Awakening
"Chichiue…ore..ikit…"
Hinata dozed off but woke up slowly opening her eyes. Somehow, she had gotten used even to that.
He's calling for his father. He's all right. He's always all right when he calls for him.
Hinata took her time to look at the window. It was noon, already.
A sunny day, at this time of the year. Who would tell? Is it that the sun will be shinning for the Hyuuga, Neji? She started doing her seals, but before she could get close, Neji turned around. His back hit the bed, but this time, the intense pain woke him up."KUSO!!!" He yelled, as he opened his eyes.
Hinata ran to him, trying to prevent him from moving.
"Nii-san… it's all…"
" Kisama!!! Don't you fuck touch me. You're dead, you spider bastard. Dead!!!" He violently pulled his wrist from her hands.
"It's all right, now, Neji-nii-san. Please, calm down."
"Where the in fuck am I? Where is that bastard?"
"You're back home, nii-san. It's all right. The Sound Ninja who did this to you is dead."
She reached for his right arm, and held it with one hand while the other reached for his heart. Her blue chackra softly jolted him.
He turned his head around to find her worried gaze.
"Neji-nii-san."
He backed away from her.
"Hinata-sama!!! Ittai? What on earth? Fuck, I died and went to hell. Of all people in this damned earth… Hinata-sama!!!
"Nii-san, it's all right…"
What in hell are you doing here???"
" I work here", she said backing away from him. "You're not dead, and you're not in hell, but in the Konoha hospital."
He lay down on his back, ignoring the pain, and stared at her.
"Work?????
Hinata-sama works???" He laughed. " I woke up in a world where Hinata-sama
works… I am dead."
"Nii-san, onegai shimasu… Don't lie on your back like that… she tried to get close to him.
"Yeah, so you can stab me more easily, isn't it, Hinata-sama?"
She took a deep breath. She looked calm and contained, for the first time, she wasn't stuttering in front of him, no matter how his words were hitting her.
"Please, it's for your own good, nii-san. You were stabbed in your back enough times already. Having me stabbing you wouldn't kill you anyway."
He shut up at looked at her. Her white eyes coldly stared back at him. The hell this was Hinata.
"So you're not stabbing me. Are you taking care of me, Hinata-sama? Your cousin Neji?
Kono Neji, ka?"
"Hai…nii-san…"
"Fuzakeru na! Don't fuck with me," he yelled, as the surprise wore off his anger became apparent.
He looked at himself...
Damn you, Hyuuga Neji. Just shut up.
She took another deep breath.
"Naze, Hinata-sama???" Why? He tried to stand up, but was still too weak, and fell on his back. His face contracted in pain.
"I told you, I work here,"
"Work…here… Hinata…sama…
Lots of people work here, he said, trying not to show his anger. Why are you taking care of me?"
"Hokage-sama's orders," She didn't have to say that she herself had chosen to be there, did she?
"Hokage-sama… only a woman could have given such a stupid order." He turned away from her.
Hinata performed her Byakugan seals and extended her hands over his body. Without actually touching him, she made her chackra flow over his chest.
"Damn, don't touch me, bakamono!!"
For Neji, all that happened in a flash, and before he could make any sense of it, she was opening the door.
"Nii-san. If you feel strong enough to insult the Hokage, I better go tell her that I am not needed here anymore."
"The hell you are, Hinata-sama!"
She stepped forward.
"Mate-o, kora!!!"
"Wait, damn it!!!"
She took an audible deep breath.
Nani-o???"Hai, Neji-nii-san."
"Where are you going?"
She didn't turn around.
"The Hokage needs to know that you've awaken. She was the one who saved your life and has been watching you closely. Most likely, she will want to see you. Besides, you can talk to her, and ask her yourself for somebody else to be with you."
Hinata closed the door behind her.
Fuck, what the hell is going on?
His head was spinning. More than the unbearable pain, waking up to see Hinata close to him was what was blowing his mind. How could he think straight in a situation like that? The hell, to make things worse, that woman wasn't Hinata at all. It wasn't that stuttering, trembling, good-for-nothing cousin of his.
How could he make any sense of anything? Weak as he never has been before, his cousin Hinata, of all people, was there to watch him in this pitiful state.
Worse, he felt a strange power coming from her; something he'd never imagine could have come from her. He felt like she could kill him now, if she wanted.
He was scared.
Laying on his back seemed to make the pain a hundred times worse, but he didn't want to lay on his stomach and look even more pathetic that he already did.
Slowly he raised his torso in the bed so he could look at himself. It seemed and felt like there wasn't an inch of his body that wasn't wounded.
