Chapter 31: The Fireworks
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The wooden floor creaked with each step. Shikamaru didn't bother to conceal their presence, for there was no one home, as the part-time and full-time maids had the entire day off to enjoy the festivities.
He used his shadow to slide the door open to her room, setting Hinata down on her feet, wordlessly leaving her sight to go inside the bathroom to wash his shaky blood-stained hands.
He took a deep sigh and turned to the large bathtub and opened the facet, and after testing the temperature, he returned to her side. She had remained in the exact place he had left her, staring off in a daze.
Recognition came back to her after he spoke their secret code, all the while his arms snaked around her to undo the obi to remove the bloodied kimono. She lifted her arms upward, half helping as the stained undergarment silk gown followed. She was back into some sort of trance.
He kept half of his attention on the running water, pausing to close it. His return was quick, and he descended to one knee, taking a fist of the destroyed gown to wipe off as much blood that had nearly dried over her stomach, in order to inspect the faint scar that now decorated her once unblemished skin. He unstrapped the weapon holster that hugged around her thigh, before lifting her leg to rest on his knee, peeling off each stocking.
He leaned closer, almost hugging her, just to unhook her bra. Her lingerie was the last thing he tugged at with his fingers lopped on each side, slowly pulling it down until she lifted her knees to step outside, all the while she covered her chest with her arms. He pushed himself off his knee to kiss her forehead.
"Go, I'll wait for you here," He said softly and motioned to the bathroom. She nodded slightly, her long hair covering most of her backside as she disappeared from his peripheral.
Shikamaru pushed a window curtain to the side and opened up the window. He brought up a cigarette in his mouth, lighting it up, before shifting half his body outside, blowing halos into the sky while the pack of cigars rested on the window sill, to the side.
After the next puff, his eyes searched her room, finding a pitcher containing some kind of Hyugan hardcore liquor, next to some glasses. He poured some for himself and took a shot, holding the glass with one hand as his arms were slightly crossed, all the while his cigarette continued to burn his hand.
His mind traveled back to that evening, and everything which had come before that. He had a feeling something was off, but didn't want to suspect anything just yet.
He glanced back outside, his sharp eyes catching movement in the night. But what was an Anbu doing there by themselves?
A scout.
Thinking to check in on her, he put out the cigarette quickly, leaving the remnants on the side of the window sill. He cut across the room and slid the door open just as her head was coming out of the water after being submerged. Her pink lips slightly parted open as she slightly gasped for air. She ran her hands through her wet hair, sleeking it back, her eyes fluttering open as she glanced his way.
A wide-eyed, smitten version of whom he used to be a few months ago would've stopped dead in his tracks.
"Get dressed," Shikamaru instructed. "I doubt Lord Hokage will leave us alone." Shikamaru said, as he remembered the look in Kakashi's eyes and all the previous verbal warnings that were said to him regarding what she might do.
Shikamaru left the room and made it to the garden, feeling his pocket for another cigarette, finally noticing he had left it behind.
The fireworks went off, and to anyone, it would've looked like he was watching them alone. However, he was merely waiting for the presence that he knew would soon join them.
When the fireworks subsided, a flicker of Kakashi's chakra pulse to purposely signal his arrival.
Shikamaru turned around and lifted his gaze. There, scattered across his rooftop, was the presence of over three dozen Anbus which were stationed at every corner of his mansion.
Silver hair shone during the night as Kakashi leaped from the rooftop, landing in front of him before tipping his Hokage hat his way.
"You took her away before we could finish our conversation, Shikamaru-kun," Kakashi said as he walked up to him, both standing by the garden. "And believe me I wasn't done,"
"You can talk to me instead," Shikamaru found himself saying, evidently scared that Kakashi had come to collect her.
"Now riddle me this, Ino and Sasuke did a thorough job at taking care of every witness so that this mess doesn't get out to the public. Less than an hour later, everyone in the village suddenly knows of what occurred, even though they didn't attend. Come now, Shika-kun, I don't believe for a second that love can make a person like you blind. But when a genius falls in love, I wonder what it makes them," Kakashi said. Even though the friendly honorifics were spoken, there was nothing amicable about his words.
"Lord Kakashi, my fiancée is scared and alone right now, waiting for me inside. The next time we see each other will be at the wedding ceremony, have a good night," Shikamaru dismissively, his disposition unreadable.
Hinata tightened the winter cloak, as her Byakugan remained active. The Anbus that were stationed all across the rooftop, was most likely a scare tactic. Kakashi was wasting his time, she knew this because there was no evidence left behind. However, what was the Hokage talking about with Shikamaru? Her steps brought her closer and closer to their location. Just as she was about to step outside, a wrist caught her hand and prevented her from reaching them.
"It'll do you well to return to your room and stay out of sight since we don't know what's going on," Yoshino said sternly, then let go of her wrist, walking past her to join Shikamaru outside.
"Lord Kakashi, please state the reason for your visit," Yoshino demanded as she joined Shikamaru's side.
"One of my informants relayed to me the details of the meeting that's taking tomorrow night. You and I both know we need to contain this flame before it turns into a wildfire. But since you won't allow me a simple conversation with her, listen closely and carry this message to her. She needs to tell her people that it was all but a misunderstanding. The attempts on her life were nothing but a crime of passion. Those two incidents happened due to her obsessed fans who just couldn't let go of the fantasy of her being something that they'll never have,"
Yoshino frowned, now somewhat understanding what may be going on.
"That's the story you've chosen?" Yoshino said while scoffing.
"Honestly, I don't care what she says to defuse the situation, but she needs to get her story together. Let's just end this without any further incidents. Shikamaru, do not let her ignite a war. I'm not sure if I need to spell it out, but this was me offering an olive branch, a chance to look past everything I suspect she has done. If this meeting comes to pass, I assure you the next time I act, there won't be a second warning Nara-san," Kakashi said as he was walking away, his words having the intended reaction.
Shikamaru felt like the night had dropped multiple degrees just then, as a large gust of wind engulfed Kakashi as he disappeared, taking half of the Anbu force he had brought as a witness while the remaining Anbus were stationed to stay behind.
