Chapter 9: Confrontations and Confessions
Honesty is the rarest wealth anyone can possess, and yet all the honesty in the world ain't lawful tender for a loaf of bread. ~Josh Billings
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"N-Neji-nii-san.", stuttered the waitress nervously. She was feeling light-headed at the moment. The worst situation was about occur, something that she had prayed would never happen. MGC versus Akatsuki.
Deidara looked towards Neji with mild interest on his sun-kissed face. Hinata could see a small smirk form on his lips, which made her anxiousness increase. Even though she had only just met him twice, Hinata could tell that he wasn't the type to sit back and let anyone have their way. She saw the way his cerulean eyes danced in annoyance at her earlier and how he expressed how he felt about her holding on to her feelings about her soon-to-be-ex, Sasuke.T his won't be good, though the bluette as she looked between the two men.
Neji glanced between the two. "I would have never thought that you would bounce back so quickly, Hinata-sama. Seems like I overestimated your feelings for Sasuke. And now you're here...with the Akatsuki.", his voice was calm. Kin even flinched a little at his inflicting tone.
Hinata bowed her head in shame.
Of course that's how it looked! Here she was, in a restaurant with a handsome and wealthy guy, who just so happened to be the rival of her husband, talking and laughing about certain matters. And it didn't make it any better that they were seated beside a window where anyone could see the blonde and her(not that many people would know who she was right now, which was fortunate).
Deidara snorted. "Please Hyuuga, think with your head and not that overly expressive ego of yours. Petty things such as that is underneath me, as well as your skill at...anything really."
Neji glared at Deidara with malice. "Are you suggesting that my expertise is beneath a rookie such as yourself?"
Hinata held her head in her hands as insults were being thrown. The people in the restaurant started to sashay away from their place in line to look and realize that some of the most successful business men were in a heated argument. Along with the acknowledgment came picture cameras and phone calls to relatives or friends about them meeting famous people.
The blonde looked at Neji with challenge in his eyes. "If that's what you think I'm implying, then yes, I do think that you and partners could never even think to touch me in what I do, un."
Ouch, thought Hinata. She didn't have to look at her cousin to see that he was seething. No one had the guts to tell the prodigy Neji that he wasn't up-to-par with the business. If one had even thought to say or think such things, people would retaliate and bring up the Hyuuga's history and experience.
Neji was involved in many community issues during his four years at Sarutobi Private Institute, a prestigious private school that only provided for geniuses of the future. He created the Konohaian Bachelor Organization, a highly appreciated organization that involved every rich guy 25 and under who were still in college or starting their careers. The organization provided the poor with housing, financial support, and most of all, support from the community. It strived to even reach the president and dictators of other large countries, which thus made many business owners jump at the chance to hold a share in Hyuuga Corps once the conniving Neji took over. This brilliant idea earned Neji the Young Geniuses of Excellence Award at the high school.
He was not alone however. Sasuke, Naruto, and even the lazy Shikamaru paved a way for themselves. After Neji graduated, the trio started to take over Sarutobi Private. The Uchiha and Uzumaki dominated every sport and leadership youth club there was, Sasuke as Captain and Naruto right at his side as Co-Captain. Shikamaru took over every spot in academics; he scored high in all subjects, even the International World Physics Test that was held at the prestigious school every year. At the end of their Senior Year, they graduated with high honors (even the obnoxious Uzumaki); Shikamaru and Sasuke being tied in Valedictorian and Naruto being Salutatorian, beating Sakura Haruno by exactly .05 in overall average.
The Hyuuga started to work side by side with Hiashi and soon became the old man's apprentice. After high school, Sasuke jumped right into business with his older brother at Uchiha Corporation; Nara went to law school for one year and became a lawyer, and Uzumaki started his quest on becoming Hokage in the upper divison of Japan, Konoha.
Did Deidara really think that they were below him? Hinata didn't know his background, but she knew that he had to have had many accomplishments in his young life.
"Do not underestimate me, Suoh. You will be greatly disappointed in the results of it."
Kin briskly grabbed Neji's jacket to catch his attention from the deviously smirking man. "We shouldn't keep the Obstetrician waiting."
Neji glanced at her before turning back to Hinata."Watch your back Hinata. It won't be long before they reopen the wound that Sasuke has printed on you."
