"A part of kindness consists in loving people more than they deserve." ~ Joseph Joubert

Chapter 15: Confusion and Kindness

Kabuto was lying on his back, staring at the ceiling, thinking. It was official. Konoha was insane. Bats. Bonkers. First they torture him, then they apologize to him, then they drag him in for questioning, and then pamper him by taking him out to sushi and feeding him sukiyaki. It must be a ploy, he decided. They were trying to confuse him mightily.

It was certainly working.

Just then, Shikamaru poked his head into the room. "I need to go out for awhile," he told Kabuto, gathering up the tray of food that Kabuto had wolfed down. "And, uh… you can't come with me."

Kabuto blinked. "So? You going to throw me in some jail cell someplace?"

"Um, actually, I arranged for Hinata to hang out here and watch you," Shikamaru replied, retreating to the kitchen and tossing the dishes in the sink. "I'll only be gone for an hour or so, so… be nice, okay?"

Kabuto frowned. "Me? Nice? What is this 'nice' you speak of?"

"Yeah, that's what I figured you'd say. I gotta go. Don't get into trouble, okay?" Shikamaru waved dismissively, leaving the house.

Kabuto sighed, and continued to stare at the ceiling. It was so strange, how kindly Konoha was treating him. Granted, he wasn't trusted and he was a recovering patient. Then again, if Shikamaru was leaving him with Hinata, he must have at least decided that Kabuto wasn't going to try and escape.

Kabuto scowled. The Akatsuki wasn't this kind to prisoners, and Orochimaru hadn't been much better. So why would Konoha be so different? He wasn't banking on their so-called 'niceness'. It was all superficial. Everyone had some darkness inside, and when faced with an enemy, those cruel ideas and intents that were locked away inside often surfaced. He should know. He'd done plenty of things to prisoners himself. He knew the ropes.

So why would these Konoha-nin pretend that they cared about him? They'd never cared. Not even when he'd still been young and innocent. So why, now that he was an enemy, did they make an effort to connect with him?

It didn't make sense… was it a psychological ploy to lower his defenses? He'd hoped that Konoha would be more clever than that. But Kabuto couldn't see any other reason for their 'kindness'.

"Anou, Kabuto-senpai?" Hinata murmured, moving into the front room from the kitchen where she'd been cleaning up Shikamaru's mess.

Kabuto turned his head, glancing at her. "Yes?"

"Did you get enough to eat?" she asked, fingers tapping away. "I could make you more, if…"

"I've had enough, thank you," Kabuto replied.

"Oh, well, is there anything else you want?" Hinata asked, glancing at him.

"Why? What do you care if I do want something? What are you trying to pull here, anyway?" Kabuto demanded, sitting bolt upright and pinning her down with a harsh glare.

Hinata stared back at him, her gaze unwavering. "You're a person. Isn't that reason enough?"

"Of course not," Kabuto snapped. "Please, nobody's that stupid."

Hinata frowned slightly, here eyes still boring into Kabuto. "What's stupid about it?" she asked quietly, a hint of steel to her tone.

Kabuto blinked, slightly surprised. "I'm an enemy," he reminded her.

Hinata shrugged. "What does that have to do with whether or not you're a person?"

Kabuto blinked again, not quite sure how to respond. "Ah…" he frowned. "Well what about all the 'persons' that I've killed? Doesn't that affect how you feel about me? Don't their lives mean anything to you?"

Hinata frowned slightly. "I may be saddened by their loss, but I can't imagine that hurting you would bring them back…"

Kabuto frowned. "Ever heard of vengeance?"

Hinata shrugged. "I don't agree with it, but I've heard of it."

Kabuto blinked. "I'm going to guess that you and Sasuke didn't run in the same circles…"

Hinata shrugged. "Not really."

"Uh-huh, I thought as much," Kabuto mused.

"Ino was more in his league," Hinata explained.

"What a surprise," Kabuto snorted.

Hinata shrugged. "Why do you think everyone should hurt you, Kabuto-senpai? Do you feel guilty? Do you think you need to atone for what you've done?"

"Of course not!" Kabuto spat. "I just don't understand you people."

"What don't you understand?" Hinata asked, frowning slightly.

"Your niceness!" Kabuto exploded. "I just don't understand how you can be so kind to everyone. It doesn't make sense. It shouldn't happen, but you're kind anyway! Why?"

Hinata stared at Kabuto, her face sad. After a moment, she responded simply. "Why not?"

Shikamaru returned to the unusual sight of Kabuto…washing dishes…in an apron. A frilly apron. "Um…" he said slowly.

"Don't. Say. A. Word," Kabuto snarled, glancing up from the sink, where he was furiously scrubbing a plate with crusted food on it. "And when was the last time you washed these dishes?"

Shikamaru blinked, trying to remember. Unable to do so, he turned to Hinata. "How did you get him to help you?"

Hinata blinked slowly, wiping down some silverware with a dishtowel. "I asked."

"And I suppose that's how you got him into the apron, too?" Shikamaru prompted, receiving a withering glare from the white-haired shinobi.

"Well, that actually took a bit of discussion," Hinata admitted, stowing the silverware in their proper drawer and picking up the plate that Kabuto had just deposited into the dish drainer. "See, I asked him to help, but I didn't want him to get his clothes wet, because then they would need to be dried. And that would be a long time for him to not wear his clothes, right? I thought it might be a bit awkward…don't you think?" she smiled innocently.

