Warning: This chapter contains slight descriptive nudity, and suggestive hints. However, despite how many times I have been asked, this chapter does not contain a lemon.
Chapter Two
Kagome sighed, wishing that she could fall onto the floor and stay there for about the next millennium. She was not sure what had come over the blasted Hyuuga—damn, now she was insulting herself, since her surname had changed!—but he had worn her feet out. She wanted nothing more than to lie down and never get up again, but with her arms wrapped around his, she realized she probably would get barely any sleep on this night. And though she had dreaded the thought, she could not help but wonder if he would prove to be a good lover—at least then she would have something to look forward to.
Then again, she also dreaded the thought of being so vulnerable to him—physically and emotionally. He had probably had his fair share of women to gain experience with, since he was nice enough on the eyes, which meant he would have to guide her. But, if he felt that was beneath him, he could simply call her a virgin fool and demand that she leave him until she figured something out. Of course, she would not take that lying down—she would, of course, get up instantly if he decided to go that root—and yell his head off if he decided to say any of that, but she knew that it would still hurt. She had been told all her life that she needed to keep herself pure for him, and if he decided even that was not good enough for him, she was not sure what she would do but rot in this new prison cell.
She took another small glance at him through the corner of her eye, wondering what he was thinking about. He had been rather abrupt when he tore her away from her friends, demanding with his actions that she dance with him—and, she had to admit, he was pretty good. However, though she had been able to tell what he was thinking then, she was entirely clueless as to what he was thinking now. Was he, perhaps, thinking about how bad of a lover she would be? Was he, perhaps, wondering what she would know? Was he, perhaps, thinking about how long she would need to be distracted before he could bury a weapon in her back? The list was endless, and many of the possibilities caused her to shudder.
The physical vulnerability she was about to present to him would not be as nearly hard as her emotional vulnerability, but she was still anxious. Sure, it was not their fault that their fathers decided it would be such a wonderful idea for them to marry their eldest children to each other, but she knew what he thought of her. He was probably thinking about how many ways he could cut her up without anyone noticing, rather than how much he could teach her when it came to the subject of sex. Yes, he probably wished nothing more than to be able to reach into a drawer and draw forth a kunai to crave into her flesh with.
Her shoulders began to tense, her heartbeat picking up with the thought. Damn it, she was kunoichi—and the Hokage had offered her the position of an S-ranked nin! She should not be afraid of a little blade—one that, if sharp enough, could easily slip underneath the exterior of her skin into the muscles—when she could protect herself. In fact, she should not be afraid of him, either, since she knew that she had been offered a rank higher than him. That was saying something, since the demented man was such a genius. However, despite these thoughts, she still felt her body beginning to tense as he brought her to a stop, turning her toward the door to their right.
She swallowed nervously, wondering how she was going to go through with this. It was true that she had told herself that she would marry him, and she had, but how was she going to go through with the rest? Was she going to allow him to sweep the layers of her kimono from her body and ravish her if he so pleased? Was she going to try and show him that as a Higurashi she was not so dumb when it came to these things—she had friends with big mouths? Or, was she going to become so tense that she could do nothing but wish the floor would open up to drag her into a more promising hell?
He opened the door like a gentleman, and though she was becoming nervous, her hands beginning to twist together, she scoffed at the action. She had always known him to be rude to her, so it was rather disturbing that he was opening doors all of a sudden. She figured that someone must be watching them, and cursed at herself for having become so drawn into herself that she missed the other presences. But, as his hand once again pressed against her lower back, she knew the reason that she had missed them.
God, she wished that the demented and rude man would act the way she was used to! First, he wanted to suddenly dance with her, and had worn her feet out to the point that she wanted to do nothing but sleep. Then, he's suddenly opening doors and guiding her into rooms the way she saw loving couples do. What was he going to do next, suddenly drag her to him and declare that he had always been in love with her? That the reason he was always so rude and demented was because he simply could not allow her to know that he loved her so deeply.
The thought alone caused her to laugh wildly—to herself, of course.
However, the laughter inside her head died when she heard the door click behind her. Her eyes swept over the neat room presented before her, even as the blasted man—she nearly twitched at the change in thought she had to do, since she had grown accustomed to calling him by his surname—moved past her toward the bed. It appeared that within the safety of his—their—room he did not feel the need to show kindness toward her, since he merely shot her a small glance when he reached the bed. At least, she knew, he had not chosen this time to suddenly attack her—that would not have been as expected as the rudeness, but at least then she would have a reason to run from this situation.
Having drawn her eyes away from him, she turned her head to see what he was doing. She felt so out of place, as if she was disturbing the tomb of her greatest enemy in hopes of finding him or her still dead. But, that feeling was quickly turned to embarrassment—she hissed at herself for it, too, since she should not have been so greatly affected by him—when she realized he had pushed his haori over his shoulder. Half of his chest was visible to her eyes in the flickering firelight, which she had noticed upon entering came from the fireplace across from his bedding, as he reached out to offer her his hand.
"Um—" she heard herself squeak. Damn it, she should not be affected, at all, by that blasted Hyuuga. However, she could feel her face heating up, wishing that he was not being so forward about this. He was supposed to be rude, turn off the lights, and allow her to fumble around in the darkness! He was not supposed to act as if he was going to be willing in this entire thing, draw her into his embrace and turn her to goo! Really, what was she supposed to do with him to get him to act the correct way—draw him a map?
"I suggest," the blasted man scowled, "that if you wish to obey your father's wishes, you come over here."
The tone of his voice caused her body to erupt in waves of anger, each causing her eyes narrow a bit more. Oh, to turn this against her, even before they had started, was low, even for that blasted Hyuuga. However, as his words washed over her mind once more, she finally took a step forward, telling herself that this had to happen sooner or later. Her father would grow suspicious if they had not managed to conceive a child within a year, since it was well known that the Higurashi family was quite fertile. And the only way to prove to him that it was not her fault if they had not produced a child within that long was to ask one of the medic-nins to examine her—preferably her mother, Sakura, or the Hokage. But, she knew that would only work if she allowed the Hyuuga before her to have his way with her.
Her scowl grew, however, as she stepped a little closer to him. He looked so arrogant standing there, as if the sight of his body was going to cause her to suddenly throw herself at his feet and beg him to please her. So, as her hand slipped into his, she decided that she would show him a thing or two. She might still be a virgin, but that did not mean she was stupid—she had plenty of things she knew about this, she had simply never been able to act upon them. She would show him that she had a few tricks up her sleeve that, according to a few of her more perverted friends, would cause even the most controlled man to shiver.
The next moment, his fingers curled around hers, he tugged her forward. Kagome allowed her narrowed eyes to widen as she stumbled into him, just as he leaned down to slant his mouth over her own. A gasp left her, allowing him entrance to her cavern, and surprise flooded through her body when his tongue found its way inside. However, even more surprising to her, was when she felt a tingle of pleasure shoot through her limbs, centering itself in the pit of her stomach—and, damn, she was unable to stop herself from not thinking as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
Neji was quite surprised that she collapsed into him, allowing him to gift her with his strength. His eyes slipped closed as he attacked her mouth, his tongue exploring as far as he could reach. Out of a bit of reluctance, he had to admit that the girl was rather pleasing to taste, enough so that he could feel his body responding to her. It was a good thing, too, since he had feared that their dislike for one another would lead to them both unfulfilled and laying in his bed blaming the other for the embarrassing event. Especially when he felt her arms snake around his shoulders, the fingers of one hand digging into his shoulder, while the one tugged at his haori—and, for a moment, he found it a bit surprising that she was so eager to feel his flesh.
