CCNote: Thanks for all the birthday wishes ya'll! They really mean a lot to me! I may or may not be able to squeeze out one more chapter between now and Christmas break. Keep your fingers crossed! If I do manage to finish the next chapter before the break, it will likely be the longest one to date.
In other news, I just resigned a contract to stay at my school for another year woo! 2018-2019 will likely be my last year at this school and I can already feel my tears starting to form. The bonenkai tonight reminded me how much I'm appreciated at the school and while I'd love to stay longer than another year home is calling me.
As always please ignore my glaring mistakes and don't forget to leave a REVIEW!
N is for Promises
Monday, June 12, 2018, 4:36 am
Tokai Mountains
...
The frigid night air of the Tokai mountains bit at her lungs, turning the tips of her ears and nose red, but she didn't mind. It was the first time she'd ever been awake at an hour before the sun had risen all summer. The first time she'd ever been awake before Itachi. The Uchiha rose with the sun and always escaped from the bed carefully so as not to disturb her. She knew instantly when he disappeared despite the diligence he always took to replace his body with pillows.
'I like the way the sky looks when the sun rises in the morning.'
What was so special about a sunrise? She'd never really thought about it before. The sun rose in the east and set in the west, day in and day out. Without fail it was surely the same every morning...yet...Nagato would never see another one. For him, the sun had set for the last time. What was it like to realize that the sun would rise again and you would never see it? That the world would continue to move on without you in it? Hanabi sighed and pulled her knees up from over the edge of the deck, hugging them close to her chest.
"You're up early." A soft feminine voice said as the back door creaked open. "I didn't expect anyone to be out here today."
Hanabi quickly stood up from the deck in surprise at the intrusion.
"Oh, I'm sorry-"
"No need to apologize." Konan smiled and crossed the deck to stand next to her. "I could use the company."
The older woman leaned against the wooden railing with her forearms, looking out pensively to the still dark forest. A far off quality took over her face as though she were recalling something from long ago. The corners of her lips twitched upward at the memory that only she could revel in. As Hanabi watched her, she marveled at how Konan was even able to manage a smile, however small it was. This was her home. A man who considered her family had just died not even forty-eight hours ago. How could she manage to remain so calm?
"Don't you love how calm it is at a time like this?" Konan said, taking in a deep breath through her nose and exhaling slowly. Her eyes slid closed and she repeated the breathing exercise several times before she opened them. "Yes. I'm going to miss this."
"You're leaving already?" Hanabi asked, startled that Konan was already thinking about her next move. Why wasn't she mourning? Why wasn't she sad? Did Nagato not mean anything to her?
"Not immediately but soon."
"Why?" Hanabi knew her tone was taking on a slightly accusatory edge to it but she couldn't hold it back.
"There is nothing left for us here."
"Nothing..." The Hyuuga mumbled. "Nagato-"
"Is dead yes." Konan said, her voice barely above a whisper. The biting mountain wind carried her words away but the weight of them remained on the deck.
"How can you be so nonchalant about him? Didn't you care about him at all?" Hanabi snapped.
Konan finally tore her golden eyes away from the trees to stare quizzically at the Hyuuga. Hanabi knew that she was overstepping her bounds. She barely knew this woman but her cavalier attitude about Nagato hit her in a way she didn't expect.
"You've never loved or been loved. Not truly." She said flatly.
Hanabi bristled at her assessment, turning her head away. The closest thing she had to 'love' that wasn't familial was Konohamaru and that was a wound that would take awhile to heal. She could still feel those golden eyes looking at her, analyzing her naivety that she unwittingly wore on her sleeve. When Konan spoke again, the dark sky began to turn a velvety shade of navy blue.
"I have loved Nagato all my life. I will always have a place for him in my heart for the rest of it...however long or short a time that may be. Love is just as much about letting go as it caring about another person. No matter how sweet it is. How perfect it is. It always ends." She said, finally turning away from Hanabi's side. "Nothing lasts forever Hanabi. No matter how much we wish for it to."
Slowly her steps retreated back into the house, leaving Hanabi alone on the deck with pink rays from the sun peeking through the trees.
Nothing lasts forever.
Everyone dies.
