Accepting Reality is the most bitter task. One cannot accept the Reality, especially when it is attached to ones emotions.
-Yash Adhikar
They were sitting in the very same restaurant, on the very same table they had been sitting on, on the day of Hinata's arrival. On either side of Ino were Sakura and Tenten. Sitting opposite to them were Shino, Kiba and Choji. It was only the six of them, their other friends now dealing with the mess Hinata's return had created.
Only the highlights of the recent events had been disclosed to the villagers and the Shinobi. Hyuga Hinata, a former missing-nin, had been returned to Konoha by the hands of, former rough-nin, Uchiha Sasuke. Arriving with them had been Kazue, four year old son of Hyuga Hinata, and the recently made, newest member of Konoha.
The villagers had accepted the news without a problem. As far as they knew, that was all there was to the commotion in the village weeks ago. Despite being kept under wraps, many Shinobi knew the truth, having heard the Hokage disclose the now-classified information in front of everyone.
"The son of Hyuga Hinata and Uchiha Itachi."
It suddenly occured to Shino that the Hokage had been daring the people in the office. Daring them to do anything to the boy under his watch. His threat hadn't only been for Hiashi. It had been for all those who had been present in the Hokage's tower. And it had worked.
No one had leaked a word of the truth to the villagers, the fear of the Hokage keeping them at bay. Almost all the Shinobi at and above the rank of Chunnin were aware of the truth, yet not a single one of them made a move on the boy.
Shino gritted his teeth, his fist clenching around the paper in his pocket. It was a picture of Kazue, he'd found in the hands of one of the Shinobi.
But the threat clearly wasn't enough as it did nothing to stop them from talking.
He clenched the picture tighter, recalling what he'd overheard some of the high-ranking shinobi say. Not only about Kazue--"Devil child, probably as sick as his father"--but about Hinata too. To them, she was a disgrace, to have bedded with a monster.
"Fucking whore. Bitch couldn't resist a pretty face, could she?"
"It's always the shy ones. Serves her right, being strapped to that hospital bed on the brink of death."
In response to his rising anger, Shino felt his bugs buzz within him, their concern evident, wondering what could have their host so troubled.
He took in an inaudible breath, calming himself with the thought of what he'd done to those shinobi. He hadn't killed them. Just made them wish he had.
After finally gathering their guts, they'd gone on visit Hinata in the hospital. Shino wanted to banish the image of his almost lifeless teammate from his mind. Were it not for the heart monitor, he would've thought her dead.
They'd done nothing, just stared at her limp form, helpless. It was déjà vu, really, because helplessness was exactly what they'd felt years ago. And it was the same feeling they were feeling now, staring at nothingness.
It was at least what Sakura was feeling. It had been a while since she'd felt this helpless. She recalled watching Naruto and Sasuke run ahead of her, and no matter how hard she tried, no matter how fast she ran: It. Just. Wasn't. Enough.
Helplessness had been a bosom companion to her. Instead of trying to get rid of it, she had held it close, channelled her training around it. She made sure to remind herself how it felt to be helpless, so she would be encouraged to grow strong, so she would never have to feel such an emotion again. And it had worked, to some extent.
She had made peace with the fact that as strong as she was, Naruto and Sasuke were still in a different league. She would always be a step behind. And that was okay, because it meant that while they went on ahead, she followed, slowly but surely. They were her teammates, and they trusted her to watch their backs.
But, the helplessness she was feeling right now was different.
It was not like watching the backs of her teammates, or watching Hinata destroy herself bit by bit years ago, or watching as Ino get prettier and prettier every day. This feeling was different, because she could do nothing about it. Do nothing to change herself, so that she could change the situation.
After the war, she had hoped that she could she could catch Sasuke's eyes. Maybe he'd see how much she had matured. She didn't want his love, or his acceptance. Just his acknowledgement. She wanted him to notice her, acknowledge the fact that she was his teammate too.
When they'd gone to meet Hinata today, Sasuke had been there. He had become more open after the war. The change was small, but it was there. It may not have been noticeable to others, but it was clear to Sakura.
Sasuke had been worried. About Hinata.
It had taken years for Sakura to gain that. How could Hinata gain it in just a few days?
She pursed her lips, bitterness filling her.
Uchiha Itachi, eh?
As kids, she'd watched him. He was a legend among legends, and people kissed the very ground he walked on. He represented hope for the villagers and shinobi alike, that with such a Shinobi up their sleeves no one would dare to attack Konoha. It was supposed to end all wars.
But, even back then, he'd always scared her.
Like other girls in the village, of course, she'd found him really attractive. But, there had always been this far away look in his eyes, as if he couldn't be bothered by the hoards of girls following. They were all out of his league, and he knew it.
Sakura knew that she had no chance, but it still hurt. So, she had settled for Sasuke. Back then, he had seemed much more approachable. It gave her hope that she, at least, had a chance, no matter how miniscule.