A moment later, however, the thought was swept away when her tongue tangled around his. The feeling that shot through him forced his hand, causing him to release the hand he had captured to drag her to him in favor of grasping her hip. His other slid up from its position beside her thigh, tugging at her obi for a second, before retreating further, finding a place to settle at the base of her neck. He allowed himself the pleasure of tilting her head a bit more, diving deeper into her mouth, demanding dominance the longer the searing kiss lasted.
His fingers dug into her hip, feeling the curve through the thick kimono that she was wearing. However, his mind was more set on pulling her closer, forcing her to grind against him, to heighten their pleasure. He was delighted when he did, too, though he had not expected her to suddenly press her weight into him, forcing him to sit upon the bed at his back. She climbed into his lap shamelessly, pulling her lips away from his to gasp for air, even as she continued digging her nails into his skin. Knowing that it would take her a moment to catch her breath, he trailed his lips over her chin, down her jaw, and placed open mouth kisses along the length of her slender neck. His hand did not leave its position on her hip, directing her, but he was surprised when she pressed down against him without much thought.
"For as much as you hate me," he mumbled against her flesh, "you do seem rather eager now."
She tilted her neck for him a little more, and what she mumbled back sounded a lot like she wished him to shut up. However, he ignored her words, bringing his hands to her shoulders, pushing at the kimono that hid her from his sight. He was not stupid enough to have never noticed how beautiful she had become, but he was also not stupid enough to have been dragged into her charms. As he pushed and pulled the unbelievable amount of layers over her slender shoulders, allowing it to slip as far as it would go—which, he hated to admit, was not nearly far enough—she pushed at his own haori. He would deal with her obi later, spreading her kimono open the rest of the way when he felt like finally sinking into her tender core, but for now he was pleased with the great deal of breast he was being presented.
He smirked against her neck when she moaned, turning to a mass of feminine goo in his lap. He was actually rather surprised with how well she was responding, since she was constantly glaring or yelling at him whenever she was given the chance. He had never suspected that she would wish to dive into the pleasure he could give her because of a little kiss. And, he darkly chuckled to himself; he was rather pleased that he had found a way to shut her up. Now that he knew the way to stop her from arguing with him, or demanding something of him, he would be able to use it more often—and he would gain something out of it for himself.
Skimming his hands over her soft skin, retracing the path that her kimono had taken, he was pleased when she pressed forward. Her hot flesh rubbed heatedly against his, and he pulled away from her soft skin for a moment to softly announce how much the action had pleased him. However, he was shocked when her entire body pressed against him, her hands clinging to his arms to press her flesh against his, her lips seeking out his neck. She placed long, wet kisses along his neck and shoulder, sometimes lightly tracing patterns along his skin with the tip of her tongue. Though he felt his body responding to her advancement, his eyes narrowed, his mind retreating away from the heated caress that she offered him.
As her hands ran along his arms and chest, he found it rather odd that she was forcing her dominance upon him. She was tasting him with her mouth and tongue—and it felt fucking fantastic—but it was odd that this early in their coupling she had taken over so quickly. Was she not supposed to be some modest virgin that should be guided by his hand? Was she not supposed to be trying to hide her virgin flesh from his gaze, unsure of how he would take her tender, unsure responses? Was she not supposed to be a virgin gracing his bed?
Shocked with his response to his questions, he felt like hissing madly at her. His body was recoiling, his unanswered questions causing his arousal to die—his flesh to turn cold. Instead of allowing her to continue, or hissing as he wished, though, he decided on speaking. "You know, it is rather strange that someone of your… condition would be so forward in offering her body," he grunted. "It almost makes one wonder whether or not you have been truthful to those you care for."
She stilled against him, her lips no longer burning a path down the skin stretched over his chest. He was almost disappointed in that fact, but decided that it was not something that he should be worried over. Her sudden stillness was telling him everything, and in the morning he would demand that action be taken—however, his thoughts halted when she raised her face to look at him. Her face was contorted in shock, her mouth hanging open, as her eyes searched his face for the answer to her silent question. He merely sneered at her, causing her to tense further, draw herself from his lap, and grope at the front of her kimono to straighten it back over her pale breasts.
"You…" she began. "How… How dare you…?"
Her voice had risen in challenge, and he refused to allow her to win. "It is also rather strange that you are so quick to defend yourself. Perhaps you are not as pure as you make yourself out to be?" he tilted his head to the side, forcing his face to remain stoic.
"You," she hissed, her dark eyes narrowing. "How dare you question my word? No, how dare you question the word of my father!"
"Simply because your father believes it, does not mean it is true," Neji replied.
She looked absolutely furious, the hand holding her kimono closed clenched so tightly her knuckles were white. She backed away from him, and he was not surprised when she looked ready to slit his throat. However, even as she began to speak again, he refused to apologize for the actions that he believed were clear signs that she had experienced pleasure with another male.
"How dare you?" she seemed to favor the sentence at the moment. "How dare you? I wished to find something pleasurable about this situation, and you… you throw it back in my face. I wished to find some reason not to hate this place, but all you wish to do is throw accusations at me! I wished to find a way to make this… this prison seem more bright, but all you wish to do is provide me with more reasons to hate you. And I do, Hyuuga Neji, for it is you that keeps me here—you're the blasted lock that will keep me imprisoned here, and now I will have nothing to make the rest of my life seem less miserable!"
Neji scoffed as the blasted wench flung herself from the room. She obviously did not wish to let him see that he had made her cry, but the sound of her sobs retreating down the hallway was enough to tell him that she was. He sighed, for perhaps he had been too blunt in his statement—or perhaps he should have used her to check before he accused her of it. He nearly scowled at himself for thinking such a thing, though, for he would not use any woman, even her—especially not the wife that was supposed to be pure upon entering his bed.
Glancing toward the door, wondering where she could have gone, he decided that for now he would not allow himself to feel guilt over it. She had been the one to decide to be forward with him, even if she was a virgin, practically screeched in his ear, and then fled into the darkness of the night. It was her own fault if she got lost—and he was not going to coddle her for the rest of her life.
She refused to allow him see her cry—to let him know that he had hurt her. She was so stupid—she had known that trying to prove to him she would be a good lover would be thrown back in her face. But, as she felt sobs begin to escape her throat, she moved faster. She absolutely refused to allow him see her cry, to let him see the tears he had managed to spill over her cheeks once more. And damn it, why was it that he was one of the few people who could make her cry so easily? She had never understood why, but she still refused to let him see her shed tears—because, damn it, she was a kunoichi, and one of the very first things she had learned was not showing her emotions to her enemy.
Her feet guided her away from the room hidden within the large Hyuuga Mansion, traveling wherever they wished. She had never been allowed to accompany her father to the estate, so she did not know where she was, but she did not care. For all she cared, at the moment, an enemy shinobi could come crashing through the wall after her blood. At least then she would have something to pull her mind away from the event that had just taken place—though, no matter how many times her clothing ripped, it was still embarrassing to become practically naked during battle. Yes, she had allowed her husband to pull the fabric from her body, but she was not too keen on letting the front of her kimono out of her grip anytime soon.
Reaching up, she wiped at her eyes lightly with her sleeve. A sarcastic smile spread across her face as she did so, because she could clearly remember the last time she had cried so hard. She had been wearing a kimono then, too, because she had been told that she would be going with her father to the execution of Hyuuga Hiashi—which, she learned later was truly Hyuuga Hizashi, his brother, taking his place. She remembered asking her father for permission to see his son, who she had met a few times, since she knew they were to be married. It was there that she always stopped thinking about the event, since the young, distressed Hyuuga had snapped at her as if she was not good enough to walk in his presence. She had been unable to control her tears that day, wondering why her future husband hated her so, before she told herself that if he wanted to play mean, than she would too.