He tried to move his legs, and gasped. Damn it hurt. He looked at them. . Well, seemed that they were there, still. He could raise them, at least as far as the pain would allow. His right arm also seemed in a reasonable good shape.
But his left arm won't move. He looked at his left shoulder; a huge wound was there. The idea of losing his arm made his heart skip a beat. It won't make any sense for him to live without an arm. All his jutsus needed a whole and healthy body. He'd be nothing.
Maybe Hinata was there just to watch him die slowly. Wouldn't she enjoy that, the little spoiled bitch? Working, yeah right. The heir of the Hyuuga cleaning after wounded losers. Hokage's orders. Yeah, as if the heir of the Hyuuga needed to obey the Hokage like that. What in hell was that freaking Tsunade thinking, making Hinata watch after him? She herself had to heal Hinata's heart from his deadly blow, not long ago. Was this some sort of stupid joke?
Hinata-sama…mocking me. How dared she? That little nothing. Her own father ditched her. As if that useless brat would ever have any power, as if she could ever do anything for anyone.
And he felt her hands over him and her chackra flowing through him. Easing his pain calming him down. Making him feel better. That felt good. She felt good. He needed more of that. Hinata-sama…that feels good. Little bitch. Since when she could make him feel that good? . Were you expecting me to thank you for that, Hinata-sama? Hokage's orders, you said so yourself. I don't have to thank you.
She wished she'd slammed the door.
Yokumo, Hyuuga Neji, How dare you to talk to me like that? Mate-o, kora??? She wished she was back in her father's house and he'd dared talk like that to her even in front of the servants. Yeah, like that arrogant bird would.
And it had only been a few minutes of that, she felt like she would go crazy if she had to put up with more of him. Hokage-sama wants to drive me crazy.
Why I was there? What did you expect me to say Neji-nii-san? Because I want to see you dying? Or did you expect me to say that I was there to see you wake up, jump in your arms and tell you how happy I was that you were alive? I am not happy that you're alive by a long shot, nii-san. The Hokage is the one who wants to see you alive. That's why she gave me that stupid order. Kono baka, insulting Tsunade-sama.
Hinata ran to Tsunade's office. She wasn't there.
Shizune arrived and made her sit down.
"Tsunade-sama is in trouble, Hinata-chan. Naruto-kun brought Uchiha Sasuke back, but in a very bad shape. Hokage-sama is doing everything she can to save him. But that haven't been easy, half of him belongs to Orochimaru now. And so much hangs on his own will to overcome that cursed power.
Sasuke… meant that Naruto was back. She thought of him… Naruto-kun never gets sick.
There's someone I wouldn't really mind to watch over. In any case, it would be good to see him again.
"Naruto-kun, she dared ask. Is he all right?"
"Yes, but he couldn't stay in Konoha. It's too dangerous for him right now. Seems that the Akatsuki is closing up on him. He and Jiraiya-sama went away to a secret place."
"Oh, I am glad that Jiraiya-sama is with him." Trying to not to look disappointed.
"Anyhow, Hinata-chan. How's Hyuuga Neji?"
"He woke up, Shizune-sensei."
"And…"
"He is weak, and in a great deal of pain, I can tell. But, he's already strong enough to be rude."
"Rude?"
"Never mind, Shizune-sensei…G-gomen nasai"
"Well, that's great news, anyway. Tsunade-sama didn't forget him, and really wanted to talk to him as soon as she could. But as it is, Sasuke is a danger to himself and Konoha, and she is the only one who can help him."
The only one…Great! Hinata hoped that with Neji awaken; Tsunade would relieve her from her duty. That was not going to happen; she knew it all too well. Tsunade-sama would have kept her exactly where she was, one way or another. The only one. But a girl can dream, can't she?
"Hinata-chan, Tsunade-sama can't see Neji-kun right now. I will take over for her, for the time being, but you still in charge. "
"Hai, Shizune-sensei".
Hinata didn't leave right away.
"S-Shizune-sensei…now that is awaken, I wondered if I-I could, y-you know, for a few hours, if I could g-go.."
"You're asking me if you could go home?"
"H-hai sensei...I thought I could, you know, only for a few hours …"
"Hinata-chan, you really deserve some rest, and not just a few hours. But I will ask you to wait for a little, if he doesn't have one of his crisis for five hours or so, I am sure he won't need you for the night…But please, make sure he will be ok, before you leave."
"Arigato gozaimasu, Shizune-sensei"
Well, I can't have it all.
Damn that he had awaken. I could spend the rest of my life here, Shizune-sensei, doing anything you asked me, but not listening to his crap.
. Stupid decision. I knew that. Stupid order
You're so right, Neji-nii-san.
