[19]
I said 'good bye' to Tenten before heading off to the nearest bus stop. All the way I had a cheerful grin because I am happy to have met up with Tenten. I wish she would shop for baby clothes with me when I am pregnant. After a short while I realised Naruto was following me.
"Why are you stalking me?" I asked.
"Aren't you heading for the hotel?" he asked.
"Yes…" I replied.
"Well, that's where I'm heading too!" he declared.
I decided to ignore him and when the bus came I chose to sit upstairs. I stomped my way up the steps and realised the top deck was unoccupied. It was too late to turn back as Naruto was blocking the stairs. I wanted to wipe away the smirk on his face when he noticed the empty space.
"Aww man… Looks like it's only you and me here," he grimaced.
"Whatever," I grunted and chose a seat.
He sat down next to me and kept his sleazy eyes gawking at me. I hated people staring at me and my face began to heat up. I ignored his gaze and directed my focus out the window. As I watched the cars speed by I wondered what I had achieved throughout my life.
"Your side face is very pretty," Naruto complimented.
Deep down I was flattered but I gave him a frown to suppress my feelings. I wonder if I can keep my fidelity to Sasuke. I really love him and he had meant everything to me since we began to go out. It really breaks my heart to know that he has forgotten me. I hope in the threads of his memory hides the love he once had for me.
"What's wrong Sakura? You're frowning," pointed Naruto.
"Nothing," I replied bluntly and continued my gaze out the window.
I looked at the stops and was glad that there was only one more to go. I felt uncomfortable around Naruto and I could tell he doesn't just want to be my friend. It was probably a bad idea to piss him off considering he was my boss but I didn't care. He could fire me to end all of my concerns as I can always look for another job.
I looked out the window and expressed, "We're here!"
"Oh… That was quick," he muttered as he got up to follow me out of the bus.
"Well, I'll see you around, bye!" I called.
"No wait! Let me escort you to your room!" He beckoned.
I nodded my head knowing that he would follow even if I had said no. We walked silently together before arriving at the front of my room. I waited for him to leave but he just stood there. I could tell that he wanted to come in but I stood in his way.
"I'm sorry if I was a little rude but I want some time alone. Please leave…" I stated.
He looked a little disappointed and asked, "Can I at least take you to dinner or lunch in the future?"
I wasn't sure so I didn't answer him. He must have noticed my uncertain expression so he added firmly, "As a friend, I really want to be your friend!"
After another minute of silence I stared at Naruto dumbly. I didn't have many friends in this hotel and was quite lonely at times. Perhaps I should let down my barrier a little and with that thought I nodded my throbbing head. He's gleeful smile made me realise what I had just answered.
I didn't know what had come over me but I slammed the door in front of his face. He knocked on the door and instead of answering him I walked towards my bedroom. Before I could reach the room I heard Naruto shouting, "YES!"
"Hey what's your mobile number? Actually it doesn't matter because I know where to find ya! I'll see you around," cried Naruto before he finally left.
##
A photo of Sasuke and I on my dressing table reminded me to be faithful. I believe patience will be rewarded and if I waited long enough Sasuke will remember me eventually. I sighed and said out loud, "How long do you want me to wait Sasuke?"
I looked further across the table at the little crystals that Sasuke had given me. I turned on the table light to make the crystals glisten their pleasant shades of colour. A smile crept up my face as seeing them always made my heart fill with warmth and joy. The crystals symbolise our love and it will shine forever, won't it?
An idea clicked inside my head as I began to pack the crystals in a small box. Perhaps seeing them could stir up Sasuke's memory! After packing them gently in the box I walked out of my room to head for Shukaku hospital. I decided against taking a transport so that I could longer my daydream of Sasuke remembering me.
When I got there I saw an ambulance parked in front of the building. I wondered what had happened to the poor soul and my eyes nearly popped out when I saw Lee getting off it. Don't tell me, it can't be! Panic contemplated my face when I realised the person lying on the stretcher was Tenten!
I nearly dropped the box of crystals as the truth hit me hard on the face. I followed the medic team as they rushed Tenten to the nearest maternity operation room. I felt sorry for Lee as he was screaming like a mad man and tears broke free on his usual merry face.
[20]
Sakura walked up to Lee and placed a hand gently on his shoulder to calm him. Lee looked up to see a familiar face and hugged onto her to stop himself from collapsing. His sanity was breaking apart and he blamed himself for being late. 'If only he had arrived sooner… None of this would have happened.' The more he thought about it the more tears flowed and glistened on his tanned face.