Both statements ran repeatedly through her mind, numbing her to their effect but still weighing heavy on her heart. Bit by bit her naivety was being chipped away and she wasn't quite sure she wanted it to be. Neji and Hinata weren't here to protect her...
"You're crying." Itachi called from the back door.
Hanabi reached up and touched her face in surprise. Her cheeks were cold and wet to the touch and more tears continued to fall. Heavy footsteps approached her and she turned away from him. She didn't want Itachi to see her cry, to see her so pathetic. Why wouldn't the tears stop? How long had Itachi been standing there by the back door watching her cry?
"You asked me once if I thought you were pretty." He said calmly, turning her stiff body back around to face him.
"Chi...do...do you think I'm pretty?"
Hanabi could recall the salty ocean air clearly as the night she'd asked him that shallow, insecure question. The bang of the fireworks going off in the sky, vibrantly illuminating the night sky. The feel of Itachi collapsing in her arms and how much he shook as he tried to catch his breath. The way her heart raced when later that night she had to wipe his blood off of her skin. She let out a choked sob, poorly wiping her eyes with the heels of her hands to hide her tears. What an idiotic thing to even be concerned with.
"That was a stupid question." She whimpered. "Just forget I asked. It's stupid-"
"But I want to answer."
Warm fingers wrapped around her wrists, swallowing them whole and pulling them away from her face. Fat tears continued to well up in her eyes but this time she wasn't able to wipe them away. She knew that her cheeks were puffy and red but Itachi didn't appear fazed at all by her appearance.
"Yes." He said and just like that, the floodgates poured out.
Her shoulders shook as more tears fell down uninhibited. She cried for Nagato and the lives he would no longer be a part of. She cried for Konan's loss and the life she would never get to have with Nagato. She cried for Itachi because one day he would face the same fate and there was nothing anyone could do about it. Most of all she cried for herself because she was powerless. She couldn't stop the pain that affected those around her. The pain that would ebb and flow over everyone as surely as the sun would rise tomorrow.
Even though her heart was broken Konan was still able to smile. Even though his body was destroying itself from the inside Itachi was still looking out for those around him. He still cared about her asinine questions from all those nights ago. It felt like a lifetime had passed since those stupid words had tumbled from her lips. Itachi, she decided, wasn't a liar as she'd previously thought. No, he was something much worse. He was an idiot. Despite the tears that refused to stop, she smiled.
"You're s-so stupid Itachi."
"Perhaps. Now stop crying."
….
Saturday, August 1, 2018, 5:10 am
Hyuuga Compound
...
"Are you sure you have everything?"
"For the last time Neji yes! Let's go!"
"Alright, alright. Just checking."
"We are wasting time Hyuuga, let's go."
Hanabi snickered at Sasuke's tired remark but quickly covered her mouth when she caught her older cousin's death glare. They were all tired this morning but none so much as Sasuke who hadn't gotten a good night's sleep in weeks. Next to her Itachi yawned and pressed his head against the window on his side.
With a huff, Neji moved away from the town car window to hurry over to the other side and Hanabi pressed the button to allow for the tinted glass to come up. The car's driver door opened and closed with a slam as Neji slid into the driver's seat. Once he was buckled in, he ignited the engine and pulled away. The eighteen-year-old sighed as she watched the Hyuuga compound recede into the background. The time she'd spent at home had been short, only a week, and it had passed in a blink of an eye. As soon as she set foot back on Hyuuga property she'd been scooped up into a whirlwind of preparation for university. Everything from books to bedding had to be purchased before she was shipped off to school and honestly, she detested the entire process. Gone were the days where she was mostly in command of how she spent her day. She wasn't free to traipse aimlessly around as she'd grown accustomed to doing over the summer and it felt as though someone had clipped her wings. Hanabi sighed and turned so that she could sit properly in her seat. There had been a bright spot though to coming home. She'd discovered she was an aunt to two wonderfully terrible little boys...
"Hanabi we really shouldn't barge in on them like this." Itachi groaned as the elevator ascended through the floors of the apartment building. "I learned that lesson the hard way."
"What happened?" She asked but Itachi didn't respond.
