The one

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

Chapter 9

Advice, Guns, and Love...Finally

The stars twinkled brightly in the sky. Hanabi and I were on the roof once again. It was our favorite sisterly pastime. We tell each other mostly everything on this roof, under the stars. So why couldn't I tell her what Mikoto said? Sasuke's and my heart are connected. Does that mean that he will ask me out? Or do I have to ask him? ... Oh stop it. I hit myself mentally.

"Hinata?" Neji's voice sounded distraught.

"What?" I asked, looking down at him. He stood on the balcony outside my room, looking up at us.

"I ... need your help."

After opening the wooden door I stared at the disaster. Neji's clothes were everywhere.

"Where are you taking her?" Hanabi asked. She and Neji were sitting on the bed.

"Movie and then dinner," he replied. His knee was bouncing up and down. The action was obviously annoying, but I decided not to say a word. Neji looked like he could snap from the excessive nervousness.

"Stop fidgeting! You're acting like it's your first date!" She screamed in his face. .... Geeze, Hanabi. What am I going to do with her?

"I ... really like her," he muttered, completely ignoring Hanabi. I smiled at him gently. Neji has never been the nervous type, so she really must mean a lot to him. Ahh! I can't wait! Maybe Hanabi and I will get a cousin-in-law soon! I smirked to myself as I rummaged through the tornado site that Neji calls his closet. Finally settling on three different outfits, I threw them on the bed next to him.

"You'll be fine. Now go get us a cousin-in-law." I grabbed Hanabi and pulled her from Neji's room so he could prepare without her interruption.

"You know, all stoic bastards seem to act out of character when they're in love." Hanabi's words stopped me. Love. Blood rushed to my cheeks. Damn it! Sasuke. My thoughts somehow always lead back to him again. I seriously can't get him out of my head, especially when I have to focus on other important things. POOF! There he is.

"HINA!" Hanabi screamed in my face. "Telephone!" she held the cordless phone out to me. I didn't even hear it ring. I reached out for the receiver slowly.

"Hello?"

"Hinata? It's Anko." ANKO! A smile brightened my face. Anko was one of the old police officers who had worked in Kohona and believed me about my powers. She was transferred to Suna six months ago. I haven't heard from her since she first settled there.

"How have you been?" I asked.

"I'm great, but can you come down to the station?" The station? She wanted me to go to a station that she was transferred from? She didn't come back did she?

"Sure. I'll be right there." Without a word to Hanabi, I grabbed my coat and ran out the door.

The inside of the police station looked just like it would in a movie. Officers were in uniform, drinking coffee and discussing cases amongst themselves. Mikoto appeared beside me.

"Hello dear, are you here to help Itachi today?" she asked.

"Not originally, but yes," I whispered. I didn't want to draw attention to myself. Crazy alert! "I haven't seen you in the past few days."

"I was wandering around, that's all. Did you miss me?" She smiled innocently.

"Yes ... I did. You remind me of her." I pulled my coat tighter around me. Ever since I left the hospital, I have been getting chills all the time.

"Her?"

"My mom."

"Dear I-" Mikoto was cut off by the voice yelling my name. Turning towards the voice, I recognized Sasuke's brother, Itachi.

"Hey," he smiled brightly. He's similar to Sasuke, yet not. I smiled back in greeting. I didn't have real time to talk to him. I had to find Anko.

"Do you know where Anko is?" I asked.

"You know the woman that he likes?" Mikoto whispered, even though she doesn't have to. I'm the only one who can hear her. Itachi likes Anko? ..... I thought after Ayame crossed over everything would be a little bit easier, but I guess I was wrong again!

"Yeah, she's in her office. How do you-"

"Thanks." I walked directly past him. Her office was only a short hallway away.

Glancing back I saw Itachi's frown. He'll be happy soon, they all will be.

"Hey, maggot!" Anko yelled as I walked into her office. She calls everyone maggot. It's her catch phrase.

"Are you staying this time?" I asked. My hands settled on my hips and I raised my eyebrow in suspicion.