"This one might've been my fault," Yoshino said as she eyed all the Anbus that remained. "I believe I might've given her some ideas without meaning to,"
"Don't try to put this on yourself. This doesn't have any resemblance to how you move pieces," He breathed out a heavy sigh, while feeling around again for a cigarette, but remembered he left it elsewhere. "Where do I even begin, mother?"
He didn't know what to do with her anymore. She keeps on acting on her own.
Yoshino motioned over her shoulder, as if hinting not to speak his mind too freely, for there were still too many Anbus around. She left his side and entered back into the mansion, sending Hinata a warning glance as she passed her.
'Fix this,' She mouthed to her as she passed by. After all, she hadn't invested all this time and effort just to have it be over this way.
He saw her by the doorway, covered in a cloak as her towel-dried hair was tossed to one side, her fringes hidden under the weight of her hair as it was braided.
He kept his focus on her as he slowly approached her.
"Did anyone get inside and talked to you?" He asked her, for he had suspected Kakashi would deploy Sasuke if he was in the mood to break some rules.
She shook her head.
He walked up the steps to join her at the veranda.
"Want to tell me about what really happened tonight?"
"Someone full of hate attacked me, and somehow it's not difficult for you to imagine me somehow being at fault,"
It was an involuntary, uncontrollable response. Shikamaru chuckled bitterly as another round of fireworks went off. "How are we supposed to have a life together if I can't even trust anything you say or do anymore?!" He mournfully asked her.
"And I don't trust you!" Hinata yelled over the loud explosions happening in the sky, "I asked you for your help before, and you dismissed me in the most offensive way!" His comment about her essentially being there just to produce an heir made her quite angry, and she doesn't think she ever got over it.
"You know very well all I've done is be there for you! But maybe this is all my fault for enabling you to believe that acting on your own is okay,"
"And why isn't it okay for me to achieve anything I want?!"
She didn't know why she had asked that. Perhaps it was because she wanted to hear a different answer from him that would help replace the things Sasuke had said while inside her head.
Was she too greedy, too selfish, too troublesome, or too much? Maybe, for there was never a single word of praise.
Shikamaru had to bite back his tongue, as they were both no longer alone. He glanced past Hinata, prompting her to also turn to the newcomer.
"Sorry, your mom let us in," Ino said, eying the two, catching enough of the conversation to know things weren't as easy going between them as they normally appear on the outside.
"Ino, why aren't you at the festival?" Shikamaru asked.
It wasn't Ino's presence that bothered her. She said, us, didn't she? Hinata stormed past Ino, making her way towards the tearoom where Yoshino was already present, with a tray filled with teacups, serving their guests.
Her eyes went from Choji, to Kiba, and then to Shino as Yoshino rose up and left the room, claiming she had to return to help clean up and close up the festival, for which Choji replied that they'll join her later to help out as well as she walked out.
"Hey," Shino said awkwardly, as they had heard all the screaming happening down the hall.
"Tch, if you have the energy to argue, I guess we were worried over nothing. Take it easy though, Sakura-chan told you to rest," Kiba said.
"What are you all doing here…?" She asked them. How much had they heard?
"We wanted to check in on you and how you're doing," Kiba eyed her expression and could tell she had been about to cry. He quickly pushed himself up and linked up with her arm, pulling her away from everyone. "You lost a lot of blood, let's get you to bed Hinata-chan,"
She steadily held onto for support as her body suddenly felt faint when she was reminded she shouldn't be up.
"I suppose I'll turn in for the night," She said, bidding everything goodnight while not sparing a glance in Shikamaru's way.
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Shino turned his attention back to Shikamaru after Hinata's departure, just as Shikamaru sent a questioning glance their way.
"We actually just came to discuss tonight's incident and how we should proceed," Shino said on behalf of the group. "But should we be worried about the Anbus around us?"
Shikamaru made his way towards an empty floor pillow and joined them. "Dont mind them,"
"Shika-kun, we were all talking after you both left. I think it's time to address a clan issue we can no longer ignore," Choji explained. "Hinata-chan is now one of us. Meaning if she or the lower branch members are suffering, it's now our problem too,"
Shikamaru glanced at Ino, but she shrugged her shoulders. Despite what she thinks about Hinata, or her feelings towards their relationship, it would've looked bad if she didn't show up for support. She was sure Shikamaru would've held it against her.
"And what do you have in mind?" Shikamaru asked.
"Was hoping you would have an idea on how to help her," Choji replied.
"I got a suggestion to make," Kiba said once he rejoined the group, returning to the floor pillow next to Shino. "Let's submit a written petition to Hiashi-san, signed by all clan leaders, warning him if the slave seals aren't lifted by the time the next annual clan meeting occurs, his clan will be separated from our allegiances," Kiba's attention lingered mostly on Shikamaru as he said this.
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The same night, Hiashi stopped by the hospital after some Anbu had delivered the news informing him of the incident, a most unfortunate second attempt against his daughter's life. When he arrived at the hospital, Sakura guided him toward a private section located on the lower level. Kakashi, Naruto, and Sai were already present inside the morgue room.
Hiashi uncovered the body with a big frown.
"So who was he?" Kakashi asked Hiashi.
"His name was Hiro Hyuga. He was a great member of our society, with a wife and a daughter. I can't believe he would throw all of that away. I'm going to round up all of his servants so Uchiha-san may extract information," Hiashi replied.
"Sasuke is sitting this one out," Naruto replied. "Ino-chan is just as good from what you've seen," He added, quickly noticing Hiashi's frown.
"Ah, I'm sure she is," He still remembers how Ino's psychological evaluation of Toneri made them lose the case against Suna. "Alright, I'll have Yami-san escort the servants to you tomorrow," Hiashi replied.
Lord Kakashi's eyes shone in interest. From the research he had gathered in the last couple of hours, he discovered Yami was given a rank by none other than Hinata herself. And since it was revealed to him that Yami was not from the Main house, that meant he could get away with probing him based on suspicions alone.
"We can't be too careful with Yami-san. I'll have Ino do a quick reading on him as well to see if he knows anything," Kakashi said.
Hiashi's eyes widened. "Do you suspect Yami-san acted against my daughter's life? That doesn't make any sense. He's just a branch member,"
"He might've had a play, but not in the way you would think," Kakashi replied vaguely, earning a confused look from both Hiashi and Sakura. However, Naruto already knew what Kakashi was hinting at.