Instead, he shoved his hands in his pockets and stared at the elevator doors. Even though he didn't say anything, Hanabi could deduce that whatever Itachi had 'learned' had been embarrassing since the tips of his ears had turned red. Itachi didn't embarrass easily so it must have been something highly unsettling. Unfortunately, Hanabi was too hyped up with excitement to care about discretion. She hadn't seen or spoken to her family for most of her summer vacation so it was only natural to be excited! Plus she wanted to see just how big her sister had ballooned while she was away and tease her mercilessly for it.
Hanabi grinned deviously at the prospect as the elevator doors dinged and slid open for their exit. The teen eagerly skipped out of the elevator with her luggage but Itachi was a bit more apprehensive about his exit. With a huff, she grabbed his wrist with both of her hands and pulled him out of the elevator.
"C'mon Chi. You're being a big baby. What could they possibly be doing at a time like this anyway?"
At that statement, his ears turned even redder but he allowed himself to be pulled out of the elevator by his younger companion. Hanabi smiled at her success and slipped her hand down from his wrist to his fingers. She interlocked their fingers together and gave his hand a comforting squeeze.
"They're going to be happy to see us I bet. At least Hinata will be. I'm not so sure about Sasuke." She teased as she led him towards the front door.
"Why would Sasuke not also be happy?"
"Because he's the jealous type. I took his big brother away for a whole summer. He had to sit behind a desk and do boring paperwork."
Itachi shook his head at her logic as he fished his keys out of his pocket with his free hand. Quickly he unlocked the door and was assaulted by the sounds of screams. The Uchiha and Hyuuga looked to one another, perplexed as to why the penthouse sounded like a nursery. Itachi let go of her hand and pushed his way through the dark foyer. Hanabi followed him inside, perplexed as to why the foyer was also uncharacteristically messy. Shoes were strewn everywhere without much of a care and there were bags trailing from the front door down the hallway.
"Hello?" Itachi called out but received no response.
The crying got louder the further they entered into the penthouse causing panic to rise within Hanabi. Hinata wasn't due for at least another month or two right? At least that's what she thought her sister had told her before she'd left. A foul smell wafted to their nostrils and Hanabi wrinkled her nose. It smelled like rotten eggs and bad milk. Out of habit, she reached out for the corner of Itachi's shirt sleeve as she followed him into the living room.
"Sasuke did you get- Itachi?" A familiar voice called from the adjacent hallway.
Hanabi peeked out from behind Itachi's broad frame to see her sister staring at the two of them as if she'd seen a ghost. The elder Hyuuga's appearance reflected the state of disarray around the penthouse to a tee. Her hair was a mess all over her head, skin pale and clothing stained with substances Hanabi didn't even want to imagine. In her arms was a squalling, red-faced baby.
"Hanabi?" Her sister gasped before breaking out into a wide smile, misplaced on her fatigued form.
"The one and only." Hanabi grinned. "Who's screaming kid is that?"
Hinata's eyes widened in surprise as she looked back down at the crying baby in her arms.
"Oh!" She laughed and turned the baby around to face them. "This is Hajime! Your new nephew!"
"You pooped him out already?!" Hanabi shrieked in shock and her nephew started crying even harder.
Itachi tapped her on the top of her head for adding to the noise before heading over to Hinata. He took the screaming baby out of her hold and held him out at arms. Hanabi scurried up to Itachi's side to get a better look at the baby as well but couldn't decipher much because the smell was so overpowering.
"Hello, Hajime." Itachi said calmly as Hanabi pulled her shirt up over her nose.
"He stinks." She grumbled.
Luckily Hinata couldn't hear her over the crying but Itachi was close enough that he caught every word. She could feel his death glare boring holes into the side of her head but she ignored him. Behind them, the sound of the front door opening was faint against the tears of the baby. Hinata's face instantly brightened and moved away from them to greet whoever had entered the penthouse. Her movements were stiff and sluggish, very much unlike the graceful older sister she remembered.
"How long are babies supposed to cry?" Hanabi groaned as Hajime kept bawling. His little red face looked like it might explode.
"I'm not quite sure actually-"
"Itachi?" A deep, tired voice called from behind them.
The pair turned around to see Sasuke lumbering into the living room with two large packets of diapers under his arms and plastic grocery bags in each hand. Hinata took one of the diaper packages from under his arms before deftly taking a crying Hajime from Itachi.