"Yes, I'm staying in Kohona. Uchiha told me that you gave him some trouble." Her lips turned upwards to form a smirk.

"I was trying to help, but he didn't believe me."

"Yes well, ignoring him, can you still help with the case?"

"I would, but my job's done. Her soul crossed over already." I didn't hear what Anko said next because a bright light shown behind her. There were no ghosts here except Mikoto, but this light wasn't for her. Who was it for?

"Hinata? Were you paying any attention to me?" Anko groaned.

"No ... I'm sorry .."

"Is there a ghost here or something?" she asked. She knew me pretty well.

"Not yet ... but I think there will be."

"What?!" Anko looked scared. it was the same amount of fear she would have shown while looking into the face of Orochimaru. Ever since the incident three years ago, she has been afraid of ghosts. I promised her I would keep them a fair distance from her, but she still is afraid.

The center of the light began to turn red. The same color that Ayame was surrounded by before. A figure appeared and started walking towards me.

"Ayame," I whispered, staring at her.

"Thought you could get rid of me?" she asked. She looked the same way she did when I first saw her.

"No, just the evil you."

"About everything, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you in any way." Ayame frowned, her shoulders slumped. Somehow I knew she was truly sorry, maybe it was something in her eyes.

"It's okay. Pain is part of my job description." I smiled.

"We'll meet you at your apartment?"

"Yeah." Ayame disappeared and I turned to Anko.

"Let's go. We have a case to solve." Anko laughed at my words and grabbed her coat from the hook on the back of the door.

"I don't know how I survived at that station in Suna without you." I followed her as she weaved through the cubicles containing police officers.

"I always knew you needed me." I smirked. She hasn't changed in the slightest.

Itachi's vision hazed over as Anko walked by. He didn't even notice that Hinata was following behind her like a baby duck following its mother. Anko was the only woman that he ever wanted. In his eyes, she was perfect. Closing his eyes, he started to daydream.

Ring-ring!

"I never have time to daydream," he muttered, placing the phone to his ear. "Hello?"

" ..."

"What do you want Sasuke?"

"How did you know it was me?"

"Brother's intuition ... and caller ID." Itachi moved the phone between his shoulder and his ear so his writing hand would be free.

"I know you're probably going to rub this into my face until the day I die but -" Sasuke's voice hesitated on the line.

"Say it," Itachi's voice commanded.

"I need ... your advice." Itachi's reply shifted from pure silence to hysterical laughter.

"Shut up!" the phone fell from its perch and settled on the ground. "Bastard! Pick up the phone!" Itachi scrambled to pick up the receiver.

"Sorry, thanks for laugh ... no what do you need?"

"So, does it become clearer now?" Hinata asked Ayame. Ayame stared down at the spot of her blood on the floor. Her mouth dropped, she knew who killed her.

"It was Mizuki! Mizuki killed me!"

"Mizuki?" She had never mentioned the name before to me.

"Mizuki Higurashi?" Anko wondered out loud. "We still need evidence, Hinata. You know how it works," Anko reminded me.

"he was my ex-boyfriend." Ayame explained, quickly.

"Yeah ... let's go see him." I said.

Anko drove to where Mizuki supposedly lived. The door was unlocked, so we went in. Anko held her gun firmly in her hand while I looked around the place. It was a mess. I opened a door on one of the dressers, and it was filled with little bags of white powder.

"Drugs, should have known," Anko muttered, leaning against the doorway, checking into the hallway. I followed behind her every movement. Mizuki would probably be dangerous and we both knew it. The apartment was completely quiet … too quiet. A gun went off. He was shooting at us! Anko pushed me down and shot back. The bullet landed directly in the doorway where my head once was. Damn, that was close.

"We need back up!" she spoke into her radio.

"Roger that."

"We just want to talk to you," I said. Maybe we could persuade him to put down his gun. Anko looked at me curiously through the corner of her eyes. I shot her a smile of reassurance. Hopefully it will help.

"Anko called for backup," a police officer told Itachi as they stood outside the building.