"Lord Kakashi, I prefer if Beauty-chan reads my mind. I really don't feel like writing a mission recap. She could tell you everything I was up to while I was undercover," Sai said while volunteering himself as he raised his hand.
It was very rare for Kakashi to doubt his own initial gut feelings. Seeing Sai so willing to offer up his mind to be read by Ino was enough to diminish his doubts. He didn't know why he initially believed Sai had any involvement in the first place, as it was quite possible Sai had just gotten rusty as a ninja.
"That won't be necessary. However, I still need a report from you in writing so the Konoha council can decide what to do with you. You really dropped the ball tonight and I can't overlook your performance,"
"Copy, I'll get right on it," Sai replied. "Naruto, I'm dropping by your office to write it," He said while leaving.
"Hey Sai, don't beat yourself up about tonight. I will personally oversee your training when I get back from my trip," Naruto said while sending a smile his way.
"There won't be a trip until you help me put a stop to this mess, Naruto," Kakashi said sternly.
"What…?"
"This is your future too. You'll only inherit all my headaches if you don't help me contain this situation," Kakashi reminded him.
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Hinata rose from the bed, wondering who was calling so late at night. As she made her way towards the nearest phone, she could hear faint voices down the halls engaged in discussions, no doubt deciding what to do about tonight's incident.
When Hinata reached the phone, she expected it to be her father, for only a handful of people had their phone numbers.
"Hello?"
"Hime-sama," Sai said urgently, as he had called from Naruto's office.
"Do you have any updates?" She immediately asked, recognizing his voice.
"I may soon find myself suspended, but your reward was more than enough for my period of possible unemployment," Sai replied, while keeping a lookout in case anyone was coming in.
"I didn't quite catch what the bad news was," She said, with a hint of a smile seeping through her voice.
"That's not why I'm calling. I wanted to give you a heads-up. The lord Hokage has set up an interrogation and all the servants who worked for Hiro Hyuga will have their minds probed for information,"
Hiro?
"I see,"
So that was his name.
"And that's not all. Yami-san made it on the list because of the connection he has to you. You promoted him,"
There was only silence on the line. Nerves were overtaking her mind, doubt of her past actions consuming her. She brought a hand in front of her and tried to hold it still. Why was it shaking?
Did I take things too far? She pondered.
"Hime-sama, would you like me to take care of this problem?" Sai asked after the silence had stretched for too long. Although he wasn't there, he could visualize that she might've been thinking deeply about the next step.
"Yami-san is not your typical branch member. I'm sure he can handle himself, or I wouldn't have picked him, so let's believe in him. However, you're the one that worries me. I'll be sending concealing tags your way, along with instructions on how to use them should you need to hide anything from a Byakugan's eyes. And please refrain from drawing any more sketches of me,"
"That's not very fun,"
"If fun is what you want, why not come to the meeting and bear witness to everything. Maybe even help guide the crowd's emotions on how to feel,"
"I'm not the most emotional person around, but that kind of involvement does pique my interest,"
She frowned when she heard Kiba's voice only getting louder and louder.
"Glad to hear that pleases you, but please do not call again. Let me be the one to reach out,"
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Everyone stood around, scattered across Shikamaru's office as Kiba attempted to push his solution, with Shino backing him up.
As Shikamaru listened in, he laid out a large Shogi board all across his desk, which had belonged to his father. Back then, his father had only this particular board when mapping out a battle plan.
"Um, hold on, Kiba-" Choji gestured with his hand as if to slow him down, but was interrupted by Shikamaru, who seemed to share a similar train of thought but didn't hesitate to express it.
"So you're willing to blacklist her entire clan over the actions of one individual? Doesn't the Hyuga clan invest and support your clans? Your mother will never sign such a thing," Shikamaru asked.
"You don't know what my family is about. My mom stands in full support. And to show her support, she's even hosting a meeting and invited many of her clan members to attend," Kiba then turned to Ino, "Why aren't you more pissed about those fucking Main house jerks, Ino?"
"I'll be fully transparent with you guys, I don't intend on going to war over personal reasons I do not wish to disclose, that is why I won't be signing this petition, sorry Shika," Ino replied, her tone and posture shifting slightly as she intended to show it was her non-negotiable. She would not be swayed into it. "And you Choji?"
Although Shikamaru's gaze appeared far away as he meticulously rearranged the pieces on the shogi board, he was still keeping track of everything being said around him while half of his attention went to mapping out Kakashi's actions, working his way backward in order to reconstruct a picture of what Hinata's play might've been.
Endless alternatives continued to run through his mind, and after analyzing the game before him, it became apparent that precision and cut-throat tactics were not going to work against her.
Shikamaru glanced at the piece which represented her. Although they are to be married in three days, it felt like time had suddenly stretched, and she was once more beyond his reach, as he could never get through to her. However, he could help guide her actions in a subtle way, enough to make her believe she's the one making all the decisions. But did he want to do that to her? He doesn't like manipulating others' actions.
Sure enough, a scary thought briefly surfaced as Shikamaru could essentially see multiple timelines at once, which involved a particular outcome. If he were to engage in the kind of manipulation she does, he would be no better. But he couldn't envision a life without her.
He raised his gaze and looked away from the board as Choji spoke.
"Bro, I want to help free her people too, but not in this way. I have my own reasons for not wanting to shoot the kunai just because I see a target. Signing your warmongering petition isn't what I want to do,"
"Oi, are you guys for real right now?" Kiba replied, clearly displeased.
"Don't get me wrong, should Shika support it, as the leader and representative of my clan, I would lend the support to whatever endeavors," Choji walked up to the desk and leaned close to Shikamaru, within whisper range.
"... Hey, help me out here. If we go to war against the Hyuga clan, who knows how long that'll last, meaning next year there won't be an Ino-Shika-Cho festival," Choji said, as he recently had found his passion in life. He loved writing and directing plays on the side.
"I can fucking hear you, you know," Kiba said, giving him a dead stare.