"Let's go change your stinky." She cooed, shuffling gingerly down the hall and taking the smell with her.
Hanabi finally pulled the collar of her shirt down and took a deep breath of non-noxious baby diaper air. Itachi rapted the top of her head again and Hanabi resisted the urge to stick her tongue out at him.
"You two are finally back." Sasuke said, putting down all of his bags and diapers on the living room floor.
Tiredly, he dragged his body over to the couch and immediately sinking into it. The man who had no qualms about slamming a knee into her side looked as though he could be bowled over at any moment by a feather. He closed his eyes and allowed gravity to push him over onto his side on the couch. He let out a muffled 'oomf' when he fell but remained still. Hanabi's left eye twitched seeing the younger Uchiha so tired. If having children meant being tired all the time and smelling like dirty diapers she wanted nothing to do with the entire institution. Curiously, Hanabi walked over to the couch and poked him a few times on his arm but he didn't move.
"Is he dead?" Hanabi asked and started to poke his cheek.
Sasuke weakly tried to swat her hand away but his attempts were pathetic. Itachi chuckled at his brother's misery.
"No, he's just a father now."
"Same difference." Hanabi shrugged, turning back to Itachi who had an amused look on his face.
"One day you will be just as exhausted as they are when you have children of your own."
"I don't want kids."
"As always, you know a great many things that you 'don't want'."
Hanabi opened her mouth to retort but Hinata had returned to the living, this time with a second baby in her arms as well. Her sister smiled proudly despite her clear exhaustion. It was strange seeing her sister so happy but it was comforting in a unique way.
'She's going to be a great mother.' Hanabi thought to herself. Her eyes cut to Sasuke who was now softly snoring on the couch. 'I'm not so sure about this guy though. Sasuke Uchiha isn't exactly father of the year material.'
"Would you like to hold your nephew?" Hinata asked, breaking Hanabi from her thoughts.
Itachi had already reclaimed Hajime in his arms so Hinata was holding his carbon copy out to her. Big black eyes blinked at her, just as perplexed as she was to see him.
"This one is Hiroto." She said proudly, pushing him closer to the teen.
"I-I don't think I should-" Hanabi began but the flicker of disappointment in her sister's pale eyes was enough to make her open her arms to Hiroto. The last thing she wanted to see was a sad Hinata and at least the baby wasn't crying.
"Mind his head." Hinata instructed softly, adjusting Hanabi's nervous arms into the proper position.
Obsidian eyes looked back at her, skeptical of her ability to not drop him.
"He's so small." Hanabi observed and Hinata nodded as she slumped down onto the couch as well. Despite her joy at seeing them holding her children, she looked as though she were on the verge of passing out just like Sasuke.
"They weren't due for two more months at the earliest but they were determined to arrive in June. This is their first week home."
"I'm sorry we missed the birth." Itachi apologized but Hinata waved off his apology with a smile.
Hanabi swallowed hard. Yet again she hadn't been there for her sister. What if something horrible had happened while she was away? What if instead of being greeted with crying babies it was her sister crying instead? She looked down at the dark-haired baby in her arms whose eyes had been trained intently on her this entire time. He might only be a few weeks old but there was intelligence there. This one...this one was special. Hiroto Uchiha. Her nephew. The teen sniffed and was happy to find that he smelled good. No stinky diaper on this one...at least not yet. She stroked his soft, fuzzy hair and smiled.
"Nice to meet you Hiroto."
….The twins, despite their fussy dispositions, were the cutest babies she'd ever seen. Maybe she felt that way because she was biased but she was positive her nephews were better than anyone else's. They had to be. They had Hyuuga blood running through their veins after all. Hanabi slumped down slightly in her seat and closed her eyes. The car ride to campus was going to be a few hours at least, and none of her companions appeared to be in a talkative mood. Neji was too focused driving and Sasuke was taking the opportunity to finally get some sleep without interruptions.
Itachi also wasn't in the peppiest of moods either, resigned to trying to sleep against the window. Hanabi frowned as she watched him sleep fitfully. He really needed to take care of himself. What was he going to do while she was away at school? He hadn't indicated whether he would remain in Konoha but she had a feeling that he wouldn't. Konoha just wasn't a place Itachi was meant to be. At the same time, she wasn't sure where Itachi belonged. He probably didn't know either.
