The One

Chapter 8

It's Great Being Home

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

I lifted my hand to shield my eyes from the light. It was more annoying than blinding. The light dimmed away and I was able to see.

"Hello, Hinata Hyuuga." An elderly woman sat in a golden chair in the middle of the room. There were no windows but the room remained bright. The old woman's gray hair was tied into a tight bun with a black ribbon. The little girl from before, stood behind her. "You look exactly like your mother." She smiled at me kindly. My mother? Who is she?

"Who are you?" I asked.

"I am Kanna and this is Hikari. I assume you two have already met." She tilted her head back towards the little girl, and she nodded. Directing her focus back to me she continued to speak. "I am the guide to the souls who reside in this plane. I have been waiting for you."

"You ... you have been waiting for me?" My voice shook. What would the lost souls need a guide for? Hikari said that they can't leave here until someone sets them free. And how did this Kanna ...or whatever her name is know I was going to be here?

"Yes ... it's been twelve years since the souls who have resided her have been released. More have come in their stead, but the number of souls has decreased slightly." Kanna waved her hand and souls appeared all around us. They all stood shoulder to shoulder, forming a circle around Kanna, Hikari and I. Nothing else was visible besides the front row but I knew there were more behind them. "You seem to have realized your mission before your mother did."

"How did you know my mother?" I glared at the old woman. My mind didn't register if what she said before was a compliment or and insult.

"I only met her seconds after her death. She spoke to me once and then released all of the souls without my consent or knowledge." Her lips turned upwards into a smirk. Apparently she noticed my glare. "Unfortunately dear Hinata I was not expecting you for another seventy some years."

70 years? Nothing she said makes sense. After my mother died she came here and released the souls of the people trapped here. So that means that means I'm supposed to release them too. That still doesn't explain why I am here now and not in seventy years.

"Kanna ... I don't understand." I said. I felt like my head was spinning. All these questions seem to have no answers, and I don't know if I can trust this lady ... but I have no other choice.

"I am not aware of all the details but I have a way of helping." Her hand waved once again. All the souls disappeared and a table materialized in front of her. "I have to read your cards."

"Any ghosts give you any trouble lately dear?" Kanna asked, pulling out a deck of fortune telling cards. She handed them to me.

"One, her name is Ayame." I shuffled the cards and handed them back to her. Her hands shook as she laid out the cards out on the table. I watched her expressions change. She smiled, frowned and then smirked. I heard a giggle come from her throat, as I stared down at the cards. It felt like I was looking at a different language. My mother could read cards but that was another thing she could not teach me because of her premature death.

"What is it?" I asked. My curiosity was getting the better of me.

"You have a lover ... and a happy future with him." Crazy old guide lady, say what?! No! Damn it! Mikoto is right isn't she?! ... No it's not like it's fate or anything ... it's impossible. "See that's the loved one card and there is happiness." She pointed to the cards.

"This ghost? Has she turned yet?" Kanna asked. She looked up from the cards.

"No ... I don't know." My head started feeling numb. I grabbed my forehead hoping it would stop. The pains came back. They were worse this time. I just couldn't take it! "Excuse me!" My legs started moving. I ran and I ran. The doorways kept appearing before me and I continued to run through them. By now the adrenaline was pumping through my body. The pain felt numbing.

Another sharp pain stabbed through my brain causing me to fall. My short fingernails dug into the wall that I didn't know was in front of me. Trying to ignore the pain I took a real look at the surroundings. The walls were white similar to the hospital I was in before. There was a closed door down the hallway. It called out to me. Red light flashed form underneath it. I didn't have enough strength to stand so I crawled to the door. Something behind that door needed me. I just knew it. Every movement my body made the pain increased, but I kept going. Whatever or whoever was behind that door needed me!

My hand reached upwards, grabbing the door handle. With all the strength I had, I pulled down the handle and fell into the room clumsily.

"Her nails are bleeding!" Hanabi shoved Neji to get his attention. The two Uchihas and the two Hyuugas looked down at Hinata's body. What Hanabi said was true Hinata's nails were bleeding profusely.

"What is going on?" Sasuke grabbed Neji's shirt forcefully.

"I don't know, Uchiha. This scares us more than it scares you!" Neji glared and pushed Sasuke away from him. "This has never happened before. She has always been fine."

"Hello?" The strange red light has disappeared, just like the pain in my head. The room was pitch black. I couldn't even see my hand when I held it in front of me. "I know you're here ..." ... Somewhere. Where are you? A part of the room grew darker. "Are you trying to scare me?!" I laughed. Ghosts thought they were so scary.

"Are you scared Hinata?" A female voice breathed. I knew that voice.

"No, Ayame, I'm not." The room brightened to a normal light. I was still sitting on the ground the way I fell into the door. Ayame glared down at me. Her eyes blazed a fire red. She was turning. Her turning caused my pain. Is she the reason why I am here?

"You have to walk into the light Ayame, before you turn into an evil spirit. You are better than that and you know it."

"I don't think so ..." Ayame started to laugh. I'll push her into the light if I have to. "I won't leave him!" She screamed. In her rage she threw me against the wall. My back slid down to the floor.

"He would want you to walk into the light."

"Why?!" Ayame screeched at me. Her fingernails grew out to form claws. The red in her eyes turned a deeper ... blood color.

"Because he wants what is best for you. He loves you." I tried to reason with her. She was ignoring me. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed a light form behind Ayame. It was now or never. I pushed myself off of the wall and onto her. All of my body weight shoved into her changing form.