Caught up in her memory, Kagome gasped when she ran into something solid. Her feet instantly pushed her backwards into a defensive stance, but she relaxed when she realized she was looking up into the face of her husband's uncle. Having no ill will toward him, she bowed at the waist, making sure to keep her kimono wrapped around her breasts. "I am very sorry, Hiashi-sama. Please forgive me for my rudeness, and not having paid attention to where I was going," she sighed.
"There is no damage."
She forced down the urge she had to bristle, since men had constantly spoken down to her. However, she recognized the wise, head voice that he had established for himself, and it reminded her a bit of her father. Her father always spoke as if he was one step ahead of everyone else—always holding a secret card up his sleeve incase anyone decided to become snippy with him or his decisions. They spoke like superiors because they were superior to the others in their clan, and there was no reason for her to lose her cool in front of him—besides, she did not want to leave that impression on him.
"May I ask where it is you are going?" Hiashi questioned. "I had thought my nephew would be able to keep his tongue long enough to last the night, but it appears that I have underestimated him again."
"Please," she forced, "do not think ill of him. The fault is mine on this night, since I had thought the actions I took would please him. However, all I have managed to do is make him think I am not worthy of his presence."
Hiashi smirked a bit, "It is not becoming for you to lie."
"But, I am not—"
"I have been around women long enough to know by your eyes alone that he has hurt you," Hiashi stated. "Neji is often times blind to what is directly in front of him. You have run from the problem, most likely causing him to turn away from the truth a bit more. However, I will not tell you what is right and what is wrong, for it is your own problem to deal with after this night."
She tilted her head up, looking into the elder Hyuuga's intense gaze. She did not quite understand what he was trying to say—mostly because he seemed to have twisted his words to say he would not help her, yet he had. However, as she tilted her head back down, she was thankful that he was not going to press his opinion down on her shoulders. He was going to allow her to decide what was best in this situation—and she was pretty sure she was not going to do what he would have saw fit, since she was not going to go crawling back to that demented Hyuuga. "Thank you, Hiashi-sama," she replied.
She glanced up again when his hands landed on her shoulders, and she blushed lightly when he pulled at her kimono to straighten it back out. After he was done, she released the vice-like grip she had had the material in, and remained standing before him. Her father had always told her that she was to stay until she was dismissed, and even if the man was not her father, she would follow the orders that had long ago been craved into her mind. Besides, the Hyuuga Clan was her home now, and she knew that having the surname meant she would follow the rules of their household—she would follow the orders of the man before her.
His hand lightly landed on her arm, and she was surprised when he moved to guide her down the hall. "Come," he said, "we'll find you a place to stay until you have decided to give Neji another chance."
She felt tears gather in her eyes again, as he led her toward a room ready for occupation. She lowered her head so that her dark locks covered her eyes, trailing over her shoulders—and she realized that that demented Hyuuga had somehow managed to unhook her hairclip without her notice. However, even though she was cursing at herself for not paying attention as much as she should, again, she felt the silent tears begin to streak over her cheeks. "Thank you," she whispered again, and remembered to say it once more when he left her inside a cozy little room.
Kagome did not bother to remove the heavy, bothersome kimono as she climbed into the welcoming bed. She curled into herself, her mind returning to the damned man who put her in this strange place with nothing to give her comfort. She did not cry anymore, not because she did not have any more tears, but because she refused to cry anymore. She would not cry over that blasted man—she was a kunoichi, and she would prove to that Hyuuga that she was very determined and stubborn. She would prove to him that if he did not care, she did not care. She might be trapped here because of her marriage tie to him, but she would not become some docile woman that stayed within the household—especially not now.
"What's it like being the Hyuuga Head?"
Neji shrugged, "Bothersome."
Naruto nodded, "I bet. You probably have as much paperwork as Tsunade-baa-chan." A smirk spread across his face, "But I bet that's not so bothersome once the night roles around, is it?"
"I wouldn't know," he scowled.
Naruto blinked, "What do you mean, you wouldn't know?"
Neji cast his eyes over the blonde, before taking another sip from the cup in his hand. He knew that the other shinobi was not dense enough to not be able to figure it out. Besides, he was not going to blurt it out—not in this public setting—even if he was growing more and more irritated with that blasted woman. He had realized the day after she had refused to stay in their bed that he could not demand their marriage be broken—he had no proof, and could very well be wrong. He doubt he was, but there was still a possibility that she was indeed a virgin—an extremely eager one.
"Holy shi—" Naruto could barely contain himself. He only stopped talking because of the glare he received from the newly appointed Hyuuga Head. Then, oh then, he began to laugh, making sure to hit his fist on the tabletop a few times. "Holy—what the hell did you do, scare her off? Or," Naruto continued to laugh, "did you show her something that didn't impress her and she decided she wanted nothing to do with you?"
Neji glared a little harder. "I did nothing of the sort."
"Well, then what did you do?" Naruto pressed. "Come on, oh genius Neji, spill!"
"I not do believe my private affairs are any of your concern," Neji tried. He cast his eyes around, noticing that many around them had turned to stare, before returning to their business. The exact reason he had chosen this spot was so Naruto would not draw attention to them in case he found out, but it seemed that his efforts were for nothing. The blonde could go nowhere without drawing attention to himself.
"Hm," Naruto grinned, his eyes thoughtful. "I know what you did."
Neji decided that he hated that look in his companion's eyes. Naruto was always bright, always smiling; yet there were times when he got that look that told others that he knew more than he let on. He was hardened to the world a bit more than anyone else could ever say they were, but he knew how to hide it. Yet, no matter how much he hated that look, he could not walk away without the blasted blonde following him, so he decided to indulge him. "And what," he asked, "is it you believe I did?"
"You said something that pissed her off," Naruto stated.
Neji huffed. Sometimes he wished he had never met the man sitting across from him. And, sometimes he wished that the man sitting across from him had never met his wife. Clearly, he knew far more about her than Neji could have ever said he did—and that was saying something, since not long ago he had thought he knew everything about his most hated enemy. Oh, how he wished, though, for the new look in Naruto's eyes told him that the blonde now knew he was correct in his assumption.
"So," Naruto drew out, "whadya say?"
"As I said, it is not any of your concern," Neji scowled.
Naruto rolled his eyes at the response. "Come on, if you won't tell me, I can always get Kagome to. I saw her hanging around Hinata and Sakura earlier this morning, and she looked ready to do something drastic—like impale herself onto a sword, or you on it, most likely. I could probably figure out where they went, and I'm sure that she'd be more than happy to tell me what an ass you are for doing whatever it is you've done."
Neji almost sighed. He had often times seen Naruto interact with his wife since they had met, unfortunately because of him, and they appeared to be close. No doubt the blasted wench would tell the blonde everything, and no doubt he would come skipping back, grinning like he owned the world. Then he would laugh at him, either telling him how stupid he was—because she was obviously a beautiful woman—or telling him that he needed to suck it up and figure out the truth. Damn it, he already knew that, he did not need for Naruto to start on him when he was already second-guessing himself.
"Well?" Naruto asked.
"She decided to be very forward on our wedding night," Neji stated, a bit of strain clear in his voice. "I had not expected for her to suddenly wish to jump into my arms, not with our past, so I pointed it out to her. She did not take it well, and has not spoken with, or come near me, since the incident."
Naruto eyed him, disbelief clear on his face. "Liar," he huffed. "You had to have said something really, really insulting for her to do something that drastic. Hell, she hated Sasuke-teme for the first few weeks after she met him, but she forgave him for treating her like a second-class citizen. There's no way she would try to avoid you unless you said something really, really bad. So spill, what was it?"
"I told her—" Neji was not able to finish his sentence, as his head snapped up. He blinked, as the woman—who just had to show up at the most inopportune moment—thrust her hand into his face. His eyes flickered to the scroll held between her fingers, but his gaze was drawn more to the black outfit clinging to her body—and why the hell was she wearing a mask over the lower half of her face? Apparently, he realized a moment later, he had waited too long to respond to her, because the mask moved into what appeared to be a scowl, and she threw the scroll onto the table.