After a while Lee calmed down a bit and let go of Sakura. He began to walk in circles and became more restless with each passing minute. 'What is taking so long?' he wondered and prayed to God that Tenten and the baby would be safe. (Some people think that crying is a cowardly behaviour but how can one always hold up their emotions? It is not humanely possible.)
The lights on top of the operation room door finally flicked off. The doctors came out with solemn faces as they looked up at Lee. As soon as he saw them, he raced up to a doctor and demanded to know if Tenten was all right. He pulled hysterically at the doctor's coat waiting impatiently for the news of his wife.
The doctor tried to smile to calm Lee down and replied, "Your wife is safe but…"
"But what!!" shouted Lee.
"The baby… We did everything that we possibly can but I'm afraid there's been a miscarriage," the doctor replied.
Sakura saw Lee raising his fist and was relieved that he had unclenched it. He didn't want to believe what the doctor had told him; instead he chose to fall to his knees. He clenched his hand again and began to pound onto the ground. He continued to cry, "Why? Why?" as reality condemned him.
She helped Lee get up once he had stopped hitting the ground. She guided him to the room that the nurses had taken Tenten. When they got there Tenten was still in her sleeping state as she was heavily sedated from her operation. Lee placed a hand on her creamy smooth face and sat down beside her.
"Can you leave me alone with her?" he asked softly.
Sakura felt offended because Tenten was her best friend too but managed to follow his instructions. She overheard Lee talking to Tenten when she was a few meters away from the entrance. She decided to stroll further away so that Lee may have his privacy with his beloved wife.
As soon as Sakura sat down on a nearby courtesy seat small droplets of tears crept down her pleasant face. She could no longer hold her emotions as the full impact of the reality incurred by her friend crept inside her mind. How can she survive such an emotional situation? She had been so happy…
##
Sasuke had just finished his obstacle course and was wheeling his way back to his room. A figure with pink hair caught his eyes as he turned a corner. She was sobbing quietly by herself and her torn depressed state drew Sasuke nearer towards her. A locked up emotion stirred within him as he continued to watch her.
Sakura had placed her head over her entwined fingers and looked like she was praying. She was pre-occupied with crying and was unaware of the approaching wheelchair. Suddenly she heard squeaking noises so she looked up to see Sasuke! She didn't care if he only referred to her as a stranger. She launched straight towards his lap and repositioned herself in a kneeling posture.
Sasuke decided to run his hand over her hair to soothe her. His pants were becoming a little wet as her tears continued to flow but that was the least of his worries. He didn't want to see her sad because he his heart was sharing her emotions. Aside from that he also felt a sense of completeness being next to her.
"Don't cry, Sakura…" he whispered gently in her ear.
She stopped crying abruptly and was more surprised than sad. Did she hear right or was it her imagination? Had Sasuke really called her name? She looked up to his cobalt black eyes and genuine face to search for an answer. He gave her a playful grin that only she would have seen and she knew for sure he had remembered her.
"Can you call out my name again?" she begged.
He reached out a pale hand to touch her delicate cheek and said again, "Sakura."
Upon hearing her name Sakura plunged towards Sasuke wrapping her arms tightly across his waist. She placed her head next to his chest and listened to his steady heartbeat. This moment marked a memorable place in her heart as she and Sasuke were finally reunited!
[21]
Hinata was tossing and turning on her bed because she had the same nightmare again. It was actually a memory of her past that she resented since the age of six. Sweat beads began to form as she dreamt of 'that day'.
The sound of the door opening had woken Hinata who was a light sleeper. Her innocent white eyes watched her mother's body disappear down the balcony and she screamed! She rushed downstairs to the main door but she didn't know how to open it. Finally a maid came to open the door and she rushed out like a bullet. She located the lawn in front of her balcony and saw her mother lying unconscious on the ground. She paid no attention to the pool of blood and lifted her mother gently to her lap.
Suddenly her mother stirred and whispered, "I love you, Hiashi…" and died gently in Hinata's lap.
##
Izayoi Hyuuga
Izayoi was a Geisha but that did not stop Hiashi Hyuuga from falling in love with her. Hiashi had gone to a lot of trouble to marry the woman he loved. He even defied his Hyuuga title and threatened to leave the main house. Everything would have been perfect if Hizashi hadn't been killed from a ransom gone bad.
Hiashi spent two wonderful years with Izayoi and they even bore a child whom they named, Hinata. Unfortunately the Hyuuga business trembled downhill and money was needed to prevent it from collapsing. Hiashi had objected to marrying Kurenai Yuuhi but had only agreed in the end to solve the crisis. It was probably the worst deal in his life as she did everything she could to make him love her.