Shikamaru envied her friends. Even though they probably sense Hinata may be in the wrong, they're still very loyal. Suddenly, a thought occur to him, as he had quite the epiphany, however, he wasn't quite sure what to do with the revelation. Hinata's friends were the reason there was never any spoken criticism about her. They always painted her as an angel, and Naruto had also vouched for her all the time, never having anything negative to say about. So that's how it is. Of course, Naruto was always protective of her too.
She'll likely trust anything Naruto would say…
"Let's take a break from this discussion. Meet back in 10," Shikamaru said, leaving the group behind to find privacy in the second phone located down the halls. He dialed Naruto's office number, at the Hokage's tower, eventually getting through.
"Yo," He answered. "This is Naruto speaking, who's this?"
"Naruto, I'm going to need a favor from you," Shikamaru replied while fidgeting with the piece in his hand. Will she finally listen, if its coming from someone like Naruto?
"What's up?"
"Lord Kakashi dropped by earlier, and you can imagine how that went,"
"Shit, I didn't know that's where he was headed with all those Anbus. How did Hinata take it?"
"I didn't let Lord Kakashi make contact. That's why I need you to reach out to Hinata as soon as you can and convince her to pacify everyone at tomorrow's meeting,"
"Oi, this is her dream you're messing with,"
"You were there when I took a vow to maintain the peace, just like my father did before me. If her dream is to start a war-"
"Did she say that's what she wants?" Naruto asked while frowning.
"It's where we are headed right now if she gives a speech, pointing all the blame on the Main Branch. It seems like someone leaked out what happened tonight, and by tomorrow morning Hinata will have garnished enough sympathy from strangers, and you know how dangerous that can be if the wrong kind of sympathy gets mixed in. Talk to her."
"I know I have saved the world a bunch of time by just talking it out. But this is different… You know how I always felt about her clan. Their structure is weakening. This is my chance-"
"Do you not want to be Hokage? It'll look better on your resume if you help us stop a war, rather than incite one,"
"Hmm. Alright. I'll see what I can do." Naruto replied.
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After hanging up, Shikamaru returned to his office.
"I need a little more time to think before signing a petition, and we're all tired. I can't make any decisions just yet until I have all the pieces at hand," Shikamaru stalled, not wanting to have to give an answer just yet.
"It looks to me like you have plenty of pieces in place," Shino said as he walked up to the board and looked at it. And for once, he didn't keep his best friend in check and watched as Kiba was completely overtaken by rage he grabbed Shikamaru by the collar as a few pieces fell, scattered across the board, landing on the floor.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?! Aren't you supposed to be the one to support her every decision and help her free her clan?!"
Ino yanked him back, away from Shikamaru.
Choji didn't seem to pay attention to the banter that ensued between Ino and Kiba as he picked up the pieces and returned them to their rightful place on the board. He turned his gaze towards Shikamaru and leaned in slightly.
"Seeing you two are together, I always thought Hinata-chan was the subservient, submissive, non-confrontational type," Choji's brows twisted as he spoke. "How are you going to make it work if you can't control her?"
Shikamaru sent his friend a look. It's not to say he disliked a woman with her own passions. However, she had become too independent, and not in a way he considered flattering. Still, it was not his intention to control her. He just wanted her to compromise one thing for him, for once.
"We don't always agree with the ones that we love," Shikamaru replied vaguely. Still, he ran a hand through his hair out of frustration.
"Shikamaru-san, is your wedding not in three days? If you make a stand against my friend, you might as well start sending cancellation letters. I know Hinata-chan very well. If you betray her this way, there will be no wedding,"
Kiba remained quiet for a moment. The prospect of the wedding not happening suddenly didn't bother him so much. He seemed to snap out of his thoughts as he heard his name being called.
"You used to have my blessings," Kiba said as he joined Shino by the door. "But now that I think about it, you never even deserved her, you fucking coward. Just be a man and support her," Kiba said with a glare before leaving.
Ino rolled her eyes, his comment not having any effect on her, for she believed it was Hinata that didn't deserve her best friend. She took a glance over at Shikamaru, who seemed to have actually been shaken by those words.
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The phone rang again that night. Being more alert, Hinata quickly made it to the halls and answered it, just in case it was Sai again.
"Hello?"
"Hinata… ?"
"Naruto-kun?" She leaned her head to the phone, her hands nervously fidgeting with the phone's wire.
What in the world was he calling her for?
"I'm sorry about what happened to you tonight," He said sympathetically.
"Me too… "
"How are you holding up?"
"I feel a bit better,"
"And how's your chakra doing?"
My chakra? "Naruto, why are you calling?" After all, she too had mostly ignored him for the longest and kept him at a distance at all times.
"I wanted to ask you something. Can we meet somewhere…?" He asked.
It was strange, to say the least, that he would personally seek to speak to her. Then again, Sasuke did mention Naruto had always been on her side.
"You can tell me over the phone," Hinata replied.
"It's the kind of stuff that has to be said in person," Naruto insisted, with a hint of sadness in his voice, as he couldn't believe he was choosing his career over helping her achieve her goals. "Please, Hinata,"
"Alright, I understand. I'm available tomorrow, after breakfast-" She replied.
"What I want to discuss is very time-sensitive, come on, it won't take too long. You said your chakra is fine,"
Hn, so that's why he had been asking. Hinata activated her Byakugan to see dozens of Anbus were still scattered about the premise.
"There's Anbus everywhere," Hinata countered.
"Then lose them and meet me at my place,"
She sighed out in defeat.
"Fine, see you soon," She hung up, and stood there for a moment, musing out loud. "The least I could do is tell Shika where I'm going,"
Her eyes were active as she made a few turns down the halls, until she reached Shikamaru's office.
"... Her friend's approval doesn't dictate your worth. But if this is how they are, I can't imagine how it is that she's been treating you," Choji said sympathetically.
"That's what I've been saying this whole time, but he won't listen-"
"Enough! That's way out of line, both of you. This is my fiancée you're talking about,"
The silence didn't last very long, as Ino pushed herself off the desk and huddled next to Choji.
"You weren't there when it happened, and I bet Shika didn't tell you about it. The real reason he was forced to step down as an advisor-" She said close to his ear. However, Shikamaru merely gave her a look and intercepted.
"-I've been meaning to ask you, Ino, how are things going between you and Sai? You two have been together for how long now-" Shikamaru began, as he never quite approved of her choices.