With that, he turned and walked out the door with Kin by his side. Hinata jealously looked at his knee-length hair as it swooshed out the door with bounce and shine. She hated to admit it, but not only was her cousin evil, but he was devilishly good-looking, which made people overlook his demonic ways and personality. Speaking of good-looking…
Deidara was still smirking, particularly at her. She smiled shyly back at her and looked at the clock on the wall. 1:30! She had missed thirty minutes of her shift. She panically jumped up and ran into the supply closet for a broom and a dust-pan. She didn't want to be doing nothing; she needed the money for the apartment she planned on getting.
The mousy girl strutted back to the table section to see that her companion was gone, dollars and change left on the two-seater table. She suddenly became upset. Deidara had been the first person whom she had had a full conversation with, if you consider being patronized and told what to do apart of a normal and concise conversation. It was sad to see him gone, without a goodbye even. The girl sighed and sat down in the chair he was sitting in while putting the broom and dust-pan against a wall. A faint scent of his husky cologne was still in the air.
"Excuse me, but are you Hinata by chance.", asked a soft, feathery voice. Hinata quickly looked up from her drooping position into violet eyes. It was the waitress that Hinata had thought of as a model. The beauty gave her a serene smile when the bluette nodded, and pulled an envelope out of her apron. Hinata grabbed the envelope from the smiling girl and gave her a questioned look.
The beauty 'Oh'ed and responded. "It is from the gentleman that was seated with you from before. He asked that I personally give it to you." Hinata looked at the note, a tint of sadness in her eyes. Did he not want to give it to her? Was he more interested in talking to the beautiful violet-eyed woman than her?
"I'm sorry to intrude, but you have very, very beautiful eyes. Are you from the Hyuuga Clan by chance?" Hinata snapped her head up at the interested girl before her. Had SHE complimented her? Usually pretty girls like this one were mean and catty. Hinata shyly nodded.
The girl looked surprised at this fact, which Hinata caught as odd.
"W-What is wrong?" The girl looked at Hinata with disbelief and curiosity.
"Sorry, but I never would have thought you were from Hyuuga." Hinata's heart clenched. Did she not even look like her on kin anymore? She asked a question that she was sure would cause her pain.
"W-Why do you say t-that?" The girl took a closer look at the nervously waiting girl.
"The Hyuugas I see on Tv have much sterner and colder eyes. Yours hold innocence and tranquility, sort of like a doll.", the girl looked deeper into her eyes, "A lavender tint...that must be rare."
The young girl pulled back and smiled once again at Hinata before running off to take another customer's order. The said girl sat still for a moment, trying to process all that had just happened. The beauty thought she was beautiful in an odd and rare kind of way? The rarity of her eyes and features could be clarified though; her mother had the famous indigo locks that she now possessed, but the tint of lavender in her eyes couldn't be justified. Not even her own mother's soft, white orbs had that purplish glint.
"Hinata, your shift is over for today.", said Ayame as she picked up the broom and dust-pan and headed towards the supply closet. The bluette followed after the brunette; she wanted to apologize for the scene that the arrogant men had caused in the restaurant. She didn't want to lose this job on her first day, not when she was so close to gaining back her independence.
The shy girl breathed in inwardly before stepping into the supply closet. Ayame had put up the sweeping items and was now putting up several little boxes on the shelves. The brunette suddenly turned towards Hinata with question on her features.
" A-Ayame-san, I w-want to apologize for the incident that occurred today. My friends and c-cousin don't usually do this k-kind of thing i-" Ayame cut off the girl with an extended type of laughter.
"Apologize?! That was the best entertainment I have seen in months! People from all over will be breaking their necks trying to get here!", exclaimed Ayame as she hugged the dazed girl. She pulled back from the bluette.
"Go home and rest, kay? Make sure that you're here early: 'the early bird catches the worm!'" Ayame pulled Hinata into the kitchen and gave her a Styrofoam plate and waved her goodbye.
Hinata pulled up her ankle-length skirt and scurried into the thick traffic of people.
The bluette walked to the blonde's two-story house. It was hot outside and the thigh-length outfit that the girl donned didn't make her heat whiplash slow. She had trudged from the busy city to the neighborhoods filled with big, extravagant houses. Hinata dreaded going into her space in the basement; it would especially be hot down there. She should be grateful though, Ino was willing to give up her own bed for Hinata. Despite Ino's house only having one bedroom, it had many other rooms; there was a den, an activity room, a room for only clothes and makeup, and a room that was made into a large office for the lawyer. The bluette had chosen to go to the basement, but at this moment she was regretting not sharing the California king with the blonde.
"Oh," muttered the girl as she reached into her pocket and pulled out the two notes given to her. One for Tenten and one for her. She carefully put Tenji's letter into her apron before opening the blonde's note.
