Neji slid the thin door to the side, taking light steps towards Hinata's bed. The room was virtually the same, although the childish decorations were at a minimum, it still smelled like lilacs and fresh linen, but the bed was different, a bigger one with a base of heavy mahogany.
"Her wedding bed, probably," Neji assumed.
He laid her down gently, and looked at her hands. The wounds had closed in the slightest degree, and the blood had already scabbed up around the corners. He sighed, thankful she was asleep, and moved to her nightstand, looking for her small pack of ointments. She had always kept some around, just-in-case, and, if memory served him, she kept it somewhere around here.
He pulled on the little wooden dowel and, with some effort, opened the second drawer. There it was, the small case, along with some gauze, and sturdier bandage cloth. He took out some cream for pain, an anti-septic ointment, and both the gauze and bandaging cloth, then set to work on her hands. He applied the thicker, anti-septic ointment first, then the cream, and wrapped her hands carefully. Her face was still streaked from the tears, and he wiped at them, the guilt rising in his chest making him sick. He knew what he did could never be forgotten, the ultimate betrayal, but he had his reasons, and he had tried to steer Itachi away to another Hyuuga.
The house sounded so empty now, the usual hurried footsteps resounding through the corridors were absent, giving Neji a cold feeling. He sighed, looking out of the small window in Hinata's room, the sun had set, and he had to get back.
He wanted his freedom, at any cost, and now he was going to have it. He had betrayed his village and his family, to get the freedom. He had fulfilled the deed that was supposed to finish his initiation, and now he would no longer be slave to that damned seal. He touched his forehead lightly in contemplation. Now it was over. There was nothing left here for him.
A thought caught him, "What if Itachi's plan doesn't work? What if the child doesn't...?"
Neji sighed, it was useless, and Itachi would have his way regardless of the unlikelihood of its fruition. Neji slid back out of the door, and was on his way back to Itachi.
"This can't be right, a child born of...Itachi you can't make the impossible happen. It's not possible to possess both. This child will be..." Neji rubbed at his head, he felt a headache coming. The day had been wrong in all manners and he just couldn't wait to sleep.
He cascaded into the small clearing, seeing Itachi immediately.
"Has she been taken care of?" he asked, adjusting his clothes.
It was rare to see Itachi in anything but the Akatsuki robes, so Neji was rather surprised to find him wearing what looked like normal shinobi gear, although it was in a rather austere shade of black. Neji nodded in assurance, picking up the robe that had previously been tossed to him. He hoped that this made his acceptance into the Akatsuki invariable.
Neji let his thoughts fade away from that empty place that used to be his home, it had lost its former pride, and became just what it was, an empty house. Things had changed so
much over the years, he had heard of the Hyuuga's trouble, just gossip in far away villages, but he pushed those thoughts away. He was going to make changes of his own, he was actually going to be free of the damned seal, and then, finally, he could follow his own path, with no one to stop him. He would finally be free.
A boy that barely stood at the height of his waist answered the door. Shino had only knocked once, but was surprised to see someone at the door so quickly. The boy's voice was meek, but he bowed his head and allowed for Shino to enter. The boy was Bunke, unquestionably, Shino noted the soft green seal on his forehead, although it was obvious regardless of the seal for Soke never answered the door, they left chores and menial tasks to their Branch House relatives.
Shino was known at this house, having been teamed with Hinata since their childhood, and it wasn't often he didn't visit at least once a week. He sighed and straightened his coat, bearing down the corridor towards Hinata's room. She had kept the same one from her childhood, opting out of taking Hiashi's, though it was rightfully her room as Head of House. He knocked on the door and waited for the sound of her voice giving him permission to enter. There was none. He looked to the boy still standing at his side; he could tell he was nervous.
"Is Hinata here, or has she gone somewhere?" Shino asked, turning to face the young boy.
He cleared his throat.
"Hinata-sama is...well, because of Naruto-sama leaving, we were told not to bother her," the boy murmured, looking at his feet.
He shifted uncomfortably under Shino's stare, and Shino turned back towards the door.
"I'm going in here to check on her," Shino told him abruptly, pulling lightly at the metal handle.
