Chapter #3
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, it all belongs to Masashi Kishimoto
"The demons will haunt you and try to steal what you know. But the angels, they brought you, and they're gonna hold you up."
-Shane Harper
"Hey!" he waved to her as she entered the class, sighing as the only available seat was by him
"Hello." she nodded, polite and distant
Since the day with Chouko he had made it a mission to be her friend. An action having first been to be pleasant, now with greater objectives in mind.
"I am assigning today's science project which will be due at the end of the semester," Professor Akami began
"This is ridiculous," a loud voice bellowed behind, the class turning to him, "that's in six weeks! How bad is the assignment?"
"Unless you want to submit it next week Taisho," Professor Akami smirked
Hinata's disposition turned rigid at the sound of Taisho's voice. She often tried to forget he was alive.
"You will be put into groups of two, and the group I put you in will be your group for the rest of the semester." Continued Professor Akami.
"Aren't we a little too old to be given assigned groups?" said another student
"Well cone face boy," Professor Akami began,
"It's Daichi." a boy with a slender face and cone shaped hat retorted
"Well Daichi, there is no such thing as too old in my class simply because my class teaches the decomposition of things…at any age."
"But we are fighters! Why do we even need this stupid school? We should be out fighting bad guys, protecting our village. Like they do in Konohagakure, right Uzumaki?"
The class turned to Naruto who laughed it off as a joke. Hinata though felt the daggers and stares that faced her every time people turned, the annoyance that she sat beside him.
Everyone's attention returned to Professor Akami as he proceeded, "You'll be glad to know that when you graduate, you can participate in all the fights you want.
"Whatever, old man."
Rolling his eyes, Akami proceeded "so the groups are as this:"
"Ai, Daichi."
"Taisho, Amaya."
At the sound of those two names not being grouped with her, she sighed in relief but her white knuckles stayed blanched as the professor kept rambling on.
"Hinata, Naruto,"
All around were grunts and shrieks of sadness across the room as though someone had passed. She was definitely dead meat after this class. Yes, she could feel death's embrace.
"So, what is the assignment again?"
"I'm yet to let you know toothpick,"
"The name is AKIRA"
"Whatever skinny…"
With that Professor Akami had to duck seeing as a pen came right for his neck.
"Hot head…" Daichi muttered under his breath
"What did you say, Daichi?"
"Nothing," Daichi sighed in fear of the woman seething in anger
"Anyways, the assignments are in front of the classroom. I need a person from each group to come up here and pick a box with a letter on it."
"Won't you go get a box?" Hinata muttered his way
"Why don't you?" Naruto replied smugly.
Without a word, she got up to retrieve the box. Then a loud, threatening ripping sound, reverberated through the room
"Looks like someone sat on glue… How pathetic," Amaya chimed whilst the whole class turned and laughed
Staring at the seat, she saw a piece of her school skirt on the chair, openly showcasing the overly stitched lavender shorts she wore underneath. Old period stains that hadn't budged stared her in the eyes as the class snickered in horror of her filthiness. For years, she had gone through this, for years she had been too shy, too fearful yet today, as her eyes met his...Uzumaki Naruto's
He wasn't laughing, nor was he pitying her. Just a feeling of shock, yet reservation,
"I don't know what it's like to be a prince, but I don't need friends,"
I didn't.
I don't.
And as Hinata repeated this mantra, her pain turned to anger, her shame to fire and before she could register her actions, a loud shriek erupted. Amaya on the ground, Hinata's palm stinging from the contact. You could hear a pin drop as the class held their breath, shocked and amazed but she couldn't see them. At that moment, everything was purple and blinding
"How dare you! Do you know who I am!?" Amaya yelled at the top of her lungs.
"Yes! Atta Girl!"
"Who are you?"
"A friend."
"What?"
Another loud slapping noise erupted in the classroom and with it, a sharp pain through her arm. Hinata couldn't help but yelp, as the tattoo on her wrist glowed, burning skin in turn.
The class watched as the air around her turned purple, wind pushing in bursts. Without a second to blink she had her hands around Amaya's neck. Bones could be heard as Amaya now screamed in turn. The grin on Hinata's face widening with every sound.
Professor Akami ran towards both girls whilst doing a few rapid hand signs and hitting Hinata directly in the chest. Instantaneously, knocking her out and her dropping in his arms, drained.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
It felt cold, hollow, the white room she lay in.
"Where am I?"
"Welcome Ms. Hyuuga!"
At the sound of the voice, she looked around but couldn't see anything.
"Who are you? Where am I?"
"Lady Hyuuga," a being in a purple cloak bowed, "I am your guardian."
Perplexed, she spat "Guardian? From and for what?."
"I am she that guided your clan and now, I am here to guide you."
The voice said as it drew closer. A woman with gray dreads walked up, her skin flawlessly tan, ruby red cheeks about 5'9" in height. The grace and wisdom by which she carried herself was humbling yet fearful to behold.
"How… And what just happened to me?"
"It is time."