"Uchiha!"
Sasuke stopped after slashing the last grunt. He looked as unimpressed as ever, an easy smirk on his face. Hinata's terrified expression and squeaks clearly had no effect him.
She almost hated him for it.
"Good going, genius," Sasuke sneered. "You picked a fight with the wrong Hyuuga heiress,"
Both captive and captor stiffened.
He was bluffing!
Hinata hoped Nozomu didn't feel her stiffen up.
"Ha," She felt his palms sweating. "Some Hyuuga. She didn't even see me coming,"
Sasuke waved his hand. "She makes mistakes too," His eyes narrowed. "Though, I thought you would want information on your sister,"
The boy's grip softened for a moment. "I think I already know that if Orochimaru's got her, it's too late," His arm tightened along with his voice. "Unlike you, not everyone can get out so easily,"
Hinata didn't catch the livid expression that flashed across Sasuke's face in the midst of her panicking.
Deep breaths, Hina. He wasn't wrong; she was a Hyuuga. She was trained to fight. She wasn't very good, but she had the basics down. It was self-defense, not violence. In this situation, Neji-nii would say to drop all her weight on him and then knee him in the -
"Manberries! My fucking MANBERRIES!"
She was breathless and relieved that she'd successfully maneuvered out of his grasp. She wasted no time running back to Sasuke.
He was doubled over, howling with laughter. Hinata was stunned, completely unsettled by the sight of a laughing Sasuke. He slapped his knee and wiped a tear from his eye before clapping her on the shoulder. "You did good, Hinata,"
She couldn't help her grin. Her heart was beating out of her chest but it felt... exhilarating.
There was a click. They looked up to see Suigetsu pointing Nozomu's gun at them.
"Bang!"
Karin was standing a little a ways with Juugo, who was looking pityingly at the Suna grunt rolling on the floor, crying in pain.
Hinata caught Karin making moony eyes at her. She smiled back bespectacled girl came right up to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "I can appreciate a fellow ball-buster,"
The boys were busy collecting the guns and putting them in a duffel bag. "These should sell nicely," Suigetsu patted the bag fondly.
Sasuke nodded. "Good work today, team,"
Karin was still clinging to Hinata as they walked back. "What's your favorite color? Favorite animal? Blood type? What shampoo do you use? What color is your underwear?"
Suigetsu snickered. "Lucky you, Hina-chan. You got yourself a fangirl,"
Sasuke was quite pleased to give Hinata the burden of Karin's love. Especially when she was asking all the right questions...
"You look like a D-cup. Or maybe an E?" Karin looked stumped as she rubbed her chin. "I figured out the rest of your measurements but I can't get your bust right. Lemme check!"
"I'm really glad you called me out today, dude," Suigetsu sighed happily at the view. "Hinata's great. Her ti - OW!"
"I don't think he likes you speaking about her that way," Juugo chided.
"She's not your girl," the other boy grumbled.
He backed off at the menacing look on the Uchiha's face. On second thought.
Suigetsu scoffed. "No wonder you were showing off so much,"
The taller boy elbowed the him.
"Ow! Why me?"
Juugo hissed, "Have some tact,"
Suigetsu glared at the back of Sasuke's head. The Uchiha was trying to walk between the girls like a pimp but Karin was intent on keeping one Hyuuga and one Uchiha at each side. She had her arm looped through both of theirs.
Hinata was looking overwhelmed, like a cute little fish out of water. Karin was being her usual ugly clingy self ("Suigetsu, that's rude.") Sasuke thought he was slick, making eyes at Hinata when she wasn't looking. To the remaining boys of Team Taka, he couldn't have been more obvious.
"Call me!" Karin winked, tossing Hinata's phone back to her.
"When did you – nevermind," Hinata sighed and pocketed her phone. She was getting used to having her phone pickpocketed.
She waved tiredly back as the trio headed home in the opposite direction. Sasuke and Hinata headed for Amaterasu.
Now that the adrenaline had worn off and she had space to think, she had some questions.
