Article 44 - Chapter 40 - Shadow of the Leaf
-Volume 2: Subarticle 9-
┬┴┬┴┤ Chapter 40 ├┬┴┬┴
┬┴┬┴┤神の起源├┬┴┬┴
(Raito POV)
"Oh he's TIED UP, is he? Get back to me when it's CONVENIENT, huh? They think they can stall me, do they?!" I stomped my heel into the ground. "We'll see about that. We will see. "
I wandered over to the radio transmitter and flicked it on. Static buzzed as I spun the tuning dial over to Uncle's private coms channel restricted for public use and encrypted to ensure safe broadband transmissions.
"Raito Hideyori - H12, requests urgent communications with Daimyo Hideyori-sama. Over."
"...zzz...Roger. Expedited request awaiting approval. This could take several minutes. Over."
God seems intent on seeing me wait, but fine! Better to have to wait for uncle than that disrespectful geezer of a Hokage. We'll see who gets the last laugh.
"Rodger, I'll be here. Over." I replied.
I took a deep breath hoping to find a modicum of composure before Toyotomi got on the line.
There was only one radio tower in Konoha big enough to connect all the way to the political capital of the Land of Fire, Asshu-shi. It was a military transformer, and I bullied my way into borrowing it for the hour with a combination of my royal lineage and military clearance. Hiruzen hadn't interfered so I wasn't going to let some desk-jockey pressure me away from getting an audience with Uncle.
This arrangement was not a fleeting whim, but a calculated tactical move to ingratiate myself to the Hyuga ace. I couldn't have chosen a worse time to make an ass of myself with Hiashi-san temporarily relieved of his acting position of patriarch. Without him, the entire contract could be voided, and just like that, I'd watch my future slip through my fingers. Time is fleeting, and with the impression I made the first go-around I suspect only swift support and a smidge of honesty can bail me out of the hole I dug myself.
I pinched at the corner of my lips lost in thought.
"Okay, you pulled me away. What is so urgent you dragged me away from my guests this evening Rai-kun?"
'Rai-kun'? - Not a lick of respect still viewing me as a child.
I cleared my throat, then held down the transmission button while bending the mic closer to my lips. Seeing as he dropped communications formalities, I'd just come right out and say it.
"Right... Hokage-dono is holding my fiancé under some medical pretenses, but in my searches, I've found that she was never transported to a medical facility and is instead being held in an interrogation ward. I have made multiple requests up the chain to be permitted for visitation, but I'm being frozen out by Hiruzen's cabinet of supporters. The last message delivered to me said they would settle my concerns at their earliest convenience. Can you believe that? They lie to my face then have the audacity to disrespect our royal family by superseding the chain of command."
"Ugh… What would you have me do? We might lose public favor if we kick the hornet's nest too hard. What are you asking?"
"I'm asking for uncle to demand the release of Mina Hyuga back to the custody of her family. I have to make opportunities to leave good impressions on my fiancée as she is quite opinionated and stubborn if I speak freely."
"... This one's certainly left an impression? Huh, Rai-kun."
"She's the only suitor I'll recognize. She has stolen my heart uncle."
"Er… A little early don't you think? She still has a few years before she's of marrying age. What if your taste changes once again and I've exercised my authority over our hidden village for naught?"
The breath caught in my throat. Asshole! This is why I never ask anything from you. You're unbearable.
"I'll never ask something of you again, this is my only request. Please, Uncle."
"Hmmmmm… I like your certainty. If you didn't slump so much as a kid I'd almost believe you found some backbone. Alright, if this means that much to you, I'll pull some strings, but don't say I never did anything for you kid."
┬┴┬┴┤神の起源├┬┴┬┴
(Kogetsu POV)
"Tetsu's death and now this… Sensei, I feel… numb."
Anko-sensei didn't raise her head hung to her chest while we ran with our tails between our legs.
It wasn't right. We should have tried harder, searched longer. Tetsuya was gone, but Ahri was only missing. He could still be out there somewhere, scared, hoping that his team has got his back and wouldn't leave him behind.
In light of recent circumstances, we must return to the village Ko. You know it but can't admit it. The village comes first.
Her words were trapped in my head. The chill edge on them all as if she had to fight them out. She was struggling, so I didn't have any choice other than to be strong for her. I wouldn't add to the burden. I'd done enough damage myself.
"I know you do. That's normal. THIS is the life of a ninja. Death. We all look for ways to cope with tragedy, it's part of the lifestyle kid, so you better get used to it."
She said that, but I could see the tears carried off by the wind as she lead the way.
How do you get used to losing the people you love and depend on? Judging from sensei, I doubt it gets much easier. I became a ninja because I thought it meant I wouldn't need to turn my back on my cherished people, but instead it's the reason I have to.
Why me? Damn this world is cruel. Why did I get a pass? I could have stepped on that trap… but I didn't. Would Tetsu have carried me in my time of need?
…
"Dunno…"
Hollow. Empty. Broken. I didn't realize how bad everything sucked till they were gone, my only real friends. I looked forward to being a ninja my whole life, but for the first time, I questioned my decision.
They died because Kumo doesn't have any honor - sneak attacking like that.
Light-headed and pissed, I came to terms with the flaw in my deduction.
Who said they had to have any honor?
"I… I… Sensei, I don't think I'm actually cut out to be a ninja," I finally said.
She paused but didn't turn around to face me. She waited a few moments before responding.
"I used to think the same thing. Why put myself in the position where my failure can kill my allies. But then I looked around and found inadequacy everywhere. I asked myself, if not me, then them? Those sorry bunch of weaklings? … It had to be me. I held myself responsible for what's in my control. You'll see as you get older the scope of what's in your control changes, that's why I'm responsible for my juniors and your teammates. I believe you did everything you could, so are you really throwing in the towel. Has the mighty Kogetsu become a quitter?"
Quitter?! Was I really thinking about quitting?
I thought it over. I was just emotional. Because I knew I could have done more. If I hadn't skipped out so much running I might have been able to hold out for Sensei to save us, then both of us wouldn't feel responsible and we could go back to having fun.
"No. I told you once, I told you a thousand times Devil-sensei. I ain't a quitter damnit."
"Then follow me like you mean it tubby." She shouted before picking up some real speed.
┬┴┬┴┤神の起源├┬┴┬┴
(Danzo POV)
"Where is Hiruzen?" I demanded.
The attendants shrugged their shoulders and although compelled to smack them, I held back to avoid the fallout from it.
"The last time we saw him was early this morning. He hasn't shown up since. We're looking everywhere but we can't find him."
