Sorry, before you begin reading this chapter I would just like to apologize for the mix up of chapter 9. I just realized I never published it, or something like that, I'm not entirely sure what happened but I'm trying to see where I went wrong. Sorry again, and I hope I can sort things out quickly.


- Chapter 13 -

Neji and Tenten walked in silence to class, as suddenly a thought came to mind.

"So Neji, I've been meaning to ask you something," Tenten said as she then pointed up at his black headband. "Why are you always wearing that? I know I haven't known you long, but I've never seen you without it. You even wear them to school. You'd think it would be against the dress code."

For a long time, Neji didn't respond, as suddenly Tenten's face went pale. Was he offended? Did she just say something stupid? Why did she even ask that in the first place? Idiot!

"Tenten?"

Her eyes went wide as she quickly responded. "Yeah?!"

"Can you stop staring at me like that."

Her face went red. She hadn't even realized she was staring! Suddenly she began to regret waking up that morning. No, suddenly she regretted even being born. And just as she began to think of a thousand reasons why she should just disappear...his laughter pulled her back to earth.

"You truly are an odd one aren't you?"

She sighed as she placed a hand on her now aching forehead. "That's putting it nicely. Sorry for staring. I get really weird when I'm left alone with a boy. I was just trying to make conversation, I don't mean to offend you or anything."

"I wasn't offended. Not in the slightest." Neji smiled sadly, as he touched his covered forehead. "I just don't like talking about it. It brings back to many bad memories."

She didn't know if it was the expression on his face or the way he spoke, but she could tell he was hurting.

She had no idea what he was talking about, but she knew she should probably not press the issue. It was something he wasn't ready to say yet. But she knew he would tell her someday, when he was ready, just not now.

They walked the rest of the way in silence, something she was grad to do and something he was thankful for, and not long after they stood outside the door to their homeroom.

"You ready for this?" He asked.

She smiled warmly. "Hell yeah!"


- At The Grand Hall -

"It's been a while Shion." Hinata smiled as she walked toward the girl, "How have you been doing? Still burning your enemies with the tip of cigarette buds?"

The girl with light blond hair simply smiled back. "Well looks like the little Hyuga girl got a mouth on her. Can't say I don't like it though, it was always so annoying watching Naruto and Sasuke baby you, like you were some wounded bird."

Hinata chuckled. "Well, you sure don't have to worry about that anymore."

"Wait, you two know each other?" Kiba suddenly asked as he looked back and forth from the two. "Well, now that I look at it, you two do kinda look like twins."

"We're not twins!" The two barked back together as Shion sighed while running her fingers through her hair. "God, you can be a real idiot Kiba, it amazes me how you even got into this school let alone the student council."

Shino quickly stood in front of Kiba, almost protectively, as he glared at Shion. "Watch the way you speak to the King of Clubs." Shion looked a bit taken aback but smiled anyway as she shrugged it off.

'King of Clubs?' Hinata thought as she watched the three, 'Well, I'm sure their not talking about night clubs, but it must mean something pretty big if it got Shion to back off like that. I'll have to ask Sasuke about it later.'

"Shino thanks, but you don't have to fight my battles," Kiba said as he put a hand on his friend's shoulder, as he looked down at Shion coldly. "Sorry Hinata, but this is where we say goodbye, but by the looks of your timetable it seems like well be seeing a lot of each other real soon." He smiled as he then mouthed "Be careful" While glaring at Shion one last time.

Hinata solely nodded.

Before long they were gone as Hinata and Shion were left alone in that large dining room.

"So, I'm guessing it's not a coincidence your here, and I'm sure as hell you're not here for small talk. So what do you want from me this time Shion?"

The girl laughed. "Please, what could I possibly want from someone as pathetic as you? I'm actually here to tell you something."

Hinata crossed her arms. "Yeah, and what is that."

She clasped her hands behind her back as she flashed her a wicked grin, while she walked towards her. She hadn't said a thing yet, but the way she smiled sent shivers down Hinata's spine. What could she be plotting? What could she possibly say, that would make her smile like that? And as a thousand more questions ran through her head she would never have expected this.