"You bit -" Ayame yelled. I watched silently as she fell into the light. Closing my eyes I laid back in relief.

"She's seizing! Take a step back!" the nurse commanded. The two nurses pushed Hinata's body back down against the hospital bed.

"Stop it! Help her!" Hanabi screamed. Tears threatened to fall from her eyes. At that exact moment Hinata's body stopped seizing. The nurses looked down in confusion. Her lavender eyes flickered open.

I stood in the middle of the room where Kanna had read my cards. All of the souls appeared around me like before.

"I release you." I watched as my words released the souls. They floated upwards into a tornado of light.

"See you in seventy years, Hinata." Kanna and Hikari waved goodbye as my sight of them faded.

I opened my eyes gently. I glanced carefully at my hospital surroundings. After this experience, I hate hospitals.

"Hey ..." I whispered to Hanabi. She was staring at me, tears falling down her face.

"Hina!" pushing past both of the nurses she threw her arms around me.

"I ... can't ... breathe" I gasped. Hanabi squeezed me even more. "Okay ... enough ... get off ... PAIN!"

"AH! I'm sorry ... I just was so worried about you." Hanabi let go of me. My eyes glanced past Hanabi and at Neji. Tears fell down his eyes as well. As shocking as a tearful Neji is, another sight was more surprising. Sasuke was staring at me. His onyx eyes pierced into my lavender ones. They looked relieved more than anything else. Was he worried about me? He smirked softly and walked out the door.

"But Sasuke ..." Itachi waved goodbye and followed his little brother out.

The nurses would not let me go home that night. I had to sleep in the hospital. My father walked into the room minutes after Sasuke and Itachi left. He insisted on taking Hanabi and Neji home, but they both refused.

I pulled the hospital sheets tighter around me and I smiled at Hanabi. She fell asleep in one of the chairs beside my bed. Neji closed the blinds gently, and took a seat in the chair next to Hanabi.

"What happened?" he asked.

"I went to the ghostly plane. Ayame caused it. She was turning into an evil spirit, but she walked into the light. There is nothing to worry about now." I smiled as truthfully as I could. Neji doesn't' have to know what really happened. He worries about me too much already. "Why was Sasuke here?"

"He saw us and came in. He was in a wheelchair. Something probably happened to him, but I never asked." Neji's eyes searched my face. He didn't believe me.

"Oh ..." I wonder what happened. I closed my eyes to sleep. Being back in my own body felt wonderful.

I got home the next morning. Since it was only Sunday I slept all day ... and I think all night because Hanabi woke me up the next morning.

"Hina?" Hanabi's voice called out to me.

"What?" I asked sleepily.

"You're going to be late for school again." Oh ... she was right. I always seem to be late for school. I tumbled out of bed and got dressed. Before I walked out of my room I glanced at my reflection in a mirror. I looked my normal pale color and but something was different. I straightened my bangs with my fingers. Miraculously my fingernails had healed since Saturday.

"Hinata! Come on, I'll drive you to school." Neji's voice yelled from the bottom of the stairs.

"Okay!" I yelled back.

I slowly walked up the steps into school when I heard Mikoto's voice.

"How are you feeling?"

"Good." Should I ask her about Sasuke? Would she know? "Umm ... Mikoto?"

"Yes, dear."

"Why was Sasuke in the hospital?" Mikoto smiled at me.

"He ... had heart pain ... because you were dying."

"What?" My eyes grew and my jaw dropped. There just had to be more things for me not to understand.

"He was having heart pains because you were dying. If you had stayed any longer on the ghostly plane you would have died." she repeated. "Fugaku had the same pains when I was dying. It simply shows the connection of the hearts of two people." Mikoto smiled brightly.

"I ... I have to get to class. I'll see you later." I walked away, my eyes firmly set on the ground. I weaved my way through the random people in the hall. Sasuke's heart and my heart are connected? Does that mean he's the lover Kanna saw in my cards? My feet took another step forward and the ground felt like it was taking a steep pull downwards. Before I could stop myself from falling, I closed my eyes. I was about to embrace the pain, but instead two warm arms wrapped around me.

"Hey, there was a step there you know." I looked up at Sasuke he wore the same soft smirk that he had at the hospital.

"I ... just didn't see it. Sorry." I mumbled turning my face away from him. He put me down gently on the landing. "We should get to class."

"Yeah ..." We walked to class together. Before we turned the corner I saw Mikoto wink at me. She was getting one of her wishes I guess. She still needs me to help make them happy and, since Ayame is in the light now, I can focus on the Uchihas. I glanced up at Sasuke and our eyes met again. I blushed but I didn't look away. Maybe one date with Sasuke wouldn't be that bad. It was great to be home.

End of chapter 8

Thanks for reading. I know I took awhile but I kinda lost what was supposed to happen next lol, but I found it. I think it might be the fact that Halloween is coming. Updates for this will depend on if I have free time or not. So I'm sorry to tell you all that you should not expect me to update soon unless I have a burst of inspiration that lasts like 15 pages. Anyway in this chapter some things were explained. Mikoto explains why Sasuke was in pain and the whole thing with the ghostly plane is over. Well anyway I hope you all like it and please review! XD

and to hopeful forgotten: thanks and i promise i will never ever ever do that again. lol and to everyone else who reviewed ...thanks ... i love reiviews XD