"Diet list: salad, no dressing added, for three weeks. Run two miles everyday at 6:00 a.m...No cinnamon buns?!" Hinata crumbled up the paper before stuffing it into her apron.
She sighed before looking at the driveway; it was empty which meant that the blonde was still working. Seeing this as an important time, the girl walked up to the door and looked under the mat.Bingo. The silver key was pushed into the lock and in with the bluette.
Hinata went into the blonde's room and looked around for comfortable clothes. Among the cluster of vividly-colored business attire and lui and prada, the girl managed to find sweat pants and a white t-shirt. She dressed quickly and pulled her hair into a high ponytail before settling in front of the big screen in the living room and opening up the still steaming foam plate. The girl devoured the contents of the plate and was soon lounging on the couch watching afternoon cartoons. She felt tired, but content. It had seemed that her life had now reached a comfortable point. A giggle erupted from her throat as one of the characters on the cartoon kicked open a door.
Suddenly the telephone rang. Hinata jumped up and skipped toward the phone before pressing the answer button. "H-Hello, Yamanaka residence. May I ask who is speaking?"
The voice over the other line laughed. "Hi sweety!. I just wanted to call to see if you made it back from work." Hinata relaxed at the voice of Ino. "So, how was it?"
"H-Horrible. Deidara and Neji-nii-san showed up at the s-same time." Ino screamed on the other end of the phone.
"Oh my God, What happened?!"
Hinata plopped on the couch, exhausted and not really feeling good enough to talk about them. "I'll t-tell you later. Anyway, where are y-you?"
"Welllll, I was just with Gaara writing your contract..."
Hinata nervously stood up and started to pace. "N-Not this a-again.", muttered the girl.
"Well, I do have to make sure everything's in tip-top shape, don't I? Konan can't do everything, especially with Pein dropping in and out bothering the poor girl! - Who's that on the phone? -"Hina-chan." - Tell her to be here on Thursday. No exceptions."
Hinata gripped her head in distress. "I-I heard Ino."
"Stupid Panda-chan, always bringing his smexy little self into people's conversations!" - That's disturbing.."
Hinata then thought of an idea to get the girl off the phone. "Guess what was worse than Deidara and Neji though!"
"Oh my God, what?!"
"Everyone kept coming over to get the cinnamon buns!"
The line went quiet for a minute. "Let in the cleaning lady." The phone was hung up on the other line, which made the bluette laugh.
The doorbell rang and Hinata skipped up to the mahogany doors. Maybe she could assist the cleaning lady today since she had nothing else to do.
Hinata quickly unlocked and opened the door before going into the kitchen. She picked up the trash that littered the counter and threw it into the garbage bin, a slight smile on her face. She saw an envelope on the counter also. It had the Konoha symbol on it; most likely for divorce court.
Hinata heard the door close in the living room; the maid must of been starting on the living room first. The bluette grabbed a garbage bag box and started opening it while going into the front room.
She fumbled with the box and spoke. "I-I hope you don't mind, but I think i-it would be better if I helped you o-out."
"That won't be necessary.", spoke a deep, alluring voice.
Hinata looked up and met with obsidian eyes that were on the verge of turning red. The plastic box dropped from her hand as she gasped.
Sasuke stood in the room, an emotionless expression plastered on his gorgeous face.
Hinata took a few steps back. "W-What are you doing here?" Her fear increased as she noticed that his eyes were now a full red and that a small smirk was on his face. She noticed that he was dressed casually; nothing but a black shirt and jeans; his attire made him look like a hot college frat boy. To bad that isn't true..
"You invited me in.", muttered the Uchiha as he scanned the house. His gaze then turned back to Hinata. "We need to talk." More like destroy me... thought the girl as she folded her arms across her large buds and averted her eyes to her socks, praying inwardly that his sultry voice didn't have that effect on her.
"I-I don't think t-that is a good i-idea, Sasuke.", stated the girl. She couldn't believe that she had been so clueless as to not look out the peephole before opening the door! Anyone could have come in and stolen the blonde's items. She heard him 'tch' before hearing a lock being twisted. Her eyes darted up at the sound. Sasuke started to stalk towards the girl.
She stood still despite her legs aching to run at the suspense of his demented drawl towards her. This was the first, no, second time they had met since he proclaimed his love for Sakura. The first time she had came to him, now he was coming to her, which struck the oblivious girl as odd. Sasuke would never track down anyone unless he was really pissed about their involvement in his life or Uchiha. Did her showing up at the engagement anger him? Did he want to talk about that? Or was it something else he needed to say?