"Tch, then keep looking! Toyotomi Hideyori is requesting an audience and won't be kept waiting for long! He's growing impatient."
I sent them out before entering Hiruzen's office intending to use the spy lens to locate the ingrate who probably fell asleep in a rocking chair.
I retrieved the red pillow and crystal ball and set it on my associate's desk, light streaming out from it awakening in my grasp.
"Locate Hiruzen Sarutobi."
It fogged a thick clouded grey.
"Blasted!" He's either investigating the sewers warded off by Orochimaru, or training with Enma again no doubt. He wouldn't have gone to the root bunker or left without warning otherwise. Now was not the time for Hiruzen to be playing hide and seek, we had our acting daimyo asking questions that don't have fun answers or implications.
Footsteps in a huge wave broke through the closed door to my displeasure.
"Sir, Sir! Emergency! Emergency!"
"Yes, Yes. Spit it out already!" I hollered.
Surprised to find me in Hiruzen's office, the men hesitated for only a moment before pouring out the news.
"Kumo has declared war and seized several border outposts declaring retaliation," they announced.
"Retaliation?! What retaliation?"
"That's just it sir, we've checked and there have been no orders sent out to jeopardize our relationship with Kumogakure. They are spinning a web of lies, likely to gain the favor of other world power spectators."
"Until we can find Hiruzen, I will fill in and act as a substitute commander. As we are now embroiled in a war, I'm declaring martial law. Restrict mission assignments and organize our troops to be ready for anything!"
"Sir!"
"Well? Off you go!"
"Yes, of course, Danzo-sama."
┬┴┬┴┤神の起源├┬┴┬┴
(Mina POV)
A massive gate stood cracked-open, shuttling light into the drab ashen hellish wasteland. A translucent gaunt specter with a demonic visage, long white hair, and horns protruding from his head. The salesman called himself Jashin and all he wanted was to add me to his bandwagon.
I knew there was going to be some more bullshit! There always is. Why is there always more bullshit? Because life is conflict, and so is death apparently. We're never getting away. If you can accept this fact and move forward, I believe moving mountains would be a reasonable task.
"If you accept my contract, your first 60 days come free of cost, but for every soul you guide to me, I'll extend your sentence on Terra another 30 days. If you remain steadfast, your time will never expire, and you'll become essentially immortal."
There it is! This is the bullshit on top of my bullshit that I never wanted in the first place. Why does this keep on happening to me?!
I turned off, headed for the gate while gritting my teeth.
"...No. Send me out, I'm done."
The spirit zipped in front of me and involuntarily I jumped backward, but I wasn't having it. I wouldn't show respect, In my eyes, it was beneath me.
"What!?" it cried.
"Don't do that shit to me Jashin! No means no. Why can't I just pass on? I never belonged in that world anyway."
I understand that refusing to stand back up after a defeat can be detrimental to one's growth, but if you just want to give up after you've just been cheated on some bullshit of the highest proportions? I was robbed! THE FUCK!
"You are in a unique position to do some real damage to the overbearing tyrant 'the Singularity'. Does justice really mean so little?"
"I haven't fought all this time against one demi-god fucking cracked-out sociopath with no regard for anyone but themselves to sit here and be manipulated by another and the fucking kicker is you want to watch me clean up your mess. I get immortality either way, right? Except this choice doesn't have some strings so you can play puppeteer with me. You really thought I'd be desperate to go back?!"
"...Hahaha. You are quite the cynic, but are you one to give up in the middle?"
"You really have no idea how I work, do you? In the middle of what? Even to entertain this wild thought of yours for a second with a THEORETICAL Thought experiment and let's say I took your offer. I see no win condition. Being-X is shitty and ALWAYS finds a way to interfere all while I can do jack-all. Losing isn't the worst thing ever, but losing without ever having a real chance at victory leaves a disgusting taste behind. And don't you dare quote my boy Kobe Bryant out of context like that - Motherfucker."
"I knew shielding this world would bear fruit. You are a prime candidate."
"Were you even listening to me? I SAID NO. I'm not interested in playing gatekeeper for you."
"Didn't you wish to ascend to a god?"
"Not at the price of being your slave. No thanks."
"I've been searching for a god candidate to replace me. Through my eyes, I've seen a worthy candidate born on Terra in the next 26 years unionizing enough of the Ōtsutsuki biomarkers to awaken three Jōgan, the Grandfather of all Dojutsu…"
Ōtsutsuki… Jōgan, the Grandfather of all Dojutsu… Was he lying to confuse me to make my position protesting the contract he was offering?
"But it would seem, my adversary's machinations have created a suitable god candidate to replace me. There is nothing you could do to oppose Being-X's tyranny more than to accept my contract."
"Who's to say you're not as much my enemy Jashin? I've wanted one thing all the time I've ever spent alive. I wanted to be let to make my own decisions. I want the freedom to pick and choose between right and wrong, but something always wants to swoop in and take charge so they get to make the rules. I'm not a sheep or a pawn. I think for myself and act for myself, got it? If I was a sheep Being-X would have outbid you for my services and he wouldn't be hunting me down, but instead of being impressed by my display of resourcefulness and renegotiating, he went for the nuclear option. Bending my knee to that fuck would break me knowing bad behavior like that goes rewarded. So fuck you Jashin for being so useless you can't defend your own domain, and fuck you for trying to recruit others to do your own damn job. I can sense a Ponzi scheme cooking from a dimension away. Are we clear?"
"Incredible… There's no shortage of malleable minds that will give me everything for next to nothing. It's so incredibly sad watching it again and again. How can I trust the future to someone who can be warped and bent under the influences of others? Only principled individuals have the conviction to see their visions through and survive contact with manipulators." The being answered.
"So you understand then, you're telling me a lot of things that sound insane, that I can't verify, and don't have any knowledge of. So, obviously I'd be skeptical you're trying to manipulate me. I think crossing over into the pure land is a safer option without needing to take a leap of faith and trusting you have my best interest at heart. Following that logic, I want you to send me on over to the pure land."
"...I'd like to be able to tell you that everything will be fine and that you deserve a peaceful afterlife after the hardships you've endured. Terra, the material realm you just left, that's the Singularities current target, but it's insatiable. Everything that exists must have an owner, and there is no better candidate for owner than itself in its eyes. If it succeeds, your afterlife will be cut short, the third and final time it has robbed you of your chance for existence."
This is really starting to feel like a nefarious telemarketer trying to run an immediacy scam. It's now or never, so just take the gamble, right? WRONG.
"Help me understand this. You are offering me immortality?"
"Yes."
"And you are Immortal."
"Yes."
