Hinata was near hysterical.
Which, given the situation, wasn't unreasonable. They couldn't find Xin. Four demons, an enchantress, one miko and whatever the fuck Neji was and yet they couldn't find one missing girl. It was obvious that wherever she went, she'd gone through a portal because her scent vanished into an alleyway. The problem with that was trying to figure out if she'd been taken to the Demon realm or if she was still somewhere in the Human realm. And even if she was in the Demon realm, there was no way to know where exactly she was. Even Lóngyǎn was unable to pinpoint her exact location.
The crystal ball was able to show them her last appearance, sitting across from a very human looking Kuraim. The conversation was obviously tense as Xin sat with her shoulders squared and spoke with a harsh scowl. How her coworkers could believe he was a 'family friend' was beyond any of them. That was all it was able to show them, the image of Xin following Kuraim out of the bakery the last thing they saw before Lóngyǎn grew dark and cold. That was three days ago.
Frayed tempers and frantic emotions weren't a good mix, especially for their particular group. They had no clues to go off and it was getting to them all. Simply put, they were on a wild goose chase and they had no way of knowing if they would even find Xin.
Alive.
"She's dead," Hinata announced sullenly after another failed search. The group shuffled into her apartment, watching as she sank into her couch. "There's no way she's still alive after three days."
"Hinata…." Neji trailed off, disappointed that she would write her sister off so easily. He watched as Naruto leaned over, helping her shed her winter coat and hat. He dutifully stored them away in the closet and quickly returned to her side, sinking down next to her. He'd been so focused on Gaara's relationship with Xin that he completely missed the development between Hinata and Naruto. He was sure Hinata was banking exactly on that, opting to remain quiet about her developing feelings towards the blond demon.
"Come on, Hina, yer sister is stronger than that," Suigetsu tried, clearly uncomfortable as the rest of them with the thought of Xin being dead. She turned to look up at him and for one moment that stretched on far too long, resembled Junko. Her expression was cold and utterly detached, almost as if she were looking through him. He nearly shuddered at the sight of it. But then a portal formed in the living room, breaking Hinata's odd stare. Karin and Gaara emerged from the portal, both looking entirely fed up.
"No trace of them in Konoha," Karin sighed.
"And no one's heard anything in Suna," Gaara scowled harshly, arms folded across his chest. "You alright, Hinata?" But she only briefly turned her forlorn gaze on him before leaning over to bury her face into Naruto's shoulder.
"I know this looks bleak but this is Xin we're talking about. She'd be pissed if she knew you were writing her off so easily. She's alive," Tenten crossed her arms over her chest, a stubborn tilt to her mouth. She was trying to remain positive but she'd be lying if she said she didn't have her own doubts.
"Why the fuck would she willingly go with him?" Karin pulled at her hair in agitation. "After the Hell we've been through, protecting her from him? After all she's done to learn how to protect herself? She just gets up and leaves with him!" Suigetsu approached her with a sad frown, a look he didn't often sport. She hated the sight of it and cursed Xin's headstrong nature. He wrapped the agitated redhead in his arms, stopping her from pulling her hair out at the roots.
"There must be a reason," Neji said after a thoughtful pause. "Tenten, show us Kuraim and Xin again." She eyed him apprehensively, what was the point of torturing them with looking at the beginning of Xin's demise again? She sighed heavily but obliged, summoning the crystal ball again. Lóngyǎn shuddered, just as irritated, but conjured up Xin and Kuraim. Hinata was the only one who didn't bother looking, keeping her face on Naruto's shoulder. "Look. Pause it." Neji suddenly pointed at the crystal ball. The image of Xin and Kuraim came to a halt. "Look at her expression," he pointed insistently at the glass ball.
While her expression had been hard, it suddenly faltered. Her eyes widened and her shoulders lost their tenseness, slumping almost in defeat. She looked around the bakery before looking back at Kuraim. Her mouth trembled but her eyes hardened before her lips moved, agreeing to whatever Kuraim said. It played out as it usually did, with Xin following him out of the bakery and vanishing off the face of the fucking Earth.
"She didn't want to go," Neji said once the crystal ball grew dark once more. "Meaning whatever he said to her outweighed her own safety."
Gaara was still staring at Lóngyǎn despite its emptiness. His arms were still folded across his chest as he peered into the crystal. "Knowing Xin, he probably threatened to kill Hinata." Her worst fear, after all, was losing Hinata because of her own mistakes. He was almost completely positive that she reluctantly went with Kuraim for Hinata's safety. Hinata's head finally popped up, watery eyes settling on Gaara. "I'm not blaming you, Hinata but she's done this before. You know how she gets."
Hinata said nothing, knowing he was right. He wasn't actively blaming her but she felt guilty anyway. Despite being the younger of the two, Xin always felt the need to protect Hinata. Ever since they were children, that particular habit followed them into adulthood. Now, she grimaced, it would cost her her life.
She hated that about Xin.
Gaara shifted impatiently, unfolding and folding his arms over and over again. There was a tight feeling in his chest, one that caught his heart in a vicious chokehold. While he was able to maintain his stoic disposition, he felt like he was falling apart on the inside. He was fully aware that he was slowly reaching the end of his rope and if he didn't find Xin soon, someone was going to fuckin' die.
He was aggravated. This wasn't like when Rasa had her, though she had been in danger, it wasn't immediate. Rasa took her for the sole purpose of drawing Gaara back to Suna, leaving her injured but alive. Kuraim was completely different, he had nothing to do with that demon. He wasn't going to wait around for Gaara to come save her.
The possibility of her being already dead was highly likely, as much as they hated to admit it. Kuraim hated her because of Jun's blood and Xin had that special knack of pressing a person's buttons. Anger rippled through him and he tried in vain to curve his growing bloodlust. He was going to rip the other horn from Kuraim's head when he caught the motherfucker. The restlessness paired with his growing anger was a recipe for disaster. His body shuddered involuntarily, his anger coming off of him in waves. Lips pulled back in a snarl, he uselessly rolled his shoulders in a vain attempt to control his short fuse.