….
Saturday August 1 2018 1:00pm
Konoha University- Hiraku Co-Ed Honors Dorm (3rd Floor)
...
"How much useless shit did you pack in this?" Sasuke huffed as he lugged the teen's suitcase down the hall.
Hanabi upturned her nose at his grumbling. It wasn't that bad. The big stuff had already been carried up by the movers. Her measly suitcases were nothing in comparison to the rest of the furniture.
"Quit complaining Sasuke." Itachi said as he climbed the stairs, bag free of course. "It's unbecoming of the head of the Uchiha."
"You're one to talk. You're not carrying anything!" Sasuke snapped back, dropping the bags he did have at his feet.
"That's the breaks, pretty boy." Hanabi shrugged.
While she'd played it off as a joke, she refused to allow Itachi to carry any of her heavy bags up the stairs. Even though he'd slept the entire way, Itachi still looked a little worse for wear in her opinion. When a loaded down Neji finally joined them, Hanabi knocked on the door to her new dorm. The people she would now be living with should already be in the room. Or at least that's what the resident's assistant had said in the lobby. Unfortunately, her knocking was met with silence. Perplexed, she knocked again. Still nothing. Neji frowned and pushed past all of her suitcases to knock on the dorm suite's door albeit this time much more forcefully.
"We should have put you in an apartment." Neji grumbled as he continued to knock forcefully.
"I don't want to stay in an apartment."
"Coming! Coming dammit!" A muffled voice called through the door.
"I hope it's not those damn movers again!"
"Oh my god yea! They were so horrible."
The door to the suite finally opened to reveal three bedraggled girls with varying degrees of annoyance on their faces. All three of which were still in their pajamas even though it was the middle of the day and none of them were too happy at the quartet's intrusion. Their annoyance was palpable, or at least it was until their eyes settled on her three male companions. The mouth of the one in the middle fell open in shock, her bright blue eyes darting between the three men as if she wasn't able to focus on only one.
"Oh...my...god...they're beautiful." She whispered reverently and the other two nodded their heads in solemn agreement. "Um...t-t-the boys floor is o-o-one down."
"Hi!" Hanabi interrupted, pushing around Neji with a forced smile on her face. "I'm Hanabi. Hanabi Hyuuga."
"Hyuuga?!" The girls screeched and the door slammed in their face.
Behind the door were screams of panic and the sound of feet pattering manically around the room.
"Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god!"
"No wonder!"
"Why didn't they put her last name on the damn door?!"
"Oh my god! Oh my god!"
Hanabi's eye twitched and she stood frozen behind the dorm door. She wanted to move into the doors so that she'd have a chance to make friends but if this was going to be everyone's reaction...Maybe this had been a bad idea? She wasn't really famous, or at least in her own mind she wasn't, but the Hyuuga were rich. With that wealth came power, one that many people would do anything to be a part of. People treated her differently when they found out who she was but she'd hoped to get a fresh start this school year. Eventually, the screams died down and after a few deep breaths, the dorm suite door opened again.
"Please come in." The blue-eyed girl from before gestured and opened the door wide enough for the quartet to enter.
Upon entering the suite room they found it to be...small. There was a shared living room with standard, low-grade dorm furniture. Connected to the living room was a small kitchen with out of date appliances and a sink already full of dishes. There were four doors around the room as well, each one with a neon pink name placard to denote the name of the resident.
"Are you sure about this Hanabi?" Neji asked, wrinkling his nose up at the plebian state of the shared living area. "I saw a listing for an apartment not far from here-"
"It's fine Neji." Hanabi huffed and pushed on towards the door that held her name written in bright pink letters.
The Uchihas and her cousin trailed behind her reluctantly, ignoring the wide eyes of her new roommates as they passed. Inside of the room, the standard dorm furniture had already been removed and replaced with brand new furniture. There was no way in hell Neji was going to let her sleep on a bed bug infested mattress or put her clothing in a dresser where someone else had stored their unmentionables. When he had attended university he stayed off campus all four years. Since Hinata was only a couple of years younger than him, when it was time for her to choose a school she chose the same one Neji already attended and they lived together.