"So then why would you need a successor? What is preventing you from remaining in your position… of what exactly? You have a lot of titles you listed off. What is this candidate position for? What are you first and foremost?"
"I am Jashin, the Ōtsutsuki god. Owner of three Jōgan, each with the ability to grant immortality. At the moment I can sustain you, Hidan, and myself by infusing you with a karma seal. The reason that Otsutuki god is unsustainable forever despite having immortality, is that three Jōgan are unsustainable. Eventually, one of our eyes' will be consumed protecting the realm, which will usher in the opportunity for a new Ōtsutsuki god to awaken. Only one at a time can possess the three pure eyes, once one is lost, the next candidate will receive my blessing and become the next Jashin, and I will fade. 'The Singularity' plans on becoming the next Ōtsutsuki god by resurrecting Kaguya Ōtsutsuki and using her body to eliminate my other candidates and absorb their karma seals for itself."
"If you're so strong and well informed, why not just kill Being-X yourself? Why are you recruiting others to do your own damn job? That's the thing I can't work out."
"You're not the only god candidate, you're just my favorite and happen to come from Terra, my pet project I allowed after realizing that it would be fertile ground to grow critical thinkers able to resolve conflicts without the need of violence. If I allow Being-X to come into contact with my clansmen, then I invite premature defeat."
"Your religion of Jashinism's prime ideology is to kill those you love. I think your reason for your pet project Terra seems pretty far removed from that. Wouldn't you say?"
"I can protect all the dead while I rein… shielding them from the corruption of so-called Being-X, but can only protect three of the living."
"...For the first time… I'm starting to see how MAYBE the things you're telling me can make sense. But if you can't beat Being-X, what makes you think I can do better?"
"I still need to protect my clansmen. Leaving them alone is the same as inviting the creature to capture one and infiltrate. I've visited Terra many times, but Being-X disappears every time. It knows better than to expose itself in my presence… but you are an opponent it believes it will win against, and as such will allow you chances."
"What does it matter if it exposes itself to me? I can't win."
"It has weaknesses. With everything that I've seen from those you've sent beyond death's door, you are plenty capable to exploit it once you understand your enemy."
"If you spill all its secrets, I'll at least consider your offer."
"I suppose you'd like to hear about how it interfaces with the realm of the living, or perhaps how it possesses people's bodies. Maybe you'd like to know where it's hiding, and how to stop him from possessing your Ally's to start with."
"Any of those would be a great start. As far as I can tell, even if I'm immortal, I still don't see a win condition. Change my mind."
"The Singularity is an ascended Eldritch Wraith that somehow gained the power to absorb consciousnesses into itself. Its power on Terra is actually VERY limited despite what you might believe. His only ability is to stop time, but he can't stop conscious thought. He abuses the ability of his prime vessel Black Zetsu to get around this. Spores enter the body, often inhaled and spread to the brain allowing it access to pilot their motor functions. It uses each mind to pilot many vessels simultaneously. It has to possess every person inside the effective range in order to hide his actions from the public."
"Black Zetsu… Black Zetsu… seems so familiar."
"Black Zetsu is a current member of the Akatsuki, using its infrastructure to protect him against my meddling. I have a spy in the Akatsuki named Hidan so getting crucial information from inside is easy. Then there's a matter of a win condition you were asking about? Once Black Zetsu goes down, so does his method of interfacing with our realm. The problem will be getting Black Zetsu to expose himself to you directly."
"Well, you sure know how to tell a girl what she wants to hear. I can't recall Being-X ever trying flattery. Maybe a mutualistic relationship wouldn't be... impossible, but if you have all the answers, then how come I can't be possessed then?"
"He injected your soul into that body using Black Zetsu spores. All along you were in possession of a body that was never yours. A sporicide can be developed to counter this ability, but only prevention of possession, not breaking a possession."
"So you're saying a sporicide would give my body back to the rightful owner? If I contracted up I could get fucked just like that? No thank you. I can see through deception."
"No, I'm sure Being-X would have long since used that against you if that's how it functions. The sporicide doesn't negate an active possession but preemptively blocks the spores from rooting into the motor and sensory cortexes never giving over control."
"If you think anything will get me to bend my knee to you, then you still don't have me figured out."
"You'll be your own master. You'll owe me nothing, In fact, I will owe you for helping me clean up my mess, but a karma seal is non-negotiable. I can't return your soul back to the realm of the living or sustain your immortality without it. You'll find the cost to sustain life also reinforces your body, each time translocating the chakra and consciousness, some of their residual chakra will remain in you, growing you permanently stronger."
"I only get some? It's like I'm a tax collector. I'm being demoted from Hero to tax collector. Weak…Fuck I want to obliterate that arrogant shit. It did all of that damage in my life with only one main body existing in our world? I seriously lost to a single chump with a few OP abilities?"
"Its greed is insatiable. It will underestimate you because it feels entitled to anything that exists. If something can own it, it might as well be theirs. That's how the creature thinks and I've never seen it deviate, not once, its greatest weakness."
"So you're telling me… Being-X can be defeated by slaying his little plant-based control tower, and we can predict their next moves because every action falls back to the same motivation. Unbridled entitlement?"
"That's correct. The thing he wants most right now is to resurrect and obtain the Ten-Tails, a fusion created by mixing all nine tailed beasts together, so that he can possess all bodies at once by using a Jutsu called the Ultimate Tsukuyomi, eliminating free will and becoming The Singularity in its truest meaning."
"For fucks sake… Are you kidding?! … Okay, fine! Urgh. Give me the damn contract or whatever. Quick, before I change my mind!"
┬┴┬┴┤神の起源├┬┴┬┴
(Danzo POV)
The Torture and Investigative ward smelled of fungus and wet mothballs. It drove me away besides when imperative, like this and other few exceptions.
"Ah, Inoichi. I can kill two birds with one stone here." I said, coming to a standstill.
"Danzo-sama?" The man asked.
"Hiruzen, I heard he came over here for something with the Hyuga girl."
"They are both inside with Ibiki."
"Have we confirmed the assailant was an Uchiha?"
The patriarch's body stiffened as if to hide something.
"This is going to sound a bit far-fetched, but during our expedition, we encountered some sort of supernatural demon haunting her. According to her undoctored memories, this Being-X is a formidable opponent. You may wish to enter and check it out, honorable senior."
Unprepared for such utter nonsense, my opinion and the value I saw in the man quickly depreciated.
Ibiki is another story though. A rare talent that often extracts invaluable intelligence from a subject without leaving them physically destroyed. Of Hiruzen's cabinet of supporters, he'd be the only one I'd adopt into Root but there weren't any feasible strategies to align him, even with Hiruzen's support.