She was back is his room, preparing herself for the worst. He was asleep. Thank the gods for small favors.
He was lying on his back. How could he have fallen asleep like that? She went to change his position.
Don't wake up. Don't wa…"Hinata-sama… I am not dead…" He whispered as he opened his eyes. But his tone of voice changed in an instant…
"Well, I guess I was at least half- right. You're still here. I am in hell."
How long would take for her to lose her cool?
"Nii-san… onegai …
Please make it easy for the both of us… I don't want to be here as much as you don't want me to be here. But I couldn't a..."
"Easy? Easy for you to say, Hinata-sama. You've never felt pain," he said with a look of contempt, blatantly ignoring the pain he himself had caused her not long ago. "You've been always protected, I don't remember Hokage-sama sending you to face Orochimaru's goons."
No, but I have to put up with you, and I wonder what's worse… Why can't you just shut up, Neji-nii-san?She turned away from him, and made the Byakugan seals of her jutsu. Her white eyes shone with power.
"Why are you turning away from me, Hinata–sama? Did I say something that hurt you?"
.
She turned in his direction and boldly grabbed his right wrist with one hand and pressed the other against his heart, shoving him back in bed. He yelled in pain, as his wounded back hit the surface. She felt a pang in her heart. That must have hurt…
She had hit him with the chackra coming from the center of her palms, making his body glow. She could see he was better, even with a lot of his tenketsus still closed."
"ONORE-HINATA-ME!!! ARE YOU FUCKING TRYING TO KILL ME???"
If I only could, nii-san, if I only could…But her chackra didn't kill him. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes feeling it flow like thousands of small rivers into his body, soothing his pain and filling him with energy.
How could she do that? When did she learn to do that? Again, Neji stared at her in utter disbelief. He'd always used his chackra to hurt and kill. But Hinata wasn't trying to kill him. She was using her power to ease his pain. What the fuck, she had always been so damn weak…
"Please, calm down, nii-san."
She didn't have to ask. He stopped resisting and let himself go. Hinata's chackra was taking over him, and he didn't mind…. He felt his brains being filled with her energy, his heart, his whole body felt alive again…
"Hinata-sama… that…." he said softly, with his eyes closed and almost smiling.
Why was she doing that? The better he got the worse he treated her. Hinata wanted to cry. Instead, she focused her attention in what she was doing. She knew what could happen if she didn't get focused.
She let go of him.
"Please sleep now, nii-san."
He reached for her hand but it was already gone.
"Hinata-sama…"
Nan da?
What now?
What else could he possible want?
She was the one who needed sleep, she was tired
…Tired of him, mostly… Just a little bit more, Hinata…. "Hinata… thank…kore… wa…Anata…wa… da… ii… "
He didn't finish the sentence but fell asleep, instead.
This time, she was the one to get jolted… Nah, he is just mumbling non-sense…
But it was the tone of his voice what actually had made her shake.
She couldn't believe how far her memory had taken her, to make her recognize a voice she hadn't listen for years.
She hated him, now. She could kill him in his sleep now. His insults didn't make her go over the edge. But to think that he still could talk to her like that…
To find out that Neji alive after all those years. Why didn't he die in the forest, anyway? I didn't want to see you again. I didn't want to listen to you again. For her, that Neji had been dead for years… and he should have stayed that way. She shook her head. The way he hit her during their match was nothing compared to this.
Onore Hyuuga Neji-me…Damn, Hyuuga Neji, you bastard.
She needed to sleep, but how could she after this?
She looked at his body that was still glowing…that should do for the time being. She could leave; now, she simply couldn't stay there, anyway.
She would go home for now. Damn, he should be all right for at least a few hours. She needed to be away from there. She needed a change of clothes and a decent shower for a change. She just needed to change.
The house was empty. Kurenai had left to meet Asuma, as she would always call it. Kurenai-sensei is a lucky woman. Asuma-sensei is such a nice man. Then again, she deserved it.
In any case, she would have the whole night for herself. There was food, blankets as a warm bed waiting for her. She could take a shower! Nah!!! She would soak in the bathtub for as long as she wanted. Neji was in hell, but she had just arrived in heaven. She could wash him away from her even if for a few hours.
She went upstairs to her room.
The makeshift nest was empty, and there was a note from Kurenai. Dame da! Damn Neji…you love to kill things, don't you? He made me forget all about this poor creature.
It could be all but alive, now. How many days since she had left home? Three? Four?
Doesn't matter how many they were. Every minute of them she felt as she was locked in that damn hospital. Nowhere to go. Nowhere to be, but close to Hyuuga Neji.
What Kurenai's note said turned out to be totally unexpected to her. The little bird had recovered, and just this morning she had set him free.
