It's been a while since I've updated this, hasn't it? I meant to get through a bit of Neji!crack and end the chapter with some glorious Angst that I've been longing to attack you all with, but Hinata got too fun to tease and hence I barely began even the crack...oh well. Next update won't be too far away. :)
Chapter 21: Youthful Vigour
"Watch it! For the love of god, are you trying to hack my trousers into shreds? You're already doing a remarkably good job with my shirt sleeve, see, it looks positively fashionable now."
"Well, if you'd shown me properly how to use the damn thing I would've been able to aim better!"
"Oh I'm sorry; it's just that I've never had to teach obnoxious young women before."
"Why, you –"
What a beautiful day, Hinata thought morosely, staring out at the vast expanse of water glittering palely beneath the morning light. The Sabaku and Sharingan had managed to avoid the worst of the storm that had briefly blocked the path towards Konoha, skirting carefully along its outer edges amidst light wind and the occasional flash of lightening. By the next day the clouds had drifted apart to reveal a sky scoured clean and scrubbed into a sharp, hard blue. The air still tasted of rain. Commander Temari had told her the night before that they were due to arrive in Konoha by late afternoon, and already they had passed a few of the outerlying islands that belonged to the empire, too small and barren to be inhabited and freckled only with seabirds.
"Augh! What was that for?"
"That, you imbecilic muffin of a bastard, was divine retribution for the bruises you gave me when you tried to lock me away while Orochimaru attacked."
"Well, excuse me for trying to protect you, O Most Gracious Princess…….hey, hey, what do you think you're doing? Ahhhhhhhh!"
Hinata winced, leaning lightly over the side of the ship and staring down at her blurred shadow as it rippled across the water. The Sunagakurean soldiers stationed around the top deck looked nervously at each other and then towards the stairways, from where most piteous cries of pain were issuing with alarming volume and frequency. Kiba and Hanabi had been arguing almost incessantly since they had returned to Commander Temari's ship, the latter having guilt tripped the poor man into providing basic sword fighting lessons in what had been a conference room immediately below deck. It appeared, however, that that most of the sparring – and definitely the most intense form of it – was verbal in nature. Hanabi had childishly mistaken all her guilt and worrying about Sakura for anger and had proceeded to direct it all towards the unfortunate Inuzuka, most probably because he had somehow managed to frustrate and infuriate her since the very beginning anyway.
"You ungrateful brute, I saved your scrawny ass too when Neji's ship was burning and you were out cold like some preserved vegetable by the cellar!"
Such language, Hinata thought sadly, too preoccupied to be truly scandalized. It was rather disturbing how quickly (and enthusiastically) her sister had managed to pick up the uncouth language of their pirate companions (although she had managed to put her own personal spin on the orthodox insults. Preserved vegetable? Hinata shook her head reprovingly).
"Lady Hinata."
She turned around to see Gaara strolling casually towards her, dressed already in full military regalia for their landing in the Konohan port. His hair was tousled by the wind, boyish red curls falling into his eyes and contrasting sharply with his unnaturally pale skin. Medallions gleamed against the dark Prussian blue of his uniform and a scabbard was slung about his waist, the hilt of the blade inlaid with Sunagakurean insignia.
"Colonel." Instinctively she dropped into a polite curtsy but he stayed her with a hand on her arm.
"No need for that," he told her calmly. "How are you?"
"I'm……well enough," she told the floorboards shyly.
He nodded. "I am glad." He turned to gaze out at the ocean, hand resting casually on his sword. "The Lieutenant seems to be having quite a rough time with your sister."
"Yes…..I'm afraid Hanabi is bullying poor Kiba again."
"Damn it, you've really gotten my sleeve off now!"
"It's an ugly shirt anyway."
"It's my only shirt!" A mournful wail.
"You look better sleeveless anyway. Your arms are quite well built."
"….Say that again?"
"….I – I said, your trousers are quite well built, you insufferable pox-faced fool, so you don't have to worry about me damaging them!"
"Oh? I'm sure you'll find a way to somehow, you've certainly proved to be exceptionally talented at INDISCRIMINATE DESTRUCTION!"
"Is that so? EAT THIS!"
"She has quite a strong character," Gaara noted dryly, raising a non-existent eyebrow when much panicked banging and clanging issued from the room below them.
"That's what everyone says back home," she replied, laughing despite herself, "It's why they want her to head the clan."
Awkward silence. (Discounting, of course, the ruckus below deck). Hinata blinked, mouth opening slightly in horror and embarrassment at what she had blurted out without thinking.
"Lady Hinata." Gaara glanced at the reddening Hyuuga before turning away politely to let her spontaneously combust in peace. "I've heard unfortunate news that your father….is unwell?"