"Hogwash. You're wasting time on this?" I swung my head with emphasis. I pushed the door open with my cane in hand and set my eyes on an odd sight. The Sandaime's attire was piled up in a neat heap on the floor, same as the clothing of the torture and investigative ward director Ibiki.
"What's the meaning of this? Has that faggot started chasing rainbows? Inoichi, explain." I turned to the shocked man frozen in confusion.
"This would be news to me. Surely they wouldn't…I don't know what you want me to explain."
"Useless! With that ponytail, you're probably in on it too. Faggots, the whole lot of you. Tobirama would've crushed this festering weakness."
"You misunderstand. Sir, there must be some reasonable explanation here."
The white headed girl stirred from her sleep, jerking to animation.
"You, where did the Sandaime run off to?"
"He's gone," The girl responded.
"Gone? Gone where?"
"To the other side."
"HE DEFECTED TO KUMO?!"
My heart spasmed in my chest, the world spinning before my eyes.
"No. He passed over to the great beyond with Ibiki."
My heart steadied. How dare she insinuate he was a traitor. Senile, yes, but a traitor, never.
"Hahaha! Is that what the kids are calling it these days? In my day it was called sodomy, and it was repulsive."
"Uhh?! …Don't misunderstand, they are dead."
"Dead?!" Inoichi gasped. "It can't be."
Enraged by the fact that their words amounted to gibberish, I unloaded. "Talk some damn sense girl, the Third Hokage wouldn't be assassinated so easily."
"Listen, full disclosure, there's A LOT going on, and you're going to want to hear about it all, but first things first, Hiruzen and Ibiki are dead."
"You're certain? Was it the Hidden Cloud? Where are the bodies?""
"Their souls entered the afterlife, and their chakra was used as a bonding conduit to return my mind to this body. I've been reborn by the God Jashin. Ibiki and Hiruzen-sama are nothing but ash and former garbs." I ushered to the remains of the former two persons of interest. "and made a pact with him to fight the other side - Because there's a different pretender called 'The Singularity.'
"Are you doped up on opioids, woman?"
"The Singularity possessed The Hokage and the Hokage killed me, but I was brought back to help the village through this troubling time. I can feel so much more chakra inside me now. I will be an excellent shinobi and protect what's precious."
I waited, unsure of how to continue in light of the girl's report.
"You look skeptical. I take you for a pretty logical guy. Or at least I hope so, so lets clear this all, here and now!"
An aura of death so pungent I could only compare it the one time I witnessed the Reaper Death Seal in action. It oozed off the young girl so gallantly. There was value to be had in that darkness if she had a serviceable mind. I needed to understand and get to the bottom of all of this and fast. A nation was hanging in the balance.
The child's skeletal structure unfurled itself exposing two pink lungs and a beating heart.
"Crush my heart if you don't believe me Danzo. Shit, crush it if you do. I want to verify this for you so you can take me at my word. I can't die."
A Rebirth… of an Immortal… That cost Hiruzen's life… Any of these things would be radical discoveries alone, all of them unfolding simultaneously seemed as if the council was hatching a sadistic plot to shake the foundation of my sanity. I couldn't give in, but also couldn't disregard the absurd happenings of late.
My chakra surged behind my bandages, the power of Shisui's eye impressing my will into them.
Only one way to be certain I'm getting reliable intelligence, even if it cost's me a Kotoamatsukami. Worst case, I get to stop dealing with the situation immediately, best case I have an immortal ninja with concrete loyalty at my service.
Your loyalty is to me over anyone else, and you will never speak a lie to me.
"Child, do you speak the truth? You know Third-sama to be dead?"
"He's dead and gone."
"Losing the Hokage at the beginning of the war will tank the morale of our nation. We cannot afford to show weakness at this stage!"
"Danzo-sama, the sacrifice wasn't completely in vain. You see, I will be your ace of the battlefield and destroy the enemies of the village. I will demolish the opposition and claim victory."
"The leaf has been home to many monsters. What do you think would make you so valuable to say such a thing?"
"I have several familiar's that are capable of flight. My squad could act as a rapid response unit, or I could volunteer for solo missions where I'll mark battlefield aces."
"You've never seen war runt, You're talking too big." I told her.
"Sorry for speaking so forwardly."
"Well, it appears that our acting fire daimyo has requested you to be released back to your family. You will not notify a soul of Third-sama's death, the village still needs to cling to hope." I said.
"...okay."
"Excellent." I finished.
┬┴┬┴┤神の起源├┬┴┬┴
(Mina POV)
Outside waiting on me were Tokuma and Neji. Neji gave me a detached glare before adopting a smile. Tokuma scooped me up in my arms, his lips pressing to my ear.
"Why does it always turn out this way?"
"I'm sorry daddy."
"No, no. You have nothing to be sorry about babygirl. You were attacked inside our own compound. It's the adult's job to hold the fort down. This is a failure of the family. Are you alright? Have they been feeding you?"
Struggling to recall the last thing I ate, a spell of dizziness swept over me.
"Ramen. I want Ichiraku! Now, now, now!" I crawled down and tugged on his arm. "Come on Neji, let's go."
"I'm not hungry."
I shook Takuma off and trotted up to the boy.
"I'm fine-"
"-I'm glad you're fine Mina, but the clan is NOT. Our leader is a potato, and my best friend cuts people off with no regrets. You always find me when you need help but when I need help you're never there. What even happened with Hinata? What did she do that was so unforgivable to you?"
"She... abandoned me."
"Just like you do to everyone else. Get over yourself and realize it is not all about you! You would rather go off and do everything by yourself? Fine, but don't expect me to pick up your mess anymore," He turned and walked off before adding "I decided to take over as Hinata's instructor. She needs my help and I don't care how it makes you feel, but either way, don't follow me... I'm not ready just yet."
"Oh… okay…"
I watched his back get smaller as his legs carried him away. My heart hurt seeing him that way. I guess he feels replaced by Sasuke lately.
"Dad, can you think of any way I could be there for Neji? I feel like I've been a bad friend, and I want to try to do better."
"You want to try, or you want to do better?"
"I want to do better… but I'm doubting myself a little."
"Honey, friends go the extra mile to do things for each other without expecting compensation. Being able to identify something good you can do without framing it in your brain as some kind of exchange will let people relax around you so they aren't doubting your intentions. What do you think Neji needs?"
"… a trustworthy friend?"
"And are you a trustworthy friend?"
"I want to be… but I haven't been."
"Well, acknowledging that there is a problem is the first step to recovery, remember baby?"