"Kagome?" Naruto asked softly. At that moment it was clear how much Kakashi and Jiraiya had influenced his life, because his eyes racked down the form-fitting outfit clinging to her flesh. Crap, what she was wearing resembled the ANBU training gear—which would not be hard to believe, since she had silver guards on her arms and legs, a sword on her side, and that mask looked suspiciously like Kakashi's. Hell, that would make it even worse, since not even he had ever managed to get that damn thing off Kakashi's face.
"What is this?" Neji asked, his eyes narrowing.
She straightened, as if she had been waiting for him to ask her to speak. "That, dear husband, is the details on the mission that I just received from Tsunade-sama," she stated in a monotone voice.
"Then why are you dressed—" again, he was not able to finish.
"It is appropriate attire for one of my status," she replied.
"Kagome," Naruto blinked, "you're only a chuunin."
She chuckled lightly. "I am afraid you are mistaken, Uzumaki Naruto. As of today, I am a special S-ranked shinobi. After all, why would one such as myself continue to go on missions that are clearly far too simple for my skills?"
Neji scowled darkly at her, "Why did you not discuss this with me?" Damn woman, she said she knew her place, yet clearly she did not! She was supposed to be helping him continue the Hyuuga line, not gallivanting around on dangerous missions. Damn it, she could get herself killed going on S-ranked missions—and, if god forbid, she did die, how the hell was he supposed to create the next heir to the Hyuuga Clan? Seriously, did she expect him to suddenly be able to reproduce on his own?
She leaned over the table, her dark eyes boring into his light ones. "I just did," she stated mockingly. Almost instantly she straightened herself back into a standing position. "And, perhaps, I would have discussed it with you sooner, dear husband, but it was clear to me that you have other pressing matters to take care of. However, my father, and especially Hiashi-sama, thought it would be an excellent idea, since I have obviously been wasting my talents on such easy missions. With so much support behind me, I simply could not pass up the opportunity again when Tsunade-sama requested my services."
Again, Naruto spoke up, "Kagome, you said that you would never—"
"Now, if you will please excuse me, I must be going," she continued. "I would not wish for Tsunade-sama to think that the Hyuuga Clan thinks themselves so much higher than any other that we cannot even arrive on time. And, though I no longer hold my surname of Higurashi, I am sure my father would be very disappointed to know I have soiled the Hyuuga name should I do such a thing." With that, she turned on her heel and retreated to the door in order to leave.
Neji scowled a bit more, popping open the seal on the scroll before him.
Naruto swung stunned eyes toward his friend, "Holy crap! You must have pissed her off a lot more than I thought!"
"Apparently," Neji said, "she will be out of my hair for a week."
Naruto did not pay him much attention as he continued, "Man! I don't think I've ever seen her that pissed off before. Seriously, I didn't think that she'd suddenly decide to go against her vow of, 'I'll never be an S-ranked shinobi', to Tsunade-baa-chan. What in the hell did you do?"
"Apparently," Neji almost sighed, "telling her that you think she might not be a virgin upon her wedding night is one of her buttons." He watched as Naruto's eyes widened to an almost unbelievable size after he explained, before the blonde started to allow his jaw to drop. And he was almost prepared for the shouting that started up a moment later.
"How much of an idiot are you?" Naruto roared. "You're supposed to be a genius, Neji! You don't go around telling women that you think they might have had sex with other men besides yourself! You make sure they have before you go spouting off! I mean, come on, did you even think before you asked her that? No, wait, don't answer that! Of course you didn't—because, if you had, she wouldn't be going on a mission that could possibly get her killed!"
Thus, the yelling continued, Naruto's voice rising to a degree that had many of the other patrons staring in their direction. They appeared confused, so Neji could be glad that they had not heard the reason behind Naruto's sudden shouting. However, as the blonde ranted on the dos and don'ts, he wished that he had not even brought the subject up at all. No, he decided after a moment, he wished that he had plunged a kunai into that blasted woman's cold, black heart long, long ago.
Releasing a large sigh, she reached up to rub at her temples, before turning to glare at the woman smiling at her. Damn Shizune, always bringing her more paperwork to sign, when it was clear that she just wanted a break. However, there was nothing she could do but huff as her assistant set down another stack of papers onto her already cluttered desk. Well, that and wish that she had a nice bottle of alcohol hidden somewhere in her desk—unfortunately, Shizune had found it, so her thought was left as wishful thinking.
"Tsunade-sama," Shizune explained, "these just came in from Sunagakure. Gaara-sama apparently wishes for you to look over them and sign them in your free time. So, you don't need to look so down, you can simply do them later."
"As if it matters," Tsunade muttered. "Once I'm done with these, you'll just have more for me to do, Shizune. There won't be any free time."
Shizune shook her head, smiling a bit.
Tsunade watched as she retreated from the room, before returning to the paperwork set in front of her. As she continued to work, with what seemed like hours passing, she looked up a bit when she felt a shiver race down her spine. Not one to ignore her instinct, she quickly threw open a drawer, and reached in for what she knew was already waiting for her to find it. Tsunade narrowed her eyes when she drew out a packet containing three shinobi files and a detailed paper on the mission they had been set out on. The shiver worked its way back up her spine as she stared down at the faces, before she sighed to herself. "Wonderful," she muttered, "just what I needed, trouble."
The Godaime Hokage placed the file off to the side, knowing that she had set them out a little under a week ago. They were due back any day now with their report—and how she had been waiting for them, since it meant someone else would also be gifted with the horror of doing paperwork. However, she knew whenever she sensed trouble, and at the moment she felt there was about to be quite a bit. A mocking smile appeared on her lips, since she knew that Hyuuga Kagome was a very important person to the Hyuuga Clan at the moment—if she was even hurt, Tsunade would no doubt have more work forced upon her.
She scowled around the room, knowing that she should have listened to herself the first time. Yes, she had very much-wanted Higurashi Kagome to finally take a position fitting for her skills, but after her marriage to Hyuuga Neji, she had debated trying once more. She knew what her new position in life, as not only the heir to the Higurashi Clan, but also the wife to the Hyuuga Head, entitled her to do—but, no, Tsunade had decided it would be a good thing to send her off on a dangerous assassination mission. After all, she had told herself, she's too stubborn and far too gifted to possibly do something stupid enough to kill herself on her first S-ranked mission.
The doors to the Hokage office suddenly burst open, causing Tsunade to snap her head up. Sakura stood there, her face pale, and with a determination in her green eyes. "Tsunade-sama," Sakura cried frantically, "you're needed at the hospital! It's Kagome's squad—they've been injured, and Tadashi continues to mutter about Iwa-nin!"
Blast! For once Tsunade wished that her instinct could have been wrong. But, as she moved to her feet and swept out of her office, she decided that it did not matter at the moment. Because, as her voice rose to call forth those that she would need, no matter how much she would rather not have to do paperwork, or get that annoying shiver whenever something really bad was going to happen, at least she could prepare herself for it.
"Neji-nii-san," Hinata drew his attention away from his desk. "T-there's an ANBU here t-to see you."
Neji glanced up, wondering why an ANBU would seek him out at this hour in the morning. His mind searched through the possibilities, since it was clear that if anyone outside the clan was seeking him out, it was most likely under Tsunade's orders. "Send them in," he said after a moment. After all, if Tsunade was trying to contact him, then it had to be important.
The ANBU slipped into the room quietly, the fox mask keeping his face from view. However, it was what he said that pulled Neji from his seat without much thought. "Neji-sama, Tsunade-sama has sent me to inform you that your wife is currently being placed in intensive care at the hospital. She wanted me to stress that she will do everything in her power to keep her from dying, since it is clear that Nakamaru-san is on his last legs."
