They Hold the World
Chapter 23: Hyuugas Are Altruistic
Hinata
Waving to Ino before she entered her house, Hinata sat back in the leather seat and was overwhelmed by the tension in the air. The car pucked forward and whizzed down the street. Small flakes of snow flew past the window and got stuck on the windshield, but before Hinata could get a good look at them, the wipers swept them away, leaving Hinata with nothing to distract herself from the heat emanating from her cousin's body.
It was not hard to tell that he was angry - pissed, even.
She couldn't blame him. It was 12:30 am on the Hyuuga's most important holiday, and he was out chaperoning his cousin because she had the nerve to sneak out. He didn't need to say anything. She knew what she had done was crazy. But no matter what outcome she picked, she would have felt guilty. If she had stayed home, she would have felt bad because Sasuke had gone through all the trouble for nothing. So she snuck out, and now she felt absolutely -
"Stupid." One word hissed under the breath of a boiling Hyuuga; it hit Hinata like a ton of bricks, and she pressed her chin between her collarbones. "Sneaking out was stupid, Hinata. Do you have any idea how worried we were? Your father barely ate any dinner! And I knew - I knew you'd be with Sasuke. Christ, Hinata, were you even thinking? Last time you were with him in the snow, he busted his damn head on a desk and you barely slept for three days! What if that happened again, huh?" His eyes flashed her way for the first time since they had gotten in the car. "Well, Hinata?"
Hands sandwiched between her knees, she whispered, "I'm s-sorry . . ."
"As you damn should be!" He stopped at a red light and pushed his hair out of his face, showing off his growing scowl. "When we go home and your father finds out where you were - Jesus, Hinata, with two boys!? I don't give a rat's ass if Ino was there, that's inappropriate and you of all people should know that."
The light turned green and he sped off at probably a good 10 miles over the speed limit. She eyed his white hands that gripped the steering wheel, head swirling. She was beginning to suspect something. Her head kept playing back to what he said at Naruto's, to his accusation of Sasuke hitting her, and she couldn't, for a while, understand why. Sure, he and Sasuke did not see eye-to-eye on many things, but Neji had told her multiple times he trusted Sasuke; so for him to come out with such accusations was . . . not normal. For Neji, at least.
And when he drove, he was not the careful driver he normally was.
Something was bugging him, something beyond her sneaking out, and Hinata was beginning to understand what it was.
Rubbing her shoulder nervously, she turned her face to him. "N-Neji." His eyes were stuck on the road, but she knew he was listening. "S-Sasuke's not you." She watched his brows furrow. "Well . . . y-you're not you. Not anymore."
"You don't know that," he said. She wasn't sure which person he was referring to. "That's why you have to be careful, Hinata, so things like that don't happen again."
"I have a blackbelt."
"Yeah, but -"
"I can protect myself now, N-Neji."
His eyes wavered and his grip relaxed. His head slanted forward and hair fell over his shoulder, blocking some of him from out of her view. But she still saw the roll of his shoulder and heard the small sigh. "Right." And his voice was suddenly less tense. "You're right. I'm . . . sorry. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions." The air became a bit more comfortable, and Hinata sat back in her seat and looked out at the snow. "To be honest, even I'm not quite sure why I . . . snapped."
They got into their neighborhood, drove through the gates, and parked in the driveway. Neji was already unbuckled and halfway out the door when she grabbed his arm and coaxed him to sit back down. He did so slowly, eyeing her. When she began to roll up her sleeve, he flinched away and stared out the window.
"I don't want to, Hinata."
"Neji," she whispered, "you c-can't run away from it forever. T-Trust me, I know."
With a reluctant pause, Neji turned and looked - at her bare arm and the tan scar that stretched down it. His eyes narrowed and stormed up at the sight, and he frowned as she traced it with her fingers. "This," she said, locking eyes with him, "will n-never happen again. Not from Sasuke and n-not from you." And for the first time in a long time, his eyes gave a sheepish bow, and she smiled. "So don't w-worry about it anymore."
He sighed and nodded. "Alright." They got out of the car, and he waited for her at the front of the driveway to make sure she didn't slip on any ice. "But you need to tell that weasel to keep his mouth far away from you. 'I made out with her' - does he have no fucking ettiquette?"
...
When they entered the house, her father was waiting right by the door for them.
Oh, who was she kidding? He was waiting for her.
"Have fun?"
She blushed as Neji patted her shoulder before leaving for his room, probably exhausted from the scare she had given him. Alone with her father, she took off her jacket, hung it, and stepped next to him, bending over a bit so that her hands would graze her knees. "I'm sorry f-for scaring you."
He hummed and walked deeper into the house, and she straightened her posture and followed. They made it to the foot of the staircase before he turned and regarded her with amused eyes.