As kids, she'd also wanted to stand out. Not in the eyes of the students and her classmates, but also in the eyes of her teachers and other shinobi. Ino had made her feel insecure, but Hinata?
When she looked at Hinata, it gave her confidence. Comfort that there was someone more pathetic than her out there.
However, that wasn't the case anymore.
Now, knowing that she and Uchiha Itachi had been something, made her insecurities resurface. The Uchiha might be dead, but Hinata would always be remembered by the world as the only woman to ever catch the attention of 'The' Uchiha Itachi.
And no matter how many times, she let go of these feelings of envy, they continued to plague her mind.
Yes, she was jealous. And she hated herself for it.
Choji, for once, wasn't eating. As unbelievable as it sounded, he had no appetite. He'd never been close to Hinata. In fact, no one had been other than Team Kurenai and Team Gai. And now, Choji regretted it. Ino and Shikamaru had often told him that he was a good listener. He suddenly wondered why he hadn't offered to listen to Hinata's problems years ago.
He supposed it was because she had always been the invisible type. The one who was never noticed because she was never in the spot light.
The first time he'd seen her--truly seen her--had been during the Chunnin Exams. And for a moment, she had been acknowledged. But, she was so good at it--at blending in-- that in about a month, he'd forgotten about it.
And today, in the hospital, he'd seen her for the second time. Looking at her, he'd realized just how much she had grown. Just when had she become this pretty?
And now, sitting in the restaurant, he felt guilt, heavy on his shoulders, as he regretted not ever getting to know her. If he could, he could've noticed the small changes and stopped it all from happening.
He thought of his Asuma-sensei, and how much of a blow his death had been to everyone. Slowly, Choji glanced around the pale faces of his friends.
If Hinata dies, then they would surely break.
Beside him, Kiba felt bitter. He was Hinata's teammate, her brother in arms and on the battlefield. She could've told him about the child. Fuck, she should've told him. He had always looked out for Hinata, hadn't he? Always thought about what was good for her What made her think that this time would be different?
Uchiha Itachi.
Kiba and Hinata had encountered the Akatsuki on a mission once. Kiba had gotten injured and passed out, but according to the mission report Hinata had given, the elder Uchiha had showed up.
Had the bastard said something to Hinata back then?
Kiba gulped at the thought, guilt filling him as he realized what this meant.
It was my fault. Everything that happened on that mission...it was all my fault.
He had had the same thought years ago. However, unlike that time, Hinata wasn't there to console him this time. Only her words lingered in his mind, as he turned them around over and over hoping they would ease his guilt as that had done years ago.
"Moping about the past won't change the present."
Kiba couldn't help but growl, muttering profenities under his breath. But not at Hinata. Never at Hinata. He cursed himself for not forcing it out of her, or better yet, not being good enough for her to trust in the first place.
Out of all the females in the Konoha 12, Tenten had been the closest to Hinata. She'd always been close to Neji, so when Neji assumed the role of the overprotective elder brother slash cousin, Tenten had grown close to Hinata too. Thinking back to everything that had happened, she suddenly realized that many times Hinata had come close to telling her. She suddenly had a flashback.
Bloodshot eyes, messy hair, dark bags--Tenten had never pushed Hinata into telling her. She remembered Hinata, her arms wrapped around her waist, hugging herself, as she hesitantly replied that she was fine. Back then, Tenten had known that she was lying. Instead of pushing the subject, she'd placed her hands on Hinata's shoulders, looked at her softly, her lips forming the words.
"Whenever you are ready."
Tenten remembered Hinata as she opened her mouth, hesitating, whether or not she should tell. In the end, she'd sighed and whispered a thank you, as another tear leaked from her eye.
It suddenly occured to Tenten that Hinata had been so very scared, that she hadn't trusted anyone. Looking back, she concluded that if she were in her place, she would've made the same choices. She also knew that if there had been more time, Hinata would've told her. She would've told her everything. And in that moment, smiling softly, Tenten realized that she couldn't forgive Hinata. Not when, in her eyes, she'd done nothing wrong.
Ino was barely holding it together. She was seething. How could Hinata do that to all of them? For Fuck's sake, they were her friends, weren't they? She wasn't supposed to hide things from them. Especially not something this big.
Hinata had always been so shy, so when she had started breaking out of her she'll, Ino had encouraged her. Told her that it was good to feel confident and important. When Hinata had blushed when telling Ino of a particular incident with a traveller, Ino had told her that it was good that she was getting the attention she deserved. She'd told her to go for it.
But, that definitely did not mean that she should go and get knocked up by the guy who was probably the hottest on the planet. Yes, Ino had opened the Bingo book yesterday, and taken a good, long look at Itachi Uchiha and--
Kami, was he a work of art. He was Neji and Sasuke combined and then multiplied by ten. He was perf--and Ino was fangirling again.