"That's for alcoholics."
"We ARE alcoholics. There's no happy moderation for us, haha. But I meant it holds true in many things, trust me. Neji cares, but you know how you can hurt them by closing them off. This isn't the first time we've talked about this young lady. Instead of looking for 'some sort of bottle', whatever that might be to us, we need to remember to seek out our loved ones instead and confide in them. Appreciate people now, because you might never get a later."
I chewed on his words for a moment letting them soak in.
"But enough about all that, Let's go get some ramen and we'll think of something nice you can do for him, and not just to make up, you should make it a habit to do nice things for the people around you. You might even find out that you'll, in turn, become happier." He said.
"I'll do my best. Thank you. I don't know where I would be without you."
"Still headstrong, and persistent, and my pride, but much more self-destructive. A father's worst nightmare is to see his children self-destruct."
"I'm trying really hard to keep everything together. I'm sworn under oath that I can't tell you certain military secrets because of the declaration of martial law. I want to be upfront with you."
"It's okay sweetheart. Your village is also your family. To protect it sometimes secrets will need to be kept, but also remember that I will never betray and leak anything you tell me with confidence."
"I don't want to marry Hideyori-san dad."
"I know. I don't believe Raito-sama has good intentions, but unfortunately, he was the one that negotiated your release, so it's not something we can fight at this moment without dishonoring both our family and the royal family. Aye-aye-aye, politics are complicated."
We sat and ate before returning back to the compound. It was quiet. Everyone seemed on edge, not able to relax or let their guard down. The kicked hive was swarming hot in attack mode. Triple the on-duty guards as usual, and I learned about an unexpected curfew being enforced by Hitoshima-sama, the new temporary acting patriarch. As the uncle of Hiashi, he had plenty of experience to lead us serving as an advisor for both Hiashi and his father over the past 38 years.
The day winded down, and with the curfew enforcement, I wouldn't be permitted to sneak off to Sasuke's compound tonight no matter how badly I wanted it. I craved a distraction to avoid thinking about my summons, but confronting the problem was what I needed most.
I summoned Fellkar to talk some things over before I dismissed him to reverse summon me to Highflier Peak to face the Eagles. In a poof, I appeared within the Parthenon-like building in a cloud of smoke.
I looked around noticing many perches empty, with lieutenant-general Mooshmoosh resting at the top perch.
"I'd heard from Fellkar before my arrival, but seeing it was a different beast. Half the Highfliers left with Elder Willzyakk after Hyboren never returned. Traitors! No honor! But there was nothing we could do as no one could stand up to him."
I tried sifting through the haze to remember how Hyboren died, but it was lost or distorted. I surmised it was one of my tampered memories. I could see the birds wanted some explanation of what happened to their respected comrade, but the truth of the situation was unknown to me, so all I had left were lies.
"Hyboren took to the battlefield with valor and honor. War has been declared on my village, and he vanquished countless enemies at my side. He was the best comrade I've ever known, and his sacrifice allowed a fearsome foe to be defeated outright. Hyboren will be remembered as a hero who gave everything he had in loyalty to me, so I will repay his loyalty with my own, to all of you. You are all worthy of my respect. You stayed, and I am honored to lead such a brave and tenacious group. I promise to punish the party responsible for his death. I will topple their nation and build a monument to stand to immortalize his greatness!"
┬┴┬┴┤神の起源├┬┴┬┴
I slept like crap. Now that I couldn't use my personal safety as a reason to excuse the parasitic nature Neji called me out on. He was absolutely right. If he treated me how I treated him I would be upset. I can use all the excuses in the world, but at the end of the day, those are just lies to myself, no one else sees it that way.
I wanted to change. I wanted to be better. Consistently seeking what I believed was my self-interest was easy. So then if people discover that I'm unable to maintain relationships with the people who should be closest to me, then I will be ostracized and doomed to always be alone.
Now that I have faith in my survival, I'm worried that it won't be the same thing as living. Even if I live on, what about everyone else?
I need to use my time to construct things of value, and now that I no longer fear my common man because they can't be used to by Being-X to cheap shot me anymore, human capital seemed to me to have a high return on investment in the way of allowing myself to let go of all my self-hatred kind of like what Tokuma was talking about yesterday.
I don't want to be alone, I assumed it was a necessity. It was weird, I felt privileged to feel this way. I was happy I could look at myself with disgust because it meant that seeking atonement and trying to rebuild relationships would be meaningful. I'm more than a tool for the war machine, I'll focus on being a whole ass person now… not just a tool striving for ever greater influence, starting with Tokuma's idea…
I made a list of the people who I did wrong by, and worked some ideas of things I could do for them for their benefit, which is exactly why I was here ready to move into action.
I gazed up at the shop. The yellow walls were drab, but the open windows spilled an abundance of varying cultured fragrances that hovered over the district since Yamanaka flowers also doubled as a central hub to reclaim and send out spies, and on more than one occasion since been sheltered there with no complaints from me.
Ino in my heart makes me jealous, because I believe I'm somehow inferior. Coping mechanisms are useful when they aren't destroying your life, but at some point I realized I needed to draw a line. I can't let any salvageable relationship I value fail without making an effort.
I headed inside.
Ino and I locked eyes as I entered.
"Welco–oh… it's you." Ino's eyelids squinted before snubbing her nose at me. "What do you want?"
"I uhh… I wanted to…" I stood dumbly fumbling over the introduction.
"If you don't need anything, you can always leave. The door's right there," She pointed.
I took a deep breath and solidified my resolve.
"I've always been jealous of you," I started.
Surprise struck the Yamanaka, but only long enough to show for a few moments. "Of Course you'd be jealous of me. Who wouldn't?" She grinned devilishly grinding salt in the wound.
"I shouldn't have treated you the way I did. You're so beautiful, and you were the social Apex of the girls, on top of being born as the heir to your clan."
"Are you trying to make fun of me? Because you're not doing a very good job."
"No. I'm admitting I was wrong and want to apologize. I used to think I hated you, but I really just hated myself. Instead of facing myself, I took the cheap way out and vilified you. I don't expect you to forgive me so easily, and I know this doesn't make it right, but I have something I want to give you."
"You…do?"
"Here," I pushed a book forward onto the counter in front of the girl.
She gazed down to the book, but then returned that gaze on me. "A book…"
"It's about Lady Tsunade. I had a hard time getting my hands on that, but I think it would be better in your hands. Tsunade Senju was also an unrivaled beauty and the heir of her clan. I couldn't help but to think about you when I read it."
Ino narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "I don't know what to say… why now of all times?"
