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'Death ends a life, not a relationship.'
-Tuesdays With Morrie
-O-
"Konnichiwa, Hinata-san."
She nodded in acknowledgement "Metsukai."
"Gomen nasai. I am sorry."
"For what?"
"For yelling at you. It was wrong."
"I understand."
"I was wrong too. You loved him, didn't you?"
There was a long silence before Hinata answered. "Yes."
"Then you do deserve him."
The Hyuuga found herself feeling better.
"Arigato."
Metsukai pulled her black kimono closer to herself as she walked to the door. She turned to Hinata.
"Love conquers death, remember."
Hinata bolt upright from her dream. It was still before dawn; the sun hadn't even risen yet.
-O-
The golden sunlight seemed to inflict irony upon the day as Hinata walked numbly through the streets. The past two days people would give her sympathetic looks or stayed out of her way, but it didn't happen today.
"Hello, Hinata!" Lee encountered her in the street and gave her a thumbs-up and a shining smile. Hinata was astonished; how could he! How could he pretend as if nothing happened walking up to her like that and how could he stand being so joyful when Kiba-kun was gone gone gone gone forever?
But then, he must not have known, but she didn't want to be the one to tell him. She didn't want to talk to anyone. Her plan was to go to training today and go straight home. She couldn't stand the thought of going about her normal routine when it wasn't really normal anymore.
When she got to the Team Eight training grounds, Kurenai-sensei was there, looking far-off from the grieving woman she had seen at the funeral only yesterday.
"Kurenai-sensei, where is Shino-kun?" She asked.
Kurenai welcomed her with a warm smile. "Oh, didn't you know? He went on a mission with his clan members today. He won't be joining you."
"But didn't he just leave for a mission with his family days ago?"
Her teacher looked confused. "I don't remember that."
This enraged Hinata, though she didn't show it. Why was everyone forgetting about Kiba's dreadful death so quickly?
"Anyways, I'll be leaving now, Hinata."
"But, sensei, who will I train with?" She was baffled by everyone's actions. The question was answered not by Kurenai, who had already left, but by the person who had just arrived.
"Oi, good morning, Hinata-chan!" Came the extraordinarily familiar male voice. Hinata, for the umpteenth time in only a few days, was caught off guard with unsuspected information. It couldn't be…
But it was.
As she turned around, there he was, with the same messy brown hair, the same red paint on his tanned cheeks, the same black jacket, the same smile that was a mixture of pride and delight, the same Inuzuka Kiba she had seen bleeding on the forest floor.
"Eep!" She cried out in alarm, stumbling backwards, tripping over a rock and falling flat on her back. "You're here!"
"Hinata, are you okay?" He loomed before her, face concerned against the bright noonday sun. He held out a hand. "Of course I'm here. We have practice, remember?"
Yes, she remembered, but how could it be? She saw his bloodstained body, saw as the orange sparks of the fire crackled when he was cremated, saw his remains being lowered into the ground, saw the white flower she had put on his grave after the funeral service was held… it just couldn't be!
"No!" She began to crawl away from him. "Stay away from me!"
"Hinata! What's wrong with you? It's me, Kiba!" As if to help him prove it, Akamaru jumped from inside his jacket and ran towards her, licking her hand. The feel of the soft, wet tongue was all too recognizable.
She rubbed her eyes, to see if her mind was playing tricks on her. People who are grieving had the tendency to go insane, it said in one psychology book. If this was a vision, however, it didn't disappear. Rather, the form of Kiba only became more real to her.
"K-Kiba-kun? Is it really you?" She found herself hoping.
He scratched his head, bewildered. "Uh-huh…"
"Kiba-kun!" She shrieked, throwing her arms around him. He impulsively embraced her back, still puzzled, yes, but pleased. As his hands wrapped around her and as she felt his living breath in her ear, she knew she wasn't dreaming.
"Um, Hinata?" He whispered.
"Hm?"