"There is no arguing with a Hyuuga," Kabuto grumbled, scrubbing at a teacup. "It's a waste of breath."

Shikamaru felt his jaw go slack for a moment. He shook his head at Hinata. "I can't believe you got him into a purple apron. Though it does bring out the…eh…black…in your eyes," he added, smirking at Kabuto.

"Keep talking," Kabuto snarled, swiping his sponge over a steak knife. "Then I'll know where to throw this."

Shikamaru blanched. "Hinata! You let him near the knives?"

"Well didn't you, when you let him make curry?" Hinata asked, sounding confused. "I thought it would be all right…"

"See? No arguing with a Hyuuga." Kabuto sneered over his shoulder at the dumbounded Shikamaru. "Better shut up now before she finds you a pink one…"

Shikamaru swallowed nervously. "Um, I'm no good in the kitchen, and-"

"We know," Kabuto interrupted conversationally.

"AND," Shikamaru repeated himself loudly, ignoring the comment, "It's a bother to do all this washing, so I think I'll go… read something."

"Actually, Shikamaru, I would really appreciate it if you would take out the trash," Hinata said sweetly, putting away a teacup. "After all, Kabuto is still recovering from a debilitating surgery and can't be expected to do everything, right?"

Shikamaru scowled, feeling cornered. "I should have stayed in the living room," he grumbled, gathering up the trash bag and lugging it outside.

"You know," Hinata murmured, peering through Shikamaru's fridge on her way back from a cupboard, "There are no fruits or vegetables in here. Or meat. or eggs. Or fish. Or milk. There is a turnip, though."

"Oh joy. I can't wait for dinner," Kabuto drawled, scouring a pot with ferocity.

Hinata frowned, moving for the door. "This won't do. Shikamaru?"

Kabuto heard her soft footsteps trail in the direction Shikamaru had taken moments earlier. The front door clicked shut a second or two later. He stood in the kitchen for forty-five seconds, wiping at the same plate, even though it was already clean, straining his ears to hear what was going on outside. He could hear nothing, but after a minute had passed, the door reopened and Hinata returned to the kitchen. "Shikamaru's out shopping. He'll be back in a little while."

Kabuto blinked. "You got him to go shopping? How?"

Hinata smiled sweetly. "I have my ways…"

Kabuto frowned. He had the feeling that there was a lot more to this mild-mannered girl than first appeared. He would do well to keep a close eye on her…

The doorbell rang about twenty minutes later. Kabuto blinked in surprise from his position, reclining in the kitchen doorway. "That was fast. What did you send him for, instant ramen?"

"Of course not," Hinata said, frowning slightly. "There were at least fifteen ingredients on my list…"

Kabuto considered that. "Perhaps he enlisted some help," he mused, glancing over at Hinata, who was sitting on the couch and nursing a steaming cup of tea.

The doorbell rang again.

"Maybe he needs help carrying the groceries in," Hinata suggested from the couch.

Kabuto shrugged. "Perhaps."

Hinata continued to stare at him with an unblinking gaze.

He stared right back at her, unwilling to let her win this time.

She blinked, appearing slightly saddened. "Would you please help him?"

"Why?" Kabuto replied, folding his arms and leveling his gaze. "I just washed his dishes."

Hinata sighed slightly, sounding disappointed. "I'll get it, then," she said, standing and moving across the room to open the door. "Yes?…oh…"

Kabuto glanced over at the door, his eyes catching sight of two ANBU officers, who seemed remotely surprised to see Hyuuga Hinata answering the door instead of Nara Shikamaru.

"Ah. So he's scared off Shikamaru already?" the first officer drawled. The second elbowed him.

Hinata frowned. "No, I just sent him to go get groceries…"

"I see," the first ANBU officer replied, nodding. "We're here to collect Yakushi Kabuto for his next interrogation session."

Why am I not surprised? Kabuto wondered dryly, straightening up and moving over to the door.

"What?" Hinata frowned. "But he was there yesterday."

"Yes, and he will probably be called in for another session tomorrow," the second ANBU informed her coldly. This time it was the first ANBU who elbowed the second ANBU.

Kabuto couldn't help but find their antics on the same intellectual level of a two-year-old's. He rolled his eyes.

"But he's recovering," Hinata said slowly, still sounding slightly baffled. "He shouldn't undergo strenuous…"

"Sorry Hyuuga-chan," the first ANBU said, shrugging. "We don't give the orders, we just carry them out."

Kabuto blinked. 'Hyuuga-chan'? That was a new one…

"Well… all right…" Hinata murmured, still frowning. "I'll come with you, though."

The second ANBU stiffened. "You are not permitted to enter the-"

"I know that," Hinata interjected. "I'll wait outside. I can help him walk over there so he doesn't over-exert himself."

The second ANBU sighed. "If you insist. Come along, Yakushi."

Kabuto sighed in a faux-dramatic way. "What, not even an honorific?"

"Let's go, Kabu-chan," the first ANBU sniggered.

"Then again… I think I preferred 'Yakushi'…" Kabuto muttered.

A/N: Midnight Anime Angel reminded me that I need to update this. Plus, she's really looking forward to the reactions people will have regarding the next chapter or two. Sorry to take so long... but hey, enjoy. The story is finally starting to go somewhere (As of the next chapter or so), and it's taking a lot longer to develop than I thought.

Still... yoroshiku onegai shimasu~

...and don't hate me for being a lazy updater. I really need to get online more. But hey, school's over, so expect more updates. (Yeah right. I probably update even less during the summer... meh.)