First, Nozomu had mentioned something about Sasuke leaving Orochimaru. If she knew anything about the yakuza, it was that they did not take betrayal or disloyalty with warm wishes for the best. She peered down at Sasuke's hand.
"What?" he said, passing her the helmet.
She lifted her pinky finger up.
He mimicked her, then scowled and wiggled his pinky. "I still have a pinky,"
"I was just curious," she mumbled.
"That's a stereotype. You're so rude," He swatted her pinky with his.
Hinata rubbed her hand, disgruntled. "Th-Then you don't have to cut off your pinky to show loyalty?"
"No," He had his back to her as he sat in front of her. "He cut traitors open and turned them into lab experiments."
Tonight, he remembered to stop a block away from her house.
As she dismounted and returned the helmet, she caught a strange emotion in his eyes. It was gone when she blinked, but there was a softness in his face she'd never noticed before.
"Remind me to bring you next time," he said with a smirk. "So you can bust some more balls,"
She blushed. "Um!"
"Night,"
"G-Goodnight, Uch...S-Sasuke-san,"
He froze, then stared at her. He watched her go completely red and run down the block. He couldn't say his exit was any smoother, though, with the way his hands were trembling on the steer.
Hinata was not prepared to see Hanabi waiting for her.
"Hey Sis," Her younger sister hopped off the porch swing. "Ready to repay that favor?"
lllll
Hinata was sitting in a pile of her clothes. Her closet was gaping open after throwing up all its contents.
She was going on a date today.
With her sister.
She had a shirt clutched in her hand. She was a little disgusted at herself for taking it out of the laundry bin. She had been meaning to wash it and return it. Now, her finger traced the Uchiha flame for the umpteenth time. On her lap was a plain white shirt with a Hyuuga fan stitched on the breast pocket. The Uchiha flame and the Hyuuga fan.
She groaned and fell back onto her bed. Her face glowed red at the memory of calling him by his first name. She held her stomach. There was an alarmingly fluttery sensation there.
"No, no, nooooo," She shook her fist (with his shirt in it) at the ceiling at whatever forces were at work, surely having a good laugh at her angst. "C-Curse you,"
Hinata face-planted onto her clothes mountain and sighed. She turned her head to glare at the shirt, rubbing her tummy. "Why him?"
Her phone vibrated. She scrambled for it, her heartbeat loud in her ears.
Call Kiba or Lee if you need something.
Sent from Dickface Idiot.
She had a last good chuckle at that before deciding to change his contact name to Sasuke.
She set to analyzing the text. Did he mean that she shouldn't bother him when she needed something? It sounded like he was going away somewhere. She frowned. The stress of replying was upon her!
"Simple," she whispered to herself. "Go for simple,"
Her fingers were trembling from...something. She didn't want to brood over her feelings, especially the ones that he gave her.
Why?
"Sis!" Hanabi slid her door open and put her hands on her hips at the wretched sight before her. "What are you doing? Get dressed already!"
Hinata started. She recovered and smiled sheepishly. "Pick something for me,"
The younger girl huffed. "You really are hopeless,"
The older one sighed again, passing a hand over his shirt. "I really am."
Hanabi whisked through her clothes and pulled out a dress. It was a rich sapphire blue, with a square neckline in a comfortable material. While Hinata fixed her face, Hanabi sat behind her, brushing out her sister's bedhead.
Hinata giggled. "We're like monkeys,"
"No way I'm picking out your fleas," Hanabi deadpanned.
"So what's the agenda?" Hinata said, stuffing her purse.
Hanabi stopped Hinata from putting any more snacks in her purse. "Beetle hunting,"
"B-Beetle hunting?"
Hanabi held up a insect net and a plastic tank. "I'm gonna get the biggest, strongest beetle and crush those stupid boys!" Her expression soured. "Sensei said I'm not allowed to do anything fun!"
Hinata grimaced. "Sensei" was a Hyuuga elder who supposedly spent generations teaching Hyuuga heirs. Hanabi was right on the nose - Sensei forbade common folk behavior.