"You're acting kinda weird…"
She giggled lightly. "Maybe we should not train today…"
-O-
"Oh, I have forgotten! I must go to meet Ino, Sakura and Tenten-chan for lunch today…" Hinata stopped abruptly in the middle of their casual stroll in the forest.
Kiba cocked his head. "Then I'll take you there."
They continued the rest of their walk in silence, before Kiba slipped his hand inside his pouch as if to get something. Seconds later, he pulled out a longish maroon case and wrapped Hinata's fingers around it.
Her heart nearly stopped. Is this just some kind of déjà vu?
She had been so convinced that what happened the last few days had merely been a nightmare, but if she was correct, Kiba would now say:
"Six months of you and me is something to celebrate, so I got you a little something."
She mouthed the words simultaneously as he said it, and as she opened the case, she took care not to burst into tears as the same white gold necklace with the diamond heart sat inside.
She sniffled, wiping her nose with a white kerchief.
"Hey, what's wrong? Don't you like it?"
She looked at him through blurred eyes. "Nothing, Kiba-kun. It's just…"
Should she tell him about her… dream?
"It's beautiful, that's all. Gomen nasai…"
He laughed softly. "You just described yourself, you know that?"
He just took her speechlessness as ordinary.
-O-
"… it all seemed so real and so frightening and… and… and I'm scared…"
Tenten, Ino and Sakura glanced at each other and then at their friend in worry. Neither of them knew an explanation that would put their friend's anxiety at rest, they knew it.
"Hey, Hina-chan, everyone has nightmares once in a while, you know? No need to worry about." Tenten tried, putting down her half-eaten dumpling.
"But I remember it like it was reality and… I still clearly remember that after he was struck down, I realized that I lost the necklace in the battlefield! Don't you remember, Ino-chan, I told you!"
Ino looked at her feebly, shaking her head. "I… don't remember anything like that."
"Oh, why doesn't anyone understand…" Hinata buried her face in her arms at the table.
"Wait, you said you lost the necklace?" Sakura had a finger tapping her chin. Everyone turned to her oddly.
"So what?" Ino asked.
"What if you don't lose the necklace? Would that mean something, hmm?"
Hinata rose with a new hope. "I guess so. It means that…"
"…any of those other stuff you said won't come true, right?" Tenten finished, smacking her hands.
It dawned on Hinata.
"Oh, arigato, arigato! I must find Kiba-kun!" Hinata gave each reassuring friend a peck on the cheek, bursting out of the restaurant, leaving three doubtful and concerned friends behind her.
It wasn't 2:00 yet, the time Kiba said he'd meet her. And she didn't really know where he'd be right now, so in retrospect, it was pretty mindless of her to have left her friends at the restaurant. Since she was too excited to go back, she decided to just walk around the streets and have some time alone to herself.
As her mind wandered away, her eyes did too in front of her, causing her to bump into an old woman with her hands full of wrapped packages, of all shapes and sizes. The collision sent these packages to scatter everywhere.
"O, gomen nasai! I didn't see you there! Gomen nasai!" Hinata apologized, trying to pick up all of the packages and help the old woman stand at the same time.
The woman merely smiled warmly at her. Her young black eyes were familiar, like she had seen them before, but where?
"Oh no, no, it's okay." Despite her frail appearance, she was quick on her feet and moved rather nimbly.
'She must have been a ninja once,' Hinata thought. She gave back most of the packages to the woman, but some she held still.
"Oh, but at least let me help you carry these to your destination. I have a few minutes to spare," she offered.
"Okay." She agreed hastily, walking ahead signaling the younger girl to follow. "I'll let you help me bring this to our ramen shop. You know the Ichiraku ramen stands?"
"Hai?"
"I'm the co-owner of the chain. Anyway, these are some supplies the cooks will need. Maybe you can stay awhile, and I'll get you something to eat."
Hinata was about to shake her head no, but her stomach grumbled and she remembered that she had not eaten yet.
"Okay."