"My cousin Neji told me I was a hypocrite that abandons people then expects to never get abandoned. I know what it feels like to be abandoned, and I don't want to make people, even ones I'm not on friendly terms with, feel that pain anymore. I want to make a difference for the better to the people around me."
"Ah, you must have… erm…been through a lot. I also was mean to you so I'm not perfect either. But I still don't get it."
"Get what?"
"Why would you be jealous of how I look when you're that pretty AND Sasuke likes you, not me."
Put yourself out there and be honest Mina.
"I… like girls."
"You what?"
"I said 'I like girls', so believe me when I tell you that you're way prettier than me."
"But… what about Sasuke?" She was rightfully confused.
"He really gets me, and I like him and all, but he's an exception. We are super close, don't get me wrong, but don't like any other guys and for the most part, find them gross."
We didn't become friends, but the air of hostility wasn't there either, which is altogether an improvement to begin with. We left on a few pleasantries but I think she was just more confused than anything to be honest. Can't know for sure until our next encounter.
Next on my list were Lee and Guy. Our joint training session time was almost upon us. I skittered over to Third Training Ground.
Both Sensei and Lee were stretching out in lumbered poses in their matching green spandex jumpsuits.
"Ah, Mina. Glad you could finally make it. It's unlike you not to be early." Sensei said.
"Yeah, I'm still ON TIME, so ease up there a bit. I ran into a… friend? –In town, so we were catching up and I lost track of time is all."
"Who's your friend?" Lee asked.
"Ino from a year under us. I was just sharing a book with her."
"Isn't she the girl you always complained about?"
"I USED to always complain about! We… uhh, aren't mad at each other anymore."
I wasn't to try my best to avoid telling any lies. Manipulation is a wonderful tool, it has its time and place, but for friends and teammates, it's hard to argue that it should be reserved for extenuating circumstances.
"You two made up? I'm so happy for you."
"You are?"
"Of course. Hate is wasted effort that could be spent on training."
"Lee, what do you do when you're not training?"
"Thinking about what to do in training or different ways to train."
"Lee has always been very straightforward. I think that's his best quality," our Sensei praised.
"I agree, I love it, but Lee… There's got to be something else you can do with your time. Even Guy-sensei has cooking. What other thing would you like to become better at besides being a better ninja?"
"Hmm… What do you do?"
"Well… I really enjoy studying science. I think learning the principles of nature is not only fascinating but ludicrously useful too."
"Is that why you wanted to learn medical ninjutsu?"
"That's part of it –but."
"So something I can do that's training but doesn't look like training?" Lee beamed.
"You're missing the whole point of this… What fascinates you Lee. What do you think about?"
"How much I love my team, even grumpy over there." Lee pointed over to the Uchiha who broke off to do individual training. He was experimenting with the Chidori, but long stretches of his training required binge eating food and laying about to restore chakra. "He said he was on the verge of a breakthrough or something."
"Sasuke said that?"
"Yeah. I can't wait to see what he comes up with." He gripped his wrist shyly.
Seeing that, I grabbed his hand and pulled him to the side. "Give us a minute Sensei, we've got to talk for a second."
I pulled him behind me for a way before turning around and smiling.
"You're smiling. I'm either going to love this or hate it."
"You'll love it loser."
"Really? Are you asking me out on a date then?"
"Um… No."
"Is Ten-ten asking me on a date?"
Interesting… This might be something I can work with.
I couldn't help smiling as I asked "Lee, do you want to find a girlfriend?"
"Of course I do! I just say the wrong things at the wrong times."
"You're telling me that if I can teach you what to say and do, having a girlfriend would be something worth working for?"
"Absolutely!" Lee saluted me with wide eyes.
"It's going to be a lot of work, but mark my words, I'm going to turn you into a ladykiller, Lee."
"Really? You mean it? Your not just messing with me?"
"Anything for my Eternal Rival."
"Ahhh! Are you trying to distract me so I won't surpass you?! To think I was so quickly tricked! Well, the jokes on you, Sensei says having a girlfriend is like training, and she'll inspire me to be strong enough to protect her!"
"Ohh no… My dastardly plan is ruined!" I mocked.
"Haha!" Lee giggled. After chilling out, he took a seat crossing his legs together. "How come you're being so nice?"
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"Usually when you're this nice you've got a reason."
I gasped in faux surprise. "I've got the best reason, I'm just trying to be a better friend."
"But you're already my best friend?" Lee questioned.
"So? I can't just want the best for you?"
"Is… everything okay? Is someone being mean to you?"
"Lee… remember how you asked me earlier why I got into Medical studies?"
"You bet I do!"
"Well… truth is… I got into it because I don't want my teammates to die if I can prevent it, but I also want to find a way to unlock ninjutsu for you."
The seated Lee bounced onto his feet, then clenched his hands into fists.
"But… I can't mold chakra outside my body. It won't work, and besides, my nindo way is to become splendid without it."
"Lee, I've done a lot of research, and I think that your chakra coil can be repaired or at the least improved. I'm not telling you to be a specialist or anything, but learning a few ninjutsu could be the difference between a mission success or failure, and in wartime, those mission failures could result in the death of your teammates. Think carefully before scoffing at something that could make you stronger."
"I see… I wouldn't be any good at anything I'd need to pull off mid-combat, but maybe some kind of support or tracking jutsu would be useful if i can."
"I know the fact you can't mold chakra right irritates you and you pretend it doesn't phase you, but you can be honest with me. How do you feel deep down?"
"Ninjutsu… is pretty cool. If I could do them I'm sure I'd use a few. But I can't."
"That's what I thought. I'm going to keep looking, and one day, I'll figure out if we can fix your Chakra system. As someone who also experienced issues due to a malfunctioning body, I know what it feels like. We'll overcome any destiny the world thinks of pushing on us, right?"
Lee's eyes began dripping. "You really think that's possible?"
"I do, but listen, your nindo doesn't have to be wrong either. Your style will always be to get up and personal, I totally see that, but giving yourself options so you can be more unpredictable can be super useful. The reason Sasuke and I kick your ass so hard isn't because our Taijutsu is that much better than yours, but because we can afford to take greater risks because we have more bail out options… and we have a bit of a speed advantage."
"I'm lucky you're so smart. I know, Ninjutsu or not, I'll definitely be a splendid ninja with your and Gai-sensei's help."
"So what's going on over there?" I pointed over to Sasuke.
"Sasuke said he's trying to master a jutsu Kakashi-san taught him to be ready for war in case we get deployed."
"Cool… Lee, how do you feel about the war?"
"I'm a little nervous… but I have wonderful teammates so I'm not scared."