"Don't even start. It's not even the same thing," She said mournfully as she was reminded of something. Shikamaru had always said she was attracted to broken things and used to mention Sasuke as a point of reference. Sai, however, was a different level of broken, as he had been deprogrammed as a human being, damaged beyond repair. Ino had wholeheartedly believed she could help bring all of his humanity back, mostly because he had known the love of a brother, even if that brother had not been connected to him by blood.
The more she came to know about Sai, the more she had wanted to peer inside his mind. She knew about his trauma. And perhaps for these reasons, she understood that Sai was unable to say he loves her.
Shikamaru shook his head. "We don't exactly get to choose who we love, do we?"
"Alright guys, I'm going to stop you two right there before you start throwing around personal attacks at each other. Calm down, we're not genins," Choji said while holding his hand up in defense.
Why was she still making excuses?
She had to let go.
"You're right, Shika. We can't choose who we love, but we can choose to walk away if it's something that's not good for us. Watch me, I can prove it to you."
"Ino-chan!-" Choji called out, but she was already out the door. He turned to Shikamaru and gave him a look of disapproval. "Why did you have to go and provoke her? You know how she gets when she's trying to prove a point,"
"I'm at my limit. Let's call it a night,"
Hinata moved away from the door, and concealed herself in time, as Ino rushed out to leave.
Why were his friends mad at her when she had no control over Kiba's erratic behavior? She didn't know what to think, as she had never heard anyone talking this way about her, let alone judged her because of her friends. An inner voice cruelly mocked her shortcomings. It's good that Naruto had called. She needed to go on a walk anyway.
Hinata returned to her room. Yanking off her hair tie, her braids immediately came undone on their own as she changed into her Shinobi uniform. She paused by the window sill and closed the curtain a little tighter, noticing the pack of cigarettes that had been left behind for the first time.
She flicked the light switch off on her way out.
.
It must've been past midnight when she made it to her destination.
Hinata left her shoes behind by the entrance and dropped the disguise once she stepped inside Naruto's apartment, which seemed to have gotten even smaller than the last time she had visited.
She went for the sofa and sat down with her legs tucked under her, fixing her long hair in front of her which pooled over her lap, the ends caressing against the bare skin thighs.
She waited for Naruto, who had disappeared into the kitchen, eventually coming back with two cups of ramen.
"Talk to me," She said to him and watched him as he picked up his chopsticks, eating while on the couch right next to her. She left her ramen sitting on the coffee table, as she had gotten used to Sai testing foreign things on her behalf. "What is this meeting truly about?"
"Hinata, someone leaked out the events of what happened at the festival. And the ripples all seem to lead back to the rock you tossed in the waters. If I can quickly arrive at this conclusion, imagine what Shikamaru must think. Shika's essentially a pacifist, but you're forcing his hand, Hinata. Just save him the torture of choosing and give him what he wants. Cancel the clan meeting."
"No."
"Yes, Hinata, You have to."
"I'm not going to let this opportunity slip by."
"An opportunity you created. You have to choose right now what's most important to you-"
"If someone were to ask you to choose between your future with Sakura and the chance to become Hokage-"
"-I also wouldn't know what to do. But our situations are different. I get to choose both. You have to ask yourself if this achievement you seek will provide you with a sense of fulfillment for the rest of your life. To be honest, I highly doubt it. The high and excitement will wear off in a second, and you'll be quickly looking for the next thing to achieve. It's a cycle. Except by the next cycle, you'll probably be all alone. I know you sense it too. I don't want to see that for you."
"... Why do I have to be the one to give up my dream?"
"You don't have to give up anything. Just look at me, do you forget who I am? Wait for me to become Hokage and together, we can accomplish it. Besides, it's not a good time for you to make moves. Not when Kakashi is treating you like you're some serious S-Level threat,"
She snapped her head in his direction. "He's overreacting,"
"I wouldn't exatcly call you harmless. I hope you're not thinking he deployed those Anbus just to protect you,"
"I mean it, Naruto, I'm essentially disarmed right now. I overestimated my relations and connections. Ino and Choji are not on board, I should've spent more time getting to know them,"
"The more reason to wait for me," He chimed in.
She seemed to consider it.
"Oi!" He pinched her cheeks and twisted them when she took too long to reply. "I'm not saying I'm going to let you run amok during my reign,"
She remained still and unflinching, giving him a look as he pinched her cheeks.
"Naruto, you're so full of contractions. You said hatred breeds hatred, remember?"
He paused and drew his hands back.
"I recognize that my actions will breed hatred, which is why I intend to move in silence. It breaks my heart to think there's a Neji out there, hating their sibling for something they had no control of. We will end it, Hinata,"
It was the first time she had genuinely felt like smiling that day. Finally, power was on her side, although she had wished it had been Shikamaru making the offers.
Her smile disappeared. Shikamaru was still back home, likely still feeling angry. She wouldn't fault him if he wanted to end their engagement.
She sighed.
"Naruto… tell me the truth... Why did you really end things back then? You said it was because of Sakura-chan," She asked, already fearing the answer, however deep down she knew this conversation was overdue.
"That was kind of a long time ago, why are you asking now?"
"I wish to take a step outside myself just so I better understand a situation I'm dealing with back home,"
"I mean, it's true I was afraid that my eyes might start to wander to Sakura-chan, but that's not the entire reason why I broke it off,"
"Was it me? Was I the problem?"
"Are you sure you want to know?"
She gestured for him to continue.
"When I was with you, I began to doubt my self-worth-"
"How? I didn't even-"
"Don't interrupt me and just listen for once, since you were the one that asked," He placed his ramen down, his body turning to hers. "I can't give you examples of all the things you did. But I'll tell you how those few weeks with you felt to me. Sometimes you were smokes and mirrors. You made me question everything about myself and my sanity. I didn't feel all that great, you know. Nothing I did ever seemed to please you. It felt like everything was my fault, and I found myself feeling like I had to earn your love or forgiveness, which was fucking weird because I knew that you loved me. And when I ended it, you just cut me off, making me feel like it was all my fault yet again. I spent so much time trying to forgive myself and find myself, only to realize I hadn't done anything wrong but try to love you-oi you asked me to tell you why! So don't even cry!"