"Gaara."
His eyes snapped open, giving him pause. He hadn't realized he even closed them in the first place, far too focused on coaxing his anger and bloodlust back into its box. The others were watching him with various degrees of unease. Naruto was the only one to remain unfazed, finger tapping at the corner of his eye in indication. His pupils had gone gold and the whites of his eyes darkened into a pitch black. Gaara cursed his mother's bloodline, eyes snapping shut for a second time.
"Are you alright, Gaara?" It was Hinata's turn to ask, her face drawn in concern. The redhead finally unfolded his arms, hands roughly scrubbing at his eyes.
"Maybe we should try to get some rest," Tenten began in a careful tone when Gaara didn't answer. "I think we're all running on empty."
Gaara laughed though it lacked any humor. It was dry and almost cruel. "There's no rest for the wicked, Tenten."
Three days bled into five and five days bled into a week and still, they couldn't track her down. They were on edge, agitated and short-tempered with one another. They bickered more than usual, nearly pointing fingers at one another. It was exhausting but they didn't stop their searches. They wouldn't until they had a body, dead or alive. Hinata pulled her hat down over her ears and tried to ignore the cold seeping into her bones. She closed her eyes and concentrated, reaching out in a vain attempt to feel her sister's spiritual power. "Anything?" Naruto dropped down next to her, landing safely from his jump from the roof. The fact that four demons couldn't find her was getting to him.
She frowned softly and shook her head. "Your phone's ringing again, Hinata," Gaara pointed out from her other side, taking note of the buzzing from her pocket. It was the third time it rang but Hinata consistently ignored it.
"It's my grandmother," Hinata brushed it off, intent on going back to her search.
"It's Tsubame, isn't it? Maybe you should answer, she doesn't call you often," Naruto suggested. Really, he just wanted her to take a break. "Does she know that Xin went missing?" He pressed, wanting her to focus on something else, if only for a moment. Hinata sighed, clearly fed up but fished her phone out of her pocket. She didn't understand why Tsubame was calling since she didn't know anything. Neither did her parents. It was better this way if they didn't know what was going on. She wasn't sure she had it in her to tell them that their daughter was missing and most likely dead.
"Grandmother? I'm sorry but I can't—"
"She's here."
"What? Who's there? Are you okay?" It wasn't often that Tsubame sounded uneasy, scared even. Could it be that Masuyo had found her grandmother? Were they planning to wipe out all of the Hyuga?
"Xin. She's here, Hinata."
Hinata felt like the world had gone silent. Her grandmother's words didn't make sense to her. How could she be with Tsubame, up in the countryside? What was she doing up there and where was Kuraim?
"Alive…? Is she…"
"Yes…but…" Tsubame trailed off. "Hinata…something is..wrong. I don't mean to alarm you but…ah…she's covered in blood."
"What?!"
Naruto and Gaara leaned in closer, listening in as Tsubame muttered and grumbled to herself. "I don't know if it's all hers but she's hurt, I can tell. You and your demons better get here fast."
The call ended, the harsh dial tone causing Hinata to flinch away. For a long moment, she said nothing. None of this made sense. She finally looked up at the two demons, knowing they heard everything just fine but she still felt the need to say it. "She's alive."
Gaara turned sharply, summoning a portal. They weren't going to waste time getting Tenten to drive them up the countryside. Hinata would just have to deal with the quesiness that accompanied humans when they portal-hopped. The portal spit them out in front of Tsubame's house. Freshly fallen snow made for a pretty picture but none of them cared for it. Despite her nausea, Hinata scampered out of Naruto's hold, intent on rushing inside.
Tsubame was there to meet them at the front door, ushering them out of the cold. Her face was drawn tightly and though she had yet to actually meet Gaara and Naruto, herded them into the warmth of her home. She heard all about the two demons from Kiyone and their strange attachments to their granddaughters. "She's in the kitchen," Tsubame uttered carefully. "Fair warning, she's…delusional."
"Delusional? From blood loss?" Naruto pressed, hanging onto Hinata to stop her from barreling into the kitchen.
Tsubame shook her head. "No. Something else. Be careful."
Be careful? Of Xin? Did the old woman think she would attack them?
The smell of stale blood assaulted Gaara and Naruto as they made their way to the kitchen. An older man was standing in the kitchen, expression stern. He was facing the corner of the kitchen, arms raised and voice surprisingly placating. "Xin, you have to listen—"
"Kazuma," Tsubame called from the doorway. He turned and frowned at the sight of his other granddaughter, flanked by two intimidating demons. Oh, this was just great. "It's best we let these three handle it now," she waved him over, her wrinkled face pulled back in concern. He listened to his wife and stepped out of the way.
And there she was, looking like death personified.
Xin stood in the corner of the kitchen, her face drawn oddly as she stared at them. She wasn't wearing the clothes she disappeared in, instead dressed in the robes of a miko. She was disheveled, the knot of her hakama was hastily twisted, she was missing an entire sleeve and the folds of her kosode nearly hung open. Her hair had been previously pulled back with a white ribbon but most of the locks spilled sloppily out of its hold. Her skin and lips were tinted an odd blue, meaning she had spent most of her time out in the cold. But of course, the most worrisome factor was that she was covered from head to toe in blood. It was hard to tell if it was all hers or just some of it. It stained her robes, her skin and even her face. There was not an inch of her that wasn't covered in blood. She looked as if she stepped straight out of a nightmare but Hinata didn't care. She was alive and that's all that mattered. She stepped towards her sister, her relief evident. "Xin—"
Xin's hand whipped up, the long sleeve falling away to reveal a piece of glass clutched in her hand. The glass cut deep into her hand, stained with fresh and old blood but Xin barely seemed to register it. "Don't come any closer." Naruto grabbed Hinata, snatching her away without a second thought. Clearly this was what Tsubame was trying to warn them about. He hugged Hinata to his chest, eyes warily watching the other miko.