Hinata looked worried, "Neji…"
"Has anyone else been informed of what has happened?" Neji demanded.
The ANBU shook his head in the negative. "No, Tsunade-sama told me to report to the Hyuuga Clan as quickly as possible. She said that I was to bring you to the hospital for more information."
Neji snapped his head to Hinata, his voice hard. "Hinata, I want you to find Hiashi-sama, before going to inform Higurashi Hajime that his daughter has been injured. I want them both present within the hour, because I do not wish to explain what has happened more than once."
Hinata looked rather surprised with his order and tone of voice, but as she nodded, Neji allowed himself to be lead outside. He knew that his cousin would do as he asked, and though he suddenly felt like hitting himself for snapping at her, he knew that he was needed elsewhere immediately. After all, though he had never truly liked that blasted woman, he was still concerned for her health. He was not about to begin questioning himself on why he was concerned with her health, but he knew that he was. Besides, now was not the time to be questioning himself, though he had to admit, he could have ordered for her to tell Tsunade she would not be going on that mission—damn it, that was probably why he was suddenly so concerned.
He did not question the ANBU as he gripped his arm, for a moment later he found himself standing outside the hospital. He moved forward through the smoke, his eyes searching the area for anyone that might get in his way. He was going to get to the bottom of this, since Kagome should not have been injured unless she was surprised—she was said to be strong enough, after all—ambushed, or left behind when the odds were against her. However, when he slipped inside, he was not surprised to find a medic-nin waiting to usher him deeper into the hospital.
"You'll have to wait here, Neji-sama," the medic explained. "Tsunade-sama is currently in the operating room trying to seal up the wounds on Kagome-sama's arms and legs."
The medic left him standing in a white room, which allowed him a moment to ponder over her words. According to the ANBU who had retrieved him, her entire squad had been injured. If they had been attacked by enemy shinobi, why in the world had they only struck Kagome's arms and legs, while going for the kill with her other squad members? The only logical explanation he could come up with is that somehow they knew who she was and they had wanted to keep her alive. However, even that left with the question of who would ever want to kidnap the rude, loud-mouthed, stubborn woman that he had always known her to be?
He was not positive how much time had past, but he found himself soon enjoying the company of his uncle, his cousin, and an angry father. Higurashi Hajime could not seem to stay in one place for long, his eyes continuing to glare at the door that separated him from the rest of the hospital. For a moment, Neji wondered whether it was because his daughter's life might be on the line, or because he did not like his surroundings. After all, he was not one to be hypocritical, since he was not too fond of the settings surrounding him at the moment—hospitals were not on his favorite list.
It was not long after the Higurashi Head seemed to have worn a path into the floor that a medic-nin finally came to retrieve them. Neji recognized her after a few moments as his wife's mother, as she finally began to speak. "Neji-sama, Tsunade-sama has requested your presence at this time," she said softly, her voice obviously strained with worry.
Hajime's eyes narrowed, "Kun-Loon."
Kun-Loon shifted her eyes to him, before shaking her head. "Tsunade-sama has made it quite clear, dear. She wishes to speak with Neji-sama at this time, and she will speak with the rest of you afterward."
"But this is our daughter!" Hajime snapped.
Kun-Loon bristled, and it became apparent where Kagome had gotten her temper. "Don't speak to me as if I don't know that," she snapped back. "Now, please, be quiet and wait until Tsunade-sama has requested your presence."
Hajime literally growled in annoyance.
"Please follow me, Neji-sama," Kun-Loon said after a moment. Her eyes drifted to her husband's after she said so, a fire blooming in her dark eyes. "And you," she addressed him, "remain here until I come to retrieve you. Don't think for a moment that I won't use a sedative because I am married to you. I am under enough stress, so do not force my hand, Hajime."
"Damn woman," Neji heard the Higurashi Head hiss as he was ushered from the room. He smirked to himself for only a moment, glad to find that he had finally obtained something against him. After all, he doubted that many people knew that Higurashi Hajime could be controlled by his wife's temper—and she had always seemed like such a sweet woman.
"Tsunade-sama," Kun-Loon drew her attention. "I have brought Neji-sama, as you requested."
Tsunade nodded, before watching as the woman retreated from the room. Her eyes slid over the new Hyuuga Head, her thoughts swimming with possibilities of what had happened. However, she knew that what she did know would need to be relayed to the person that needed the information the most, since she had no doubt he would be present in the hospital for quite some time. "Neji," she acknowledged him.
"Tsunade-sama," he replied.
"I have managed to seal the wounds that your wife obtained, and it appears that her own healing capabilities are beginning to kick in," Tsunade stated. "Kun-Loon explained to me that her original family line is able to heal most flesh wounds—rather like a kekkei genkai. However, to what extent Kagome's wounds will seal over is a mystery at this moment in time, since even Kun-Loon was surprised to find Kagome had inherited the bloodline from her."
"Do you know what happened?" Neji asked. His voice was slightly demanding, but Tsunade figured it was most likely because of who he was asking about. She had heard from Naruto that it was hilarious that they were going to be married, since they had never seemed to like each other, but she had no doubt that they were at least human. No matter how much they might dislike each other, to find that the person who would grow to be the closet to them had been injured had to stir some type of concern in their heart.
"From the information we were able to receive from Tadashi before his death," Tsunade sighed, "it is clear that they were ambushed by Iwagakure shinobi. According to his tale, they had managed to complete their assassination of Yokubari Tatsuo, and were preparing to settle down for a night before returning home. Apparently, Denjiro Masaki had been forced to use up nearly all of his chakra against the mercenary, and Kagome had taken a hit to the shoulder early, causing her to lose quite a bit of blood.
"They had found a secluded area for the night, when Kagome said that she felt like something wasn't right. Tadashi tried to tell me that Masaki wanted to right it off as some type of anxiousness—something about her wanting to return early to her new husband. Kagome tried to tell them that she was not joking, when they were attacked from almost every angle by weapons. Tadashi said that there appeared to be twenty to thirty Iwagakure shinobi, but that there were probably more from how many Kagome killed trying to protect Masaki.
"Tadashi said that he found it odd that the enemy seemed more keen on immobilizing Kagome than killing her. According to what he told me, he realized after Masaki used the last of his chakra to try and defend himself that they were not aiming for vital organs when attacking Kagome. He seemed to have finally realized that they were there to kidnap her, so he attempted to use a more advanced fire jutsu even with his injuries. Kagome tried to treat him, but from what he explained, he had to knock her unconscious to keep her from injuring herself further, and possibly staying to make sure he could escape.
"Tadashi was not sure if they were followed, but he did know that Kagome was losing a lot of blood the more he traveled. He also knew that Kagome had used one more jutsu than she should have, since she awoke not long after he fled and teleported them as far as she could. Tadashi attempted to describe most of the event, but his tale was broken. Considering his condition on arrival, I was not shocked to find that he could barely speak," Tsunade finished.
"What are your thoughts on the matter, Tsunade-sama?" Neji asked after a moment of silence.
"My thoughts?" Tsunade chuckled. "I am almost positive that someone within that group knew that Kagome had married into the Hyuuga Clan, to someone who had the bloodline strong in their veins. They most likely thought that she had already conceived by now and wanted to get their hands on the child—though, from the examination I did, they would have found themselves disappointed and probably would have killed her in the end."
Tsunade's face turned grave, "But, of course, if my suspicion is correct, that means that someone alerted them of the marriage. I have already informed Ibiki that he will be working overtime, since I want every shinobi that was available at the time to be questioned. I don't care who they are, I will not have traitors in this village." Her eyes narrowed at the thought, since she would not allow anyone to harm the village that she had helped revive itself. She had entered the village when people had been trying to rebuild after Orochimaru's attack, and she had grown to care for it once more. No one would escape her if they wanted to harm even those who had not been born into the village yet.
