Hey, peeps! Here's another chapter as promised! I'm pretty sure some of you noticed my changing the second genre or category from humor to angst for later reason (theories are welcomed).
Thank you so much for the honest reviews!!!
One question: I recently watched two f*cking horror movies and I can't sleep at nights! Like right now, I'm posting in the middle of the night. How can I get over this?
Chapter 12: The Medic
Mumbles of incoherent feigned praises littered around Hinata as she calmly walk through the village in a timid manner, being careful to keep her eyes on the ground rather than in the eyes of the Kumo villagers. Due to her clan's reputation and the fact that she was appointed to be the next heiress of the worldwide known clan, people felt obligated to respect and show outmost kindness to her. Though she feared if she looked them in the eye—in the eye of samples of people she would have to deal with once she becomes the head—they would notice a slight chink into her weak and diffident self. Also, there was a reason she didn't wear her normal ninja gears and had broadly chosen the formal kimono. She was not here to fight but make peace. Their alliance with Konoha was already wavering.
As she passed the small bridge that isolated a grand field territory away from the screeching city, she spotted a slight shift of chakra above her. An immensely powerful one that she had grown very familiar with. She downed a decent amount of saliva pooling on her tongue. Now was not the moment to dwell on such wishful thinking that could one day bring her trouble. Trouble. The Hyuga clan would soon find out of her one-time intimacy with her bodyguard and would, if they dared, slut-shame her for it. A very bold word yet true. Soon—as an aftermath punishment as if fate hadn't had its fun yet toying with her—her teammate Kiba would sniff out her aroma and would easily accuse her of doing sinful things with someone she didn't know.
The sky stretched out in hazy coloration of blue and white ahead of her and for a second she felt at ease looking up. There was a certain sorrow to the disrupted mixture of the shades of blue in the sky. For some reason it reminded her of her late beloved cousin, Neji Hyuga. A momentary scowl edged across her fragile features at the thought of her past grief. She could still feel the stinging pain behind her eyeballs as she faced the face of the corpse of her cousin in the biggest war yet. His soft mutterings to Naruto. His blue and violet shades of eyes boring into hers, telling her that it's okay. It's okay to cry. If the experience of seeing her beloved family member pass in front of her was disoriented enough, the aftermath was far more worst. She wouldn't get out of her room for weeks on end. The stinging pain behind her eyes were there constantly. Neji should have been the head of the family. This place she was standing on should be his.
Without noticing it until it happened, her eyes cried again for what seemed to be the nth time that day. Hinata didn't try to stop the nature of sadness flowing itself out of her face. It would've been far worst if she tried to stop it. It's okay to cry. It takes a great deal of courage to do so. To show that you care. Also, she didn't have a handkerchief with her.
She stopped in front of a cottage, cheek tear-stricken. A sensation of warmth coated her right cheek and she turned towards it. The Anbu had pressed a cotton of white handkerchief against her cold wet cheek with his fingers— emitting real heat beneath the glove. As usual, she was met with an animalistic expression in the face of his mask. Vacant, yet his action spoke otherwise.
"You're slightly less beautiful if you keep your head down, princess Hyuga," Delicately with his index finger, he lifted her chin up. "You're meeting your client." He disappeared in the trees above.
Soundly she blew into the handkerchief, making a point to wash it for him afterwards, wiping her face. She didn't sob, only tearing, so her face wasn't red. Hinata took a deep breath before knocking on the wooden rouge door.
Once she realized no one was about to answer to her calm knockings, she did the unthinkable and activated her bloodline. Though the moment she did that, the door was flung open; an old lady with loose grey tresses that reached the ground with healthy tan complexion appeared and slapped her weary hand against Hinata's eyes. She yelped in shock enough to alert a certain bodyguard as he swiftly jumped down beside her.
"Shh!" The older woman had the most vibrant jaded eyes that looked into your very soul. Emerald eyes landed on the Anbu beside the girl, having his guards up and she pulled him by the front cloak with her inside. Sasuke was the strongest man in the world, but he was completely caught off-guard when this lady with an enormous strength yanked him like a rag doll. After she had succeeded in dragging them both in, she slammed the door shut with over fifty locks. She hastily twirled around, "Don't talk. Don't do anything. Come."
Hinata avoided Sasuke's presence and went after the lady's small but quick pace around her cozy house that smelt of burnt woods and leftover miso soup. "Lady Tsumi, wait! I'm Hin—"
"Shh, White-eyed girl!" She slammed her hand to cover Hinata's mouth. " I know what and who you are. And him." The lady's eyes slewed vigorously towards the tall male who—although couldn't be seen through the mask—was currently imaging black flames surrounding the woman. Sasuke had never been handled like that; and he certainly won't again, especially not from some short-formed medic elder.