As Shion now bowed before her.

"Hinata, I'm sorry." Her words made Hinata flinch. "What I did to you 4 years ago, was wrong. I left you scares that you'd never forget. A day doesn't go by that I don't regret it."

Hinata stood there, frozen. She always knew why Shion hated her. Shion's parents loved her but were never around. They used their money to fill their absence, and although she could have just about anything money could buy, she could never have the only thing she truly wanted and that was one thing Hinata had that she didn't. Naruto.

'but, why does that matter now?' She thought. Years had gone by, her and Naruto have drifted apart. Why is she apologize now? Unless... she has something up her sleeve.

Hinata sighed as she ran her fingers through her hair. Whatever it is, her old scares still burned and forgiving the person who gave them to her was still not an option.

"Shion I'll take these burns to my grave, along with the secret of who gave them to me, but I'll never forgive you for it. If that all you wanted to say I've got places to be." Hinata ended as she took her leave while passed Shion, who solely smiled.

"Hinata?"

She stopped and she turned, arching her brow.

"December 4th 20XX." Her eyes widen. "That was the day of the accident right? After transferring to that new school you fall down those stairs 'accidentally'" She said while using air quotes. "What? Did you think I didn't know? Don't forget we are related."

"What about it? Who cares if you know? In the end, all that really happened was that I fell down some stairs, slept for three days and before long I was out and about again. It still doesn't change anything."

"You got amnesia for a month, and you call that nothing."

Hinata shrugged, "Yeah, so what? I got it all back in the end."

And that's when Shion began to laugh, giving Hinata an unsettling feeling. "Are you an idiot? Do you really think they told you everything?"

"Excuse me?"

"Think about it." Shion began as she walked closer. "The Hyuga family has been known to keep many secrets, I wouldn't put it past them to keep some from one of their own, would you?"

Hinata didn't let it show, but her mind was racing. No, she wouldn't put it past her father or her grandfather to leave some stuff out. Especially if they felt it might affect the image of the Hyuga family. The only question was, what did they make her forget?

"Hinata." The two were soon interrupted as two familiar faces walked into the room. "Temari? Shikamaru?" Her friend came running as she hugged her tightly. "God, it's been a while since I inhaled that lavender scent."

Hinata smiled. "Are you really that lonely?"

"No," She said while letting go. "but I am bored. My homeroom teacher gave the class a free period, so I've just been wondering the halls, and that's when I bumped into this guy," She pointed back at Shikamaru who lazily raised his hand. "he's been showing me around. But, more importantly, what are you doing out of class? Are you really ditching on the first day?"

Hinata scratched the back of her head as she grinned sheepishly. "Ha, it's kinda complicated."

"Ahum!" Before the two's conversation could go on, Shion called their attention. "Sorry, to interrupt, but I was speaking to Hinata, and I would truly appreciate it if you let us get back to that."

"Huh," Temari breathed out as she walked up to the girl, before stopping a few feet away, as she inspected Shion's face. "You look a lot like Hinata. You guys related?"

"Were cousins, on my mom's side," Hinata answered.

"Well, you sure don't have to convince me."

It wasn't long before Shion's face became red with anger. "Yes! Were related! Now, do you mind leaving!" Temari stood back as she jokingly raised her hands up in surrender. "Hinata what the hell have you been up to for the past four years? I was told you changed after the accident, but to make friends with such a low life? You really have hit rock bottom."

Hinata stepped forward, though Temari stopped her.

"But you know what? I guess it's better this way. You brought along two other friends, right? If their anything like this one, I won't even have to lift a finger, because you'll all be gone before the end of the semester.

"Your wrong."

Shion laughed. "Am I now? You're the one who doesn't seem to understand, Hinata. This school, it's a garden. We the members of the student council have plucked out the weeds and flourished it. Will grow the future leaders of this world. Sadly you and your friends don't make the cut, you're lucky to even be the hard and ugly concrete that exists around it."

Hinata roughly tugged out of Temari's grasp and she slowly made her way towards Shion.