Kurenai-sensei…you just know how to take care of wounded birds. She was so thankful that Kurenai had being there for her, even when such an insignificant creature needed help. No, she was grateful because Kurenai had been there for her, such an insignificant creature, when she had nowhere to go.
I am not like you, Kurenai-sensei, I am not being nice because I want. I am a lucky woman and don't deserve to be.
She looked again at the empty makeshift nest. Kurenai had let it go. That's it Hinata. Kurenai-sensei is a wise woman. It got better and sensei let it go. That's it when he gets better he will go away. I will be free. No, I will be the caged bird with nowhere to go. There's nowhere else for my mind and my heart to go except to where you are, Neji-nii-san.
She felt better now.
Just enjoy it, Hinata. It won't last.
She went back to his room. He was sleeping… hopefully without his usual nightmares.
Shizune arrived.
She is good… Hinata was always amazed to watch Shizune performing her healing jutsus.
Hokage-sama didn't really need me…When she finished, he really looked better; His body was starting to loosen up. They left for the staff room.
There, Shizune told her that his chances of survival had increased. Most of his tenketsus were still clogged, but he was generating small amounts of chackra by himself They were close to find a way to open his points totally, but she still needed a few clues. Hinata told Shizune that his nightmares were filled with spiders. Shizune remembered the place where she had found him. It actually had cobwebs, but they were in such a hurry to rush him to the hospital that she thought nothing of it. She'd send some medical Chunnins to check out the place again.
His left arm was still a problem, though. Tsunade herself would have to heal it.
One of the nurses came to Hinata.
"Hyuuga-san is calling for you, Hinata-san."
She sighed.
"So, aren't you supposed to take care of me, Hinata-sama?"
Well, that's a progress … she thought, trying to make the best of that situation. Stupid situation.
Maybe he will stop complaining so much. Guess it's the nicest way he has to say good morning…
"You look well enough not to need to have me taking care of you, anymore, Neji-nii-san."
Now, you talk back…kono ama. No way I didn't wake up in hell.
"Thought the Hokage would send somebody else, didn't you say you'd ask her for that?"
"Tsunade-sama has more important things to do, and has no time to do me small favors."
"Yeah? So Hinata-sama is not important anymore?
I never knew of a Hokage who wouldn't do the bidding of a Hyuuga of the main house. After all, they were kind enough to offer a member of the branch house to save his ass…"
Damn, Hyuuga Neji not even the Sandaime was good enough for you.
"Neji-nii-san… Uchiha Sasuke has been brought back to Konoha. That's enough trouble for more than one Hokage."
Uchiha Sasuke. The reason he was there in the first place.
Neji wasn't sure if he wanted to know how he was.
"Hokage-sama is trying to heal him. As it is, he's become too much of a danger to Konoha. "
"No shit, Hinata-sama… Sasuke-kun a danger to anybody… that's really news to me…" he laughed.
"He's a danger to everybody but you, Hinata-sama, after all he was kind enough to grant you the honor of being my servant…you should be thankful to him."
She was about to sit down by his bed, but stood up, instead.
"Hyuuga Neji-san. I am doing what I have to do. I wanted to make something of my life, and Hokage-sama gave me that chance. I am grateful to her. I'd do anything she asked me to do.
I will be a Medical Ninja and will do anything to make my dream come true. That's my Nin-do. And if Tsunade-sama asks me to take care of you, I won't think twice. If she asked me to take care of Uchiha Sasuke, I'd take care of him. I'd take care of Orochimaru himself if she asked me. For all I care, the three of you are exactly the same."
Good for Hinata that Neji was in the state he was. He wanted to kill her now, slowly.
Hyuuga Neji-san, make something of her life… I am the same as Sasuke and Orochimaru…
"So, Hinata sama wants to make something out of her life, eh? Why would the heir of the Hyuuga need to make anything of her life, anyway?
Since when a spoiled little brat such as yourself can be a Medical Ninja? Yeah, Hinata-sama on an A-rank mission chasing an S-rank criminal.
What would you do, Hinata-sama, if you had to face Uchiha Itachi or even the Sound bastard who left me like this?
You're weak Hinata-sama, and you know that. You shouldn't be here; you should be screwing up C-rank missions as you always did.
Well, then again, you are a kind person. You'd be kind even to Orochimaru, wouldn't you? But to be a Medical Ninja and face real danger and real pain, kindness is not enough, it takes much more that what you have to give Hinata-sama.
No wonder the Hokage has you cleaning after me…really, what else a loser like Hinata-sama could do other than clean after other losers who're worse off than herself? I bet you enjoy every minute of seeing me like this, don't you, Hinata-sama?"