Something flickered inside of Hinata as she observed lady Tsumi who didn't return the gesture. She was busy scrutinizing Sasuke from afar. Unlike what she seemed, lady Tsumi wasn't that foolish to prod him up with fingers; apparently he didn't like being touch from the majority of people in the world. From the moment he came to her view, she had long suspected it was the Uchiha who caused the current uproar in her own village. Though her eyes held no disdain for what he was nor caution or suspicion. Nothing could be read through her crazed, half-disgruntled form and appearance. Her hair was in messy curls, slightly oily from the top that indicated that she hadn't washed or bathed around more than a few days. Though her breath exude the smell of herbs and minty leaves.
"Lady Tsumi," Hinata hedged through the woman's hand. "You know him?"
She left their sides dragging Hinata across her slippery floor and into her bed. "That young man must stay in the house." Hinata was ultimately confused when the woman decided to let loose of her grip around Hinata's wrist and lay down on her creaking bed with a pained sigh. Now that Hinata had gotten a closer look on the woman's appearance, her usually tanned complexion was paler in comparison to the other Kumos. Her lips lost its shades and her veins were visible through the weary skin. Rash of skin covered every inch of her body, even through loose night yukata. "He must. It is not safe outside. Nor anywhere."
"Why is it not?" Hinata tried to keep the conversation going as she activated her Byakugan—searching for the problem in the woman's body.
"Because dark creatures wander outside. Once they have set eyes on you, they control you. They have access." Lady Tsumi was speaking in obvious delusional riddles. How far has she gone? "They steer you. They cause troubles. They befriend the goddess."
"It's okay. I—" Prominent fungus pulsated through the woman's aging veins that made her loose focus on her bloodline. Her temple gathered close on her forehead in a confused frown as Hinata tried to maintain her concentration. This was unlike any virus she ever seen in her life. Lady Tsumi's chakra pathways had automatically blocked the fungus from spreading through the tunnels that surged in her body, but that only served vainly. If the virus stayed in one place in her body, confined without roaming around like blood cells, it would create webs of fungus that caused the rashes and weak blood flow. Yet Hinata couldn't exactly pinpoint the sickness, only that it must be removed. It was much worse than average cancer. "Oh, lady Tsumi," she said, "Haven't you at least been taking medications to slow this process?"
"What use? They spread, they spread. Foolish Raikage," she muttered tranquilly under her breath. "He sends no company to entertain me in my deathbed. Finally a white-eyed fair maiden has come." She laid a hand on top of Hinata's much younger and paler hand. "No worries, White-eyed girl. No cure can revive me. I have reached the end of the horizon."
"Don't say that," Hinata's eyes glided to the kitchen where numerous bowls and grinder with herbal leaves laid scattered across the counter; an indication that the medic had improvised every possibility to heal herself but turned out in vain. "There must be a way." She ran to the kitchen in mere sheer panic. She was no Sakura or Tsunade who were by far the best medic in the world. They can create an antidote spontaneously for an unheard sickness in the matter of seconds. Why had she chosen this mission?
Her hands felt for any leaves that she had read in the book somewhere that was made to stop a certain biological growth in one's body. She needed a little bit more time to figure out the main cause of the disease before she could operate a possible procedure. Not finding a single useful herbs on the table, she dashed through the room and searched the storeroom.
"Top shelf, the right corner," A voice adviced from the door. When she turned around, she only saw a ghosting figure of her bodyguard.
Hinata wasted no time and searched the top shelf for the specific leaves. "Here it is! Wait a moment, lady Tsumi!"
Just as she entered her room, she was caught off-guard by Sasuke's presence near the older lady's bed. It took her a beat to know that they were in the middle of a tensed conversation though she couldn't catch a word before they halt their talk to notice her. Lady Tsumi's eyes were red, not from crying but from the pain residing inside of her—gnawing painfully at her innards. Although she looked painstakingly unwell and urgently demanded medical attention which rested on Hinata's shoulders, she notice a vague determination and indignation behind her eyes for a brief second before Hinata stopped their heated discussion. To sum it up, the older lady evidently looked slightly better from moments ago—high spirit. She slewed her eyes curiously towards the Anbu. What had he done to her when she was shortly away to fetch the leaves? What kind of conversation did they have?
"Here. Chew on this slowly, my lady," Hinata brushed the gnawing curiosity and fed the elder the mint-smelling leaves. Lady Tsumi was clearly not happy to have been degraded so low that people would have to feed her, yet she begrudgingly clamped her jaws together repeatedly while giving sideways glances at Hinata's bodyguard. "You knew which antidotes to make or which leaves to eat to make the virus slow its process. Why didn't you eat it until now?"
"My dear, I did not have the energy underneath my bones to move." She replied sardonically. Whatever Sasuke told her clearly pissed her off. Hinata made a mental note to ask her bodyguard about it later. "If someone placed it in front of me, then I would eat."
"But...you have the strength to answer the door for us?"