Her big sister smiled good-naturedly. "I-I suppose you're about that age for beetle-fighting,"
"Did you do it when you were a kid?"
Hinata scratched her cheek. "I was too squeamish for that. Unlike you, tomboy,"
The little Hyuuga puffed up in pride at that.
Under the blooming trees, dappled sunlight on her skin, was her pretty big sister.
Hanabi was aware of the looks Hinata was getting as they walked and studied her curiously.
"Hey Sis,"
"Hm?"
"Have you done it with your boyfriend yet?"
lllll
"Why do pretty girls like ugly things?" Chouji rubbed his jowls in thought. "Like French bulldogs and cactuses," He gestured to the two plants on the window sill.
"Cacti is the correct plural," Shikamaru corrected dryly. "You don't need to water them, you know. Self-watering is kinda their thing,"
Sasuke ignored him.
"Why are you here, anyway?" The lazy boy's gaze drifted to the clock on the hospital wall. "Aren't you supposed to be at the airport?"
Sasuke stared at the two potted cacti intensely. "She was right. They are soothing,"
Chouji and Shikamaru exchanged glances. The big-boned boy said, "Dude, I think you need to get your head checked,"
The Uchiha threw the watering pot at his head. "Maybe you should check yours,"
Chouji rubbed his head and shouted, "I'm already injured, shithead!"
Shikamaru observed their leader as he flicked the garish purple flower on the cactus. That one was Creampuff. Sasuke had introduced them and mocked their names.
If there was one thing Shikamaru had that the rest of their gang didn't, it was a brain (and basic observation skills. Tact, too. That was three things. Whatever).
"You're going to see Itachi eventually,"
Sasuke looked like he wanted to chuck the cactus at his head. "Don't bring him up,"
"You better bring back souvenirs from Hong Kong. Food souvenirs,"
They both ignored Chouji. Sasuke dragged his finger across the pot and rubbed the dust
between his fingers. "Besides, we're in a delicate state right now. If I leave, then it
leaves the bug idiot, the dog idiot, and the bowlcut idiot to bungle things with Suna,"
Shikamaru raised a brow. "Naruto?"
Sasuke traced a pattern on the window. "With Jiraiya. To visit his parents' grave,"
Shikamaru smirked. "And Hinata?"
If he blinked, he would have missed the tensing in the other boy's shoulders. "You were talking her up all morning about how she kicked someone in the balls,"
The red ears were a lot harder to miss.
Shikamaru decided to go further. "Gonna miss her?"
"It's only two days and one night," Sasuke grumbled. "Why should I miss her?"
"Don't ask me,"
"Don't try to talk to me about my feelings. I don't have any," Sasuke ran his hand through his hair. A nervous tic, if Shikamaru's years of observation were right.
Shikamaru was done teasing (for now). "Then quit sulking and confront your brother. Either see him now or later. Deal with it now or later. It's going to happen inevitably,"
His knuckles were white against the window sill. "I don't have anything to say to him,"
"I tried." Shikamaru muttered, thumbing through a manga.
Chouji gave him a supportive pat on the back and returned to inhaling his hospital breakfast.
Sasuke pricked his finger on the cactus.
lllll
Typical Hinata. She spazzed and blushed, before stammering, "D-D-Done what? W-With who?"
"You know," Hanabi made a few lewd gestures. How old was this kid! "With Uchiha Sasuke,"
Hinata became even more flustered, if possible (it was). "W-W-We're not in that kind of relationship!"
Hanabi raised her brows. "Then what are you getting so embarrassed for?"
"W-Why would you ask that?" Hinata scolded, fanning her face.
"I was curious. You're old enough to do that kinda stuff," There was a solemness in her eyes. "I probably won't get to do any of that stuff even when I'm your age,"
The air between them thickened with tension.
Dull white eyes reached hers. "Do you hate me, Sis?"