"Xin," Gaara tried, eyeing her carefully. He raised his arms much like Kazuma and stepped closer to her. "We're not here to hurt you, you know that."
Her blue lips trembled. "You said that before and tricked me. It's not going to work again."
"It's not a trick, Xin. Put the glass down," he motioned towards her hand, watching as fresh blood leaked from the wound she was creating. "We've been looking for you."
"Liar." He noted that she wasn't wearing socks or sandals. Her feet were as blue as her lips. "It's not going to work this time, Masuyo."
"Masuyo isn't here." Gaara moved a little closer. "You know as well as I do that your sister would never hurt and you'd never hurt her. Give me the glass."
"I don't believe you."
"Xin, please," Hinata said from the safety of Naruto's arms. "It really is us. We've been searching nonstop for you this entire time."
"Listen, shorty. It's been a good week since you dropped off the face of the fuckin' Earth. We've been searching nonstop and your sister's nearly had a breakdown. I missed you but this shit is ridiculous, put the glass down," Naruto interrupted, at his wits end. "Now."
Xin only stared at him, completely confused. Gaara took his chance, snatching the shard of glass from her cold fingers. She blinked at him, eyes wide before looking at her palm. Blood gushed freely from the wound she created but she hardly felt it. "What…tell me something only you'd know," she said slowly, eyes climbing Gaara's figure. She couldn't tell the difference between reality and Masuyo's illusions. She wasn't even sure if this was really her grandparents' house. She wasn't sure about anything except that Kuraim was out of his fuckin' mind and that he would definitely kill her once he got a hold of her.
…If he ever got that shard of glass out of his eye.
"You're insecure about your stretch-marks," Gaara uttered dryly.
"Oh my," Hinata tutted.
Xin's face flushed terribly as Naruto coughed. "Why the fuck would you say that?!"
"You said something only I'd know."
"Not that!"
"Who the fuck cares, woman?"
"I don't mean to interrupt," Tsubame called sardonically from the door. "But you're bleeding all over my floors."
"Xin also looks like Yuki-onna," Kazuma also commented, eyeing his granddaughter's appearance. He was honestly surprised she was even standing. A normal human being would have dropped dead by now or at least passed out. It was probably sheer will that was keeping her on her feet.
Xin glanced around the kitchen, hand slowly dropping back to her side. The blood from her hand added to the puddle of blood below her but she hardly noticed it. "This is real? You guys are really here?" She was sure that this was just another one of Masuyo's illusions that she needed to break out of. She'd been led astray several different times by the ghosts of family, friends and especially Gaara. She'd been tricked so many times by the sight of the redhead which resulted in the majority of her wounds.
"Yeah, Xin, we're here. Now can we please take you to Tenten or Xiourang? You're literally bleeding to death," Naruto advised, clearly fed up with waiting around. The others still weren't even aware that they found Xin and were probably out looking for her.
Gaara slowly reached for her, larger hand engulfing her much smaller one. The shock of her cold skin nearly had him ripping his hand away from her. She was as cold as a dead person. He reached for her waist, ignoring the blood and coaxed her closer, wrapping her up in his warmth.
Xin shuddered, the sudden warmth against her icy skin a shock to her system. She struggled to wrap her frozen arms around his torso, burying her face into his chest. She was getting blood all over him but that was hardly important enough to fret over. Instead she focused on his familiar scent, the feel of his muscles pressing against her, his warm hands around her waist. She was safe again. For the time being, as short as it may be, she was safe. Finally realizing this, her body gave in. Her knees locked and her arms fell away from his back. Gaara only had a brief chance to look her in the face before her eyes rolled to the back of her head. She passed out, head dropping backwards and body sagging against his.
Hinata hurried to his side, her expression drawn in fear. "Is she…?" She reached forward and brushed her fingers against Xin's cheek, only to cringe away. "She's as cold as ice!"
Naruto was already whipping up a portal in the middle of the kitchen. Kazuma and Tsubame watched in mild interest, studying the whirling colors carefully. "We should really get her looked at," the blond insisted, smiling apologetically at the older couple. No one wanted a portal ripped open in the middle of their kitchen.
"Your demon friend is right, Hinata," Tsubame said after a pause. Gaara busily gathered Xin up, trying his best to give his warmth to the unconscious woman. "She probably doesn't have much longer with those wounds and her body temperature."
Hinata blinked away her tears, swiping her thumb against Xin's cheekbone. "Right, of course. Thank you for calling us. I'll..explain everything once she's okay." Kazuma gruffly tutted but said nothing else. He and Xin didn't always get along but the last thing he wanted was for her to die in his kitchen. He and Tsubame watched as the demons took their granddaughters, vanishing into the psychedelic portal.
It quietly closed up behind them.
Xiourang was understandably shocked when they showed up in her living room, toting an unconscious Xin. There was blood everywhere and her skin was unbearably cold but she was still breathing. The three of them herded around the couch, watching as Xiourang carefully peeled her kosode open. She was wearing sarashi underneath but even that was soaked in blood. Hands encased in blue energy, Xiourang thoroughly cleaned all the blood away to reveal several dozen gouges, gashes and slashes across her torso. She could only assume her legs looked the same.
Hinata turned away first, unable to stomach the sight of her sister's blue skin and blood, and opted to call the search off. The calls were difficult, as they all had their own frantic questions but Hinata refused to answer their questions at the moment. Mostly because she just didn't have the answers herself. But they all promised that they were on their way. With nothing else to distract her, she was forced to turn back to the couch. Xiourang was still heavily focused on closing the wounds, face twisted in concentration. Gaara joined her, kneeling at Xin's side. He was gently cupping her face, thumb caressing her blue lips.
Naruto turned to look at Hinata, a sympathetic look on his face. Hinata stubbornly shook her head and willed her tears away. Now wasn't the time. She joined them again, kneeling on the other side of Xiourang. Her own energy gathered in her hands and she quickly set to work on the wounds littering Xin's legs. Their friends arrived seemingly seconds later, all in an uproar. Naruto set off to calm them down while Hinata and Xiourang worked tirelessly at closing all the wounds. There was a particularly large gash near her waist that was taking Xiourang far longer to heal than she liked.