"Are you done?" Shion's eyes widened, as she stared in fear of her cousin. Hinata's eyes had become dark and hazy, her expression unreadable, as she grabbed ahold of Shion's collar. "Why the hell should you decide who stays and who goes? I don't care what you say, what you do, or how you do it, but no one gets to decide my friend's fate."

Hinata pulled back her first. "I'm Hinata and I come from the concrete."

Seconds, it happened in seconds. At one moment Hinata was about to hit Shion square in the face and the next Temari had tackled her to the ground, as a flash of blond had pulled Shion away.

"What the hell Temari!"

"My question exactly!" Hinata froze. "What the hell is your problem with that girl? Do you even understand what you were about to do? Picking fights and hitting student council members? Are you out of your mind or did you forget what happens after?!"

Hinata stared wide-eyed at her friend, whose eyes were beginning to become glossy. "Sorry." Temari solely nodded as she stood up while helping up her friend.

"Shion, what the hell are you doing here? What did you tell her?!" Naruto yelled while Shion dusted herself off. She didn't respond as she stared daggers at Hinata. "You got some nerve Hyuga."

Hinata simply stared at her cousin, watching her grow angrier by the second, before turning the other direction, as she headed to the closet exit. Temari looked back at Shion one last time before she and Shikamaru followed Hinata's lead.

"Where the hell do you think you're going!?" Shion barked as she was just about to run after them when Naruto stopped her. "That enough Shion. Let's go back. Before you say something you might regret."

Shion stared up at Naruto who gave her a sad yet warm smile, causing her heart to ack. She looked back Hinata who was just about to leave as she clenched her fist tightly. "I'm sorry Naruto, but you can only protect one of them."

Shion released herself from his grasp as she yelled. "HARUTO HYUGA!" Her voice echoed throughout the room as she watched as Hinata stopped at the door.

Temari arched her brow at Shion. "What is that girl's problem?" She said while turning back to Hinata, who stood frozen at the door as she watched how tears had begun to flow down Hinata's face. "Hinata...?"

"I don't get it? Why is it-" She started as she wiped tears away as only more fell. "-they won't stop?"

"It seems as though your body remembers something you don't," Shion started, as Naruto disappointedly looked away.

"It was an order coming from the eldest member of the Hyuga family, that a certain person who had run away and had for shaken the family name would be disowned and forgotten. You don't remember, but you cried for days for that man and after the incident where you lost your memory, well, they thought it would be best that you simply didn't remember him, and that all his pictures would be burned, his name would not even be whispered, and that he would be forgotten. Who was this man you ask? He was Haishi's eldest son, brother to Oji...and to you Hinata."

Temari watched how Hinata's eye widen, watched her try to remember someone she didn't even know existed and watched how she ran awy.

"Hinata!"

A realization came over Hinata at that moment, as she ran to God knows were, with tears streaming down her face and her heart aching. She realized the trust she had in her family was fading and that even though she felt horrible, at that moment, she had never felt freer.


After watching her friend run away in tears, Temari turned to glare at Shion who simply crossed her arms. "So I'm guessing you two aren't that close." Shion scoffed. "Didn't think so, but now that I say your name I think Hinata's talked about you once before, she was hammered and probably doesn't even remember. But she said something about a girl who hated her and how she had a thing for an old friend of hers. She said she was so protective of him and how she would stalk him every were he'd go, and you know what I thought? I thought what a guard dog bitch."

"Excuse me?"

"I hope you didn't take that as an insult, because I just want you to know-" In seconds Temari wiped out a butterfly knife as she pointed at Shion. "That I'm her guard dog, and just to be clear, I bite."

A stone silence fell upon the room as both girls stared daggers at one another.

Though before anything could really happen Shikamaru quickly grabbed the knife out of Temari's hand as he hit her on the back of the head. "Are you crazy! Why the hell did you bring a knife to school?!" Temari solely shrugged as she rubbed the new bump on her head.

"It's not like I was actually going to cut her," Temari added as she then grabbed Shikamaru's wrist, which held the knife, as she then proceeded to squeeze it tightly, causing him to wince in pain and let go as it fell to the floor. She then kicked it toward Naruto who stopped it with his foot. "That's the only knife I have on me, just in case your wondering."