"Very," she told him uncomfortably. The colonel was putting it very mildly. Hyuuga Hiashi was on his death bed; it had been the main reason why she had been rushed off to be an "ambassador" in Sunagakure, leaving the Elders free to offer Hanabi the role of clan head.
"And – forgive me if I am being rude – you are his designated heir?"
"Yes, well." Hinata sighed, looking up at him tiredly. She might as well be frank; he would know soon enough, anyway. "I am, but the Elders have made it quite clear that they prefer my sister. She is the stronger one, after all."
"Is that so," he replied musingly. A pause. "Naruto told me that you had saved him during Orochimaru's attack on the Kyuubi."
She blinked. "R-really? Naruto said that?"
"He mentioned a most ingeniously aimed punch."
"That - that was not – " She flushed again, staring at her hands. "I – I was –" Not aiming for him.
"Whatever the case," he interrupted her smoothly, "he was extremely impressed. And he said you were very brave."
"Did he...?" Her eyes widened at the thought. She looked up. "Do you know Naruto well, Colonel?"
Gaara nodded. "He is a good friend of mine. Naruto...helped me greatly a long time ago. My siblings and I were introduced to Tenten's crew through him afterwards."
"I see." She smiled gently, a soft curving of the lips.
She didn't quite know what to think of the colonel. Of course she had heard the rumours that had made the rounds within upper court circles back home, the scandal that had marred his reputation so many years ago; briefly she thought back to Captain Itachi's subtle jibe that day at that horrible cacophony of shipwrecks where they had found Sakura, Sasuke and Sir Lee. Even Commander Temari had been affected enough by his reminder of the stain on her family to allow Itachi to keep Sasuke in his custody. Looking at him, it was difficult to believe that he had really murdered his own uncle – even if in self-defence – when he had apparently tried to attack Gaara as a young boy for having killed his mother, his uncle's beloved little sister, during childbirth.
And yet so far Gaara hadn't seemed quite as monstrous as the other noblewoman had painted him out to be; there was none of the supposed madness in his eyes that they had twittered over, nor any unrestrained, frenzied bursts of temper. Far from it: he had treated her till now with respectable, if distant, civility, sometimes even surprising her with occasional displays of kindness. And he was obviously very good friends with Naruto. That, she admitted to herself, was enough to put him in her good graces.
"Lady Hinata?" He had turned back to face her, leaning against the banister with a serious expression on his face. Hinata tilted her head questioningly.
"Yes?"
"It is presumptuous to remind you that whoever ends up as clan head of the Hyuuga will be in an extremely influential position within Konohan society." He regarded her steadily. "However…..before you make any decisions – or before you allow other people to make decisions for you - I will still urge you to consider all that will be within your power if you succeed your father. Please think of what you could do for those who are important to you and what your succession can mean for them."
"What I can do for them……?" she echoed.
"Yes. Lady Hinata -" He paused reflectively. Then, with succinct finality: "Lady Hinata……….Naruto is an Uzumaki."
"He is – what?" Her eyes widened dramatically, mouth falling open in a most unladylike manner. "He's – Naruto? Uzumaki?" Unlike Sakura, who could only rely on court gossip and vague history lessons from her governess to learn of the previous emperors of the Konohan Empire, Hinata – as, at the time, designated heir and intended future political leader - had at an early age already been taught fully by Hyuuga Hiashi of the bloodshed and betrayal that had tainted their current emperor's ascent to power. Namikaze Minato, who had married the princess Uzumaki Kushina and taken her name, had been a good emperor – one of the best in the history of the empire, as she was sometimes told when the Elders or her father felt more nostalgic. But he had made the mistake of trusting Momochi Zabuza, then head of the Konohan military, and during the rebellion the entire main family had reportedly been massacred. The Uzumaki name was instantly recognizable, and to have it connected to Naruto………. "Are you certain, Colonel?"
Gaara nodded. "Naruto told me of this himself, and….." His eyes shifted away briefly. "….My country may have gathered intelligence about the Konohan empire at some point in the past. Anyhow, the gist of the matter is that not only is he of the clan, he is in fact the only son and legal heir of the last emperor of the Uzumaki dynasty. While most of the main family was killed during the rebellion, Momochi Zabuza allowed Naruto to be spared. It might have been that he reminded Momochi of his own three year old nephew, Haku; we really can't be sure why else, as he must have known it was a bad move politically." His grip tightened around the hilt of his sword. "In any case Naruto was locked away for most of his early childhood. Momochi went to great lengths to keep his existence from public knowledge and he was kept in various prisons owned by clans loyal to the new emperor. When he was around twelve, however, he was moved to the Aburame clan prison, and that was when he managed to escape and meet Umino Iruka, one of the pirates from Leaf. You can probably guess what happened from there."