"Why the fuck is she dressed like that?" Suigetsu asked once they settled down enough.
"Is she…blue?" Karin asked with wide eyes, taking immediate notice of her blue pallor.
"Where did you say she was?" Tenten's eyebrows were high on her forehead.
"And where the hell is Kuraim?" Neji growled.
Naruto grimaced but it was fair that they had their questions. "Um, I don't know for sure but I bet it has something to do with a weird miko kink," he began to answer them. "Yes, she's blue, it's probably hypothermia and she was up at Tsubame's house. We're not sure where Kuraim is, her safety was more important."
"Tsubame's?" Neji repeated, confused as to how Xin ended up at their grandparents' place. It was all the way up in the sticks, much to all of their disdain. Xin was never fond of making the trip up there.
"Yeah. Maybe that's where Masuyo's hideout is. It makes sense since it's an isolated area. I'm thinking Xin managed to escape and found her way there." That still didn't explain where Kuraim was or how she even got away from him in the first place. Not only that, Masuyo was also missing.
"She's gonna be okay, right?" Suigetsu leaned over the back of the couch, grimacing at the blood. Her blue skin was stained with blood, even when Xiourang cleaned it away. She was terribly still but the steady rise and fall of her chest told them that she was alive.
Gaara had yet to acknowledge any of them, far too focused on Xin. He caressed her face and kissed at her mouth, trying to help any way he could. "Gaara," Xiourang called to him. "We need to sit her up now." He moved away quietly, allowing Xiourang and Hinata to pull her up into a sitting position. He grabbed her and shifted her around until she was sitting sideways on his lap. She sagged as far as he would let her, still unconscious. Xiourang peeled the kosode away completely, revealing the rest of her terrible wounds.
Hinata rolled Xin's pant legs up and continued to work on her legs, spiritual energy working hard to stitch the open wounds back together. Gaara held her pant legs pinned up against her thighs, watching as Hinata's hands climbed further and further up her legs. It was almost like the wounds were never ending.
"Don't forget her hand," Naruto pointed out. "She was waving around a shard of glass."
"Why on Earth would she do that?" Tenten asked, arms wrapped tightly around herself. She couldn't believe Kuraim had her but lost her. He must be livid right now.
"She was delusional," Naruto answered with an uncomfortable roll of his shoulders. "From what we gathered, Masuyo kept tricking her with illusions to lure her into a false sense of security. I'm guessing we were in a lot of those illusions and we hurt her."
"Where'd she get a piece of glass?" Suigetsu asked as Hinata carefully peeled open her hand. A large gash stretching diagonally across her palm bled angrily.
"She had it when we got there," Naruto answered. "We had to convince her it was really us."
"How'd ya do it?"
"She asked Gaara something only he knew about her."
Karin scoffed. "And what the hell could that be? He hasn't known her as long as we have!"
"You really wanna know, Rin?"
"Obviously!"
Naruto sighed but it was Gaara who finally spoke up. "Naruto, we both know she wouldn't like it if you told them. Leave it alone, Karin." His voice lacked its usual bite and they realized he actually used their given names instead of their last name. They all stared at him, obviously a little thrown off. Karin wasn't even sure if she ever heard him use her actual name before. The living room settled into an uncomfortable silence, the sound of Xiourang and Hinata's energy humming the only disruption. It was a slow going and careful process but no one dared move, not until Xin was fully healed of her wounds.
Xiourang and Hinata finally pulled back after what felt like hours. "She'll live," Xiourang said after a long moment, her serene voice shattering the silence. "But her temperature is still too low. Tenten, go get some blankets." Tenten rushed off to do just that. Xin's wounds were fully healed but she could still succumb to her low body temperature. She returned moments later, the blanket stretched out. With Gaara's help, they wrapped the blanket around the slumbering miko like a burrito.
"How long do you think she might sleep?" Neji asked, stepping forward to brush his fingers against his cousin's cheek. She was cold to touch.
Xiourang eyed them all apprehensively. "I'm not sure. I don't know what's going on in there," she tapped her temple. "I don't know if Jun has anything to do with keeping her alive or if it was Xin's own will that kept her alive. If it was Jun…"
"Xin might be gone?" Suigetsu asked the question no one really wanted the answer to. They all knew the consequences of Jun's continued aid. If Xin was that far gone, she might wake up a different person.
"It's possible," Xiourang saw no reason to lie. "But still, it might not be the case. Let's not write her off so easily. Keep her as warm as you can and keep an eye on her. She needs to rest." Her serene tone bled away into something more stern. "Take her home now, she needs to be comfortable."
Gaara stood up with a sigh, arms easily cradling the bundled miko to his chest. He watched her slumbering face, relieved that her features were no longer twisted in pain. "But…" Karin frowned. They still had so many questions left unanswered. Tenten patted at her shoulder, quietly shaking her head. They would just have to wait until Xin woke up. When she woke up.
If she ever woke up again.
She was stuck in limbo. A recurring loop that seemingly never ended. No matter what she did, how hard she prayed and cried and screamed, it never ended. It was always Gaara or Naruto or Hinata, or any one of her friends and they always beckoned her to safety. Arms held out to her, calling her name, promising that it was real. This time it was real. But it never was. As soon as she sank into their warmth, sobbing in relief, they'd attack. Run her through with weapons or their claws, painting the snow with her hot blood. Sometimes she'd be thrown down, clothes ripped to shreds, molested and raped. Those were the worst ones. Sometimes it was Kuraim, sometimes it was Gaara or Naruto. Other times it would even be Suigetsu or her own cousin. Those illusions were the hardest to fight out of.