"I'm sure you telling the truth."

Temari solely nodded. "Well that's all I really wanted to say, I'll be taking my leave now." And before long she and Shikamaru exited the room, leaving Naruto to think about his next move.

- With Hinata -

She was running out of steam, with her eyes still red and her nose still puffy. Suddenly the bell rang, startling her. She had to find somewhere to hide, and just before the hallways filled with students, she entered a room with no door number or name as she locked the door behind her.

The room was dark and she couldn't see much she rested her back up against the wall, as she slowly sat down bring her hands up to her face. She closed her eyes as she began to recall bad memories, many of which she wishes she could forget, but maybe underneath all of them she could recall something about this brother of hers. Though after half an hour of trying she came up with nothing.

"Dammit!" She cried as she slammed her head against the wall. "Why? Why can't I freak'in remember?!" She slammed her head against the wall once more and harder than then the last as suddenly-

|SMASH!|

"Hey! Someone's Calling! Hey! Someone's Calling~!"

Hinata's eyes opened to the sound of her silly ringtone, and as she quickly sat up only to notice various books slid off of her and how she was now surrounded by them. Though before finding out why? She looked for her phone, and just before it stopped ringing she answered it.

"Hello?"

"Hinata!" Ino's voice rang clearly through the phone causing Hinata to pull away. "Where are you!?"

"Sorry, but that's kinda hard to say right now." Hinata began, as suddenly she winced in pain, as she touched her forehead only to nice it was bleeding. "Great."

"Wait, what-" Before Ino could ask any real questions, Tenten grabbed a hold of the phone. "Will you give me that! Hinata you still there?"

"Yeah."

"Temari told us you almost got in a fight today and that you left to blow off some steam."

"Is that all she told you?"

"Pretty much," Hinata sighed in relief. "Hinata do you have any idea what time it is?" Hinata's silence made Tenten sigh. "Schools over! You ran off and missed everyone one of your classes!"

"Shit."

"Yes! Big shit." Suddenly the phone was handed to Temari. "Hey, still hanging in there?"

"Barely."

"Well you don't have to worry about us, we're doing just fine here. I talked with Principal Tsunade, she said this won't be considered as a strike as long as you attend all your classes for the rest of the year."

"Ha, sounds easy enough. Thanks, Tamari, I owe you one."

"Just show up to dinner. They've had to cancel our introduction to the school 2 times already, don't want to see what happens if they cancel it a third time."

"Will do Temari. Talk to you later."

"Bye."

Hinata sighed as she put down her phone. She picked up one of the hardcover books closest to her, one which edge was tainted in blood. She touched the bloody side of her forehead, as she put two and two together. "Guess you're the bastard that knocked me out and look at this." She traced her fingers along with the title, "Moby Dick, first edition. Nice. Well, I hope you won't be a dick and leave a scar."

Hinata chuckled at her own pun, as she stood up and dusted herself off. "But damn look at this room." From floor to ceiling, there were books, the room was filled with them. It was as if she was standing in someone's personal library. "Seems like the person who organized the books used the Dewey decimal system, guess that makes the cleanup job a bit easier."

As Hinata put away the last of the books she realized that Moby had no place on that shelf. "Hm, now where the hell do you go?" Suddenly Hinata froze as she could the sound of gears turning. She stepped back as the bookshelf in front of her began open, revealing...

"Stairs?" She looked down at the book in her hands. "That means you were missed place this whole time, huh?"

She clenched the book in her hands. She didn't know what came over her, she felt like she was being drowned to the place that awaits up those stairs. As suddenly she began to make the climb. And even as her only exit closed behind her, she continued anyway.

As the urge to see what waited ahead was far greater than that of fear.

- End of Chapter -

Okay for those of you who did notice, yes, I did steal one of those lines from Haikyuu! But you have to understand the line in that episode was EVERYTHING! If you've never watched Haikyuu, watch it, it so good! And for those of you who didn't notice, well you'll have to find it. Thanks for reading and hope you're here for the next one, bye for now.

|I Don't Own Naruto|