She shook her head slightly. "Why didn't you tell me anything?"
"I couldn't blame you for your upcoming. I understood that despite what happened between you and Neji and how awful he treated you, your cousin lived the rest of his life repenting and trying to make it up to you… trying to make you happy… not checking you when you got out of hand or out of line. And you always aligned yourself with people that tend to worship you, so Shino and Kiba aren't any better. And then there's your sister who finds no fault in any stars aligned close to you,"
She cradled her head in her hands and said nothing.
"You thought I was the only bad guy? Believe me, I know,"
"How am I supposed to grow if l don't know these things about myself?"
Naruto shook his head. "I think you're getting hung up on the wrong things. Whatever problem you have with Shika has to do with what happened tonight, so don't try to distract yourself from that. Speaking of which, does he know that you're here?" It finally dawned on him to ask her that.
"Do you have a phone, so I can let him know?"
He shook his head.
"You really need to get one," She replied while pushing herself off the couch. She was ready to leave. The ramen cup remained untouched.
"I know," He said while standing up and stretching.
They both turned towards the door that connected to his kitchen as a cold draft of wind suddenly blew from there, followed by a blue flash of light.
"Oi!" Naruto yelled at the person making the noises inside his kitchen. Someone was evidently going through his kitchen cabinets. "Are you stealing from my food pantry again? You're like a raccoon nowadays!"
Naruto turned the corner to find Sasuke placing a cup of ramen inside the microwave, while dressed in half of his PJs, as the only thing missing was his shirt.
"There's no point in buying groceries right now, is there?" He said after taking the ramen out of the microwave. He then walked past Naruto, with the intention of heading towards the living room, which also served as a dining room.
"Right, but don't just walk around like you still live here-" Naruto called out. "I'll have you know I have a guest right now,"
"Unless Sakura is naked in the next room, which I doubt, I don't see the point of you overreacting. Don't worry, I'll be nice to your guest," Sasuke said over his shoulder as he stepped into the living room.
Sasuke had thought his imagination had gotten the best of him as he tilted his head in her direction.
No, Hinata was definitely real. It finally dawned on him that perhaps it may be impossible to avoid her for the rest of his life.
Sasuke followed her eyes, seemingly taking everything in, trailing and stopping on the cup of instant ramen in his hand, no doubt judging his dieting choices, before looking away in disinterest. Yet the blush on her cheeks gave enough away. Had Naruto not been around, Sasuke would've capitalized on the perfect chance to tease her.
Instead, Sasuke backed into the kitchen and turned to Naruto.
"What is she doing here?" He asked Naruto while motioning to the living room. "On second thought, don't answer that, I don't fucking care," He opened a portal with one hand while holding the ramen cup in the other.
"Ugh, calm down, will ya? We almost lost her tonight,"
"Then you must've not been listening because I believe your girlfriend said that all of her vital organs stayed miraculously intact. So how exactly did we almost lose anyone tonight?"
"Hold on, do you know something?" Naruto asked, suddenly suspecting his best friend due to his sudden lack of empathy and compassion.
Sasuke didn't react to the question, immediately disengaging from the conversation since Hinata had entered the small kitchen. It was obvious she was trying not to look his way, and he followed along.
"Thank you for indulging my questions and being honest with me, Naruto. There's a lot that I have a lot to reflect on, and I believed our conversation helped me see things clearer," She said politely while bowing.
"Of course, you know you can always come to me for anything," He smiled sweetly, before shifting his attention to Sasuke, who was shaking his head his way. "What?" He asked him.
"Hn," If it had been him caught with Hinata inside his home during midnight hours, he was sure the village would've been leveled in the wake of Naruto's anger. Yet somehow it was okay when his best friend does it, even though the two had some kind of history. The double standards.
Sasuke said nothing and lifted the ramen cup in his hand, as if implying he had gotten what he came for, before opening a portal and leaving, while holding up a peace sign.
"You better pay for that at some point, teme!" Naruto called out after his best friend before turning back to Hinata.
"I'm a little envious of Uchiha-san," Hinata said after he left. "He knows what's most important to him, and doesn't sway once his decision is made," She looked directly into his blue eyes, knowing he was the reason why Sasuke had to make a choice in the first place.
Naruto laughed nervously while rubbing the back of his head. "I wouldn't give him too much credit,"
He joined her by the door as she buttoned her cloak and raised the hood over her.
"Naruto, can you spare a shadow clone? It'll be easier to explain my whereabouts,"
"Ah, sure,"
.
After returning home, she waved to Naruto, who remained outside by the gates. She sent a nod in Shikamaru's way as she entered inside and took off her shoes.
"You're finally back," Shikamaru greeted her, his eyes trailing to Naruto, who waved his way and sent him a thumbs-up.
"I needed time to think, and I happened to come across Naruto. Shika, I heard everything. I know your friends don't exactly approve of me. And then I realized I didn't spend enough time with them. I want to earn their trust, as well as their love. I want them to like me,"
"The easiest way to get them on your side all depends on how you handle tomorrow's meeting,"
"I know. And I would love to have you and your friends at my side while I express my wish for everlasting peace. I promise I'll clear up all this misunderstanding tomorrow,"
"Why the sudden change of heart?"
"You're very important to me, and I want you to see that," It was a breath of fresh air to see he had not been bothered by her sudden disappearance. Then again, he probably felt safe that it had been Naruto she had met with. "Let's reach out to Ino and Choji tomorrow, okay?"
She tiptoed, and he met her halfway to receive a brief kiss on the cheek. He waited by the entrance until he could no longer hear her footsteps, before meeting Naruto outside.
"How did you know she might listen to me?" Naruto asked.
"Even if she has kept her distance, I have not seen Hinata say no to you once, which is annoying for me to admit out loud,"
"Jealous?"
Shikamaru shot him a glance then chuckled.
"Goodnight Naruto," Shikamaru said and entered back inside once his shadow clone dispersed.
.
Hinata changed back into her white sleeping kimono, then cut across the room, flinging her window open before picking up the pack of cigarettes that had been left behind. She produced a controlled low-ranking fire technique in one hand, lighting up the cigarette with ease. When she inhaled, she coughed, wincing slightly for a moment as the recent wound still caused a bit of discomfort.