When she did manage to break out of the illusion, Kuraim was waiting for her. Using her delirium to his advantage, he attacked her much like the illusions. Only these attacks were real and that really was her blood melting the snow at her feet. His claws and teeth and hands were very much real and if she didn't do something quick, she'd die. Which is why she forced herself to punch out one of the cabin's windows. She was sure Masuyo would curse her for damaging her property but she could live with it. Gathering up one of the broken shards, she waited until he was close enough before plunging the shard in his eye.
With another shard of glass in her hand, she ran.
She ran for hours and hours, ignoring all the bloodloss and the cold settling in. She'd rather die than be recaptured by Kuraim again. Besides, he probably wasn't feeling so friendly since she most likely blinded him. After hours and hours, she came across Tsubame's house. She was certain it was another illusion but her shoulders sagged in relief anyway. It was a trick, she tried to remind herself as she stumbled her way there.
Then Gaara, Naruto and Hinata showed up.
This time she wouldn't let them get close enough. She wasn't going to let them trick her, no matter what they said. She ignored their pleading and reassurances that she was safe, her shard of glass held protectively in front of her. They wouldn't trick her again. But then Gaara hugged her and he was so warm. Warm, solid and real. It couldn't be another illusion, not this time. Again, relief sapped at her energy and she sagged into him. Finally fuckin' safe.
And then she passed out.
Xin slept for days.
The group were on a constant rotation so she was never alone for too long. Despite having her back, tensions were still high among the group. Mostly because they weren't sure who'd they get once she did wake up. Still, they tried hard not to argue with one another. Hinata spent most of her time with Xin, usually crawling into her bed with her sister. It wasn't a shock to any of them to find her buried under the blankets with Xin, arms wrapped tightly around her. It even took some days to chase the coldness away from her skin. Her skin color gradually returned to normal and her blue lips faded back to her petal-pink lips instead. It was a good thing, Tenten said, a sign of her returning health.
Hinata happened to be the only one home when Xin finally rejoined the land of the living. She was stepping back into the room when she froze in the doorway. Xin was sitting up in her bed, eyes slowly drifting around the room. Finally, her eyes landed on her sister. Neither one spoke for a long time, opting to continue their staring contest instead. It was Xin who finally broke, asking a very simple question. "Are you real?"
It sounded ridiculous but it was important, it was important to ask because she's been through this before. She was sure she was there with her sister only for Hinata to run her through with an arrow.
"Xin, of course I'm real—" she took a step closer to the bed but Xin held her hand up.
"Wait. No. Prove it."
"You once ate weed brownies by accident the first year of college," Hinata tried, knowing she was the only one who knew that. Not even Tenten or Neji knew of it. Xin had a particularly bad trip and forced Hinata to swear to never bring it up.
Xin didn't immediately reply but she did drop her hand. She dropped her gaze as well, her body slumping in relief. "This is real then. It has to be…"
Hinata rushed into the room, scrambling across the bed to hug Xin. "Why would you go with him? Do you have any idea what we've been through, looking for you?" Her grip around her was painfully tight, nails digging into her waist.
"He threatened to kill you if I didn't."
Hinata stilled against her. Gaara had been right to assume Xin following after Kuraim was done solely to protect her. "You promised you'd do better, Xin. My life isn't more important than yours!"
"But it is, Hinata. You know I'd do anything for you."
"You almost died."
Hell, she thought she did die.
Hinata buried her face in Xin's neck, squeezing her waist so tightly that there might be bruises left behind. "You don't understand, there was so much blood and you were blue. What did he do to you?"
Xin peeled herself away from her hysterical sister, grimacing. "I..I don't want to talk about that right now."
Hinata openly stared at her, eyes wide and sad but sympathetic. "Okay. Please, just don't do something dangerous like that again. Don't ever give yourself up."
"But..he threatened to kill everyone, Hinata. Not just you, everyone in the bakery. I couldn't tell if he was bluffing or not..so…I went with him."
She was still staring at her, her face drawn but eyes still so wide with emotion. She hugged her sister one last time before pulling away. "You must be hungry, right? I'll make you some food and you can take a bath." A bath, Xin nearly melted. A bath sounded like music to her ears. Hinata helped her out of the bed, carefully guiding her out of the bedroom and to the bathroom. She felt lightheaded and weak in the knees but that still wouldn't stop her from bathing. She probably smelled like an actual trash pit. "Where's everyone?" Xin muttered quietly as Hinata eased her on the toilet. Hinata turned away, busying herself with preparing the bath.
"Out," she answered simply, leaning over to test the gushing water. Searching. Scouting. Hunting. But she didn't say anything else, deciding to keep that from her sister. "I'll bring you some clothes." She left her alone but quickly returned with a bundle of clothing. "Don't fall asleep in the tub."
Xin caught Hinata by the wrist before she could leave her to her bath. "I'm sorry. For…threatening you and waving that shard of glass around."
Hinata finally smiled at her, the sadness in the soft curves of her face melting away. "I forgive you. Now, please. You smell like death." She quickly ducked out of the room with a laugh, dodging the loofah thrown at her head.
Xin took her time peeling herself out of her clothes. Someone had changed her because she definitely remembered being forced to wear robes. She eyed herself in the mirror, looking at the new scars. There weren't too many of them, just the wounds that had already begun to heal before she was taken to 's two at her hip, one large one at her waist, and another at her shoulder.
Now she's the rag doll, she mused as she climbed into the hot water. She sighed loudly, sinking into the tub, tense muscles relaxing. She tried to close her eyes and relax but Kuraim was practically tattooed to the back of her eyelids. She could still see his devious grin and the awful pull of his scarred face. She could still feel his grubby hands at her hips, ghosting over her naked stomach and breasts to settle at her throat. They coiled around her throat and slowly squeezed the life from her. He would have succeeded if she hadn't struck him in the jaw with the heel of her palm.
Thus began the cat and mouse game.
She wasn't sure how long she was out in the wilderness, barefoot and two seconds from having a mental breakdown. But she stubbornly saved it for later and pushed herself to keep going. Xin snapped her eyes open, gaze darting around the bathroom. She was safe, dammit. She was home. Her sister was in the kitchen and she was alive. Everything was fine.