She tried to win his affection by acting nice but he ignored her so she took her anger at Izayoi. She was like a venom and had threatened Hiashi that if he slept with Izayoi; she would withdraw her family's business. She would often pinch, kick or shove Izayoi to a wall whenever Hiashi wasn't there. Finally Hiashi noticed the bruises and became furious with Kurenai.
This wasn't the end of Izayoi's nightmare because Kurenai developed a further hatred towards her. Izayoi nearly died of an heart attack when she found her two year old daughter drowning in a swimming pool. If Hinata had died she would never have forgiven herself. She never felt more relieved to see her daughter breathing again…
Kurenai had an obsession with drugs and had used them on Hiashi so that she could bore him a child too. It was only after a few nights that Hiashi realised what she had ploted but the damage was already done. The Hyuuga business was starting to get better and any bad publicity would send it downhill again.
Hiashi had wanted a divorce with Kurenai but she had already fallen pregnant. From then on Kurenai acted like the Queen of the house and ordered everyone around. Izayoi was confused because Hiashi had promised that he'll kick her out of the house. She dropped her cup of tea when Kurenai broke the news out to her.
"You think you can get rid of me? Dream on! I'm pregnant with Hiashi's child. When she/he is born I'll make sure that I'll never have to see your sorry face again. Enjoy your time while you still can," Kurenai laughed cruelly.
When Kurenai was heavily pregnant she nearly slipped down the stairs but luckily Izayoi was there to catch her. Izayoi had thought that Kurenai would change when she experienced the hardships of motherhood. It was only the start of her nightmare…
One day an old acquaintance came to visit Izayoi but Kurenai had plotted her evil plans. Kurenai drugged them both and took pictures of them. It was an old trick but had worked perfectly. Hiashi would have believed Izayoi but his anger from seeing his wife on a bed with another man clouded his senses. When he saw the front page of his daily newspaper he spilt his coffee and charged up to Izayoi's room.
He slapped her hard across the face and chucked the newspaper on the floor.
She was bewildered at what she saw but had managed to hold her tears until he left. There was no point in explaining he would never believe her anyway. She cried silently in her room and calmed down a bit when Hinata wrapped her arms around her.
He ignored her for a year which greatly affected her sanity.
She had wanted to die and the Hyuuga main house resembled a prison to her. The only thing that had kept her alive was her beautiful daughter. Izayoi was worried that Hinata may have became mute because she had never spoken a word after Hiashi had slapped her.
Both Kurenai and Izayoi were emotionally affected when Hiashi stopped coming home. One particular night Izayoi decided to get Hinata some dessert to bribe her into talking. Hinata never got her dessert because Izayoi had dropped the glass bowl when Hiashi arrived home hugging a woman.
Izayoi and Hinata stared at the two with wide astonished eyes but Hiashi continued to kiss the woman passionately in front of them. Hinata hugged her mother's leg tightly before deep hatred and resentment of her father built inside her. Hiashi felt a sharp jab of pain and knew he had hurt Izayoi's feelings.
He didn't comfort her; instead he said coldly, "Get back inside your room."
Izayoi carried Hinata in her arms and ran quickly towards her room. If only she had remained there because Hiashi had sent the woman home angrily. Izayoi knelt on her knees and it was the last straw that she could take.
Hiashi had hurt her too many times…
Izayoi waited for Hinata to sleep and said her sorry prayers to the little soul. She walked out of her balcony and looked down. It was at least four stories to the ground and the soft breezes encouraged her to jump. She climbed over the balcony and let go of the rails. She landed with a soft thud on top of the green lawn.
##
Everyone was dressed in white and bowing before the alter at a photo of Hinata's mother. She tried to search for a kind face but had found none. Her father was not present because he blamed himself for his wife's death. Hinata never told her mother's last words to her father. She thought that he didn't deserve her mother's love. She clenched her small fists when she saw her step mother and sister laughing happily together.
A few days later she ran away from home because she couldn't take the cold atmosphere of the house. Hiashi didn't even flinch because the death of Izayoi had prevented his mind to function properly. He could only remember the happy times that he had experienced with Izayoi and had no recollection up to when Hinata was born.
Hinata cried softly in an alleyway and ate scraps or rubbish for a few days. Finally her saviour came…
Hinata woke up abruptly and stared into the aqua pools of a mahogany brown haired man. He knew she had that dream again so he wrapped his arms around her. He embraced her tightly to protect her from the tragedy she had been through. He kissed her forehead softly and laid her gently on the bed.
A/N: HUGGLES, guess who found Hinata? KAWAII!!
Anyways, please review... =P