Wait.
Amused?
"You remember your mother's stories," he said, hand hanging on the post, giving him a sort of authoritative air. "I'm sure you could tell me all the times I was your age and snuck out like the rebellious brat I was. Hell, Hinata, even I skipped out on a few New Years." His eyes were smoky with nostalgia for a moment, a sight Hinata did not get to see often in her father's gaze. So even if it lasted for a mere few seconds, it felt like she was seeing a miracle in the works. "But I was only allowed three of my rebellious bouts to go unpunished. Sadly, the limo incident was not one of those, but I digress."
She folded her hands and waited, not too sure on where this was heading.
Hiashi gave a small smile, hair sweeping along his back.
"Since you were punished for the Halloween getaway, I suppose that leaves you with one get-out-of-jail free card." His smile tipped into a frown as he stiffened with seriousness. "I hope you understand that this free card is only for small incidents like what happened today. If you get in trouble with the law - or, heaven forbid, get pregnant -"
"Wh-What!?" Now she wasn't following. "F-Father, please -"
He raised his hand. "What I'm trying to say is teenagers must act as teenagers in order to learn from their mistakes - but some lines cannot be crossed. Do you understand, Hinata?"
Still blushing and unable to find her words, Hinata nodded, her father's words echoing in her head. A bit of a puzzled furrow came to her brows, and she asked, quietly, "U-Um, i-if I only have one free card left . . . then, u-um, what w-was the first . . . ?"
Hiashi turned and began up the staircase, looking more like he was floating than walking. "Hm. I suppose it would be when you lied to me about going to club so you could stay an hour after school." Her face went pale - He found out about that!? - and he tilted his head back to regard her over his shoulder. "Hinata, you of all people should know that Hyuugas see everything."
23 times.
She counted it.
23 rings of the doorbell, so loud that she could hear them even from inside her room. Sitting up in her bed, she saw it was a bit past six, so early that even the sun hadn't begun to rise yet. And yet, someone was at their front door, ringing the doorbell 23 -
BR-RING!
Correction: 24 times.
She rubbed her eyes and stood, pulling on a robe over her nightgown before leaving her room and skipping down the stairs. A few of the maids were looking through the blinds, whispering to one another, and Hinata wondered who it could possibly be to get them so . . . nervous.
Twisting the lock open, Hinata slowly pulled open the door, mind too foggy to really think about what she was doing. Winter drifted into the house as the grey horizon peeked in through trees and between houses. It was dark outside, but thanks to the porch light, she was able to get a clear view of black eyes and an Uchiha smile.
Shisui.
He was . . . there.
Fatigue left her, replaced by surprise, and she stepped back.
"Good morning," he hummed, walking past her and pulling off his coat. "Sorry for coming so early. I simply have important things to discuss with you." He stepped into the hallway and looked around the house. There was something in his eye - a sort of twinkle - that Hinata could not place. "I assure you I won't be staying long. I just -"
He stopped. Hinata walked next to him and followed his line of sight, where her father casually exited his study and entered the hallway they were situated in. The maids scuttled around, looking nervous, and Hinata was right there with them. Aside from her and Sasuke, it was not often to see Uchihas and Hyuugas in the same room. Two powerful families who had a history in butting heads, one would automatically brace themselves for what was to come when someone as mighty as the Hyuuga head came face-to-face with a mystery like Shisui Uchiha.
And that's what Hinata did. She curled into herself and backed away, unsure if she should leave or stay in case something were to happen -
"It's been a while," Hiashi said, eyes softening as he stepped closer to the Uchiha, who, despite being in 'enemy territory', didn't look very uncomfortable. What? Hinata's eyes flashed between the two. They . . . know each other? Hiashi swept his hand to the dining room. "Will you join us for breakfast?"
Shisui tipped his head this way and that, seeming to ponder, before giving a casual shrug of his shoulders. "How can I say no to the great Hiashi Hyuuga?"
What . . . was happening?
...
Dining room. 6:32 am. Two Hyuugas and an Uchiha.
Having . . . breakfast together.
"I see you've gotten less pale. You must have enjoyed Spain."
"Well, I'm not lying when I say I sure miss the sun."
And chatting together. Chatting.
Hinata has known her father all her life. He did not simply chat. Sure, he spoke casually to his family, but when it came to other people, he often made an effort to only talk of things that would benefit him. So to see him chatting to a guest - to an Uchiha, no less - was more than just odd.
It was borderline crazy.
A maid laid a plate of eggs and bacon before her, but Hinata paid it no mind.
She had completely lost her appetite.
What's going on? she wanted to ask. How is this happening?
"And how is it that you've come to know my daughter?" Hiashi asked, unfolding his napkin to place it in his lap. "If I recall correctly, the last time you saw her, she was barely over three. I can hardly believe you recognized her on the street once you came back."