Everything was not fine.
Like a dam breaking, a cascade of tears gushed down her face. The stress from her week running around a goddamn forest covered in blood and fighting for her life dropped down on her like a ton of bricks. She curled into herself, muffling her sobs against her knees. Crying only exhausted her but she didn't stop until the bath water was ice cold. She drained the bathtub but flicked the shower on, washing her hair vigorously. Someone had been kind enough to pick the twigs and leaves out of her locks but it was beginning to mat with knots. She took a few minutes to brush the snarls out of her hair, grimacing and grunting all the while before she was satisfied. She took her time getting dressed, hiding all her new scars away for the time being. Studying her appearance in the mirror for the second time, she looked like her normal self. Tired, maybe…but…alive.
So very alive.
When Xin finally emerged from the bathroom, Hinata was at the front door to greet Naruto and Gaara as they ducked in. She was speaking quietly, probably warning them that Xin was finally up and was…herself. She watched them warily. This was real, that was really Naruto and Gaara and not some illusion but she still felt her shoulders tighten. Again, she reminded herself that this was reality and she was safe. She had no reason to be on edge.
Naruto was busily pressing a kiss to Hinata's mouth when Gaara finally caught Xin's eye. Just like she'd done with Hinata, she simply stared at him. Hinata proved that this was real and she hadn't been stabbed by anything. This wasn't a trick, she reminded herself. Very subtly, she lifted her arms to him, a silent plea. He crossed the apartment in quick strides, hulking figure towering over her as he gathered up in his arms. He curved over her, nearly bending her in half to bury his face in her neck. She smelled like her regular self again, no trace of blood or frigid air clinging to her skin anymore. Her usual scent of honey, lavender and purity along with her girly body wash, flooded his senses once again.
Xin's relief was evident in the slump of her tense form against him. She managed to get her arms around his wide torso, fingers tightening into fists against his back. She let out a breathless laugh of relief as realization settled in that this was really real and he wasn't going to hurt her.
"You said you'd stop the reckless shit, Xin," Gaara breathed into her neck, voice sounding strained. Naruto hustled Hinata into the kitchen, giving them some semblance of privacy. "Why're you doing this to me?" he rasped against her skin, sharp canine skimming where her shoulder met her neck. "You can't keep doing this to me." He absolutely hated that helpless feeling that had been plaguing him ever since she waltzed out of the bakery with Kuraim. It was something he just wasn't used to and he didn't like it. He realized, with a harsh scowl, that Rasa was right to call her a weakness. She definitely made him weak.
Realistically, he could easily rectify that. The possibility to end their relationship was an option, he could simply go back to his realm and never see Hyuga Xin again. He'd never have to worry about the danger she constantly put herself in, life could go back to normal.
But the thought just didn't cross his mind.
"Oi," Naruto approached them. "Everyone's on their way over. Hands off so I can hug her before they get here and start hogging her." Gaara let her go with a sarcastic snort, stepping away to let the blond scoop her up in his arms. "Man, you're definitely gonna gray my hair, shorty!"
Gaara watched as Xin looped her arms around Naruto's torso with a laugh, pinning herself to the blond by holding onto her wrist. Satisfied that she wasn't trying to stab any of them, he joined Hinata in the kitchen. "Was she acting strange at all?" he prompted immediately, arms folded anxiously over his chest.
She didn't reply at first, eyes downcast as she focused on her cooking."Not in the sense that Jun has something to do with it," she decided after a silent beat. "She wouldn't tell me what exactly he did to her and she cried in the bath."
He grunted and rolled his shoulders, clearly uncomfortable with the thought of her crying. "But she didn't try to attack you?"
"No, she made sure this was real and I had my own fact about her that no one knows," Hinata shot him a mischievous smile over her shoulder.
"I'm sorry," Gaara said despite her smile. "I said I'd keep her safe and this is what happens…"
Hinata returned to her cooking, she could hear Naruto trying to make Xin laugh in the living room. "You have nothing to be sorry about. Kuraim backed her into a corner and she's always going to choose others over herself. I used to think it was admirable but now I hate it."
His arms tightened across his chest. He could see how someone like Hinata, a naturally quiet woman, might find her sister's headstrong nature admirable. But it was definitely dangerous. "You said she wouldn't tell you what Kuraim did to her?" Gaara asked instead.
"She said she didn't want to talk about it but it's obvious whatever he did was traumatic."
Understandable since she'd been willing to stab them. He felt his anger rising but tried his best to put a cap on it. Now wasn't the time he constantly reminded himself.
The arrival of their friends halted the conversation. Just as Naruto expected, they swarmed Xin. Luckily she hadn't threatened them to keep their distance but Gaara noticed her fingers twitching, the slight tremble of her shoulders and the strain of her smile. She was glad to see them but she was clearly overwhelmed by the attention. And it was obvious. While they were all overjoyed to see her, they eventually gave her the needed space to acclimate to them once again. She mostly avoided their questions, becoming uncharacteristically tightlipped. She did drop small tidbits, such as Masuyo's hidden cabin deep in the woods of the countryside, which explained why they couldn't find her.
She explained being desperate enough to punch a window out, brandishing shards of glass as a pseudo knife, using it to against the demon to make her escape. It wasn't a well thought out plan, which she realized only seconds after darting out of the cabin. It wasn't well thought out but it seemed to work out in the end because she did survive long enough to find her way to Tsubame's house. That was as far she could remember, only recalling bits and pieces of the ensuing confrontation in her grandparents' kitchen.
It was obvious that they wanted to ask more but Xin wasn't letting up. It was unlike the blabber-mouth but they sympathized with her and eventually let the conversation die. She would tell them when she was ready. They settled around her like one big dog-pile, eating dinner and watching movies for hours. Gradually she began to relax, maybe finally realizing that this really wasn't some elaborately drawn-out illusion. It was nice, she conceded, relaxing into Neji's side.