Hyuugas, main or branch members, didn't stay in dorms. It just wasn't a thing that was done. However, she'd put her foot down about getting an apartment. She wanted to actually feel normal for once. Well as 'normal' as one can with a last name like hers.
"This is smaller than I imagined." Neji grumbled as he pulled two of her suitcases into the room.
"It's not the Hyuuga compound but it will do."
"Enough talk. The faster we get you settled in, the faster we can get back to Konoha." Sasuke yawned and Hanabi rolled her eyes.
"You just want to go back to sleep in the car again."
"Yea, yea, ya little brat."
With a bit more grumbling on Neji and Sasuke's parts, the three men soon got to work setting up her tiny dorm room into a livable space. There wasn't much for Hanabi to do to help so she did her best to stay out from underfoot. Outside of the room, she heard the girlish giggling of her new roommates as they watched the three men work. Hanabi rolled her eyes as she heard the twentieth whispered squeal of how cute one of the men looked when they did something. There was absolutely nothing special about the Uchihas or her cousin. Sure they were handsome but those looks took a backseat to how they actually were.
They wouldn't think Neji was so cute when they found out how much time he actually spent in front of a mirror detangling his hair. Or if they knew how much hair he shed in a day. They wouldn't find Sasuke to be so sexy if they knew he was a jerk to anyone who had a pulse and wasn't her sister. Sure he saved her life but that didn't change his asshole mannerisms, just made them more tolerable. They wouldn't think Itachi was so handsome if they knew...if they knew... Hanabi bit her bottom lip as she watched the Uchiha in question hang up her bright yellow curtains over her window.
'They wouldn't like him...' Hanabi thought to herself. 'They wouldn't like him if they knew he was an idiot.'
She knew more about Itachi than his own brother and even then there were still things Itachi kept hidden from her. Things that the elder Uchiha just wasn't ready to share. Would there ever be a day that she understood him completely?
….
Saturday August 1 2018 4:10pm
Konoha University- Co-Ed Honors Dorms (3rd floor)
...
"Alright." Neji sighed as he ran his hands through his hair. "I think that's it."
Hanabi looked around at her new room, surprised that the men had gotten done so quickly. Her bed was made and desk assembled. The dresser and wardrobe were stuffed with her clothing and a big, fuzzy yellow rug lay in the middle of the floor. Pictures of her family were sitting neatly in two frames on her desk and the curtains from the window were pulled back to allow the last of the afternoon light to pour into the room.
"Wow. You guys actually did a good job." Hanabi said, fairly impressed with her companions efficiency. "I guess that means you can go now-"
"Not until I set some ground rules." Neji said and pulled out her desk chair for her. "Sit."
Hanabi looked at him incredulously but her cousin only crossed his arms and waited for her to take a seat. She let out a short, indignant sigh as she plopped into the seat.
"Ground rules-" Neji started but Hanabi sucked her teeth.
"Neji I'm eighteen. I don't need ground rules."
"Yes, you do."
"No, I don-"
"Hanabi." Itachi interjected, his voice even and smooth. The teen glared at him from the interruption but stopped disagreeing with Neji.
"As I was saying." Neji continued, flashing the elder Uchiha a grateful look. "Ground rules. Keep your grades up. If they slip at all I will personally buy a cot and sleep in this dorm until they are satisfactory."
Hanabi shivered at the visual of Neji sleeping on her dorm floor.
"No parties. No drugs. No alcohol. Absolutely no boys."
"If I even had a boyfriend it's not like I'd tell you." Hanabi grumbled under her breath.
"What was that?"
"Nothing!"
Neji narrowed his eyes at her but Hanabi put on her brightest smile. Her feigned innocence didn't fool her cousin.
"I'm serious Hanabi. No boys. At least not your first year. Boys are nothing but a distraction and if your grades-"
"I get it. I get it. Absolutely no boys." Hanabi sighed. "Any more rules?
"Call either Hinata or me at least once or twice a week so we know you're still breathing."
"Okay, I promise." Hanabi said, readily agreeing to this demand. At least it was one she would probably follow.
Neji opened his mouth, no doubt to lay down more rules, but Sasuke pushed him out of the way. The younger Uchiha handed her a small box and a plain white envelope. She looked at the items, confused as to why Sasuke would ever give her a gift.