"What are we waiting for?" Itachi yelled angrily. He grabbed his gun and ran through the doorway.

"Shut up! Get out of my house!" Mizuki yelled. He wasn't cooperating. His actions were not even close to cooperation. How terrible. Somehow we found a way to get closer to him, but unknowingly enough for me and Anko, he had moved after his outburst.

Mizuki lined up his gun to a perfect shot at Anko's chest. His finger tightened on the trigger, and the bullet shot out from the barrel. I turned my head and watched as it came out. I jumped, ready to throw myself in front of her, but I was too late. Someone else jumped in front of her before I could. Itachi. The bullet punctured his upper thigh, but in one spy-like move, he shot Mizuki back in the arm, making him drop the gun and writhe in pain.

Anko spun around and crawled swiftly to Itachi's side.

"Itachi! Are you okay?" Her eyes became watery and she placed his head on her lap. "Why did you do that? You're so stupid!" Anko glared down at him.

"Love makes you do stupid things." He whispered, smiling as much as he could since he was in a great deal of pain.

"You bastard!" Anko said. She pushed some of his bangs away from his eyes.

"I guess you really didn't have to do anything." Mikoto appeared next to me. She smiled at the pair. It was another one of her motherly 'I am so happy that my children are starting to be happy' smile

"Nope… nature took its course," I said, smiling a little bigger. You must admit Itachi and Anko looked cute together. It was a fact.

In a few minutes Mikoto disappeared and the paramedics appeared. They took both Itachi and Mizuki into the hospital.

I walked to Haru's hospital room. it was completely empty except for Haru's seemingly life-like body and Ayame. A light formed in the corner. It was the light for Ayame. She looked at it and then at me. A smile formed on her face.

"I don't have to push you into this light, do I?" I asked, smiling back at her.

"No, but I'm taking Haru with me." Ayame stood next to Haru, looking down at him lovingly.

"But he's not dead." She can't really take him with her unless he's dead now or almost dying.

"He has no family in this world anymore. I was all he had, and look at him. He doesn't deserve to suffer. Please Hinata, pull the plug for me." Her eyes begged me. I can't believe she is asking me to do this. What do I do? I looked down at Haru. He looked like he was in a quiet sleep. He was hooked up to all sorts of machines: a heart monitor and a breathing machine. He was suffering. Walking over to the left side of his bed, I closed my eyes and reached for the cord. I squeezed my eyes shut tighter, and pulled the plug out of the socket. The breathing machine stopped and so did his heart beat. In a small flash of light Haru's soul stood next to Ayame. He grabbed her hand immediately.

"Thank you," he said. "Ayame and I will never forget what you have done for us." Ayame nodded, smiling and they walked into the light together, hand in hand. I wiped the salt water from my cheeks. I didn't even realize I started crying. I slipped out of the room without the notice of any of the nurses.

I stopped my swift walking when I was at Itachi's hospital room. I looked in through the window. Itachi was asleep due to the medication. Anko was sitting in the chair beside his bed, her hand intertwined with his. I smiled.

"Interesting isn't it?" I turned to the voice that spoke behind me. It was Sasuke. His lips made a soft smirk, and his amused eyes stared at me.

"Yeah…" I whispered. My stomach filled up with butterflies in a matter of seconds. For the next couple seconds there was pure silence. What do I say?! Am I supposed to say something? Should I wait for him to say something? I glanced at him. It seemed as though he got closer to me without even moving. … Stupid butterflies and nervousness.

"Are you … umm… free tomorrow night?" Sasuke blurted out.

"YES! … I mean … yeah, I think so." I sure am smooth aren't I? Rawr! I am such an idiot. I looked down at the ground. He probably really thought I was the most stupid person ever.

"Okay, I'll pick you up at seven?" I looked up at him. He was smiling sincerely.

"Okay." I felt myself smile stupidly.

"Well, see ya." He walked into his brother's room.

"Bye," I whispered. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HE JUST … ASKED ME OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Today is officially the greatest day of my life. Wait … what do I wear?! Oh great.

End of chapter 9

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