"I've gotten ALOT stronger recently… Honestly, I'm worried for any enemies that find themselves in our path."
┬┴┬┴┤神の起源├┬┴┬┴
I ran down my mental list of people I planned on investing my goodwill into.
I couldn't think of anything nice I could do for Gai-sensei, so at the end of our training I just gave him a bunch of assorted spices he could use to season his culinary art.
Itomi, the Hyuga chef I endangered in my pursuit of the Summoning Jutsu, I wanted to confess that I organized the events that injured him but I hadn't expected him to take it sitting down. Coming clean would be greedy. It would rob Itomi of peace and bring back up traumatic events just to soothe my ego. After such a long time feeling frozen still, I knew I needed to do something to make it up to him even if I never told him why, so I took the chance to fish and figure out what was important to Itomi. I didn't have anything too concrete for now, but I didn't expect it to be that easy. It seems nothing worth doing is ever easy.
The next person I'd visit I couldn't afford to mislead or lie to. I'd need to admit my mistakes openly and listen to their criticisms. They weren't simply in the wrong place, wrong time. I inflicted pain and suffering with full intent with no reasonable excuse. Poor sweet Hinata, victim of my ugly jealousy and insecurity. It was time to stop hiding and confront the problem.
I found out from one of Hinata's attendants that she frequently still runs for cardio training and figured it would be likely she'd be alone. She kept up her end even when I quit on her. I grew more ashamed following behind her like I was some shady stalker or something. I set aside those weird vibes because taking action is going to cost something, so what if i'm a little uncomfortable. This was about Hinata, not about me.
The afternoon warmth clung even in the shadows. I exited the edge of the treeline into the open clearing. Hinata hadn't started yet, favoring some common ballistic stretches to shake out and get loose, another thing she picked up from me.
I couldn't for the life of me figure it out. If our roles were reversed, I would have discontinued her regimen even if I thought it was good out of pure spite. But we're different people, and seeing she still carried on my teachings, I wondered if perhaps I misinterpreted how upset she was at me.
"Hi…" I let my presence be known.
Hinata mid-stretch rotated to face her visitor.
She frowned into a pout. "What's… the special occasion?"
"I know I've treated you really bad, and i'm a coward who ran away from you, and if I were still my old self, it would be alot easier to just keep avoiding you, but you deserve an honest apology because I was so mean and unfair."
"Do you realize how much I used to look up to you?"
"I did, and I took it for granted because the only person I really cared about was me."
"Neji-senpai is instructing me now, I like it better that way."
"I don't blame you."
"... I thought you were trying to apologize or something?"
"I am… I'm not very good at this."
"Maybe you need more practice."
"You're absolutely right. I do. I might have a lot of combat related answers, but when it comes to treating people with kindness, I don't know anyone better than you. I've abandoned and ignored you, and you're still being patient with me. I feel awful about ghosting you."
"Ghosting?" She asked
"You know, like vanish… disappear," I said.
"You should feel bad. You're the worst. I still can't believe how fast you cut yourself out. I know you used to like me, and you still treated me like that. Shame on you."
"I'm so sorry. I was so jealous that you found someone else that was making you happy and I wanted to hurt you so you could feel how I felt."
"I like Neji-senpai teaching me, soo… if you're here to try to switch sides again you're wasting your time and we both know you don't want your time wasted. Sorry."
"Hinata, I know you don't trust me anymore, and I haven't given you any reasons to trust me by my actions. I see why you'd think I'm up to something, but I'm happy that you like training with Neji. I'm not here to convince you that I've suddenly changed or to pressure you into anything. I've recognized how much harm I've done, especially to you."
"I thought I had a best friend who'd be there for me! You didn't care about me then, so why would you care about how I was feeling now?"
Wow. As non confrontational as Hinata was, she really let me have it.
But she had a solid point. I wanted her to suffer. I chose this.
"I want to care. I want to make your life better because I hate mine and bringing people down into my misery isn't something I want to be credited for my whole life. I want people to be able to depend on me, but I've got a long way to go before people see me as dependable as you."
Her whole face blushed a cute pink.
"I'm… not that dependable."
"You are. You'd never turn your back on a friend. You're always thinking about how other people feel, and not because it affects you, but because you know it's the right thing to do. I want to be like that too, which is why I respect you so highly now Hinata-hime."
"What… were you expecting? … after our kiss I mean."
"Hmm?"
"You were hurt after I told you about Naruto, right? I'm not that dumb."
"I thought… we were… I don't know… a thing." I buried my face in my hands. "I know… Then out of the blue you're talking about Naruto and how much you like him and… I didn't see any reason for the things we were doing to keep happening. And I felt like you picking Naruto meant that I was worthless, and if I was that worthless to you, I wanted to show you how worthless you could be to me. But I was wrong, you're not worthless to me, I shouldn't have been mad in the first place, and I definitely shouldn't have taken it out on you. Very uncool of me."
"... I'm still mad."
"I can only work hard from now on. I can't change the past princess."
"... But you are lucky for your combing talent. Nobody does it like you do. Not even close."
"I know just how you like it."
"... You're not going to leave me again… are you?"
"No. Maybe I won't even let you shake me off if you wanted to."
Hinata genuinely smiled, the return of her long awaited reunion with her friend filled her so overfilled with joy she crashed into me, our arms wrapping around each others backs.
"I was scared you'd hate me forever."
"I was scared you'd hate me, but I should have known better. You're so much nicer than me. I should have made up with you a long time ago."
"I didn't mean to make you upset. I should have talked to you first. I figured…" She paused to twiddle her thumbs a bit. "Figured we'd have to stop sometime anyways so I didn't want to get used to it, but I didn't expect to hurt you like that. I really thought you would have been excited…"
"I should have been. You would have been excited for me. That's what friends are supposed to be for, right?"
"I think…If you would have done the same thing to me… that I would have smiled and cheered you on… but deep down I would have been sad. So when I realized how that would have made me feel…I felt really bad, but every time I tried to talk to you you'd run away! MMMPH!" She finished with a huff.
"You've gotten so much better at putting your feelings into words," I marveled.
"I've only thought about what I'd say like a hundred times."
"All that prep work paying off, I see."
"Stop that. I'm supposed to stay a little mad at you."
"Just a little?"
"Just a little," She reaffirmed, grinning wide.
┬┴┬┴┤神の起源├┬┴┬┴
After my duties weeding and feeding the Hyuga compound's garden, I relaxed by the pond, my ass on the red painted wooden dock and feet dangling into the water ankles deep. I had company. Neji was skipping a bucket full of rocks one throw at a time.