"These are from Hinata. Inside of the box is a trinket she wanted you to have. Don't open the letter until we're gone." He informed as Hanabi took the proffered items from him. He then turned to Neji and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Let's go before you sign her up for a nunnery."
Neji spluttered at the jibe but Hanabi couldn't help but laugh. If Neji had his way he'd lock her up in the Hyuuga compound with nothing but books to keep her company. With a halfhearted wave goodbye, Sasuke pulled a protesting Neji out of the room. Her new roommates swoon as the Uchiha and Hyuuga left her room, surreptitiously taking pictures with their phones. Hanabi watched them, highly amused at their antics but her merriment dried up as Itachi moved to follow them.
"Wait!" She said, much louder than she intended to.
Itachi stopped just at her door and turned to look at her curiously. She bit her bottom lip, worrying the soft flesh for the hundredth time that day. Itachi gave her a short nod of understanding before looking back into the living room where Sasuke and Neji were still standing. Both men were surprised by her sudden outburst. Itachi waved them away, ignoring their confused looks, and closed the door. He then walked back towards her desk and sat precariously on the very edge.
"Itachi..." She started, unsure of how to put her suddenly jumbled thoughts into words. "After this where are you going?"
The Uchiha shrugged his shoulders but didn't respond much more than that. Hanabi's fists clenched in her lap at the noncommital gesture and subsequent silence. He was pushing her away. He'd been distancing himself from everyone since they'd returned to Konoha and there was nothing she could do to stop him.
'No.' She decided. 'He's not going to get rid of me.'
"Ground rules Itachi." She said through clenched teeth. The Uchiha quirked a curious brow at her as though he were questioning her resolve.
"Rules?"
"Yes, rules. Well, just one rule really." She said, jumping out of her chair and stand up to him. "Call me every day. I will tell everyone you're sick if you don't keep me in the loop."
Itachi's eyes darkened as an understanding of her threat sank in. He stood up to his full height so that he towered over her and she had to look up to maintain eye contact. A shiver ran down her spine and she realized just what made the elder Uchiha intimidating to so many people. She gulped but maintained eye contact with him. Even though his gaze made her feel small. Even though she knew she was overstepping her bounds.
'I can't back down.'
"Are you blackmailing me?" Itachi asked, his voice tight and low as he took a step closer to her.
"If that is what it takes."
'I won't back down.'
He said nothing, merely looked her up and down as though his gaze alone would be enough to make her crack. More than a few good men had withered under his glare but she didn't have the option. She wasn't going to let him cut ties completely.
"You say I know a lot about what I don't want and that's true." Hanabi said firmly, willing her voice not to waver as she took a half step forward. She was close enough now that she could reach out to touch him.
"But there is one thing that I know I want."
"And what might that be?" He asked.
"You." She whispered. "I want you. I want you to take care of yourself and get better. I want you to live and go on more adventures with me. I promise not to complain. I want you to see your friends again and have fun with them. I want you to be happy like everyone else."
"Hanabi...it's not that simple-"
"Yes, it is that simple! You're the one bent on making things harder than they have to be!" She snapped and reached out to grab the edge of his shirt like she always did when she wanted his attention. "You said yourself that there were places overseas that had experimental treatments right?"
"Those are all speculative at this point."
"Well, anything is better than waiting to die!"
Her fingers gripped the edge of his shirt tighter until her knuckles turned white. Flashbacks of Nagato hooked up to a million wires, just watching the world pass him by, flooded her mind. He had been waiting to die and it appeared that Itachi was resigning himself to the same fate.
"You've given up on yourself and I hate it!" She whispered. "If you die I won't forgive you."
His fingers covered her own that clutched his shirt, gently removing them from the material.
"Just...just try to live okay. That's what I want."
"I can't make any promises." Itachi said, letting go of her hand entirely.
Even though he couldn't promise her anything, it was enough to know that he would try.
"Is that all you want?" He asked with a sad smirk on his lips.
Hanabi shook her head and wrapped her arms around his waist. A warm hand patted the top of her head gently as she squeezed him tightly.
"I want many many more things."
To be continued...
O is for Destruction
There was no greater herald of terror than the Uzumaki and Uchiha boys suddenly becoming quiet.