Hinata looked at her sharply. "Hanabi, why would you ask that? Of course I don't hate you,"
"Why not?" She sounded nonchalant. "I would hate me if I were you. I stole your title. I'm better than you at being the heir. Father," She paused, her voice tight. "Father pays more attention to me. Sometimes it's satisfying when he praises me and criticizes you,"
The expression on Hinata's face was somewhere between resignation and hurt. "Hanabi, don't try to force me to hate you. We're supposed to be having a day out. Please don't,"
"It kinda pisses me off," Hanabi continued, lips thin. "When you act like a saint. Like you don't hate and have bad thoughts. You're not Buddha,"
"I could hate you," Hinata said. "I-I know all the reasons why I should. But you know all the reasons why you should hate me, too,"
They stopped in the shade of a large tree. Hanabi's eyes were narrowed. They were so much like their father's.
"You have all the responsibilities I should bear. You can't be as carefree as me. I could do those things with any boy I want. You're to be betrothed depending on what the clan wants. You have higher expectations placed on you. Father pays more attention to you, but it's more about training and grooming you into the perfect Hyuuga than family bonding," Her voice was steely and even as she said, "Do you hate me, Hanabi?"
Hanabi's mouth twitched, fists clenched at her sides.
A sharp whistle interrupted them. "Yo, Hinata-chan!"
Her body relaxed from being unconsciously tensed. "Kiba-kun,"
"Oof!"
"H-Hanabi!"
Her little sister was bowled over and buried under a giant ball of white fur.
"Akamaru, down boy," Kiba said.
Shino nodded to her in greeting.
The enormous dog retreated, tongue and tail wagging happily. He barked and nosed Hinata's hand. Hanabi sat up in a daze. "Where am I?"
"Oh my god," Hinata gasped. "Amnesia?"
"Just kidding. Chill, Sis," Hanabi laughed and patted Akamaru's head.
"Who's the midget?" Kiba said.
"I'm not a midget!"
"This is my sister, Hanabi," Hinata said. "Hanabi, Kiba and Shino,"
A few moments later found Hinata patting a brooding Shino on the back. "Cheer up,"
Hanabi had completely ignored him in favor of kicking Kiba in the shin for calling her a midget.
She was grateful for their timing. She was happy to spend the day beetle-hunting with her sister, but she was loathe to approach the ugly topics.
"Beetle fighting?" Kiba chuckled and jerked a thumb at Shino. "This loser was the undefeatable champ at it back when we were kids,"
Hanabi appraised him with a skeptical look. Shino seemed pleased by her attention to his existence, regardless of her less-than-impressed expression. They were sitting on a bench, near the entrance to the forest. Hinata entertained herself with Akamaru's floppy puppy ears.
"Really! Naruto and Sasuke used to get so mad. They tried to go up against him, two against one, and they still lost,"
She laughed at the mental image of the boys as little ones. She imagined the cute, petulant, and pouting baby Sasuke and a hyper, beaming baby Naruto with his front baby teeth missing.
"That's nice," she said, her arms around Akamaru's neck. "You all are childhood friends, huh,"
Kiba was quiet as he watched Shino fervently explain to Hanabi which trees rhinoceros beetles liked.
"Sasuke's always been hard to get along with," he said. "We put up with him because Naruto was attached to his hip. He just came with the package, you know? Two for one deal," Kiba stretched his legs out and looked at her. "Did Sasuke ever tell you about Orochimaru?"
"Vaguely," she mumbled. "All he said was that he used to be in the yakuza,"
Kiba whistled a tune, his fingers drumming against the armrest. Her ears perked and her eyebrows scrunched. "Um, Beethoven?"
He stopped whistling. "Tupac," He bounced his leg and glanced at her. He took a breath before he said, "When were thirteen, he went and joined the fucking yakuza. We all thought he was nuts. Naruto was - man, both of them were in bad shape. Sasuke ripped Naruto right off his hip. Made a damn mess and then when he came back - bam! The Rookies were born," There was a bitter note in his voice when he said, "The Sasuke Protection Squad, really,"
Kiba gave her a half-hearted smile. "Well, that's the gist of it. He can tell you the details if he wants, but don't hold your breath. I doubt the connection's great between heaven and hell,"
She laughed and covered her mouth in mock-scandal. "You think I'm going to end up in heaven?"