His next words were heavy with meaning. "I am sure my lady has heard rumours of the pending war. The Uzumaki survivors have found allies in the Mist Federation and it is only a matter of time before they attack. Emperor Zabazu's reign is in danger. If the Uzumaki were also to find powerful allies within Konoha who will support the rightful heir's repossession of the throne………."
The enormity of what he was asking her suddenly hit Hinata so hard she felt herself sway a little on her feet. The revelation of Naruto's real identity was dizzying enough; now she was being encouraged to help overthrow the current emperor? Gaara made a move to steady her but she shook her head tersely, grasping onto the banisters instead and forcing herself to keep her back straight. "I……I will think carefully about what you have said, Colonel."
He looked at her for a long moment. "Do you want to help Naruto, Lady Hinata?"
"Yes," she replied unthinkingly. "Of course." She knew she genuinely cared about Naruto, whether he was a pirate lad or rightful heir to the entire Konohan empire. And yet……she had always been so weak, so frightened, so incompetent. It seemed to her impossible that a meek, bullied little woman like her could ever find the strength to lead a clan like the Hyuuga, let alone enter the arena of civil war.
To her surprise Gaara offered her a faint smile. "Then I think that will be enough."
"Do you." She sighed glumly.
"You are Hyuuga Hinata." His tone was confident, steady. "It will be enough."
She didn't know quite what to say to that and so she decided to blush (again), dipping her head shyly to continue her previous conversation with the floorboards. "….Thank you."
He bowed slightly in response. When he straightened his entire frame had visibly relaxed as the momentary gravity of the situation dispelled and he eased back into his customary quiet detachedness. Suddenly Hinata started, turning to peer at the stairways with mild alarm.
"They're…being unusually quiet, aren't they?" The commotion downstairs had subsided dramatically in the past few minutes.
"Quite worrying," Gaara agreed blandly.
"Oh dear……..if you'll excuse me, I think I should check on them," she said, curtsying again, "just in case Hanabi did something really, really bad to Lieutenant Kiba."
"Your sister is still very young – barely seventeen, if I am correct." He looked down at her expressionlessly. "Leading a clan takes maturity beyond her years, Lady Hinata, not merely strength. And even then, concerning the latter…..I believe Naruto to be a very good judge of character."
"I……thank you, Colonel." She exhaled shortly, almost laughing in a strange mix of cautious happiness and trepidation. "You are very kind."
He nodded and she left him by the banisters, smiling uncertainly at the man before disappearing down the stairs.
It was much cooler below deck, Commander Temari's ship having been built for the stifling heat of Sunagakurean waters. The corridors were kept in a state of half darkness, lit only by army issue lanterns and the odd ceiling hatch filtering diagonal shafts of light into the shadows. Furnishings were sparse, efficient and unembellished, reflecting the coarser, almost nomadic lifestyles of her hosts. She trailed her fingers broodingly against the wooden panelling of the walls as she hurried down, gathering a thin coating of dust on her fingertips.
"So it really comes down to this, huh."
Hinata paused at the sound of Temari's voice wafting out through a door. It came from the closest cabin opening to her right. Hanabi and Kiba were in the conference room at the very end of the corridor. She shook her head slightly; it really wasn't proper to eavesdrop. She made to move on.
"You're an idiot, Shikamaru. You – you better know what you're going to be missing out on." A short, forced laugh. "Well. I guess I knew all along it'd end like this for me. I just hoped –" She broke off, voice quavering and lilting up.
"Temari, don't be so troublesome…….."
"I'm not being troublesome. I understand. It hurts like a bitch, Shika, but I really do understand."
Suddenly Temari burst out of the room, running a hand tiredly through her hair and looking uncharacteristically resigned. Hinata nearly walked right into the woman, jerking back only at the last moment to avoid sending the both of them tumbling to the floor.
"I'm so sorry, Commander, I –" She broke off, blinking at Temari's preoccupied expression. "Commander? Are you feeling alright?"
"Yes, yes, I'm fine." Temari waved her off impatiently, looking away. "I just need some fresh air. Have you seen my brother? The saner one."
"Well….." Hinata gravely pondered whether Kankurou or Gaara could be considered the saner of her siblings. It was a difficult question.
"Oh, right. I forgot." She flashed the Hyuuga a strained smile. "Gaara, I meant."
"Ah. He's on the top deck."
"They've gone all quiet, haven't they?" Temari jabbed her thumb towards the conference room as she strode past Hinata. "Better check up on them to see what's left of your Lieutenant."