She glanced back at the Hyuuga genius, and noticed the calculating look in his eye. "At the moment there is nothing more I can do for your wife," she explained. "I have sealed her injuries and stabilized her by beginning the blood transfusion. Her chakra was already beginning to replenish itself by the time she arrived, so I would not be worried with that. However, the rest is up to her at this point, since it is not clear if she will awaken tomorrow or three years from now."
"I see," Neji strained. "Do you know what brought the coma on, Tsunade-sama?"
"No," Tsunade shook her head. "I can only guess that she exhausted herself into the state, or it could have something to do with healing abilities that suddenly appeared in her blood. Kun-Loon told me that with more serious cases in her family, the members would often times sleep in a state close to death until they were completely healed. How long that takes, though, depends on the person."
Tsunade dismissed him not long afterward, feeling the weight of the situation press down onto her shoulders. She had noticed the way Neji had stiffened with the news, and sent him off to visit the woman meant to share and enrich his life. Of course, from what she had heard from Naruto, she doubted that it would happen instantaneously, but Kagome's nature would have surely affected any man in some way. Now, though, she feared that she had made a grave mistake when choosing Hyuuga Kagome to go on such an important assassination mission after her marriage.
Quietly, Hinata stepped into the room that she knew her cousin was occupying. Her eyes cast silently over the woman lying motionlessly in the bed before his chair, taking in the tubes and machines helping her through her time. However, though the fact that her friend was beyond her help hurt, she was concerned for her cousin just as much. So, she called out to him, "Neji-nii-san."
"What is it, Hinata?"
The softness of his voice almost caused Hinata to cry a bit in fear for him. She did not know what it was he was feeling, but she knew that whatever brought him here most of each day had to be hard for him to carry alone. Her cousin had never been told after his father's death about his arranged marriage, for her father had hoped that the Higurashi family would take pity on the young boy. He had cursed Kagome's name, stating that the girl knew nothing but losing anything in her little pampered life, and continued to do so for as long as she could remember. However, despite the fact that she knew her cousin did not like her friend very much, she knew that he was probably placing the blame of her injury onto himself.
She had been placed into his care as his wife, he had allowed her to go on her mission, and thus he had failed her. Hinata was not blind to that fact, but she knew that it had been Kagome's decision—a decision that she had hoped would make Neji see what was in front of him—to take that mission. Kagome had been the one to place her life in danger. Yet, Hinata knew that no matter how much that was as true as the fact Neji should have told her 'no', her cousin must be beating himself up inside.
"Father and I," Hinata began, "w-we're worried about you."
Neji chuckled, causing Hinata to shiver at the sound. "I am fine, Hinata. There is no need to worry about me."
Hinata frowned, "Neji-nii-san, y-you've been acting very strange lately. Y-you have been neglecting your head duties, a-and you are constantly come here. I-I know that it must be hard for this to happen, but I k-know that Kagome would not want this. She would r-rather you think of things that are important t-to you, instead of worrying over her health constantly."
"At the moment," Neji sighed, "this is important to me, Hinata."
"B-but you and Kagome have never—"
"I decided," Neji cut her off, "that I wish to be here when she awakens. I might not like her very much, but I was very rude to her and her family, and this became the result. If we are to be bound to one another until we die, I decided I would rather not have to worry about a weapon stabbing me in the back one of these days because of something I said."
Hinata blinked, "O-oh. You want to a-apologize?"
"I suppose," Neji nodded. "I would rather have a relationship that benefits me, instead of one that I must constantly question at every turn."
Hinata smiled. He might not say it, but she understood that he wished to make amends. She was happy he did, too, since she had not been happy when she learned from Kagome the reason she was sleeping in a guest room. Neji might not like her very much, but he could have been respectful to the fact that she was now his wife, the person that would always stand by his side. Hinata had wanted to talk to him about it, but Kagome had asked her not to, saying that she would handle in her own time and in her own way—she would prove to him she was worth trusting.
Neji turned to look at her, asking, "Would you like to sit with me, Hinata?"
Hinata nodded, stepping forward in order to do just that. She took the chair at his side, allowing her gaze to shift over her friend's body. She looked so peaceful, almost happy as she took in each breath of fresh air. As Hinata looked on, she realized that Neji had taken the flowers that she had been holding—having brought them when she realized where she would be going. She watched as he placed the vase onto the table at Kagome's side, before taking his seat once more.
Silence reigned for some time, cloaking the room in a deep fog of it that could not be broken by anything on the outside. Hinata took small glances at Neji's face, watching him the best she could as she silently prayed for her friend's health. She saw that Neji stared intently at Kagome's face, as if willing her to awaken with his gaze alone. She wished that it would work, but knew that there was a small chance of it actually happening.
"Neji-nii-san?"
"Yes?" Neji asked, flickering his eyes toward her.
"U-um," Hinata blushed a bit, "did you know that Ka-Kagome is rather fond of silver trinkets?"
Neji raised an eyebrow, "She is?"
Hinata nodded. "Yes. S-she is also rather fond of flowers and little furry animals."
"Hn."
"I-I think that Kagome would like it i-if we were to make sure the flowers in the room are always fresh," Hinata smiled a bit. Her knowledge about her friend might help her cousin some, though she had been nervous to break the silence between them. "S-she might also like it if we went to the market and picked up s-something silver for her. She is m-mostly fascinated with the pieces that are in kanji shape."
A small smile appeared on Neji's face. His head tilted down, as he said, "Thank you."
A flutter of movement caught the medic-nin's attention. However, when the movement did not repeat itself within a few moments, they turned their attention back to checking the patient's vitals. Once done, they moved to straighten out the blankets surrounding the young woman's body. The action alone caused a smile to split across their face, since it had been so sweet to see the woman's husband sitting at her side, brushing his fingers over the item he had placed around her neck.
A sigh left the medic-nin's mouth, feminine in nature, as she thought of just how sweet it had been. The dedication that that young Hyuuga Head showed for this woman was unlike anything she had seen in a long time. It was refreshing and new, and she wished the best of luck for him, since it was clear that he cared very much for the woman under her care.
Another flutter.
The medic-nin glanced up, her eyes searching the girl's face for a moment. However, when the young woman made no move again, she decided that it was most likely her imagination. Wishful thinking, truly. She so hoped, though, that this woman did wake soon. She hated thinking that her husband would spend his days cooped up in the hospital pleading silently with her to awaken for the rest of his life. Call her a dreamer, or old fashioned, but even though his dedication and loyalty simply made her swoon with the thought that perhaps one day she would have a young man who would do the same for her.
Another flutter.
Glancing up, the medic-nin decided that she was not imagining things as she first thought. She blinked at the young woman's face, watching closely, for she knew that she had not mistaken the third movement. Then, after a few moments, the young woman's brow crinkled inward, and her face scrunched up as if in deep confusion. Holding her breath, the medic-nin could not believe that this was happening on her shift, since things like this never happened around her.
Finally, the young woman opened her deep blue eyes slowly, blinking at the lights shining down upon her face. "W-where am I?" she asked softly, her unused voice strained and cracked.
Bringing her hand to her face, the medic-nin did not have time to reply to the young woman. Instead, she raced to the door and flung it wide open. Yelling, uncaring of the other patients at the moment, she called out, "Hurry! Someone get Kun-Loon! Or Tsunade-sama! Please, it's a miracle! Please, someone, she's awake!"
"They're gone?" she asked again, her voice very soft.
Tsunade nodded, "Yes. Denjiro Masaki and Nakamaru Tadashi are dead."