She gasped as he grabbed her arm forcefully and lead her to the kitchen, where a table and two chairs stood. "Sit.", he said. Hinata quickly sat down and looked at the single flower in the middle of the table while Sasuke casually leaned against the table, his eyes boring holes into her head.
"So you live with Ino now."
The bluette looked at him. Was that what he wanted to talk about? "W-Where else can I go? My clan b-banished me, and my husband is with another woman, so all of my choices are limited y-you see.", said the girl sarcastically as she fingered the yellow flower.
He glared at her before continuing. "Why didn't you use the condo we had?"
Hinata looked up startled at that. All this time she could have been staying in the other house! Why wasn't she thinking! Hinata sobered up and looked him in the eye. "I needed a c-change in scenery, Sasuke."
He muttered a 'whatever' before something caught his attention. The envelope laid their in it's demonic figure, clad straight on the table with the signature Konohanian stamp place in the top left corner. She noticed that he stared at it for a while before picking it up.
She didn't want him there. He was acting like nothing ever happened between them; like what he did never happened. It reminded her of their marriage; unchanging and awkward. He would sit at the table, much like now, and read the paper while Hinata would sit and wait for his conversation. She was tired of waiting for him; he needed to leave before Ino came home. Just as she was about to speak, he looked back up with softened red eyes.
"I thought that once I defied my parents' orders of this marriage that these feelings would subside, but it seems to be having the opposite affect on me.." He looked on at her flushed face with a thoughtful gaze. Parent's orders?
"W-What are you talking about?"
He sighed before setting down the envelope. "Your father and my fahter settled an agreement that once we both reached a legal age , that we would be married, and Uchiha and Hyuuga would be combined after four years of our marriage." He looked past her head at the clock on the wall. "All the dating that we did was actually a ploy to get you to marry me."
The words felt foreign to the girl's ears. Her sense of hearing was becoming fuzzy and her breathing had stilled for a second.
"A-A ploy?", questioned the girl in disbelief. All this time, their marriage had been a lie? "S-So that day, w-w-when you and Naruto-kun started talking to me senior year and invited me to the g-graduation party, was that all apart of it?" She held her mouth as he slowly nodded, not looking at her. "And when y-you started to talk to me over the phone, a-and wait outside the school for me when you were working for U-Uchiha.."
He nodded once again, which nearly sent the girl to tears. She needed to ask one more question though, one that would top it off.
"That n-night in New York City during my senior trip, when we stood on the the top floor of the skyscraper, when you first kissed me and proposed to me...were those feelings a lie, too?" Her eyes were begging him to say it was a lie. "I was ...the only one that had those feelings that night?"
He never answered her. A few tears started to seep through her eyes at his unresponsive answer.
No…
T-That picture that I saw...Sakura was in the background...was he cheating then? She felt like she was going to vomit.
Hinata jumped at the ringing of the doorbell.
Sasuke glanced at the door before looking at the tearing girl. "Like I said, I thought that once I severed the ties that held us together in this marriage, that my feelings for you would go away, but they haven't, and I need an explanation for this..", his voice was full of anger and confusion from what the girl could tell.
It's called guilt, Sasuke...but you wouldn't know that, would you?
The doorbell rung once again, which caused both of them to look at the door again.
"I-I have t-to let the cleaning l-lady in..", whispered the girl. She walked towards the door in a steady pace, her mind in shreds at this point. She was sad and, also, confused by the Uchiha's words.
All this time I thought that he had fallen out of love with me, when in reality, he was never in love with me to begin with. This was all a lie, a beautiful lie. A lie that I fell into. A lie that has imprinted a jagged mark on me for the rest of my life. Those beautiful moments that we shared were nothing more than organized plans to get me to getting used in being married. My first kiss stolen, my hand in marriage stolen.. Everything I have stolen..
Hinata's hand lingered on the door. She breathed in and out before opening the door and giving the woman at the door a small smile. The only problem was that it wasn't the short cleaning lady. A Young man stood at the door. Hinata paled as Sasori walked past her, clad in a burgundy shirt and slacks with the Akatsuki logo jacket.
"What's up, little minx?", asked the redhead as he came into the house with a box and large sheets of cardboard, dangerously coming close to the kitchen.
Hinata squeaked as he sat down the material on the table. "W-What are you doing here, Sasori-san? I-If you're looking for Ino, she's-"
"At Sabaku writing your contract, yada yada. I went by the building already." He then cut off the tv and started opening the box, taking out certain materials and such.