When Hinata passed the open doorway she glanced shyly into the cabin. Shikamaru was leaning against the window, staring glumly out at the ocean, spiky hair silhouetted by the sunlight. He fumbled with a cigar between his fingers, lighting it carelessly and taking a long drag before coughing loudly and grimacing. "Troublesome women. Tch!"
She fingered the bottom of her shirt thoughtfully, watching Shikamaru from the shadows before glancing back at the retreating figure of Temari. The woman's back was unnaturally straight, her gait forcedly purposeful. Hinata's gaze softened.
"I know you're there, Hinata," Shikamaru suddenly sighed, not looking away from the window. He tapped his cigar against the tinted glass, letting ash crumble to the floor. "It's alright. You don't have to worry about us."
"Ah, I'm sorry….I hadn't meant to…." She bowed her head and stole quietly away.
There still had been no new screams of pain or fury by the time she reached the conference room. Hinata bit her lip, listening intently for sparring, conversation or basic signs of life. Nothing. She rapped lightly on the door. "Hanabi? Lieutenant? Are you two all right?"
No reply, save for the sound of something heavy falling to the ground. The clang of steel hitting wood reverberated dully into the corridor. Hinata was truly worried now; what if they had both knocked each other out? Slit each other's throats? Gagged and bound each other to the table legs? Heart pounding, she threw the door open and rushed into the room frantically. "Hanabi! What have you done? What's going – oh!" She stumbled to a halt, freezing at the sight before her. It did involve the table, but not quite in the way she had previously imagined. "Oh. Oh. Oh my." Hinata balked, then flushed a vibrant shade of beetroot, clapping her hands to her burning cheeks. "I – I'm so sorry, please don't mind me and continue with - whatever you were doing – well – it's not like you've stopped anyway, I mean – never mind, I'll be leaving now!" Mortified, she backed out into the corridor, falling heavily against the opposite wall.
"Lady Hinata!"
She turned to her left at the exuberant cry. Sir Lee and the pirate clone he had found on Orochimaru's ship – Gai, was it? - had been sprinting up and down the stairs since daybreak, forced to exercise below deck so as not to make Itachi suspicious. Their faces were flushed with youthful vitality as they rounded the corner towards her, wiping the sweat from their brows with identical, disturbingly tight green shirts they had managed to dig up somewhere.
"Ah….Sir Lee, Sir Gai," she greeted them with a strained expression. She had been very glad to see Lee alive and relatively safe and sound, having previously thought that the soldier had drowned with the Konohan Maiden, but right now she was not quite in the right frame of mind to deal with his very special brand of energetic living. (Especially not now when it was replicated to an even more spectacular degree by his new friend.)
"Why are you looking so fiercely red, my fair orchid of the seas?" Gai peered at her kindly when they came to a stop beside her, bushy eyebrows looming towards her face.
"I…it is nothing…." Don't look into the room, don't look into the room, don't look into the room……
"Lady Hinata?" Lee frowned. "You look terribly unwell! Has the springtime of youth momentarily deserted you? Do you want us to carry you to the medic?"
"No, I'm fine, it's just……" Involuntarily Hinata glanced back into the conference room, where Hanabi was proceeding to violently kiss the Lieutenant into the table, blades forgotten by their feet. Kiba was responding just as aggressively and as a result it looked more like warfare than any expression of affection.
She winced when the two bowl headed men followed her gaze to peer curiously into the room. Identical blinding grins cracked over their faces and Gai even had tears glimmering in his eyes. "Ah…….it is truly heartening to see such vigorous displays of youth!"
Hinata blushed even harder.
The worm was staring at him. Worms have no eyes, he knew, but right now he could have sworn by his honour that the pink, slimy thing was ogling him with ravenous hunger emanating from its every pore.
Normally Hyuuga Neji would not have particularly minded if a worm looked at him the wrong way, but unfortunately this one happened to have an approximate diameter of what he (optimistically) guessed to be (only) six feet. Its pulsating, moist body, clinging to the left wall of the tunnel, stretched all the way back into the darkness of the passage ahead. If this creature's dimensions were proportional to its much smaller counterparts nearer to the surface, then its length would have to be over a hundred feet. In his most distinguished professional opinion, this worm was potentially Very Scary.
He grit his teeth, eyes narrowing determinedly. The worm was blocking two thirds of the tunnel and there were no alternative paths as far as he could see. The others were only a few minutes behind him and he was sure that the worm's appetite could gladly accommodate them all. Neji bristled manfully; he'd be damned if he was going to let Tenten get eaten.
He set down his lantern and drew his sword in a flash of gleaming steel, pointing it threateningly at the giant bug: "Prepare for death, vile dragon of the earth."