When they got there, the woman instantly disappeared inside. She settled into one of the stools, waiting for her ramen. The old woman appeared a few minutes later, in an Ichiraku ramen stand uniform with a bowl of the hot, steaming noodles in her wrinkled hands.
"I might be old, but I don't want to be useless around here," she said with mirth.
As Hinata hungrily pulled her chopsticks apart and started eating, the woman suddenly snapped her fingers.
"Oh, I recognize you now! You're a friend of that Inuzuka… Kiba, correct?"
The answer came instantaneously. "Yes. I am his teammate too."
"Ah, yes." The woman looked at her wistfully. "You're Hinata, the Hyuuga girl, right? Kiba has told me an awful lot about you." She winked. "Don't worry, they're all good things. Very good things."
Hinata blushed a little, making the woman throw her head back to laugh.
"That was exactly what Kiba said you'd do."
Her blush grew deeper, and she began to fidget and pointed her two fingers together.
A frown creased the old face. "Is something wrong? You look like something's bothering you."
"It's just…" She bit her tongue just in time. But there was a little voice inside her that said that this was her chance to free her chest of this burden, and the kind old woman looked ready enough to listen.
She inhaled, exhaling sharply with a hiss. "It's just that… I had a… nightmare, a few days ago, no, last night, I think. Something very bad happened in it, and I feel that it might happen again, I mean, in reality, and… and I am scared… Do you think…?" She paused just to see if the woman was smirking or doing anything of the sort. But she looked interested in her story. She continued.
"Do you think my fears are reasonable? I have tried so hard to push them away, but they scream louder, pounding and banging and… and I can't think straight anymore. I am just truly, truly…
"Scared."
The woman had her chin in one hand as she leaned her arm on the table. "Looks like this nightmare really is bad. Hmm, did it involve death, in any way?"
"Y-yes."
"Well, I understand these premonitions of yours, but since it involves death, it must not be taken lightly."
"What should I do?"
"You cannot control or stop the coming of death," her face fell, but the woman wasn't done. "But what you can do is take a hold of your destiny. If you think someone might die soon, would you not want them to be happy on their last days? And even yourself, if your days are numbered, would you not want to make others happy around you while you are still here? Show others that you love them, tell them that you care, that you want them to go on living life even when you're not there. Make them happy. You must live your life to its fullest, before it's too late."
A comfortable silence hung around them as Hinata pondered this.
"Thank you. That has been quite helpful."
"Glad to help."
When they were quiet once again, Hinata thought of a question that had been bothering her since their conversation started.
"Sumimasen, if I may ask, but how do you know Kiba-kun?"
"Oh, he's a regular customer, even when he was just a lad. Such a nice young man. He used to do errands for me, even when it didn't include getting free ramen, and sometimes stay longer here to listen to some of my stories. But he stopped when he had to go to the Academy. But it's okay, he made me happy anyways." She sighed, catching Hinata's eyes with a smooth gaze. Again, with those deep, profound black eyes… where?
"Kiba-chan is the sweetest boy in the world."
The statement made her bolt up in surprise. Could it really be that…?
She tore her eyes away from those eyes to look at her faded nametag. Faded, yes, but still there.
Zetsumei Metsukai. (1)
Metsukai…
Metsukai!
She now recognized where she had seen those knowing black eyes before. From three days ago, or so she believed, from that black-haired girl Kiba introduced to her. The one who yelled at her in the hospital waiting room. Little Metsu-chan!
Was it really happening?
"I-I have to go. Thank you for the ramen!" She was off her feet and into the road, where she bumped into something soft and hard at the same time.
"Kiba-kun!"
"Hinata! You look kinda… constipated." He caught her wrists to keep her from falling. "I just left the others to come pick you up at the restaurant, but hey, here you are!"
She smiled at the happy tone of his voice. "Yes, I'm here."
'Hey, wanna go somewhere tonight? I mean, I've got time and all and we can just…'
"Kiba-kun…"
"Hmm?"