She inhaled successfully on the next try, all the while thinking about her meeting with Naruto. Without saying it, he had essentially implied she was toxic to be around and went as far as hinting at her narcissistic tendencies, which she frankly couldn't agree with because that's not how she remembered things at all.
However, assuming what Naruto said was true, how was she supposed to behave or act?
"Am I supposed to change…?"
She exhaled outside the window again while frowning. She'll have to reach out to Tsume, Yami, and Sai to let them know about the unfortunate changes in her plans. Although Tsume and Yami were more reasonable, it was Sai that bothered her. What could she possibly bribe him with to keep him patient and quiet?
A knock on the door interrupted her reflective thoughts. She quickly exhaled towards the window and put out the cigarette, fanning away the smoke with her hands.
"Yoshino-chan," She said to his mother with a sad smile after answering the door.
"When I asked you to fix things, I didn't think you would just cave in," She said, almost disappointed. " I'm sure you could've won my son over,"
Hinata shook her head. That would've involved telling him everything.
"I did give it my all before the wedding," Hinata said reflectively.
"You don't know everything about what it is to be married, so don't sound like life ends there,"
"You said it yourself, I'll be too preoccupied with my duties and have no time for my passions or dreams,"
"New passions and dreams will be born, silly. So don't be so down," Yoshino said, seemingly amused, as she seemed to know something but wasn't willing to share it.
Seeing that he would be spending a lot of time at home, Sai made it his project to expand the space for his art. Although the Konoha council had suspended him and nearly stripped him of his rank, he quickly looked on the bright side; He now had time to focus his undivided attention on his passion.
Every piece of furniture he owned was suddenly under scrutiny as he asked himself a series of questions regarding its needs. However, thus far everything in the room had a purpose, as he was not one to waste space in his art studio.
He continued to scan until his eyes landed on his room, sizing up how much space he could save by getting rid of the bed. He had gotten a queen size bed, believing Ino would be staying over more often, but that never really happened.
"Hmm…" He sleeps on the sofa all the time, he reasoned with himself. But the better question was, did he even need a bedroom? He barely spent any time inside it. "My coworkers and friends might find it strange if I don't own a sleeping mattress,"
It was still decided the bed had to go.
Sai grabbed his keys before leaving his apartment. He took to the rooftops, cutting across the village until he landed in front of a furniture store. He went in and didn't spend much time there, and bought a traditional floor mattress which he'll keep inside a closet, folded until he needed it.
The person behind the counter sealed it up inside a scroll after Sai gave him the payment.
"Have a good day!" He heard over his shoulder as he left the store.
Afterward, he strolled around the village with his hands tucked inside his jacket as a little cold breeze picked up. Looking around, the village felt different.
There was something odd in the air from the way Aburames and Inuzukas sent serious glances toward one another. Sai walked to two clan members having a hushed conversation while window shopping.
Sai inched closer to get in at a range to listen in.
"So it's happening tonight?" Aburame asked.
"Yes," The Inuzuka replied. "Tsume mentioned she's hosting an event for the Hyuga clan because of recent events and asked us to entertain. However, I also heard from my friend that Hyuga-sama was gravely injured last night,"
So you're at the forefront of people's thoughts, Sai thought to himself as he pulled up the hoodie of his jacket and walked past them with a slight smile on his face, wondering if they were just an intended casualty calculated into her plan.
Hime-sama, which piece am I? He shook the thought away. It didn't matter which piece he was, he felt so alive just by being in proximity to her, and her plans.
Sai paused in his step as if having a realization about himself. From the very beginning, he remembered trying to push the Uchiha into her life, believing both would go on to create chaos together. He understands now that he had been projecting those desires.
When was that the change happened? He didn't notice until now he had shifted from a spectator to an instigator. He was especially more involved now as he had been invited by her to observe tonight's event and help incite the crowd should it need some direction on how to feel.
Sai lightly stepped to the side in time to avoid a weeping woman stepping outside the funeral home while holding her child. She was no doubt a Hyuga of noble lineage. The woman apologized briefly before going on her way without stopping or looking back.
Now, what were the odds of him almost bumping into such a person? Sai didn't need Ino's insight to know this woman was somehow connected to the man whose life he had taken the night before.
"That woman… I wonder if that man had been her husband. Hinata-sama, did you know he had a daughter?" For reasons beyond his understanding, he moved his hand closer to his heart as it palpitated.
Ah, there it was, he was alive again.
Sai stood before the funeral home, before a strike of inspiration hit him. He pushed through the door, wincing at the smell. The place had a stench that only the dead carried.
"Greetings, would you like to see our funeral packages?" A woman asked as she came from around the counter.
"How much does your cheapest coffin cost?" Sai asked curiously.
"Ah, I see. You didn't get along with the departed loved one. But no matter how much you might've disliked the person, the dead should never be disrespected in such a way,"
"The piece it's for an art project," Sai replied.
The lady looked him up and down. He did look like some kind of Art student.
"Then does the size matter?" She asked.
"I would like to think it always does. Something big enough to accommodate me," Just like with the mattress, it was sealed in a scroll for easier transport before he headed his way.
Back at home, he had the coffin in the middle of his art studio all the while he took apart the bed frame, and tied all the parts together, along with his queen-sized mattress which he sealed away together as storage.
He then wheeled the coffin inside his room and slowly entered it, accommodating himself on his back, with his arms crossed over one another.
Chuckling to himself, he got out and wheeled the coffin inside his closet for his next possible creation.
He took to his favorite space as the day transitioned into the late afternoon and paused by the fireplace just to throw more logs inside, before moving back to his sketches. The sound of the burning logs created an ambiance of tranquility as he sketched away.
Time lapsed, and he had drawn several images alluding to Hinata's habits and the things he witnessed while working for her. However, her face was missing in each of his drawings. He moved a mirror in front of him and performed some hand signs until lavender eyes were staring back at him.
As he stared at her reflection, he tried to recreate her smiles, but to no avail.
Closing his eyes, he tried to picture the kind of things that would make her smile. She seemed to smile when she had a new idea, or when things went right, which was easy for him to get behind.
