There She Goes
Chapter 6: Higher Authority
By: Vampire Toy
PG 13 (Just in case)
Disclaimer: Me no own ;;
"Talking"
(Thinking)
:Sound Effect:
…
Months passed but I never saw Sakura; my father made sure of it. My schedule was simply to train and train and continue doing so until my 'transplant' was to take place. After about four months of vigorous training I was given….I suppose some type of 'break'. I was aloud out of my house, with my sister by my side. I frowned, noticeably disappointed by the choice of a guard.
(Fine, make me feel weak, even after all this, father)
"It's a nice day today." Hanabi said as we walked into town.
"Yes."
"Father said we could stop for lunch, where would you like to eat?"
"It doesn't matter."
"Well….it's your reward for working so hard…"
"Reward.," I muttered almost bitterly, "of course……there, how about there?" I pointed to a ramen shop a little further away.
"Alright." Hanabi walked with me in silence until we arrived at the restaurant. We went in and sat at a booth, my choice, and looked over the menus quietly.
"Hey! Hinata-san! Haven't seen you around in forever!"
my head flung up to the sound of a familiar voice, "Naruto!"
"Hey!" he slid in next to me and I slid over a little to give him more room.
"How have you been Naruto?" I asked a small smile making its way to my face; he was one of my friends, and I haven't seen any of them in a while, so the sudden surprise was nice. Hanabi glanced up briefly to say a quick hello, but didn't interfere otherwise, continuing to look over her menu.
"So what are you lady's thinking of ordering?"
"Hmm, well, chicken ramen I suppose."
"Oriental." Hanabi said from behind her menu.
"I'll bring it right over!"
"Huh?" it was only then that I noticed Naruto's apron and notepad, "You work here Naruto?"
"Yup, it's a part-time thing. Kakashi-sensei said it'd be good for me to learn to balance training, work, and free time. Besides, I get all the ramen I want! Er, as soon as my shift is over anyway…."
I chuckled and smiled; I'd missed quite a lot.
"Well, I think it would be good for you too."
"Hehe, yeah….but ya wanna know a secret?"
"Sure…"
"I think…the reason Kakashi-sensei is doing this is because….well, we only have two people on our team now, team missions are done in three's and since we don't have three, me and Sakura-chan might have to do individual missions….kinda sucks huh?"
I stared silently at him, he was smiling but he was obviously in pain; his team was falling apart.
"Yeah…it…does…." I paused a moment and was about to ask about Sakura when Naruto bounced up and told me he'd bring our food in a moment. When he was gone Hanabi's menu lowered and she looked at me with an expressionless face.
"Sister? They don't have a team of three anymore….they were the team with Uchiha Sasuke?"
"Yes…"
"…I heard….that they wouldn't be able to take the Jounin exams…..I mean, isn't it like the Chuunin exams? Don't you need to be in groups of three?"
"Oh….I'm…not sure…but, I think it might be different for those exams."
"Ok."
I frowned and looked down at the table, Sakura was going through as much as I was, but I wanted to comfort her. It was my turn to anyway.
"Sister…"
"Yes Hanabi?"
"Do you like Naruto?"
"Well, of course, he's a good friend to me."
"Er…do you have a crush on Naruto?" she rephrased.
"Oh!" I blushed, I hadn't thought over that in a while, "I….why?"
"Umm, I dunno…..well, you know….the two options father gave you….because he thinks he's…."
"I know…."
"Well, one of them is getting married! I-I heard you had a crush on him before! He has a demon already inside him! So it wouldn't matter if he was from a clan or not, he could still protect you!"
I looked at my sister in silent awe; how was she taking all this so maturely when I couldn't? I thought back to her statement and frowned when I realized I still hadn't seen Sakura today.
"Here we go ladies!" Naruto yelled grinning as he placed our bowls in front of us. Hanabi handed him money.
"That's ok, if you keep it quiet, then it's on the house." Naruto pushed her hand back. Hanabi looked curiously at her money, contemplating being dishonest or not but I smiled at Naruto and changed the subject.
"How is Sakura?"
Naruto eyed me for a moment, a weary look on his face before it was replaced with a weak smile.
"She's okay, why?"
"I haven't seen her in a while, could you tell me where she is now?"
Hanabi looked up at this and I had a feeling that she was forewarned of something similar.
"Er…yeah, she's at the hospital, training under Tsunade-sama ya know."
"Of course, thank you Naruto."
"No problem Hinata!"
…
"Sister…..I didn't want to say it in front of your friend but….father said you can't go see her again."
I didn't bother to look at Hanabi as we walked down the village street to the hospital, I knew she would say that but I knew she wouldn't fight me unless I provoked her.
"Why not?" I asked.
"I…don't know…."
"No good reason, he was just afraid I wouldn't come back home, but you're with me, so you don't need to worry."
Hanabi was silent again and I pushed open the door of the hospital, stepping into the cool waiting area and looking around for my friend.
"Excuse me," I asked a nurse walking by me, "do you know where I could find Haruno Sakura?"
"Oh, she's on break, probably in the garden area."
I nod and thanked her, grabbing Hanabi's hand and pulling her along with me.
"I'm afraid father might find out…."
"He won't not unless you tell him."
"I….won't."
I looked down at her, my face softening, "Thank you."