"Would you mind if we watched a movie today?"
Delight became obvious in his face. "For real? I've been asking for days if you wanna go out, but you never said yes. And now… you're asking me? Are you really my Hinata-chan?" His face was teasing.
"What if I wasn't?" She retorted just as teasingly as he smiled, leading her to the theaters.
'Make them happy.'
-O-
"Man, that movie was awesome! We should do this more often!"
"Yes, we should." Hinata replied. The movie was indeed splendid. It was a combination of almost all genres, pleasing to almost everyone who'll watch it, but not enough to be confusing and cluttered. The plot and script was amazingly done, the graphics, the acting, it was a wonderful movie to see on such a… wonderful day.
Just then, a flash of intuition made her push him backwards with all her might, making him stumble. "Hey, what's…"
A kunai suddenly sped past them, in the path where Kiba's face might have been if he was not pushed.
"Woah…" Kiba's jaw dropped.
"It almost wounded you!" Hinata cried out, frustration and worry in evident in her manner.
"Hey, hey, it's okay. I'm sure it wouldn't have caused more than a scratch. Now, let's see what this little troublemaker was up to…" He picked up the kunai which had landed just a few feet from them, a note attached to it.
His fingers deftly uncovered the note and smoothed the slightly crinkled paper. His brow creased as he read it. Hinata was still recovering from the 'kunai incident.' It really was happening, all over again…
"The Hokage-sama wants us to go on a last-minute mission today. It's very urgent." He said, putting an arm around her shoulders. "Is it okay with you?"
"No! If we go you'll die!" She blurted out, then covered her mouth from her slip.
He looked at her incredulously. "Die? Why would going on a teeny little mission make me die?"
Die…
Die…
Death…
Gone forever…
Not coming back…
She mustn't let it happen again!
"No! Kiba-kun, we cannot go! Not on this mission! Not on any mission!" She punched his chest nonstop in fury. He caught her wrists, staring into her wild eyes.
"What's with you today?"
Her eyes were tearing up, looking at him pleadingly. "Kiba-kun, please, we can't…"
"What are you so afraid of, Hinata? You're not usually like this."
"I'm afraid for you."
She expected him to laugh in her face, but he hugged her instead. "I'm not afraid, so you shouldn't be. We really need to go on this mission, okay?"
"Kiba-kun…"
"If I promise I'll be okay, will you agree to go?"
What can one little promise do to fight death?
"Okay."
-O-
"… and since Shino's not available, Uzumaki Naruto will be a subtle temporary addition to your team. Alright?" Tsunade said, looking at the bold Inuzuka and the shy Hyuuga. They both nodded.
"Speaking of Naruto, here he is right now," the Sannin continued, gesturing to the blonde-haired young man who had entered the room.
"Kiba! Hinata! It's great to see you guys!" He announced in his typical loud way. Kiba's eyes met his in an expressionless manner. Hinata grabbed his hand, making him grin at her.
Maybe everything was gonna be alright after all…
"I think this is my first mission with Hinata, isn't it?" He grinned, touching the girl's shoulder. Hinata smiled politely in reply.
"Yes, I do believe so, Naruto-kun," she tightened her grip on Kiba's hand.
"Hey, you guys. Let's go and get this mission over with!" Kiba said encouragingly at Hinata and Naruto as both followed him out.
"Remember, your orders are simple. Retrieve the parcel, avoid combat if possible, though that is not likely to happen, and return immediately. The Rain-nin were relatively few in number and shouldn't have had too much of a head start. I wish you all the best of luck." Tsunade's words were heard just before the door was shut.
-O-
The last of Naruto's bunshin vanished into thin air just as the last enemy was struck to the ground, leaving three breathless and bloodied ninja barely able to stand.
"Hinata…" Kiba spoke after a long moment of silence. "Do you… have it?"
Hinata felt the bulging package beneath her jacket. "Hai, Kiba-kun."