Kagome tilted her head downward, fingering the necklace that had been placed onto her. She lifted it enough so that she could gaze upon it once more, wondering who would be so thoughtful as to give her such a thing. The kanji was beautifully done, reading one thing: Sakimitama; love. And though she did not know where it had come from, since she certainly had not had it before her sleep, it comforted her in a small way.
"We have managed to apprehend the shinobi who leaked the information of your marriage to Iwagakure. However, I have left Ibiki on high alert in case we suddenly have Kumo-nin swarming the village," Tsunade smiled a bit in humor, trying to lighten the mood a tiny bit. The other woman was not looking at her, though, continuing to finger the necklace she wore.
Kagome sighed, "I am surprised that it was Iwa-nin that attacked us, since Kumogakure has been trying to get the secrets behind the byakugan for years."
Tsunade figured as much. Kagome was a smart girl; no doubt she had already pieced together the reason why the shinobi had wanted her. "Yes, though considering our history with Iwagakure, it is not a shock that they would wish to get their hands onto anything that would help them destroy us. Especially if they managed to obtain an unborn child that they could raise to serve them."
Kagome allowed a bitter smirk to cross her face. She had figured that was the reason the shinobi who attacked them had been trying to simply disarm and stun her. They would have been in a large shock when they found out that not only was she not pregnant with that demented Hyuuga's child, but she had not even lain in the same bed with him yet. Though, before they killed her, she would have gotten a good laugh when she saw the look that would have no doubt crossed their faces. "May I ask," she said, "who the person that leaked the information was, or is that confidential information that even the victim is not allowed to know?"
"I would hardly call you a victim," Tsunade snorted. "However, I see no reason why you cannot know, though that damn council will just have another reason to think they can get rid of me."
"I don't see why anyone would wish to get rid of you, Tsunade-sama. You are a great Hokage," Kagome stated. "But if someone does try, I am sure I could persuade the Higurashi elders to stand by your side. They are rather fond of me, and of you."
Tsunade snorted, because she doubted any of the elder council was fond of her. Especially after she had made it quite clear that she was not going to give up her position until she saw Naruto as the next Hokage. They had not taken that quite well, and still glared at her back whenever she decided to turn it. "I'll keep that in mind," she told her, though.
"I am afraid I pulled you away from the original topic, Tsunade-sama." Kagome glanced up a bit from the silver trinket around her neck. Her fingers, however, continued to play with the metal, turning it over and over in order to memorize the feel of it on her fingertips. "Forgive me."
"There's no reason to say you're sorry," Tsunade shook her head. "The man was an Iwagakure spy who had disguised himself as Kuran Yoshifumi. Ibiki, after a long interrogation period, managed to find out that his true name was Muna Senichi. He almost managed to escape detection, until Naruto," Tsunade stated fondly, "captured him. He was not happy to have been captured by him, but as Naruto said, he is the master of disguise."
"Indeed he is," Kagome nodded. Lifting her head completely, she asked, "Tsunade-sama?"
"Yes?" Tsunade replied.
"When will I be able to leave the hospital?" Kagome asked quietly. She turned her eyes to capture the Hokage's, while blocking out the emotions she knew were settled in their dark blue depths. Her heart might swell in pain at the fact that even after all she had tried, even after she had tried to warn them, the men chosen for the assassination of Yokubari Tatsuo had died, but as a shinobi she refused to show it in her eyes. To show emotion could get a person killed, and that rule was pounded into her head more than any other at the moment.
"Due to your healing abilities from Kun-Loon's family, I would say you are fit to leave now if you wished. Of course, you'll need to have one final examination to make sure everything is in order, and someone to sign you out," Tsunade explained. "I am sure that your mother would be happy to do both, if you wished."
"I do wish it," Kagome stated. Her fingers continued to tinker with the kanji around her neck, turning it this way and that. She hardly noticed she was doing it anymore, but as her fingers grazed over the beautiful word, her heart swelled again. Truly, in the back of her mind, she wished to know who had chosen to give her such a thing. However, the Hokage had refused to tell her the person's name, and hushed the medic-nin from earlier when she had tried to tell her. All she knew was the person had been male, which instantly ruled out her father—he was not the giving type.
No, her father was the giving type. After all, he had decided to hand his one and only daughter over to a beast. One that had nearly gnawed her head off because she had decided that she wanted to show him that she would be able to please him in some way. Surely her father would not have given his only daughter's hand to that demented Hyuuga if he were not the giving type.
"Is there anything I can get you?" Tsunade asked. It was the least she could do at this point.
"I would like to have my uniform, or one identical to it, given to me before I leave," Kagome replied. "If it is not too much trouble, Tsunade-sama."
"Your uniform was covered in blood and torn in multiple places," Tsunade stated. "However, I will see what I can do."
Kagome nodded, watching as the Hokage swept from the room. Her face turned downward to watch her fingers lightly graze over the kanji between her fingers once more. She waited, continuing to do so, before she finally turned her sight to the flowers at her bedside table. They were almost as beautiful as the necklace draped around her neck, but they would serve a better purpose in honoring those who had been killed in action. She would make sure that they got the chance to do so when she went to visit the memorial stone.
He stood still; watching as the woman below dealt multiple blows to the large log she had decided was her opponent. Her movements were quick, short jabs that barely touched the thin cushion protecting her hands from slivers. However, he knew that had the log been a person, and she knew the precise location of every chakra point, she could have easily disabled her opponent by now. In fact, she could have disabled her opponent multiple times over with each new stance she moved into, testing and training the style she used.
Another jab, followed by three short thrust of the palm of her hand, would have sent her opponent sprawling on the floor. The log was large and did not suffer such a fate, but it was not hard to see how such a blow would affect another shinobi. She fell back a ways, her foot slipping back behind her for a moment to propel her forwards, while chakra flooded into her right hand. Then, she set another jab to the center of the log, one that was coated in a thick layer of her chakra, and tore through the log as if it were butter. Truly a devastating attack that would have tore a shinobi in half, and it was clear that she had trained it to perfection to do just that.
Neji blinked, watching as she pulled her hand from the hole she had created. From the distance he could see the way her shoulders moved, the way fog formed before her mouth, hinting at her heavy breathing. She was hardly dressed for the cold she was subjecting herself to, yet she merely rolled her shoulders and slid into another stance with ease. It appeared that she was not going to give up on destroying the log anytime soon, yet after a few moments it became apparent that she had stopped all together. Already her form was becoming lax, her body finally sinking onto the ground below her, as she reached up to grip the silver kanji hanging from her neck.
She had been training the same way since she had escaped the hospital. She still refused to knowledge his existence, even when she was forced to sit beside him during meals or walked into the same room he occupied. However, it was not the lack of attention he received that concerned or interested him, since she had often times refused to knowledge he existed unless she was yelling at him before they were married. No, it was the way that she was suddenly pushing herself, going to the Hyuuga training area every morning and every evening until she exhausted herself.
Her decision did not concern him so much, but he knew that it worried Hinata. His cousin had spoken to him about it after Kagome had asked her to spar with her, only to ask her once they were there to use her Shugo Hakke Rokujuuyonshou against her. Hinata had objected until Kagome attacked her, forcing her to defend herself the best she could, until finally she relented and forced Kagome back with her ultimate defense. It was not surprising that Kagome had been unable to get at her any longer, but Hinata had spoken with concern about how much chakra Kagome had wasted trying to break through. And about the last attack she had issued—one that had caused Hinata to almost falter in her movements—because it had weakened her friend to the point that she could not stand on her own.
The woman below moved once more, causing Neji to shift his thoughts more onto what she was now doing. His wife appeared to be determined to do something, or master something. He was impressed with her commitment, but he did not enjoy hearing and watching her push herself beyond her limits everyday. As her father had said, her place now was standing at his side, pleasing him, birthing him strong children, yet still she did not seem to understand that. She was pushing herself to the point that she might very well cause an injury or place herself into the hospital again, and both options did nothing to help him.