He grinned cheekily. "You did fall out of there, didn't ya?"
"And you think S-Sasuke-san is going to hell?"
"Pretty sure the devil's just warming his seat for him,"
"That's so rude, Kiba-kun!" Still, she grinned back. "So where is he today? He sent me a - um, mysterious text today,"
"Lemme see," Kiba peered at her phone and said, "Ah. Yeah. He's visiting his family in Hong Kong,"
"They don't live with him," she said. She didn't always get along with her family either, but it seemed so sad to live alone. She would lose her mind being completely alone in the Hyuuga manor.
"He doesn't want to live with them," He rubbed the back of his neck. "That's probably why we're around his house so much. Naruto doesn't want him feeling lonely," He rolled his eyes. "Now we're stuck holding fort until he gets back. Three's hardly a gang,"
"Three?" She mentally took roll-call; Shikamaru and Chouji were in the hospital, and Sasuke was going away.
"Naruto's going to see his family too," His tone was heavier. "So it's just me, Shino, and Lee. We were gonna go grab him and head to the base,"
"Where is he?"
"He said he was training in the forest. Chopping wood or something,"
At her uneasy expression, he thumped her on the back. "Aw, don't worry! We're low on manpower but we'll live,"
"Woof!"
They caught Akamaru tackling someone to the ground. The only thing they could see was his wagging tail and red hair.
"Jeez, Akamaru! You're asking to get neutered!"
Kiba went to pull the dog off.
"A-Are you alright?" Hinata offered a hand to the girl.
"Thanks," The girl stood and dusted off her shorts."That mutt sure packs a punch,"
"He's purebred," Kiba said with a sniff.
Bright amber eyes narrowed. "You could learn some manners. I got bowled over by your giant mutt and I don't get an apology?"
Hinata stared at her, trying to place where she'd seen her. "Oh! You were the girl at the hospital," They stopped bickering and turned to her. "The night that Chouji-kun was attacked,"
Kiba caught on and said, "Wait, you're Karui?"
Her mouth twitched, a strong emotion flickering across her face. "Yeah. What about it?"
"I'm Hyuuga Hinata," She bowed her head. At Kiba's belligerent silence, she said, "This is Kiba,"
"Nice to meet ya," Karui pointedly said to Hinata, ignoring Kiba.
"Sis, hurry up!" Hanabi's impatient whine came from the forest entrance. She had her arm hooked through Shino's and was dragging the boy away.
"Good luck at the tournament," Hinata bowed before running after her sister.
Karui was watching her with a strained expression. "Thanks."
lllll
Both sisters were quiet as they scavenged the forest for beetles. Their last conversation had struck a nerve with both of them. It would kill the mood to bring it up, but it was an important conversation.
"Geez, another cicada," Hanabi flicked the bug away. "It's not even summer yet, you stupid bugs,"
Hinata wasn't too keen on encountering beetles, but a normal day out doing normal-kid things was important too.
"Hanabi," she said. She steeled herself. "I-I really don't hate you. Please don't think that. Being heir isn't as important to me as you are,"
There. She'd thrown the gauntlet, said her piece, kickstarted the conversation like a big sister should.
Hanabi was quiet as she scraped the insect net against the ground. "I...I know. I-" For once, it was Hanabi stumbling over her words. She scratched her nose. "Since we don't talk a lot, I don't know how you feel. So I just assume what you're thinking and feeling about me," Her eyes were soft. "I'm sorry. I don't hate you either,"
She chuckled to diffuse the atmosphere. "I'm happy to hear that,"
Hanabi smiled back shyly. "S-So then," Hinata almost burst out laughing when she saw her little sister poking her fingers together. Some behaviors really did run in the family! "When we get home today, can I braid your hair before you go to bed?"