He was breathing hard now, clenching his fist, and gripping the bed sheets.
"You don't have to take care of me Hinata, anyone in this hospital can do your job, way better than you. You can't even ask the Hokage to get somebody else to take care of me, can you? You can't handle me; you can't handle somebody who's as weak as I am now. What makes you think you can face the enemy in the real world? What makes you think you can be a ninja like me?"
He didn't care about letting his face show his anger anymore.
"Nii-san, please it's not good for you…don't be like that. Please, don't…"
Instead of anger, guilt crushed Hinata's heart. Neji was wounded; Neji was dying, Nii-san didn't know what he was talking about… She shouldn't have aggravated him…she shouldn't have talked back to him, she had been selfish, … she was ready to break into pieces once again.
"Good for me… now Hinata-sama knows what's good for me. I will tell you what's good for me."
He wanted to stand up but an excruciating pain took over his body. Still, it didn't prevent him from trying.
"NII-SAN!!!"
He collapsed. Falling flatly over his left arm, the pain feeling even worse when Kidomaru hit him.
"NII-SAN!!!"
She jumped at him and took him in her arms. Falling like that over his left arm could make the damage irreversible.
He started crying…
"Hinata…"
She pulled his head to her shoulder and soon it was soaked with his tears.
"It's all right nii-san …"She held him tight against her chest…
"It's all right, don't worry…. please…"
"Hinata…
I screwed everything… My arm…I can't move it…I-I can't… it hurts… I don't want to… lose…my…all my body hurts… Hinata…"
"Nii-san… you will be just fine, don't worry, everything will be just fine, trust me…"
She held his head against her shoulder…
Damn if I am not as weak as he says I am…
He held her with his right arm…
"Hinata…
Don't leave me. Don't leave me like that…
Don't you fucking leave me…please"
"I won't, Nii-san, I won't
Let it go …
Everything will be just fine, nii-san…"
She held him, longer than she would have wanted. Neji-nii-san…
She didn't know how to hold him; she didn't want to cause yet more pain to him… Don't suffer, nii-san…I am here…
Her heart was beating faster and faster… yeah, he is the one who needs to calm down.
To hold him like that… Neji… As if she could leave…She was afraid to touch him, not because of the pain it would cause on him, but because of the pain it was causing her.
She felt his back, his wounds… She could fell the pain of each one of them in herself.
"Neji-nii-san…please rest now…"
She leaned his body on the bed.
"Hinata… don't…lea…"
"Nii-san, just lay down, now… please?" She said, as she moved away from him.
"Hinata-sama…" He raised his right hand and moved it towards her…
Nii-san, please don't move your han…
He took her chin and turned her face to his.
"Hinata…"
He wanted to look into her eyes…same as mine….
He was as fragile as she was… and he felt happy that he could be like that.
Be like Hinata, and maybe even have a heart like hers… I want to be like her, have the same soul as her…be with her…
She couldn't turn her gaze away from him, same as mine…those eyes that were like mirrors to her… He is the same as myself…have you ever been like that, have you always been like that…Neji…what happened to you?
He pulled her face closer to his…
"Hinata-sa…"He could feel her breathing…his mouth was open close to hers…"don't…you…"
She pulled back.
"N-Nii-san, please…Don't-t…I-I have a job… to… do…
P-please"
Damn, I am stuttering again!!! He really needed to hear that…She turned her back to him. Tears were rolling down her cheeks, but didn't make a sound.
I have a job to do.
Tori..Inu…saru…tora…tori…
Her powerful Byakugan eyes were looking at him now. She was thankful he didn't have enough chackra to activate his own. The last thing she need was to have him knowing more of what was going inside of her.
"Just relax, nii-san"
Again, she made her chackra flow through his body. .
"That … feels … good…Hinata… you…feel…"
Freaking Neji, just shut up…"Hush, nii-san… don't talk, keep the chackra inside of you…"
Now that he had relaxed, she could see how he was doing. Thankfully his burst of anger didn't cause any visible damage. But his arm… the levels of his chackra there hadn't grown since he arrived. That wasn't good at all. To close the wound on his shoulder, he needed more chackra than that
Darn, he was like that because of that darn Uchiha, and now cannot be healed, as quickly as he needed, also because of the little bastard.
Sasuke no yarou! Gods, she was even thinking like Neji.
Hopefully Shizune would come later on and do something about it. She touched his left arm and he moaned… well at least he's feeling pain there…If he didn't feel anything…
"Hinata … Anata…wa…ore…no…k-kawai…k-k…" "You…are…my…"
Just shut the fuck up, Neji you idiot …Damate yagate, Neji no bakayarou.