"There, I see her pink hair." Hanabi pointed. I looked out the window and smiled when I saw her flipping through some papers and sitting on a bench.
"Could you stay in here Hanabi? I would like to talk to her alone…"
"Ok, but be quick."
"I will." I hugged her quickly before pushing through the doors and trotting over to sit next to her. Sakura looked up five seconds later, just realizing there was another presence.
"Hinata!" she cried.
"Sakura-chan, it's good to see you again!"
"Oh! I've missed you!" she flung her arms around me and hugged me tightly, "The guards at your home wouldn't ever let me in!"
"I've been training…"
"….for…the demon?"
"Yes, I…should be ready by next week."
"WHAT!"
"S-Sakura-chan?" I asked timidly, caught off guard by her sudden anger.
"Hinata! I've been doing research on that demon, the one from the Snow Village right?"
"Yes…"
"Do you know….why Naruto and Gaara had their demons sealed when they were first born?"
"No…"
"Because when you're a baby your body adjusts more easily to the demon, it's almost mandatory that if you seal a demon inside someone, that they're a year old or younger."
"My father and Tsunade-sama has made sure it's safe…"
"No, they THINK it's safe, all your training won't do you any good! You have a fifty percent chance of dying as soon as the demon is put inside you!"
"….dying?"
"Your body has already adjusted to its surroundings, to it's training, what you eat, everything. Adjusting to a demon is too much for a developed body. You're sharing your body with another spirit when you have a demon inside you; your body might try reject it and if the demon still enters, then it'll kill you and the demon will take over your body!"
"But…." This was not news I wanted a week before the transaction was going to take place.
(Has she been researching these things the whole time?)
"I know you're strong Hinata, but I don't think taking this chance is worth it. If you can be strong enough to take in a demon in a few months, then in a few years you should be stronger than even Neji as long as you train hard. You don't need a demon."
"Sakura….thank you….for being concerned," I smiled and took her hand gently, "but this is something that is required on my part. If Neji or Hanabi were in my position, they would be required to do the same. Every branch of my family has to make some sort of sacrifice, Neji's branch has made theirs and now it's my turn."
"What if you die!" Sakura asked scrunching her face in stress.
"My father is going to die…..he would not do this if there was a large chance that I would die."
Sakura frowned at me and took my other hand, lacing our fingers as she bit her lip.
"Hinata, I don't mean to sound selfish, but you have been a wonderful friend to me and I've already lost many people close to me….I don't want you to die Hinata, because I care about you and I want you to be alive so you can be with me."
I could feel my entire face heat as Sakura shifted uncomfortably after her little speech. A smile slowly spread over my face as my eyes welled up, "Sakura-chan! You're the best friend I could've ever had, thank you for caring so much…but I won't leave you, I promise."
The pink haired girl looked up at me shyly and smiled weakly. Tears began sliding down my face and Sakura hugged me again, holding me tightly against her as I buried my head in her shoulder.
(Do you love me Sakura-chan? Do you love me like I love you? I don't think I could ask you…if you don't then I don't want to lose this…)
"Sister…."
I pulled away from Sakura and rubbed my eyes quickly at the sound of my sister's voice. Sakura took thumb and wiped away my tears as she had done many times before. She smiled at me and I let out a half-laugh half-sob.
"It was good to see you again Sakura-chan."
"You as well Hinata-chan."
I smiled, giving her one last quick hug before I jumped up and ran to my sister who stood in the open doorway.
"Have a good day Hinata…."
"I will, I hope you do too Sakura-chan."
…
My spirits were lifted after the little visit, despite the frightening facts Sakura had laid out for me. I was confident now that I loved her, and I was almost certain that perhaps….she loved me too.
"I heard what she said…" Hanabi said softly on our route home.
"W-what!" I asked in surprise.
"I….I didn't mean to….I was going to tell you to remember that you had training in a few minutes but….then she said you might die…"
"O-oh…..I…I won't die…she was just being cautious."
"She's training to be a medical nin? So…she must know a lot more than father about the demon!"
"Shh!" I looked around and put a finger to my lips, "Don't say it so loud, no one is to know until father feels it's safe."
"Oh…sorry!"
"Hmmm, well Tsunade-sama is the one training Sakura-chan and Tsunade-sama said it would be ok."
"Didn't she only approve the demon trade?"
"Heh?"
"The trade…..our clans protection for the demon."
"Er…I was there….no, I heard them at the meeting….she sounded like she knew what was going on."
"Oh…..You were in the meeting….yesterday?"
"Y-…..No….what meeting?"
"Oops! Er…well, I overheard it….only because I thought…well….I was curious why the Hokage would come to our house so I listened in…."
"And…?"
"Well…she said she thought it'd be better if we waited for you to have a baby and then put the demon in the baby…er…so….that's why I asked if you liked Naruto or not….ummm…"
My mouth went dry but I shook the thoughts away.
"Did you hear anything else?"
"No, father thought someone was spying so he looked through the walls and I ran into my room."
"Oh…"
"But….after that…maybe then she said it was ok…because father wouldn't go through with it otherwise right?"
"Yes…of course…."
(I hope so)
…
Vampire Toy: WAAAAH! An update, yay! Ahem, okie….so, yeah erm….tell me what you thought, R & R And flames welcome, thanks to everyone who's reading the fic :D I appreciate it!