The room was dark, but he knew immediately she was in there. He could see her small shape breathing lightly on the bed, she was asleep. Or was she? He could hear her slight voice whispering from the sheets, and he approached her with caution. He knew that Hinata often spoke in her sleep, but never so ferverently. Slowly, he reached over to her, touching her on the shoulder lightly. She stirred at his touch, and he leaned in, trying to hear what she was saying.
" Uchiha...Sharingan-don't touch me!" she jerked back violently towards the headboard, gasping. Shino looked at her, eyebrows tensed. He was definitely worried now.
"Hinata, are you alright?" he asked her sternly, caught of guard by her words. " Uchiha?" She shifted uncomfortably, pulling her blankets up against her. He knew something was wrong.
"I-I'm fine, Shino...I-" she broke off; listening to the floor creak underneath the boy's shifting weight. She had jumped at the sound. Shino knew that something was amiss. He could tell by the way she was breathing and looking around cautiously, but he did not know
how to approach her. Was it some terrible dream brought on by Naruto's absence? But why would she be dreaming of an Uchiha, Sasuke perhaps? He could sense a pain in her, something physical, and it drew on his attention.
"Did you hurt yourself Hinata?" Shino asked in a gruff tone, he wasn't sure on how to bring about his questions. He watched Hinata shift some more, holding her hands together.
"U-um...I c-cut my h-hand on a spade in the garden," she told him quietly, trying hard to lie.
Shino could see in her body language, her eyes shifting to the left, her intonation, that she was lying, but he decided not to press it, she usually came around when she was ready, and she obviously didn't want him to know. He looked at her, searching for some explanation, and finding none, he cleared his throat.
"I'll come and check on you tomorrow," he told her, tossing a blanket back onto her shoulders. She mustered a smile, but he could still see the worry in her eyes. He stood, straightening his jacket, and departed quickly. Shino wasn't one for long good-byes; they made things harder and awkward.
He breathed in through his nose, taking in the early spring air. He looked at the Hyuuga compound with shaded eyes; it still held that same foreboding look it always had. After the incident with Hiashi and Hanabi, both of them having been murdered while on their way to a conference in the Hidden Village of the Rock, Hinata had been pushed into the role of Head of House, Leader of the Hyuuga Clan of the Fire Country.
She had tried her best, but having to deal with such a responsibility so soon after her father and sister's death, and the sudden departure of her cousin, it took its toll. But she held up well, and she'd even tried to make changes.
She couldn't abolish Soke and Bunke, but she did try to give the Branch House members the rights she thought they deserved. And so, with Hinata as their leader, it was made apparent that the Head House's secrets were no longer solely for the Soke, but they could only be learned by those who were capable. Someone who didn't have the ability, regardless of which house they were born into, wouldn't learn, making it easier for the Hyuuga to train the ones who could learn. The Hyuuga Elders were in outrage, but Hinata held firm, and they did nothing to stop her. They couldn't really.
The Hyuuga Clan was dealt a devastating blow though, for Hiashi's and Hanabi's death had to be avenged and their bodies had to be recovered, they had no seal to activate and thus, if not retrieved, they would give away the secrets of the Byakugan in their death. So war was waged between the Hyuuga Clan and an overzealous firm of medical nin out to gain the secrets of the Kekkei Genkai. The Hyuuga Elders bid that the rest of Konoha stay out of it, as it was their family's fight, and the loss was devastating.
Neji was their most prominent fighter, and with him gone, they were already at a disadvantage. The Bunke were sent out first, fighting until death, and cutting the numbers of the opposing half. Unfortunately, the Branch House was far more populated than the Main House, and so, after their fall, there were only maybe a dozen of the Soke left. The Hyuuga eventually reclaimed Hiashi's and Hanabi's bodies, but at a great loss. The only members of the Branch House were those too young or too old to have fought. There were
a handful of Head House members left, and since they have been trying to rebuild their numbers.
Shino turned away, thoughts of the past weighing heavily on his mind. He didn't like to think about the all the deaths everyone had suffered over the years, it was better to think ahead at what could happen and not to dwell too harshly on the things that already had, the past was something to learn from, not to pine over.
Friends died, friends got married, friends had children, and those children would soon grow up. He shook his head and continued walking. He would go to check on Hinata tomorrow, maybe things would be different then.