"Of course,"
Her eyes brightened with excitement. "A-And can we go out again? I want to go to the
beach! And I want to eat ice cream at the park, and I want to go to the summer festival together and -"
"There's no rush," Hinata smiled and ruffled her hair. "We can do all those things. I didn't know you wanted to spend time with me,"
Hanabi looked away in embarrassment. "I'm going to the creek!" she said quickly.
"Don't get lost!"
"Yeah, yeah."
Hinata found a rock to sit on. Her plan had been to take Hanabi to the park and then get something to eat. From the war cries she was hearing from the creek, it probably wasn't going to go her way.
Still, this was nice. The trees were budding and the air smelled fresher out here than in the city.. She heard Hanabi's footsteps in the ground, crunching over twigs and gravel.
It was nice to talk to finally talk to her sister.
If it wasn't for their family and their father trying to foster an environment of competitiveness and hatred, then maybe they would be normal sisters who fought and stole each other's clothes. Normal sisters who treated their little sisters to ice cream and summer festivals and days at the beach.
Hinata might have been the type to passively allow it to happen, and Hanabi might have been swayed by the family's attention and pride in her, but they were trying now.
Her phone buzzed, breaking her out of her thoughts. Her heartbeat spiked when she thought it might be Sasuke.
cant find lee and lost shino. hbu?
She squashed her disappointment and focused on the text. That didn't sound good.
Hanabi's bug hunting.
help me plz!
She sighed. "Hanabi! You have your phone with you?"
"Yeah!"
"I'm going to take a walk, then,"
Hinata heard a splash and angry grunting. That didn't sound good either.
Where are you?
in a tree
She blinked. ...which tree?
idk
May I ask why? And how?
pls dont
"Kiba-kun!" Her voice echoed through the empty forest. "Shino-kun! Lee-kun!"
She went on for a while, until her voice started to strain. No luck.
However, she was starting to feel like she was being watched. Sometimes twigs would snap and there would be a flash of movement in the corner of her eye. At least the forest had reception.
Hinata stopped when she approached a deep ravine. She peered down it and gasped.
"Shino-kun!"
The boy was lying flat on his stomach. His sunglasses were scattered and broken.
Hinata quelled her panic as best as she could. He didn't look like he was bleeding, at least. She took her phone out with trembling fingers.
I found Shino-kun! He fell down a ravine.
fuk ok wait
Should we call the police?
She waited for Kiba's text, with her anxiety mounting as she watched Shino's still body. If it wasn't for the slow up-and-down of his back, she would have feared the worse.
hinata listen get your sis and get the fuck out right now
Fear shot down her spine.
I can't just leave Shino-kun here
no you need to go
hinata there are suna goons in here
they got me and akamaru booby trapped to this damn tree
i thought it was some damn prank but its them
get out now
She stood up, shaking from head to toe. She'd left her little sister unattended and in
danger.
"Going somewhere?" said a familiar voice. "It's payback time, bitch."
Hinata turned around in time to see the rusty silver backside of a shovel coming down on
her head.
lllllll
A/N: Hello! Two pieces of news:
1 - I changed my username from Pony Juice to Helvetica Ghost
2 - Some of you clever eagle-eyed folk noticed that there was a chapter missing. We would be in chapter 13 except I cobbled chapter 1 and chapter 2 together (just bc it was super short compared to the rest of the chapters)!
So no missing chapters - just the first chapter fused with the second chapter. No worries! Everything's still there.
This chapter:
The Inuzuka Kiba Social Link - Rank Up!
The Hyuuga Hanabi Social Link - Rank Up!
The Uchiha Sasuke Social Link - Rank Up! (omg she called him by his first name!)
The Uzumaki Karin Social Link - Rank Up! (she's totes gay for hinata now lmao i luh her)
It seems Karui is hiding something. Maybe if you talk to her again, you'll be able to understand her...
deuces, babe.