She still couldn't tell what was more painful: when he insulted her or when he talked to like that. No, she knew exactly what was more painful.
She needed to sleep. She needed to sleep and wake up in a world where there was no Hyuuga Neji. No, to a world where there never have been one Hyuuga Neji.
She had been spending too much time with him. Time enough to get used to him again.
He was awakened when entered his room. He was reclined in his bed, his eyes were opened, but he wasn't looking at anything. He didn't say a word.
Can't say every day is the same thing, can I? At least his mouth is shut.
He was ashamed, he was mad, he was furious… He wanted to stand up and leave that place right now. Damn that he couldn't.
Fuck. Wasn't enough that she's could see his body weak and beaten up like that. He had to show her how weak and beaten he was inside.
Fucking idiot that I am, couldn't I just shut the fuck up?
"Where were you?"
Hinata looked down. He really had the gift to find new ways to make things difficult.
"I don't have to be here 24/7, you know."
"I am hungry."
"What?"
Nani-yo, temee???"Hungry as in, needing food. Nobody brought me food this morning."
He didn't even bother to look at her.
Dame da!!! Hinata remembered that they were short of staff that morning. She was the one who would have to feed him anyway.
"Gomen, nii-san…I will see what I can do."
"Make it snappy, Hinata-sama."
Again she couldn't find in herself to slam the door.
"Your right arm is just fine, Neji-nii-san.
Please, just eat."
Damn!!! He'd have to show her how weak his arm was, he sure would have been better off staying hungry.
He stared at the rice bowl.
"Weren't you hungry?"
Damn baby. I am not spoon-feeding him.
It was difficult but he knew he needed to use his arm. It was enough that his left arm was useless… But …in front of her. I bet she's having the time of her life looking at me.
Hinata realized what was going on.
"Where are you going?"
"Maybe I should leave you alone for a while…I don't want to make things difficult for you. "
"Urusai na! There's nothing difficult here."
She sat by the window, trying not to look at him.
"What's the problem, Hinata-sama. Does it bother you?"
"Nii-san…"
She got close to him. With a hot towel, she started to clean his chin.
"Stop it."
He shook his head.
"Nii-san…"
Damn, anything she did to him had to feel that good. Her hands were so soft touching his face… why is she doing this to me?
"Nii- san, it's ok… Let me help you."
Again, she performed the Byakugan seals and held his right hand between hers.
"Just relax, nii-san."
He closed his eyes. It wasn't only her chackra; he needed her to hold his hand like that forever.
She knew that his pain had stopped and he could move his arm easily now. But, it was only temporary, and she shouldn't be using her Byakugan that many times a day.
"Hinata-sama… Ariga…."
.
"Just eat now. Nii-san. It won't last for long, you know…"
He moved his fingers. His hand and his arm felt just fine. He took the chopsticks with ease now, and started eating.
After he finished, she took another hot towel and washed his face. He didn't take his eyes of her. She reached for his forehead… His seal was exposed, and he shuddered as her fingers touched his eyebrows.
"Hinata-sama… "
He begged her with his eyes. She understood what he was asking.
She went for some bandages and sat closer to him. She raised her hands to his forehead to lift his hair. But before doing that, she touched his cursed seal …
"Caged bird…"
Neji was paralyzed.
"I guess I am the only Hyuuga who knows that you're not a caged bird…"
He started breathing hard.
"Hinata-sama…" he closed his eyes with a strange expression in his face.
"Gomen nasai…nii-san…I d-didn't know what I was doing. I am s-so sorry… It's r-really n-none of my business…"
He took her hand and pressed against his face,
He brought it to his mouth and kissed her palm.
" Nii-san…Gomen …
She pulled her hand away from him and without hesitation now lifted his hair and started to put the bandages around his head.
When she finished, she smiled at him.
"Maybe I should comb your hair, too."
"No… don't…"
She didn't listen to him. She took his head in her hands and caressed his scalp…
"Hinata, please, don't…"
"You will look good, nii-san…"
His hair had been washed, but whoever did it, didn't do a good job combing it afterwards. Hinata started to have second thoughts about her offer. But she went on and carefully combed him.
Well, Tsunade-sama didn't ask me to do that. I have to say.
His hair felt good in her hands, actually, she didn't mind doing that all. She finished, by tying his hair. She'd done a good job, considering.
"I want a mirror." He said as he opened his eyes…
Hinata hesitated….the wounds in his face weren't totally healed. She was using some special herbs that healed without leaving scars, but took more time to heal. The cobweb pattern of the cuts was still visible.
"M- mirror…"
"I want a mirror, Hinata. What wrong with my face, anyway? Didn't you say I'd look good, Hinata-sama?"