Rays of sunlight peeked through her window and tickled her awake. Hinata opened her milky eyes slowly, breathing evenly. Her hands were throbbing and warm with the fever that those types of injuries almost always cause. As she clenched her hands into a fist, sharp pain pinching her, tears ran down her face. Everything had really happened.
She didn't have some horrible nightmare, it wasn't some dream. She followed her cousin, a man she loved like a brother, into the forest to be -...she couldn't even think the word. Her body had been violated and she had been beaten. How could she tell Naruto?
"No! I can't ever ever tell him!" she thought ardently.
She could never tell her husband that she was raped by a murderer and her cousin stood there to witness. She could never tell him that she was beaten, that she wasn't strong enough to fight, like always. That she had failed again, that she couldn't take care of herself. Her tears came silently, but as a deluge, and her small frame shook with her pain, both physical and mental.
His frightening words came back to her mind "You will bear my child", he had told her. He said that he had chosen her specifically.
"But why?" she asked herself over and over again.
And what if she was pregnant? Her heart throbbed painfully in her chest and she sunk down into her bed, sniffing feverishly into Naruto's pillow, trying to gain comfort from his fading scent. Her stomach was sick with fear; she couldn't have another man's child. How could she explain what happened? She would have to tell Naruto everything, and she couldn't do that to him or herself.
Her chest ached, and she could feel the nausea overtaking her, realizing how alone she really was. There was no one she could tell; this secret separated her like an island in the middle of the ocean. She tried to steady her breathing, tried to calm herself, but it was getting harder and harder, the past night's events replaying past her eyes over and over again, pushing her further out to sea, with no chance of getting back. She felt her breathing hitch again, and she choked out a scream.
It wasn't fair! Why her? Why now? Not only was she going to have to endure the pregnancy and birth of a child she wasn't sure she could ever love but, she might lose Naruto because
of it. And what about her friends, what would they think? She had spent so long, and worked so hard to get them to like her, and after years of being ignored, they finally noticed her, and now? Would they still like her after they found out that this child wasn't her husband's?
Where would that leave her? She did want a child, but she did not want to raise one on her own, especially not while ostracized from her friends. Her family would never accept it either, Hyuuga had a strict code they all had to adhere to, and any bastard child was given away at birth, that was, if they would let her keep it in the first place.
"What am I going to do?
Her body trembled, and she could hear the house slowly creaking awake. She let out a shaky breath, trying to relax. Maybe she wasn't pregnant, that could never be a sure thing until she went to the doctor. Her breathing even out a little bit, and she wiped her face with her blanket and sat up straight.
Her face became resolved, but she was lost in thought. What if this was Naruto's child? If she was pregnant, what's to say that it wasn't Naruto's? They did have sex before, a few times actually, and they hadn't used protection, deciding that since they were married, it didn't matter, as they both wanted children. So maybe…
Hinata smiled softly, laughing. She had won.
"This will not be another man's child. I will not bear the child of a murderer; I will bear the child of the future Hokage. This will be Naruto's child and, no matter what, he shall never know."
Hinata pressed her wounded hand over her stomach, thinking vaguely about what might be growing there this very second. And then she looked at her hand and noticed something very strange.
Every family in Konoha had their own ways of doing things. Anything from miso soup to hakama tying was different from family to family. Hinata's wounds were dressed perfectly, just as she was taught to do when she was a child, the same way her sister was taught, and the same way Neji was taught.
Neji had dressed her wounds for her. Even after he had betrayed her to that man, he still took care of her. She stood, sighed, and left the room. She had to go and speak with Shino.
Eight Weeks Later: Godaime Hokage's Office...
"I-I think I may be p-pregnant...," she mumbled, staring at the floor as if it had caused her great injury.
"You're pregnant?! How?! Whose is it? I can't be Naruto's, he couldn't stick his thumb up his ass without a map and a guide!" Tsuande exclaimed, pressing her hands down on her desk.
Hinata blushed deeply; it embarrassed her to hear such things.
"I-I said I think I m-might be pregnant, I'm not for certain," she spoke now a little bit more carefully, slightly taken aback by the Hokage's outburst.