Really nice.
Until, of course, the nightmares began.
Or were they flashbacks?
She couldn't say for sure but they hit her like a speeding truck. It was enough to overwhelm her and she woke with a strangled grunt. Not necessarily because she was afraid, it was all too abrupt and it left her floundering in the dark. Her friends were still in the living room despite the time, still watching movies. She tapped out long ago, drifting off nestled in between Neji and Suigetsu. They must have realized that she'd fallen asleep and carried her off to bed before their continued guard duty in her living room. Really, it would've been better to leave her there with them.
Eventually the noise from the living room died down into silence and she could hear some shuffling going on. It's only minutes later when her bedroom door opened. "I know you aren't sleeping." She's surprised that it's Naruto. He lumbered into her bedroom, taking a seat on the floor from the foot of her bed. "Everyone went home and moonpie went to sleep. Thought I'd check on you."
"I was having nightmares," she confessed quietly, still turned away. She was supposed to be tougher than this. That was her thing, the tough sister, the tough miko. This wasn't supposed to overwhelm her.
Naruto folded his legs underneath, as if to get comfortable. Like maybe he knew he'd be there for a while. "I figured." He didn't press her for details, waiting for her to make the choice of telling him or not. Her nightmares were more than just that. They were flashbacks, ones she had to relive even in her dreams. To tell Naruto about the nightmares meant telling him what happened while she was away.
"I stabbed him in the eye."
Naruto let out a strangled noise in the dark. "You did what?"
"I was desperate. He'd have Masuyo conjure up an illusion and when I was vulnerable enough, he attacked me. There was one point where he decided to give me a minute to gather myself. It was just a game to him…" she began, whispering softly but he could hear her just fine. "I was laying there in a pool of my own blood and realized that you guys weren't…you weren't coming." Not that she blamed them, she hadn't a clue where she'd been taken. "I got up and punched a window out. I'm not sure why he didn't think anything of it, maybe he thought I was still delusional." That made the most sense. She expected the demon to come rushing in at the sound of shattering glass. But he didn't and she used it to her advantage, hiding the shard away in the sleeve of her kosode. He eventually did return and when he did, she slammed the shard straight into his eye. "I took another piece of glass and I…ran. I just ran out. He didn't chase me but I think Masuyo did for awhile, to torture me with more illusions."
"But she didn't take you back to Kuraim?" Naruto asked, a little confused. If Masuyo was hot on her trail, why didn't she just drag her back? He felt Xin's form tense against the mattress.
"I think she's in love with Kuraim," she whispered. "And maybe I'm in the way of that and she's hoping he'll just let me go…"
"Xin….did Kuraim touch you?"
"I…I don't know."
"What do you mean?"
She shifted, curling into herself. "The illusions and reality sometimes mixed. It was hard to tell after all the blood loss."
"What were the illusions?"
She didn't say anything for a long time and Naruto worried that she was shutting down. "Sometimes…" she started with a deep breath. "They were just unwanted kisses. Sometimes…it was more. Sometimes it was Gaara, other times it could be you or Neji or Sui." She remembered those illusions vividly. Mostly because she knew for sure that they weren't real but they were the hardest to fight out of.
Naruto sat still, his burly form tense though she couldn't see him. It didn't take a genius to figure out what those illusions led to. Disgust was heavy in his gut that Masuyo would use them against her like that. "Xin, you know that I…we would never…."
"I know."
Her steel reassurance wasn't enough for him. He felt almost…violated that he'd been used to torture her. Then there was the anger. Anger he hadn't felt in such a long time that she'd been run ragged by those illusions, that they had the means to ruin not only his relationship with her but Neji, Sui and Gaara's relationship as well.
Oh, Gaara was going to be absolutely livid.
Speaking of, "Is Gaara still here?"
Naruto shifted, trying to gather his fleeting temper. If happened to turn to look at him at that very moment, she'd see blood red eyes instead of his normal blue. "Nah, he went back to Suna."
"Is he upset with me?"
"Course not. I'm pretty sure he left to go kill something. You know he's not that great with emotions."
"Oh."
"I think he's in love with you, Xin."
She sputtered, at a loss for words. While she knew there was something romantic between the two of them, she doubted Gaara was in love with her. That was taking it a bit far, wasn't it?
"He was a wreck when you were gone, I don't think I've ever seen him so unhinged and I've known him for years, Xin. Years."
"Did…did his eyes turn gold?"
"Oh? So you've seen that?"
"Once or twice…"
Naruto stretched his neck, cracking it with a sigh. "That's alarming, he's usually losing his temper fast if that happens." He glanced back at her but she was still turned away. "Usually an act of wrath follows."
Xin pursed her lips, staring at nothing in particular. "I was teasing him," she admitted softly. "We were dancing and I teased him with a kiss. His eyes were so gold but I thought they were pretty…"
Naruto listened to her quiet confession, waiting until she was done. Maybe it wasn't an act of wrath that always followed, maybe it was just when he felt too strongly over something. His own eyes were shifting to a red at the mere thought of being used against Xin. But still, it wasn't like Gaara to feel strongly about anything if it didn't have to do with anger and murder. "I thought he was really going to lose it this time." It was Naruto's turn to confess. "We had no idea if we were going to find you in time. Everyone was agitated but Gaara's eyes kept shifting into gold and he was easily set off. I think moonpie might've been the only one spared." He appreciated Gaara's gentle handling of Hinata, even when he was at his wit's end.
"I don't see why…"
"Because he loves you," Naruto shook his head at the absurdity of it all.
"Well," she huffed. "I wish he were here, instead of wherever the fuck he ran off to."
"It's for the best," Naruto sighed. "Lust and anger run a very thin line. I'd hate to have to pull him off of you, he might hurt you."
Xin laughed and finally looked at him, tired eyes finding him at the foot of her bed. "What's the worst that can happen to a girl that's already hurt?"