Hinata looked at him for a moment, suddenly forgetting about her husband who was still in the kitchen. She grabbed a piece of the bright fabric; it was a light lavender silk."This looks n-nice, but what is it for? Are w-we having another meeting?"
Sasori sighed in tiredness and looked at her. "Ino didn't tell you about the fitting being today? At three?", he came towards her and took down the ponytail, letting the indigo locks frame her face, "At Yamanaka's place?"
Hinata yelped. "D-Deidara didn't say anything about a-a fitting t-today!"
Sasori raised a fine eyebrow at her before tucking some hair behind her ear. "You were with Deidara today?" Hinata blushed a little at his dancing hazel eyes. "Whatever, just change into something more light." The bluette was about to do just that, but froze in place when she realized that there was still someone in the house besides the busy redhead.
She suddenly peaked in the kitchen to see if him being there was just a bad dream.
Sasuke was still sitting there at the table with a look of irritation on his boyish face, and the bluette couldn't help but swoon a little at the hot guy being in the kitchen, even though she was upset at him.
She quickly shook her head when the redhead's voice rung out in the hall.
"Did you change yet? I don't like to be kept waiting."
Hinata rushed into the kitchen and closed the double doors behind her before giving the suspicious looking Uchiha a small smile. "T-The cleaning lady g-gets cranky a-around this time of day and I'm s-supposed to be helping her t-this afternoon. Can w-we finish this conversation some other day?", asked the girl as she ushered the guy out his chair and out the back door.
She groaned as he stopped in front of the exit.
"That didn't sound like a 'lady' Hinata.", said the Uchiha as he narrowed his red eyes at her. "Who really was that?"
Hinata gulped when he grabbed her hands in his and gave them a light squeeze, stopping her from moving.
The doors in the kitchen opened and Hinata braced herself for the second confrontation of her life.
In walked a buff looking woman with graying hair. The woman looked between the two before muttering "kids" and grabbing the mop out of the corner.
The bluette sighed in relief and looked up towards the with slight confidence.
"Goodbye, S-Sasuke."
Said guy looked back at her before leaning down towards her. She shivered as his hot breath covered her neck. "We'll finish this talk once I come back from France. Answer my calls next time, Hyuuga.", she felt him smirk on her neck, " I wouldn't want to track you down again."
The warm air left and she looked at him turn the corner. Soon, a roaring sound was heard before his coupe was gone. Hinata clenched her chest and sat down on the back steps facing Ino's tremendous garden and koi pond.
She felt like she was floating now. He had feelings for her? What feelings was he talking about; the feelings of guilt? Love? Both? She was confused more than she was upset now. His words constantly replayed in her head. She wanted to feel angry, but she couldn't. She felt like she was played into this marriage, like she was nothing but a toy in the Hyuuga and Uchiha's games. No matter how bad she felt, she still cared about Sasuke.
I'm not the only one that was affected by this, thought the former-Hyuuga as she stared at the array of flowers in the garden. Sasuke had to do what his Fugaku and Hiashi had ordered, surely this was hurtful against him also, which is why he treated her this way. Hinata's eyes widened as realization came to her eyes.
Was this why he had treated her so badly when they were married? Was he so angry at this father and Hiashi that he felt like by cheating on her that he was rebelling against their orders? Was the bitter and hateful Sasuke that she married just a sad guy that wanted to break away from the rules of the clans?
So the reason behind all this pain was the Clans.. Deidara had told her to let him go, but could she really just forget about him? His hurt?
"What are you doing out here?", asked a curious voice. Hinata smiled a little at Sasori as he sat down on the steps next to her. They both looked out over the flowers.
"J-Just thinking about things", said the bluette as she looked at a stray butterfly that had purple and pink wings. Sasori stared at the girl for a long time; His eyes then widened as he stood up.
"Don't move from that spot girl, or you might just take your last breath from this earth."
Hinata stilled in fear of his threat. She soon heard a snapping noise and looked up at the ecstatic redhead. He held his iphone in his hand. "I've found the perfect theme for you." He glanced at her before looking out at the flowers and taking a photo of it also.
"Come on inside. I need to get your measurements.", he said.
Hinata once again paled at the thought of him seeing her body.
Soon the girl heard cars pulling up into the blonde's yard. Sasori looked towards the sound before looking down at the girl with a smirk.
"Looks like the rest of the Akatsuki has arrived."