She went to her purse and produced a small, mirror…
Bad idea, Hinata-sama… Damn she was calling herself like that, too…
He grabbed the mirror from her hand.
"Kidomaru no yarou!!!
Kumo-no-yarou"
That spider bastard…" "Korosu zo"
Hinata didn't know what to say, Neji seemed riled enough as it was.
"You already killed him, nii-san… It's ok, it will all be ok…"
"Bullshit… I am going to spend the rest of my life looking like a freaking cobweb."
Gods, she was the one who had made things difficult this time.
"No… Tsunade-sama had this medicine prepared especially for you, nii-san… I-it won't leave any sca…"
"Tsunade-sama, damn Tsunade-sama… what in hell does she know? And how about my arm, what is she freaking doing about my damn arm?"
"Nii-san… s-she, she didn't forget you…she will…"
"She will…she will what???"
"I will cure your arm, Neji-kun, but you have to be patient…."
"Tsunade- sama…" Hinata stood up and bowed to her, instinctively.
Tsunade. It was the first time Neji was seeing her in person.
He stared at her, with his mouth open. Her presence filled the whole room. She was tall and beautiful, but more than that, he felt this huge power all around her. He felt like she could never be wrong, like she could never make a mistake. She was the Hokage. There was no doubt about it.
"Ho-Hokage-s-sama," was all he could say.
"Good to see you feeling better, Neji-kun I am truly sorry I couldn't come earlier, but I see that Hinata-chan did a great job. She saved your life."
Hinata was now standing up close to the window. She blushed.
"H-hokage-sama, I-I didn't … You were the one who saved his life…I-I just…"
"You know what you did, Hinata-chan. Just take the compliment, you deserve it."
Hinata wanted to be miles away from there… her face was on fire.
"Neji-kun,"
Tsunade looked at him.
"You're a strong man, the genius of the Hyuuga, a brave Ninja of the Leaf so I can go straight to the point with you.
You were strong enough to avoid instantaneous death, which is an amazing feat. But you need more than you could have done. by yourself to survive.
You're not out of the woods, yet. Your chackra levels are still low. Your tenketsus are blocked for the most part, and all this is reason for concern. As for your arm, we will need you to have you strong enough before we can start treating it properly. That's why I am asking you to be patient, Neji-kun. The good news is that Shizune-sensei realized what's blocking your tenketsus. It's a poison that the Sound Ninja injected in you. Soon enough she will have an antidote for that.
When you arrived, Neji-kun, besides having your tenketsus blocked, you couldn't produce any chackra. Even now, you can only generate a small amount of chackra on your own. Besides, you're a Hyuuga and you have a bloodline limit, your chackra needs to be compatible with your bloodline.
Neji had just learned the meaning of the word insight. Hinata wished she could find a place where to run away, available on short notice.
When you arrived, I created provisory chackra paths in your body, to make sure that all your vital organs would remain undamaged until your energy flow was stable. But I could go so far."
Neji braced himself
"Those paths wouldn't be any help if you didn't have the chackra to flow through them. And that's the reason I asked Hinata-chan to care for you…"
Hinata was still sitting by the window pretending not to pay attention to what Tsunade was saying. She really didn't want to listen again about what had happened to Neji, and to think of how vulnerable he actually was and above all, what she had to do with any of that. But, when she heard her name, she couldn't help herself and looked at them.
Without thinking, Neji also turned to her. As much as they were trying to avoid it, their eyes flashed at each other. Both their faces glowed red. They both looked more like they actually had been born with kyuubi chackra.
"We needed to find someone with the closest chackra to yours. Neji-kun. We could have used the one from another Hyuuga, or anybody else from that matter, but your chances of survival wouldn't have been as high as they could have been. We have Hinata-chan records here; her chackra is the closest we could have gotten to yours. Not only that, but right now, she is the only Hyuuga who knows how to use the Byakugan jutsu to transfer the chackra.
Hinata-chan has learned to perform that jutsu, but she doesn't have much experience with it, yet. Also, when this kind of jutsu is used, even by experienced Medical Ninjas, only small amounts of chackra are transferred. You needed more than a small amount of chackra. Hinata doesn't have total control over this transference of energy, so she could drain herself out of her chackra, which as you know, means death."
Neji shuddered.
"Even without this risk, though, I couldn't force Hinata do that for you. We could have used anybody else or even look for another Hyuuga closely related to you, but the odds would be against you… Hinata knew of everything that was at stake, and made her choice."
Hinata considered jumping out of the window, and tried to remember in what floor she was. At that moment, she hated Tsunade more than she could ever have hated anyone in this world. Neji had no business knowing that.