Not that she was being very helpful in the first place. He understood now, after a brief discussion with her mother, the reason that she had snapped and distanced herself from him. However, despite the fact that he had been wrong, and her mother demanded he apologize for everything he had said, she made it difficult for him to even approach her. She refused to acknowledge him, refused to do anything that involved him, yet still she wore that necklace, refusing to take it off. Blasted woman was the most confusing thing he had ever encountered.
Kagome stood, her hand brushing her knee lightly. It took only a moment, but she slipped back into her fighting stance once it was over, her body ready to become the deadly weapon she was. She jerked forward after a brief resetting of her foot, her hands jabbing into the log repeatedly. She struck multiple times, before twisting her body and raising her foot to deliver a crushing kick. The chakra flowing through her body impacted the log, causing the area hit to cave into itself, the opposite side cracking outward with the force. Had her opponent been living, her blow would have killed them if they had no way to defend themselves.
Shaking his head slightly, Neji continued to watch her, his eyes taking in every movement that she made. The black outfit she wore hid nothing from his superior vision—not the way she shivered; not the way she shook lightly in exhaustion; and not the beauty waiting to be discovered when each piece of cloth was stripped away. As he watched, he wondered, his mind twisting and turning with possibilities not yet discovered.
She twisted around, her eyes widening when she realized who had teleported behind her. Her mind began to curse the blasted man, because he should have at least some manners. In fact, she knew he did, since he was always so polite whenever he spoke with anyone that was not her. Damn it, though, he must have known she was out here training, so what reason in the world did he have to scare the wits out of her? Especially since he was such a genius—he should known that she hated it whenever someone popped out of nowhere when she was concentrating on something.
"Is there something you want?" she asked after a few moments.
Her husband shifted his weight to his other foot, staring at her with his piercing eyes. A scowl appeared on her lips, since she always hated it whenever he looked at her like that. He had no right to think that she was beneath him, since she did have a higher rank than him and as his wife she was supposed to be his equal in some way. It appeared, however, that he still did not care for her, which was not surprising considering how long they had disliked one another. And it was not fair that he was gifted with the pupil-less eyes of the Hyuuga Clan, because she could rarely ever determine what he was thinking when he allowed emotions to race through the surface of his face.
"Yes," he finally said after a moment.
Frowning at him, she waited for him to continue. She realized after a few moments that he was waiting for a reaction out of her, though, and grabbed onto the side of her pants. Her nervous reaction was beginning to kick in, as she refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing her angry, again. He did not deserve to get any type of reaction out of her, especially not after what he did. However, standing there for a few minutes with his gaze settled on her, she finally snapped, "Well?"
He raised an eyebrow.
"What is it you want, dear husband?" she growled.
Neji shifted again, his tone hardening, "It is not what I want. It is what I'm going to get out of you."
"Oh, and what's that?" she glared.
"As the Hyuuga Head, I am ordering you to stop this foolishness," Neji stated. "I do not want to see you out here every day and night pushing yourself to the point that you can barely walk. Actually, I do not want you training as many hours at a time as you have since you were released from the hospital."
She bristled underneath her skin, staring into his eyes. She knew that he was dead serious the moment that he began talking again, and she loathed him at the moment. "And what," she began, "do you plan to do if I don't follow your orders, Neji-sama?"
Neji's eyes narrowed a bit, as he replied, "I will go to your father."
"What?" she hissed. "What are you, some type of tattletale? You plan to go to my father if I don't follow your orders? Do you think that at this point in time I actually care what my father thinks? Do you think that at this time I care if my father knows that I'm not following your stupid orders?"
Neji remained silent, staring at her. She hated that stare, and allowed her voice to raise a bit more. It did not matter to her if she caught the attention of the other people living in the Hyuuga District, because she was not going to stand for this. He expected her to listen to his orders after what he did? He was in for a rude awakening by the time she was finished yelling, because by then she would probably be ready to throw a few punches. He might be such a stupid, demented genius, but she was sure that she could manage to knock him down a few levels.
"For your information, Neji-sama," she continued, "I am doing this for myself, and my father has never gotten in my way when I push myself! You can go talk to him all you want, because even if he decides to suddenly change his mind, I'm still not going to listen to whatever comes out of his mouth! I'm not going to listen to a man that handed my life over to… to you, when I am trying to make sure that I don't see another person die! I don't want to be weak enough that damn Iwagakure shinobi attack me and I can do noth—"
Kagome gasped in surprise when he roughly snagged her around the waist, pulling her into his chest, as his mouth crashed against hers. She grabbed onto his arms, trying to pull away with the more passion that was directed toward her, because damn it she was supposed to be angry with him. The more he drew from her, though—the more his tongue demanded entrance to her mouth—she found herself submitting to him. A tiny whimper entered his mouth through hers when he managed to pry open her lips, demanding she give herself over to him.
Her anger slipped away as quickly as it had come, leaving behind only the want to experience this. For so long she had been waiting for the moment that she could experience what others spoke of, and she knew that she could only experience it with him. After all, though she had sometimes entertained the thought of defying her father's pact with the Hyuuga Clan by sleeping with their rival clan, which consisted now of only Uchiha Sasuke in Konohagakure, she doubted any other could make her feel this hot. Neji had a way with drawing out emotions in her that she did not even know she could feel, so she was not surprised that he sent her soaring with a single, demanding kiss.
A few tears escaped her eyes, even as she tugged desperately at the clothing that covered her husband's body. His hands were everywhere all at once, and fire sprouted throughout her system, so she gave no thought of what had happened before. This time he was not pushing her away with hateful words, and she could only hope that this time she could show him that she was not lying.
That she was worth something.
Softly, Neji allowed his fingers to draw through the thick mass of hair that extended from his wife's head. The black locks tumbled through his fingers with gravity, even though the sweat trapped within the strands caused it to slow in movement. His hand continued its task of touching every inch of her soft hair, while he drew her subconsciously closer by the hip with the other. His eyes never left the sight of the black strands tumbling across his fingers to the bed, but his lips twitched slightly when he felt her arms snake around his body, her hands trying to draw him a little bit closer.
How quickly the position had changed. She had drawn away from him within an instant, but just as quickly she had fallen back into his arms as if the event of their wedding night never occurred. Neji was quite surprised that she had forgiven him so quickly, since he was used to her drawing out a reason to hate him for quite some time. Of course, he knew that she might have simply done so because he always gave her reason to, but he was glad that on this occasion she had done otherwise.
Closing his eyes, Neji stopped his movement, merely cradling the back of Kagome's head against his chest. He could clearly remember how beautiful she had been while praising his name to the heavens, and he held onto it almost as violently as he held onto a moment of animosity with her. He held onto it because it was the first time he could ever remember him pleasing her, instead of simply making her angry with him. But, Neji knew without a doubt now that this would not be the last time he would please his S-ranked woman, because he planned on many nights of passion in the future.
However, as Neji began to drift into sleep, he knew that it was not her position in thinking that had changed quickly. He had dreaded the thought of marrying her, of being stuck with Higurashi Kagome at his side for the rest of his life. Now, though he knew that his view of her was only out of respect, he knew that a docile wife would have been nothing compared to her. She made him react without reason, without cause, and it was that fire between them that he knew would keep them together. Happy.
And, so he could get Hiashi and Hajime off his back, hopefully a child.
--Fin
Kiba: I figured that we stated with Neji, we should end with Neji. Despite how many times I have written the ending, I still cannot get him to do as I want him to. So, I have left it as it is because the blasted thing would not end. However, I hope that everyone who reads this has enjoyed it and I shall leave you with the knowledge that I look forward to hearing from everyone.
Kiba