"Okay then…" He stood upright, trying to hide his exhaustion from his companions. "Let's head back before night falls."
Hinata couldn't stand it any longer, falling to her knees, a hand to her chest. In a flash, both her comrades were there.
"You alright?" Kiba asked.
She nodded. "But maybe we should rest for awhile."
Naruto noticed something going on between the two and beamed at them quite mischievously.
"Hey, Kiba. Maybe you should take Hinata in a safe spot in the trees, so you can both rest. I'll go get some firewood, just in case."
With that, Kiba carried Hinata bridal-style and sped towards the direction of the trees while Naruto went in the other direction.
-O-
"There you are…" Kiba handled her like a fragile piece of porcelain as he set her down against a tree.
"Arigato…"
"Ow, damn it! And I thought I'd actually avoid getting a bruise today!" A hand proceeded to touching his face. There was a gash across it, and though it wasn't deep enough to be serious, it still bled.
Hinata reached in her pocket for a band-aid, giving it to him with trembling fingers. If it was all happening again, then she didn't have much time…
"Kiba-kun…"
"Hm?" He put the Band-Aid across his scratched cheek.
"I love you."
He paused, gazing at her intently. "I know that. I love you too."
"No, no…" She said pleadingly. "I love you! And I want you to know why!"
He knelt down to her level. "Okay…"
"Listen to me…"
"I'm listening…"
"No, listen to me!" She made him face her fully. "I LOVE YOU!"
He responded by placing a soft kiss on her forehead. "I love you too."
Hinata made him stay there as she frantically struggled to make the words come out of her mouth.
"I love you because you are sweet… and strong… and gentle… and brave. And because you were always there for me even when we were kids… and because you are the best person I have ever met! I love you because of the way you laugh and smile at me… and tell me that I'm beautiful…"
Her hand fingered the smooth, crystal surface of the diamond pendant.
"And most of all, I love you because… because you are Inuzuka Kiba, because you're my Inuzuka Kiba and nothing will ever change that, okay? Will you remember that? I. LOVE. YOU."
"Love you too," he replied breathlessly.
After moments of heart-breaking sweetness, with his hands cupping her cheeks as his lips pressed against her forehead and her hands holding tightly onto his wrists, she urged him to stand up.
"Do you want to go now?"
A storm of black daggers…
Ashes being lowered into the ground…
White Chrysanthemums…
"Hai."
They walked in the same direction Kiba went just two nights ago. Darkness had fallen and Hinata saw the moonlight illuminating their surroundings, giving everything a faint glow.
Hope…
Diamond heart…
Make them happy…
I love you…
Hinata realized at that moment why Kiba was brought back again. It was a kind of second chance, another opportunity to make things right, to make things end well between them…
Hinata savored the feeling of warmth, the happiness she felt. She went in front of Kiba, looking at those deep, dark eyes…
The moon was now shining very brightly in the night sky…
"I love you," she whispered finally, letting her arms snake over his shoulders as she reached up and touched her lips with his.
A soft click echoed throughout the quieted forest.
A split-second later she felt a searing pain erupt throughout her whole body, as an uncountable number of daggers embedded themselves into her now-crimson stained skin. Her body served as a deadweight for Kiba as he fell on his back, eyes wide open in shock and horror.
But no sharp blade touched the Inuzuka's body as Hinata's fragile, blood-covered frame lay protectively over his, covering every inch of him…
Love conquers death…
-O-
OWARI
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A/N: Sigh…That was one of the most complicated things I have ever written. It was quite confusing, I know, I even got kinda lost when I was writing it. Yes, I killed Kiba again, I know. But still, I thought it still had my signature style in it: sweet yet sad. Anyway, please tell me what you think. I worked quite hard on this thing and I would really appreciate a
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(1) Trans. Zetsumei death; Metsukai angel
By the way, the title of this story has the same title of the Indian story where the quote 'Love conquers death' was taken from. In another version, the title became 'Love conquers death' itself.
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