wounded people in the village. How could all of that have happened to them? And all of them were pleading with her to lend them her healing powers.
Neji was forced to place Hinata behind him, while he pushed, shoved, and acted as a shield to keep them from touching his deity. The problem was that there were way too many people, and only one of him.
A thud sounded from a few feet behind Neji, and when he turned, he recognized Sasuke's garments and his unusual hairstyle. "How did you get here, Uchiha?" Neji called to him over the noise of the crowd.
Sasuke glanced over his shoulder while simultaneously keeping the people away from the deity, who stood sandwiched between them. "I've been following you two for awhile. All of us on the security force were given the mission to watch you from a distance. The Hyugas wouldn't give me any trouble, my ass."
"We need to get Hinata out of here!"
"No shit, Hyuga. I'd like to escape alive, too, while I'm at it."
"Hinata is first priority. Don't forget that."
Sasuke scowled as he continued to force the people away. "Whatever." He growled in anger at the oncoming crowd. "Why don't we just kill these idiots and get out of here."
"We are not to hurt the civilians."
"Then what do you propose we do, genius?"
Neji was silent, his face forming into a tight frown. "I…I don't know yet. I can't think…"
"Damn it…" Sasuke gave the line of people one hard push to keep them away for a few seconds. Taking advantage of those few seconds, he put his fingers to his lips and whistled loudly.
--
Choji paused his eating at the familiar whistling sound. Before him and the other boys set off after the guardians and deities, Kakashi had told them to keep in contact no matter what. So, they all decided that should trouble occur, they would whistle loudly so that the others could join them to help.
That was the whistle, and even though he didn't know who did it, he knew that he had to find out soon.
Putting away his snacks and adopting a rare serious expression, Choji jumped down onto the ground, quickly approaching the guardian and deity that he was supposed to watch.
Kankuro and Tenten turned to him in surprise.
"Choji?" Tenten muttered in confusion. "What are you doing here?"
Gauging the larger boy's facial expression, Kankuro tightened his fists. "What's going on? What happened?"
Choji didn't hesitate to reply. "Someone's in trouble. We need to go so we can figure out who, and hopefully help."
--
It was no surprise that Kiba's finely tuned ears could pick up the high whistle. Knowing the meaning immediately, he did just as Choji did, and ran to Sakura and Lee quickly. He grasped their attention quickly, speaking before either could even open their mouths. "We need to move…and fast. I'm pretty sure that that whistle was from Sasuke, which means…"
--
"Hinata is in trouble. We need to leave." Shino spoke, watching as Naruto switched to a very determined stature.
"What happened to Hinata?" Ino asked, appearing worried.
"We don't have time for that, Ino." Naruto replied hurriedly. "If Hinata is in trouble, then we need to get going now. Shino? You know where they are?"
--
Gaara's eyes snapped open, and barely a second later, he was standing erect, alert and inwardly panicked. "Hinata…"
"You know?" Shikamaru appeared next to him.
"Know what?" Temari walked closer to the two as soon as she saw Shikamaru appear. Judging by her brother's appearance, it wasn't good. "What is it?"
Shikamaru replied hastily. "Hinata is in trouble with only Neji and Sasuke guarding her. If Sasuke signaled for our help, then it must be bad—"
Temari grew wide-eyed at seeing her brother suddenly disappear in a whirl of sand. "Gaara!"
"Don't worry about it. It shouldn't be too hard to find them."
"Are you kidding?" Temari exclaimed, obviously frenzied. "How the hell are we going to find her?"
"Simple." Shikamaru shrugged. "Just follow the people who keep yelling about a deity in the village."
--
Hands were touching her, tugging on her clothing, pulling at her…begging her…pleading with her…
Neji and Sasuke couldn't do a thing about it. After all, there was only so much they could do to protect her without being forced to seriously harm the village civilians.
It was so noisy. All she could hear was voices yelling to her. She couldn't understand them all, even though they were all shouting the same basic phrase. "Deity! Help me! Please!"
She had to help them…She had to…If she didn't, then what use was it being a healer?
She continued to reach her hands out, trying to heal someone, only to have her hand yanked somewhere else.
People were clawing away at others, trying to get closer to the descendent of the goddess.
Neji and Sasuke could only do so much.
So many faces and voices…so many people to heal…Her eyes couldn't keep up with it all.
She was weak and breathing heavily.
She was dizzy and exhausted.
She could feel her world fading into darkness, despite how she tried to fight it. "No…"
It was useless, for her body collapsed as soon as her eyes fell away into the back of her head.
Among all the voices and the screaming, she could hear distinct voices, ones that stood out above all the rest. Those voices called out to her…all of them yelling… "Hinata!"
"Everyone get back!"
"We need to get her back to the temple quickly!"
"Shizune! Find out what's wrong! Now!"
"Hina, snap out of it! Wake up, damn it!"
"Hinata…Can you hear me…?"
"Leave her be."
"Hinata…It's Neji…Can you hear me?"
"Hina!"
"Hinata!"
"Hinata…"
"…Hinata…"
A warmth against her chest…
"Hinata…"
A voice that only she could recognize with perfect clarity.
"Go to sleep…"
Okay, so it's been awhile. Like usual, my homework has been piling up on me, and still is. Any spare time I had, I was working on this, which goes to show just how much time that was. Not to mention, I went through a period of writer's block, so that was just great. It was mostly homework, though. Ugh…hopefully, the load will lighten sooner or later.
Also, I know you guys probably have a lot of questions, like "Does Tenten still have a crush on Neji" or whatever. Don't worry, everything will be answered in the upcoming chapters. I just have to get there...
Right now, I'm focusing on getting you guys, the readers, more acquainted with Hinata's relationship with Neji and the others. That's what this chapter and the next ones are going to be centered on. I also wanted to show the growth that all the characters have accomplished and are still accomplishing. Since all that plays a huge part in future chapters, I'm getting it all down right now. Awesome, right?
Lastly, thank you to everyone who took the time to review. I can never seem to express my gratitude enough. Please just know that I appreciate you guys like crazy.
Okay, see you all next chapter!