Shifting her mind back to Hinata, Ino felt her bitterness change to hurt. Sure, she might not be the best at keeping secrets, she might be loud, annoying and bossy, but she was Hinata's friend. She'd been worried too when Hinata had stopped coming to their hangouts.
The truth is, she'd thought that it was just a phase, that Hinata just needed time to herself, to sort out her thoughts.
It all brought her back to the same question: What happened?
Why Hinata? Why Itachi?
Hinata had never been the type to go after looks--She wasn't interested in Sasuke, for god's sake. That itself should've been enough to question her sexuality-- so what had she seen in that Uchiha?
Looking back, she couldn't recall any attribute of his that might've caught Hinata's attention. But then again, Ino didn't know Uchiha Itachi well--rather not at all.
And then came the dead look in Hinata's eyes. She remembered Hinata flinching away from everyone's touch, her eyes guarded, as if deciding if either of them were a threat or not.
Her mind was running in circles, and it all led back to the same thing.
"I don't believe him." She muttered, finally breaking the tense silence.
"Huh?"
"I said I don't believe it. What Kakashi-sensei said. I don't believe it."
"Said about what?"
It was Sakura who asked, her voice hoarse. Ino averted her eyes, feeling uncomfortable.
"You know, about Hinata. Not being forced."
She had to force the last few words out, watching as everyone on the table stiffened.
Tenten silently regarded Ino, frowning at her words.
"I don't think so, Ino. Kakashi-sensei wouldn't lie to us about something like that." She reasoned, "You're just overthinking it all."
Ino couldn't help but scowl at her.
"I'm not overthinking, I'm being realistic here."
Then, her voice cracked.
"Look, we all know the kind of person Hinata is. She hates it when people worry about her, because it makes her feel like a burden. That's why she didn't tell anyone. If she hadn't left, Hiashi-bastard would've attacked her years ago. So, she told no one because she didn't want anyone to worry about her. She just...left."
Kiba growled, revealing her canines.
"You make it sound like she had no dignity or self-respect, whatsoever."
Ino looked at him icily, her voice biting when she spoke.
"And you make it sound like she hasn't looked at you with caution, or flinched away from your touch, at that matter."
That shut Kiba up. Because it was true. Although, it got her point across, Ino wasn't done yet.
"She was wary of Neji, Kiba! How else would you explain that?"
There was silence, as Kiba took in her words, his gut wrenching as the possibility presented itself, his mind finally wrapping around the point Ino was putting forward.
There was a cough.
All eyes turned to Shino, watching as she adjusted his glasses. Then, he fixed a cold glare at Ino.
"I suggest you stop pretending like you know everything about Hinata."
Ino flinched slightly at his icy tone.
"You might have started to get closer to her, but we have known her for years. We have laughed, cried and bled with her. So, I expect you to believe me when I say that Hinata was a strong person. She would never allow herself to be taken advantage of like that, regardless of how strong the enemy was."
Once again, he adjusted his glasses.
"And as for your claim, there is nothing to gain by picking apart the Hokage's words and looking for some hidden meaning in them."
Beneath the table, Shino clenched his fists, recalling the observation he'd made in the hospital today. Clearly, no one else had noticed it.
"Hinata willingly consorted with an S-Rank mass murderer. It is as simple as that."
Sighing softly, he decided to make his observations known.
"Either way, I seriously doubt your claim."
Kiba, having known his teammate for years, immediately caught on.
"What is it?"
Pursing his lips, Shino exhaled softly.
"A ring."
"A ring?" They all chorused, repeating as if not quite believing the connection it had to anything at all.
"Today when we went to meet her," Shino began, slowly as if speaking to a bunch of toddlers, "She was wearing a ring."
For a moment, they stared. Then, their eyes widened, finally grasping what their friend was trying to say.
"A ring means nothing." Ino said, unconvinced.
"When you answer a question, your answer is either right or wrong."
Looking through his glasses, once again fixing his stare on Ino, Shino continued.
"In this case, the ring is either nothing..." Here, he paused, as if hesitant to reveal a certain secret,
"Or everything."
WOOOOO!!
This is the largest chapter until now. God , that was exhausting to write. I'm so tired.
Anyway...
How was it? Be sure to tell me in the comments!
*whispers* And a little secret...
The next chapter is going to be about Sasuke and Kazue. So you better wait with bated breath!!
Oh, and, if you haven't noticed already, I'm focusing on the emotional aspect of Sasuke's life a lot.
So right now, not many people in the story trust him, and he doesn't trust anyone except his teammates and Kakashi. I just realized that he came across as a total asshole in some of the chapters, so just wanted to clear that up. Lol.
Plus, many of the events mentioned in this chapter will later be described. So, don't give up on me, Kay?
*Grins*
Lastly, the first Itachi/Hinata interaction is mentioned in this chapter. Can you find it?? O_O
Be sure to tell me if you do. XD.
ENJOY!!
-Your amazing author.