" She could have said no and I would have accepted her decision. I can't force anyone to do what they don't want to do, especially in such situation. One way or another I couldn't question her decision and actually I wouldn't have wanted to do that. The decision was hers alone to make."
Usotski-ama-me, Hinata-sama. Korosu zo! You freakin' lying whore. I will kill you."You must be overwhelmed with all this… I can see it in your eyes. But, you have to know exactly what is going on with you. And I thought it would also be important for you to know why I asked your cousin to care for you.
Tsunade stood up.
"You still need a lot of rest, Neji-kun, still I believe that knowing exactly where you are is part of your healing process."
"You lied to me, Hinata-sama."
"I-I d-didn't…lie-to…"
Hinata could barely open her mouth.
She couldn't take her eyes out of the floor.
"The fuck you didn't…
You lied to me, Hinata-sama…"
Hinata took a deep breath…nowhere to run…again.
But she stood up instead. And looked into Neji's eyes.
"So what if I lied, Hyuuga Neji?
Since when whatever I do is any of your damn business?
I can do what I want; you're nobody to judge me. You're not the one to question
my decisions"
"You lied to ME, Hinata-sama.
You're a liar."
He paused.
'Well, at least you've become a good liar, eh, Hinata-sama…
Who would have said that?
For once in your life, you did something right, well, not for long, that's also true."
"Nii-san, please, I-I didn't…"
"So, Hinata-sama… why did you help me?"
She leaned towards the door.
"Running away again, Hinata-sama… that's more like you."
"Nii-san, please, let me go…""Didn't you hear what the Hokage said, Hinata?
I am not out of the woods, yet.
You cannot leave, you know, don't you?"
"Neji-nii-san…
I-I will… be back.
Just let me go… for now."
"What's your problem, Hinata-sama? You tried hard, but you still aren't a good liar…
Telling me the truth should be easy for you…"
"I –I have… to…"
"You have to nothing.
You stay."
Hinata raised her head.
"Make me, Nii-san."
Neji cursed his powerlessness…
He couldn't just jump at her throw her in the floor and make her stay…
Kuso, kuso, kuso.
"HINATA…please…
Stay…
Hinata-sama… onegai…shi…ma…su…"
Hinata turned around. Neji was shaking. She could even smile to herself.
I lived to see that…didn't I?He was trying hard to raise his upper body….
"Nii-san please. Don't do that… you shouldn't be…it's not good for you…"
Damn, even in this situation I had to worry about him.
"What's not good for me? Hinata-sama…
To hear the truth?"
"I-it's is n-not that, it's you trying to…"
"Trying to what? Hinata?"
"The Hokage a-asked me.. to…do… th…I- I… c-couldn't say no to her…Neji-n-nii-san
s-she is a-always s-so nice to me, nii-san… I-I just couldn't say no… and…"
"USO DA!
Don't give me that Hokage's orders shit again, Hinata.
The hell you couldn't.
Why is that so hard to for you to tell the truth,
Maybe I should help you, Hinata-sama…why did you choose to help me?"
"You-you could have d-died, nii-san… I-I didn't want to see you…"
She lowered her eyes and started playing with her fingers…
"You didn't want to see me dead, Hinata-sama?""H-hai…Ne…"
"You really don't know how to lie, Hinata-sama."
"No… nii-san… I-I didn't want you to die…I-I really didn't want to see you…
If I could help you…I …r-really…"
"Cut the crap, Hinata
You know pretty darn well who you're talking to…
Your dear cousin… Neji-nii-san. The one guy who tried to kill you, remember?
You didn't want to see me die, Hinata-sama?"
Veins started popping around his eyes
Mazai! He cannot use his Byakugan, yet…"Please, Nii-san it's not good for you… you cannot be like that…"
Neji was still trying to stand up, and his right arm was raised in her direction…
He was using his left arm as support.
"Please, stop that, nii-san…"
Again, she had to jump at him to keep him from using his left arm.
But before she could even thinking of using her Byakugan, he grabbed her with his right arm and pulled her to his chest.
He's still strong enough to do that, the bastard…The effort made him fell back to the bed, but he kept holding her against his body.
"Come on Hinata-sama, tell me the truth."
He whispered in her ear.
"The truth, Hyuuga Neji…"
She raised herself away from him the best she could, and looked into his eyes. It felt as if all her chackra was going to her eyes, and make them burst.
"I came here to see you die, Hyuuga Neji. To see you die slowly.
To watch you suffer just as I did. To wake you up and make you well enough just so I could tell you how much I hate you, Neji-nii-san, right before I sent you straight to hell."
He held her tightly.
"I hate you, too… Hinata-sama"