Sai slowly tilted his lips and controlled every twitch of the smile that had formed. Although forced, he held the smile, picking up his sketchbook to draw it. At least there was no hint of malice in his expressions.
He paused and stretched, breaking the transformation to take a break. As he stared at the sketches he had made of her, ah, how he hungered for more. Not just for fire, or chaos. Oddly, he hungered for the flesh of a man or woman lying beneath him, screaming, while he focused all his reflexes to get to that one moment he wanted to experience outside of art.
But why now? Why was he feeling this way when he had been impervious to this feeling before? What would Lee say about him? He would probably have raved about his blooming youth, although he was the age of twenty-two.
When he heard a knock on his door, he immediately grabbed all the sketches he had done and stacked them upon each other, and put them away, out of sight.
"Hey, I missed you yesterday at the festival," Ino said as she let herself in, looking around his home, which resembles more of an art studio. "I was told you were seen with Naruto and the others, but why didn't you come to visit me at the play?"
Ah, seems like Lee hadn't exactly done his part to the fullest.
"I've been busy with art projects," he replied, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. He had forgotten, sometimes she would casually let herself in through a window. He was lucky, this time she had at least knocked to announce herself.
"I figured. With you, it's always about your art," She walked up to a table and glanced down at a sketch he had made of her a long time ago, and rolled her eyes. "I could sort of see that you missed me too," Ino said sadly.
She placed the sketch down. Right, come on, just break it off. He doesn't deserve you.
"Beauty-chan, I have a question to ask you,"
"Hmm?"
"Do I still make your heart beat fast?" Sai asked, suddenly trapping her between himself and the table.
"What are you-"
He was never the one to initiate contact. His hands searched underneath her jacket, earning a gasp from her. He placed his hand over her heart to listen to it. It was strange to him that he could have such an effect on another person.
She sighed.
"Sai…"
He probably didn't know how hard it was for her to catch him this way, in such an agreeable mood, as most times his attention felt almost unobtainable as his mind was normally preoccupied with things related to his arts and hobbies. Another reason to end it.
"I love you," Ino blurted out before she could stop herself.
Either way, she could use this as a test, as she decided she'll stay if he says it back.
"I read this article that says distance makes the heart grow fonder," He said while taking her hand in his and pressing it over his heart, as it was still beating fast for different reasons as he had almost gotten caught, something Hinata had warned him about.
Ino pulled her hand away and crossed her arms, placing a distance between the two.
"No, please just stop," She smiled bitterly. "I can't do this anymore. This, whatever it is that we have. You won't even say it back,"
"You've been trying to change the way I am and the way I dress since you met me," He tilted his head and gave her a look. "And if that's what love is, I'm not sure whether I can get behind something like that. We discussed this at the very beginning. I warned you about me. I'm so broken that I'm sure I'm not capable of loving you the way you want to be loved. I can only draw you, and the things I like about you,"
"I know,"
"Then why have you put up with me for this long?"
The real reason she stuck around him was that he was her first one.
"I thought what I gave you would mean something to you. But you never planned on marrying me,"
"Would you like me to marry you? That much I can do if-"
Ino shook her head, crying. "It's not enough! I said we're done, Sai!"
She reached for the sketches he had drawn and tore them. As she was on her way out, she walked by a shelf, pulled some sketches off the shelf, and threw them all to the ground in a blind rage.
However, she quickly sobered up when she saw who was staring back at her.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no.
Why did he have so many sketches of Hinata doing various things one could only be privy to if they were close to her? She kneeled by the sketches and lifted one up and gave him the most hateful look Sai has ever seen. At the time, it didn't cross her mind that he might've been working as an Anbu.
"Is she your "art project"? Or your new hobby?"
It was the first time he felt some resemblance of true panic. "I know this must look sketchy to you, but I'm merely recording the accounts of what's about to potentially become a historic event," He tried to reason.
What? "Since when have you been into journalism? I'm not stupid, Sai!"
She had to warn Shikamaru that Hinata was worse than what she believed her to be.
Her mistake had been to turn her back to him. She realized this a little too late. When she went for the door, her body failed to make it there as she was struck by something that pierced through the skin around her neck, pinching her.
A needle?
It must've been a sleeping drug, from the way she felt groggy and tired, immediately collapsing on the floor.
Before her mind faded, she made the hand signs required and projected her mind towards the last living thing she ever saw, a confused messenger bird sitting by the window sill, cawing at her.
Sai slowly removed the syringe and placed it away inside his pocket. He joined her on the floor with his legs crossed, staring at her unconscious form, all the while biting his nail. When was she supposed to report to the Hokage's interrogation branch to question the servants and Yami?
Do not get caught, Hinata had warned him. Ah, how he messed up. Sai stood up and grabbed all the sketches he had drawn of her and tossed them into the fireplace, making sure he got every single thing destroyed.
But now, what to do about Ino. He needed to act fast, or they'll probably find her within minutes of her being reported missing.
Sai returned to Ino's body, scooping her up, before relocating to his walk-in closet. He opened the coffin and dropped her in, before tagging up the box so that no Byakugan eyes could not see inside.
He stared at her sleeping form for a moment, pondering what he should do next. Although Ino was still very much alive, he didn't know what the next step should be, or if she should even remain that way.
"Hime-sama, look what your tags helped cover-up. I suppose I solved one of your problems. Now no one can question Yami-san because they'll be too busy looking for Beauty-chan,"
Piercing lavender eyes invaded his thoughts as Sai envisioned receiving some form of praise from his muse.
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Hello,
Here's another another update! Stay safe and healthy in your choices.
angstlover, essential Hinata frabricated a situation in which harm came her way. The branch members will believe the main house did it. She intends to use the meeting to rally them up to fight for freedom.
She was hoping to band everyone together against the main house, but it's really her father that holds all decision-making power. If there's a looming threat of war, she's hoping to have her father at her mercy, so he could cave in and sign away the freedom...
However... Ino has always been wary of her, and the moment Choji picked up on Shikamaru's hesitation, he wasn't sure he wanted be part of a war and much prefers the peaceful times.
Let's not forget Kakashi just wants damn peace in his village, especially within the richest clan that has the power to cause an economical collapse for the entire village should anything happen. It's what I was trying to convey,
Edited: 9-12-22