Shisui smirked as he leaned back to allow the maid to fill his glass with tea. "Why, even at this age, your memory is still as sharp as always." Her father laughed - What? He still does that? - and Shisui took a sip before continuing. "Surely, you know of her and Sasuke. Cute together, those two, and I happened to stumble upon her one day. And, well, at first I thought 'I can't possibly be looking at Hitomi Hyuuga's ghost right now.' And so I looked closer, and upon realizing she was that small Hinata Hyuuga I knew in the past, well - you can imagine my shock."
"She does look like her mother, doesn't she."
They both looked at her, and her heart skipped a beat.
"U-Um." Her gaze flickered. "I-I'm sorry if I offended y-you by not . . . recognizing . . ."
Shisui waved his hand. "Of course you wouldn't." He took another sip of tea before placing the glass down and leaning back in his chair. His hands folded in front of his face as the twinkle left his eye. He became the Shisui she had met in front of Naruto's house, the collected, mysterious figure who let nothing escape him. "And that brings me to why I came here." Those wordless eyes fell on her, and she squared her shoulders. "Later today, you will get a call from Sasuke. I have no right to demand anything from you, but please, answer it no matter what."
A . . . call?
"Did," she began shakily, dread raising in her chest, "s-something happen to him?"
He blinked and unfolded his hands. "Not yet."
Across the table, Hiashi traced his thumb along the rim of his glass. "It's about Itachi, isn't it."
Shisui nodded, and Hinata felt her heart trying to escape her rib cage. Itachi? What about Itachi? "What -" Her voice cracked, and she cleared her throat and tried again. "What is this a-about?"
"Well." Shisui's eyes drifted off for a moment. "I suppose my little brother is about to learn something new about his family."
Hiashi's eyes sharpened. "Little brother," he repeated, voice lowered an octave.
He and Shisui locked eyes for a moment; then, the Uchiha shook his head and rubbed his palms together. "Well, a lot has changed, but he's still my little brother."
"What an Itachi thing to say."
It was becoming abundantly clear that she and them were in two different worlds. Obviously, they knew each other (somehow) and had history (somehow), and there was context that Hinata was missing, thus leaving her in the dark with no clue what they were going on about. Honestly, she was still stuck on the fact that her father was being friendly to an Uchiha. All she could do was watch as Shisui lowered his gaze, and to her surprise, a word glowed within his irises.
Guilt.
But . . . why?
And she thought long and hard about it as time passed, taking small bites of her breakfast, as if that would slow time enough for her to figure things out. But a few minutes into the meal, she was distracted by the movement in the corner of her eye, and she observed Shisui eat. To any other person, it was simply someone enjoying their meal, but to Hinata, it was as if she were watching Hanabi - because Hanabi, a person who threw caution in the wind, only ever acted carefully when eating. She had to, or she could seriously injure herself. Shisui ate with the same discretion, as if the simple graze of the fork would make his lip bleed as badly as it would have made Hanabi bleed.
But . . . he isn't Hanabi.
So why, when she looked over at her father, did Hiashi watch him like he would watch Hanabi, too?
But before she could think on it any longer, breakfast ended, and they all stood around the table, preparing to part ways.
"Thank you for your hospitality," Shisui said, forcing a smile. "It was not my intentions to intrude, but I am glad to have seen the great Hiashi Hyuuga again before I leave."
Hiashi looked back to his study for a moment. "Would you like to see her before you depart?"
Her . . . ?
Momma?
Shisui's gaze swam for a moment before he shook his head. "If I did, I wouldn't be able to leave." What's that supposed to mean? Even her father seemed caught off guard, to which Shisui laughed and rose his hands. "Don't worry. I'll see her later." Dark eyes fell on her. "Hinata, would you mind escorting me to the door?"
She nodded, hoping to ask him at least one of her millions of questions before he left. She passed him and led him to the entrance way and rubbed her thumbs together as she watched him shrug on his coat. As he bent down to grab his boots, their eyes met, and a strained smirk came to his face. "Go ahead and ask. I won't bite."
And it wasn't that she was afraid to ask, but rather she didn't know where to start.
So, she supposed, she ought to start with what had brought emotion to his eye.
"Why are y-you . . . acting like Itachi?"
He bent down and began to tie his shoelaces. "Smart. Just like your father." His smirk fell as he bowed his chin, hiding his face from her gaze. "You asked for honest answers before, so I'll be straight with you. I did it for myself, at first. It began subconsciously after his death - a sort of coping mechanism." Shoes tied, he stood and towered over her. "But it stayed for the Uchihas who were mourning their son, for the Uchiha who missed his brother."