"No more questions, White-eyed girl! Do I look like an answering machine?! Show some respect." Although she was angry, her weary hand gently held Hinata's hand as she fed her the last leave. "Now I feel awfully tired. Please, out of my room. An old lady needs her precious rest." She no longer spoke in detailed riddles.
"But, lady Tsumi, the Raikage clearly instructed that I was to stay by your side at all times. Until I figure out a way to remove every last fungus out of your blood and chakra pathways, I cannot leave your side. According to my Byakugan readings, you only have so far until—"
"Leave it, Hinata." Sasuke went around the bed to the exit, brushing softly past her. Even his aura had shifted differently. Something had happened or had been discussed between the two and Hinata needed to find out what. "She needs her rest before you extract the complete virus out of her body."
She drew a defeated sigh. Hinata stood up languidly—placing a reassuring hand on the elder's shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. "Don't worry. Once you're awake, the meal will be ready."
"Don't push yourself too hard, Byakugan princess. We don't want any dirt marring your pretty little hands, do we?" Even her laugh sounded slightly strident; a cackling noise scraping against rough flesh.
The moment Hinata silently closed the door behind her, Sasuke moved to the door out of the cottage. Scorching anxiety bloomed at her chest while she almost stumbled over a coffee table to reach him; and if Sasuke was to admit it, as usual he had a slight worry that she might fall on her face. Apparently she worried him about everything she did, it made it hard for him to let her out of his sight.
"Wait! Anbu-san!" He didn't turn around to her calling but he certainly stopped when she rushed to block his exit. "Where are you going? You heard what she said. Something is out there. Stay here while I make us three dinner."
He pursed his lips tightly, looking around but at her. Sasuke laid an impending hand over his katana, a habit instinct; he had no silly intention such as to hurt her but Hinata took it the other way. Those pure eyes held a flash of hurt in them.
"As a bodyguard, your true duties lie where I am, don't they?" When he made no move to even give an effort to acknowledge her existence, she stared downwards. "What were you talking about with lady Tsumi?"
"Nothing of importance," he finally gathered some balls to face her head on. "At least nothing that concerns you anyway."
Wrong move.
It took a full moment for the words to sink and embedded fully, and Sasuke watched reprehensibly for the crease on Hinata's forehead to form in a indignant and vicious rage and disappointment. She was ready to give him a piece of her mind and put him in his place but thought better of it. Who was she to think he could change his ideals in people or probably in life? This was who he was. There was no use getting through him and reminding him that yes, everything that happens to him does concern her if he was about to breath the same air as her for a few weeks.
"Fine, then." She smiled forlornly, clasping her hands together behind her. "If you're gonna leave, then that's fine. What rights do I have to your private connection with the client right?" She nimbly stepped out of his way, strolling to the kitchen, airing a fatigued sigh.
Bustling trees denoted a chilly night ahead as he stepped out of the house that made him feel more suffocated than prison. Vague, distanced moon enlightened the dark world from the entirety of darkness accompanied by clusters and spray of stars. Fresh raindrops fragrance lingered in the air from yesterday's small precipitation.
He remembered the forced discussion he had with the medic.
As Hinata was ransacking the storeroom, trying to reach the top shelf like he told her to, he intruded lady Tsumi's laconic solitude—invading whatever peace abiding in be head with his negative atmosphere, thousands of curses of the dead people were brought in with him into the room. Maybe that was why the woman's eyes scrunched up and opened, landing her orbs directly on him.
"So you've come. Here and here."
"You know something."
"I do," she sucked in a sharp breath, keeping her breath steady. "But are you ready to accept the consequences of your action, Sasuke Uchiha. They give you troubles, don't they? You have no exit, don't you?"
"I have no times for riddles," he snapped angrily. At this point he give no flying shit what condition this woman was under. He had only nineteen days before his head would be detached from his limbs. "You're delusional. Sanity has left you."
"Yes, I lost it when I have no one to talk to," she peered at her door. "Does the white-eyed girl know?" His silence gave her her answer. "You must tell her. She must know what she is dealing with. And what risks she would be taking. I think it's time to accept how everyone around you are sucked into your problems, Uchiha. One possible theory isn't enough to support your testimony before your execution."
"Theory?" He came closer, eyes lit aglow. "Talk."
Her jaded eyes wandered the room. "The remaining servants of the Otsutsuki goddess. They have a secret Jutsu to own your body. They borrow it for a short while."
His amusement was a clear translation for disbelieve. He had no reason to trust any citizens from Kumo even if he owed them, much less the highest medic in the village and one of the loyal assets to the Raikage. Still he found her babbling of ridiculousness mildly amusing to allow her to elaborate.
"Borrow it, yes?"
"They have to have a reason to. If the willing side of you was already willing, they have full control on you." Her eyes glazed at him in mild scrutinization. "Where were you really when you were in Kumo before 'you' 'attacked' the Raikage, Sasuke Uchiha?