"That one was pretty good," I complimented.
"..."
Okay… He's still in a foul mood.
"I thought about what you said…" I started.
"Just forget about it." Neji shut me down.
"No...you were completely right. I was way out of line. I involved you in my schemes and then cut you out, that's fucked up and I'm going to do better."
"Sure…" His clear lack of trust in my words started pissing me off, but it was my fault he didn't trust me.
"I mean it!"
"Good," He said.
"I'm not mad about you volunteering to be Hinata's instructor. It's a good idea since the clan may need a new figurehead."
"Not may. I was told the damage was irreversible. The only small hope for a recovery is finding and bringing back the medical specialist of the Sannin, and nobody knows where she is."
"Lady Tsunade?"
"Exactly."
"Fuck…"
"..."
Neji cast another stone. plop plop plop plop plop plop plop.
Each skip sprayed water and rippled the pond's surface.
Neji's fist clenched tight around another rock in his palm. He paced around for a few steps before taking a seat at my side, and chunking the stone at the water, it swallowed without any skips.
"Neji?"
Yeah?"
"I'm not a good person."
"I never said you were."
"... I'm scared."
"The war?" He asked.
"No? I'm scared that I'll only be remembered for things that I do for myself."
"What?"
"Like… the things that I do for myself will overshadow everything I do for others."
"Then… do more for others?"
"That's just it. I am. I'm trying. I know I don't always treat people how they should be treated, especially you. I decided to turn a new leaf over. I can't abandon people and expect it not to happen to me. Everyone that means anything to me, especially the ones I've wronged like you, I'm going ALL OUT to try to be a net positive in the equation of your life cousin. I want you to appreciate me."
"I appreciate you now. You're just too insufferable sometimes!" He admitted.
"Well, I made up or at least am working on making up with Ino, Itomi, Hinata, and you."
"You made up with Hinata?" A crooked grin plastered itself on his dumb face.
"Yeah, just earlier today actually."
"Good… She's been through a lot lately. You understood your senpai's intent then, did you?"
"How could I not, and she doesn't have a dad here anymore. I didn't want her to struggle alone, especially since I know what it's like to lose a parent."
"Do… you know anything about that?"
"What do you mean?"
"You were the last person to see him. You really can't remember what happened?"
"I have some missing memories." I swung my neck around to survey our surroundings, and when I saw it was clear, whispered my suspicion. "I was told that only a sharingan's genjutsu is strong enough to do a job like that."
"Elder thinks that either Sasuke or someone else with the sharingan did it too."
"But, in my honest opinion… The Yamanaka's are a little sketchy. The first thing I remember after the incident, the Yamanaka's were already with me. I can't shake the suspicion they might have done something."
"Mina… I'm glad you are feeling better and trying so hard to do better by your friends, but I think you've left me in the dark for too long. There's something you're not telling me. What are you hiding?"
"Nothing."
"If you're trying to cover for Sasuke, I'll never forgive you."
"Sasuke has nothing to do with this."
"Everyone thinks it was a sharingan. Everyone knows there's one Uchiha left in the village. Do you not see the chain of logic how people might reasonably suspect him. If you don't suspect him even a little bit, then you must know something."
"I do know something, but it's not really that helpful for figuring out who targeted Hiashi-sama."
"What is it?"
"I remember my past life, and because of that I'm being targeted by a terrorist organization."
Neji blinked while his lips puckered out, his eyebrows curving down.
"Hahaha. Okay, no, what is it really?"
"Neji, I've always remembered my past life. Konohamaru is another reincarnate and he tried to kill me because I know too much."
"You… so… umm… huh?" He struggled to understand.
"Neji, you're so talented. I could have never kept up with you without an unfair advantage like double Kekkei Genkai or a whole other lifetime of memories to draw on for experience and knowledge."
"This isn't time for jokes." He might have said words that indicated he was joking, but there wasn't any enthusiasm left in his voice.
"Neji. Look me in my eye. I've died twice. The only reason I'm even here is some crazy powerful godlike thing brought me back to life… twice."
"I thought his stare would bore through my body, but finally his eyes softened, tears pooled at the corner of each eye."
He witnessed my ultimate truth. That I was an outsider in my own skin.
Neji struck his fist on his palm in a moment of eureka. A thick aura of victory oozed out of all of Neji's pores, escaping into our atmosphere. "So I'm the real Hyuga prodigy then?" A humongous grin arrived on his face.
"You are…" the taste of those words coming out was like vinegar so I shoved him hoping he'd slip off the dock, but he was too sturdy without chakra reinforcing the push.
"It doesn't matter. Your secret is safe with me."
"Thank you."
"So… what was your beef with Hinata anyways?"
"It's kind of personal. I don't think Lady Hinata would like me spreading it around. But I can tell you I was WAY on the wrong side."
"You kissed her." He stated matter of factly.
"Uhh… We kissed each other for your information!" I corrected before realizing I divulged critical intel over to a 3rd party. "Fuck. You tricked me."
Neji's smirk grew larger. "I saw it happen."
"You… did?"
"I sure did. You've been a naughty girl. Does Tokuma not hand out sufficient punishments? You're ALWAYS looking for trouble."
"ALWAYS?!" I played.
"... I've always wanted to ask."
"Ask what?"
"Why Hinata?"
"Because… I like girls?"
"And Sasuke?" He asked intently.
"Are we really talking about this?"
"Yes, we are. Do you like Sasuke?"
"I do. But I just think we mesh really well. And he's got a pretty face, so I guess that's helpful."
"The Hyuga and Uchiha cross breeding is an ultimate taboo in our family. No one will be on your side, especially after what happened to Hiashi-sama."
My fiery anger swelled, but I wouldn't blow my top here. I'm really working on my self-control.
"They are going to marry me to somebody! Our clan just wants to use me as a bartering chip to get rid of me. What else can I do?"
"Maybe the only reason uncle wanted to marry you off was because they were afraid that Sasuke and you seemed like a real possibility. You don't listen to authority, you don't respect our traditions, and they wanted to prevent the clan from losing face from your shameful behavior."
"Shameful? You'd rather me marry that gross schmuck Raito!?"
"Absolutely not."
I stalled, not anticipating Neji would arrive on my side of the fence after the stark opposition to Sasuke and I.
"Then what are you talking about?"
"I've never been more sure… I want to marry you."
"You… Ehh? What!?" I shrieked.
Neji blushed but managed to hold his composure he was so prideful of. "You heard me."
┬┴┬┴┤神の起源├┬┴┬┴
A/N: Been struggling. Glad to finally post again. Sorry for the wait.
...