So he . . . acted like Itachi to help himself and the rest of them cope.
And maybe that was the case.
But . . .
"Why?" She couldn't understand it. How was acting like the dead helping anyone?
Shisui tilted his head to the side and stared her down for a while, the beginnings of a word forming in his gaze. "That's easy," he said, no humor in his tone, "but perhaps not to you Hyuuga." He scratched his cheek before stuffing his hands in his pocket. "We Uchihas are used to feeling numb. It comes with the blood. And when you feel numb, you don't exactly look at yourself and wonder if what you are doing is good or bad."
Hinata frowned in confusion.
"D-Did it . . ." She bit her lips together and tried to find her words. "Did it . . . n-never occur to you to just b-be Shisui?"
A sarcastic laugh left his lips as he looked out at the grey world beyond the window's frosty pane. "Why would Sasuke need Shisui when the most important person in his life is dead?"
...
Selfless.
That's what Shisui was, despite trying to paint himself as anything but. Because, yes, he went out of line and pretended to be someone he wasn't, but that was all due to the fact that he thought he was helping. Helping Mikoto and Fugaku deal with the death of their son by taking his place and giving them someone to look to. Helping Sasuke deal with the loss of his brother by acting like him and giving him that person he could talk to and be comfortable with. Because . . .
Because Sasuke hated Uchihas. And Shisui . . .
He didn't act like an Uchiha.
He acted like . . . something else. Beyond his Itachi facade, he was something completely beyond a typical Uchiha. Because Uchihas didn't eat carefully or chit-chat comfortably with Hyuugas or drive all the way to your house to warn you of something painful to come. He was . . . something. Hinata just didn't know what it was yet. And, hell, maybe he didn't even know. But it was there, past the acting and facades.
He was doing what he thought was right.
And now, he needed to understand that, well, just because you have good intentions doesn't mean your actions are automatically deemed good.
"Do you . . . know who S-Sakura is?" Hinata asked, and based off of the flash of his eyes, figured he did. "She did what y-you're doing. Acting like Itachi. And, u-um, for Sasuke, too." His pose stiffened, and she breathed heavily and told herself to keep going. "Sasuke . . . gets panicked when h-he thinks a-about what she did - y'know, u-use his bond with his p-passed brother to get closer to h-him."
Dark eyes snapped her way. "What?"
"And I-I'm sure . . . Sasuke sees what y-you're doing." Words - sentences - paragraphs - of emotion came to those smoldering eyes as he stared her down, making her feel like she was the one using Sasuke. And it was ironic, because for so long she has been trying to get something - anything - out of Shisui to get a true feel of what kind of person he was; and when she pushed away the Itachi mask and the mysterious something and finally found it, she was scared beyond belief. Because he was angry, the kind that consumed everything around it if not held back. "He sees you acting h-how you are and will think y-you're using him like Sakura did. And that . . . that might b-be why he . . . dislikes you so much."
Shisui breathed harshly, and instead of fire, it was ice that left his lips. "I can't believe it."
That voice was frigid and shaky, and Hinata took a step forward to lean in and look at his face.
Pale.
Trembling.
And that word from before - Guilt - was practically written in ink across the entirety of his face - and right under it - Rage.
"In the past," she whispered, moving past him to reach the door, "S-Sasuke needed Itachi." Slowly, he followed her with his eyes, and she smiled at him. "But r-right now, um, I think he needs a truthful Shisui b-by his side."
He frowned, eyes drifting to the side. "Maybe."
Hinata opened the door and stood to the side. "Thank y-you for coming. It was um . . ." Her smile turned nervous, "fun?"
Silent and pondering, Shisui nodded and stepped out of the doorway, but not before pausing to peer down at her. "That necklace." Unconsciously, her hand moved to grasp at it as her breath got stuck in her throat. "I'm glad you like it. Your mother liked doves, too."
He left, and Hinata closed the door, out of breath and swaying.
...
"F-Father."
Arched over his desk, the Hyuuga looked up upon his daughter sticking her head in from between the door and the frame, eyes wide and curious.
"Yes, Hinata?"
She opened it a bit more and stepped inside to get a good look at the portrait hanging to the side. "How do you . . . know Sh-Shisui?"
He leaned back in his chair and looked at it, too. "I don't," he said, voice soft, the kind he used often when around his wife. "Well, not as much as she did."
2:08 pm.
The phone finally rang, and she picked it up immediately.
"S-Sasuke?"
No answer, and if it weren't for the quiet breathes she heard on the other end, she would have thought he had hung up on her. Anxiety shot through her system, followed by worry and fear, and she paced around her room and waited impatiently for him to talk.
And when he did -
"I don't know what to do."
It was a broken whisper, and her heart shattered.
Chapter Twenty-Three - End