The theme from hell!! Because we all know Sakura has abandonment issues. Kind of. She did when she was smaller. Between Sasuke high-tailing it the hell out, and then Naruto going on to becoming a kick ass, if slightly less than street smart, ninja, and what did she do? Give up that stake to normalcy to apprentice herself to bustiest brawn in town, to make Naruto be the decoy so she can pin Saucy-boy to a rock with nothing but her little pinky perhaps?

Geh. I want more sleep.

Set dedicated to Sphyma and Bullwinkle's Lady for being spoiled on it and having opinions.

38 abandoned

Hinata looks at her like she wants to sympathize, but can't, because her teammates are insanely loyal, and kind and even though they spoil her, they trust her, because it's Hinata. And the only problem with Hinata is that she's practically perfect, and anyone with half a brain or any sense of self preservation is incapable of hating her. She's too damn nice and so damn shy that it's a wonder she convinced anyone to let her risk her life and her hair for the village.

"Don't look at me like that," Sakura says finally. She wanted to go out to have fun tonight, not a staring contest with someone whose family has reared everyone in it not to blink.

Hinata starts and apologizes, and then hesitantly asks what it is she's not supposed to look at her like.

"Don't look at me like he just abandoned a kitten next to the Inuzuka compound in the rain, and I'm it." She doesn't want pity, not from the resident princess. Not from a girl who's never suffered the way she has suffered. Hinata has never had to lose a teammate, a mentor, a partner, never had to sacrifice herself for someone else, because everyone else seems more than willing to do the sacrificing in her place.

Hinata ruins her sulk, tries to lighten the atmosphere. "Actually, I think kittens would do rather well among the Inuzuka. They'd keep the puppies entertained and out of everyone's way. And everyone has a soft spot for small cute things."

"So how did you sprain it?" Sakura doesn't feel like letting the heiress be kind.

Hinata looks at the ground, wondering if this is any more comfortable a topic than the previous. "Amateur mistake, I didn't wrap it before training. Hanabi's favorite guinea pig is on a mission, so she settled for me."

Sakura thinks back to the mission scrolls she happened to see while trying to tidy her sensei's desk.

"Neji was the one that went with Kiba and Shino and Yamato-taichou? Why?"

Hinata shrugs, with a dignified grace Sakura wishes she could copy somehow. "Shikamaru-kun predicted the group would separate once they realized they had Konoha shinobi on their trail, try to lose their trackers or kill them, and regroup later. Neji's byakugan is stronger than mine, and if you have to take on A-rank criminals individually, years of cohesive teamwork isn't a deciding factor any more. It was only natural."

Sakura pretends she doesn't see how disappointed Hinata is she missed another chance to prove herself. It's been years since anyone ever thought she couldn't hold her own.

"Thank you, by the way," adds Hinata, drawing shapes in the air with her toes. "It feels up to mission standard now, if only I had one to go on."

"And miss out on this party?" asks Sakura with pretend horror. "There's more alcohol than water right now, and I'm pretty sure someone was going to make it rain sake as a present."

Hinata looks at her, as if she had been expecting to get in a bitchfight over something so small, like she thinks being Hyuuga Hinata is a sin on top of the slight, with this gratitude and relief and pleased surprise, like every gesture made in kindness is a precious gift, and Sakura wonders if she has been so out of touch with the rest of the Rookie Nine that she did what she and the other kunoichi promised never to do. To let her guard down and forget 'cute and innocent' doesn't mean 'harmless', to forget that women have more than weapons at their disposal.

"Let's return to the others," suggests Hinata politely, moving even before she finishes talking. As she wafts past Sakura, quiet words fall into the whisper of movement. "I'm here for my sister, and my mentor's child, not the last Uchiha and his entourage."

Hanabi looks up from deciding on stuffed animals as they approach. "You done being the Uchiha's fangirl shield? Because we can't decide if we want the mouse or the cat." Chiyoko's little face is also puckered with thought as she considers her options gravely.

Hinata crouches to let the little girl tell her how Hana-nee threw them so quickly, like she wasn't even looking, and how cute the cat's face is, but how round and squishy the mouse looks.

Sakura looks over at the display of toys. All five of Hanabi's rings rest neatly around the pole. She flicks a quick glance down and decides what the hell, she hasn't had much opportunity to test her accuracy in a while.

She asks for a set of rings.