Hinata wasn't sure, but if she was pregnant, it was serious business. Tsunade smiled at her, looking at the papers on her desk sharply. She stood, clapping her hands together. Hinata watched her circle around the desk and walk towards the door, motioning for Hinata to follow. She stood, straightening her shirt.
"Follow me," Tsunade told her, leading her down a carpeted hallway to a door at the end. Hinata stopped, but Tsuande pressed for her to enter, and she stepped inside.
"Now! Here's where the fun begins!" she told Hinata, smiling and rubbing her hands together.
"Now you lie down there, and raise your shirt, and I'll begin, then we'll see..."
Hinata nodded and stretched herself out on the long bedlike table. It was more comfortable than what she had expected, and she relaxed into it, raising her shirt to expose the milky skin underneath. She looked at her stomach, wondering vaguely if it would soon be marred with long pink scars like she had seen from most mothers.
How would she wear those scars, like badges of honor? Like battle scars, like any other scar or bruise she had gotten on a mission? Would it be like a reminder of the things she went through, and for her to be grateful for what she learned in the experience? Tsunade quickly shook her out of her reverie, by placing her hands just above her waist. The gentle touch shocked her.
"Are you ready?" Tsunade asked her, pressing lightly on the area she had just touched.
Hinata just nodded, her breath shaky. She had never felt so nervous in her life, not the first day of Academy, the first day of training, not when she went out on her first mission, not even on her wedding day. This feeling surpassed all of it. She watched as Tsunade, took a deep breath and let it out quickly, focusing her chakra. Hinata watched as a gentle white aura encircled her hands, as she focused, and she felt her stomach tingle from the sensation. She saw the aura disappear into her abdomen a bit, Tsunade pressing it further in, peering into her insides. And then she stopped, and Hinata felt the chakra go from a tingle to a swelling feeling. It almost made her feel sick. Tsunade smiled, and sucked on a bit of her lip. The chakra faded away slowly, and Tsunade straightened herself up.
Hinata looked at her expectantly, "Well?" she asked, almost impatiently. Tsunade nodded.
"Well, it seems, Hinata, that you are going to become a mother very soon," Tsuande told her in an even tone.
Hinata felt her heart jump into her throat.
"A mother? I'm going to be...a mother?"
"Are you sure?" her own voice sounded strange and far away to her. She watched as Tsunade nodded again, crossing her arms.
"I hope so...it's either a kid or a tumor," she cackled. Hinata paled. "Oh, come on! Can't you take a joke?! Of course, you're pregnant!"
Hinata sighed deeply, trying to have patience with the Hokage's boisterous attitude, knowing she meant no harm by it. It felt like a thunderstorm in her stomach, and she was almost in a daze.
"So, what sort of symptoms have you had?" Tsunade asked, tugging her hair back into a ponytail. She sat down in a smaller chair next to the table.
"Well, I've been really sick...but it's not just in the mornings...I feel that way most of the day...and I can't eat peaches," Hinata told her quietly. Tsunade nodded.
"That's something they don't tell you, it's really all day sickness. About the peaches though, be prepared to find that sometimes even your most favorite food becomes something you won't want to touch and things you'd never eat in your life are now what you eat for breakfast. Pregnancy can change your body big-time. My own mother loved steamed carrots, but after getting pregnant with me she actually hated them and couldn't eat them until after I was born," Tsunade shrugged.
Hinata sighed and nodded. She was going to have a child; a baby was going inside of her body. She was vaguely reminded of her old science books at school, and it made her think of some sort of parasitic relationship, but she quickly shook that thought away.
"So, when are you going to tell everybody? I can call and have it put in the newspaper if you-"
"NO! I mean...no thank you...I'd like to tell everyone in my own time...okay?" Hinata tried to seem apologetic for her rudeness, but she really didn't want anyone to know in the first place, let alone read in the newspaper. She would have to find the courage to tell them herself. Tsunade waved her hands and smiled widely.
"Fine, fine...just go make an appointment up front with Shizune. I'll be presiding over your pregnancy and delivery personally," Tsunade told her, resting her hands on her hips.
She stood up and approached the door, turning back to inform her to make the appointment in three weeks. Hinata sat there in silence, thinking about Naruto. He still had several months left. She wondered if he'd be back in time. She didn't want to have this child without him, he was her one source of bravery and she knew she'd need it for this. She needed him.