Rasa and Karura were obviously surprised when Gaara showed up. They eyed their youngest son apprehensively, wondering why he was abruptly back in Suna. He made it quite clear that he intended to spend some time away for a while, most likely to be around his miko. Rasa squinted at him, taking in his tightly-wound disposition but it was his eyes. His eyes so vibrantly gold, the white having bled away into black. He sighed heavily and patted Karura's arm before standing up. For once, Gaara silently followed his father when he left. "What's happened, boy?"
Gaara didn't say anything for a long time, basking in the bloodshed soaking into the sand. The smell of hot sand and blood mixed together into something familiar for both father and son. It was a comforting smell, even. Rasa eyed the bodies of demons strewn about, mangled beyond recognition. No one would miss them. "Do you remember a demon named Kuraim?" Gaara finally asked, seemingly ignoring Rasa's question. Rasa frowned, head tilting to the side in thought. The name definitely sounded familiar, though it didn't come with a pleasant feeling.
"Ah, Masuyo was in love with a demon named Kuraim," the older demon snapped his fingers. "Dumbass fell in love with a human but I heard he was sealed away by her. A miko…." Rasa trailed off, squinting suspiciously. "Gaara…"
"Xin's ancestor," Gaara nodded, watching blankly as blood ran rivulets down his hands from his claws. "Descendant, reincarnation, depends on who you ask. He broke free of his seal and wants revenge."
"Revenge on the dead miko or your miko?"
"Both," Gaara grunted. "He…took her some days ago."
"I see and…is she dead?"
"No, I got her back."
It was silent between the two for a long time. "I told you getting mixed up with a human miko was a mistake, Gaara." Rasa's scowl was harsh but Gaara simply ignored it. "Was she returned unharmed?" He really didn't care if the miko was hurt or not but he could tell his son was disturbed.
"She was hurt badly. It's worse than when she was here."
Rasa grunted, not exactly sure what to say. He wasn't there to comfort his son, he'd never been that type of father. Not when his child was little and definitely not when said child was a full grown ass adult. "You've involved yourself into this girl's problems, Gaara. An unwise choice."
Gaara didn't immediately reply, staring at nothing in particular for a long moment. "I think I'm in love with her." He admitted.
Rasa certainly hadn't been expecting that sort of confession. He choked on his spit, sputtering as he tried to regain his dignity. "You what?" he barked incredulously. "Love? With a human girl? Are you insane?"
"Probably."
"I'm serious, boy."
"As am I."
He glared at his younger son. "I thought she was a curiosity of yours, something you needed to fuck to get out of your system. How could you be in love with her?"
It was like that in the beginning. A curiosity, a need to break her open. It was temptation whispering in his ear, obsessing over her. He wanted to see how far he could push her, take her and unhinge her. The endgame result was having her underneath him, squirming and begging, ruining her innocence. He told Rasa that, not really embarrassed by it. Somewhere along those lines, unfortunately or fortunately depending on who you asked, it evolved into something else. He could've snuffed it out once he realized where that road was leading him to but the fact of the matter was that he didn't want it to stop.
"Does she know?"
"I haven't told her."
"And you shouldn't," Rasa snapped immediately. "Do you understand the influence she has on you now that you love her? And your reputation—"
"Who cares?" Gaara snorted, clearly unbothered. "Even if someone does care enough about my relationship, what're they going to do about it? Kill me?"
"They'll try to kill her. You can't protect her each and every time, someone will get the drop."
"Like Masuyo got the drop on you and slowly tried to kill mom?"
That's different."
"How? Mom's your weakness just like Xin is mine."
"Your mother isn't human."
Gaara leveled his father with a blank look. He knew this wouldn't be an easy pill for Rasa to swallow but there was no use hiding it. It was better to be upfront about it now versus letting him find out later from someone else. "Well," Rasa folded his arms across his chest. Karura was going to love this. "If you're sure, then you'll accept the consequences that come with loving such a weakling."
"A weakling you're in debt to."
"Motherfuc—"
"Oi," Kankuro appeared at that very moment, eyeing the array of dead demons spread about. While Rasa was clean of any blood, his brother was covered in spilled blood. At least they hadn't attacked each other, he decided. "Mom was worried you two would tear each other's throats out."
"So she sent you?" Gaara asked, squinting.
"Nope," Temari appeared next, leaning around Kankuro with a smile. "She sent me but Kankuro decided to tag along. I think he wanted to know what crawled up your ass this time around. And probably to stir the pot if the two of you were fighting."
"We're not fighting nor do I need my children checking up on me," Rasa scowled at the two of them, not finding anything amusing about the entire situation. His youngest was in love with a fuckin' human, for shit's sake. He needed some time to process this because clearly there was no talking him out of it.
"So, what's going on this time? Who pissed you off, Gaara?" Temari asked, sidling up to her younger brother. The action put some space in between father and son, which was a good thing. "Must have been bad."
"Xin was kidnapped and nearly tortured to death for some days," Gaara answered with a blank expression. Temari and Kankuro gaped at the revelation. "She's alive, she pretty much saved herself before we got to her though."
"You didn't say that before."
"Still think she's a weakling?"
Rasa shot him an acidic look. "It goes without saying that this relationship you've formed with the miko is a mistake."
"Oh," Temari waved his words off. "I think it's nice. Besides, she knows how much of a bastard he can be and still likes him. Doesn't that count for something?"
Rasa snorted, "No."
Temari chuckled but it was Kankuro who spoke up next. "I'm no expert on humans, especially not psychotic ones like Xin, but if she's been through something traumatic, shouldn't you be with her?"
"She's safe with Naruto and everyone else."
"Yeah but if your relationship is a romantic one, she might just want you."
Gaara glanced at Rasa. "What?" the older demon sneered.
"I'm just waiting for a snide comment."
Rasa continued to sneer at him, arms tightening over his chest. "I've already said what needed to be said. You know the consequences of involving yourself with a human girl like that. You're old enough to make your own stupid decisions."
Temari leaned into her youngest brother, smiling as she did so. "That sounded like a seal of approval to me."