HI!!! I'm back for my fourth chapter! Since I'm no longer swamped with work, I got time on my hands. And what better things to do with my hands than writing my next chapter! Yipee! Hopefully you guys will like this chapter. Thanks for the reviews! Love you all! And I'm going to change the rating for future lemons so hope that you guys will stay with me till I finish the story!
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, I'm just a fan.
"The Crane's Song"
CHAPTER 4
Hinata took a very deep breath and slowly opened the wooden door that would lead her inside the small ramshackle hut. She felt like crying and laughing at the same time. Hinata shook her head to clear her bizarre feelings. On with the show, Hinata mused. Neji quickly stood up and again greeted her. "Welcome back, Hinata-sama. May you tell me what happened after these 4 long years? Why did Orochimaru took you? What did he do to you, Hinata-sama? Answer me!" demanded Neji.
"Neji-niisan, this is not like you at all. Please sit down while I take a look at your injuries. Then I will answer your questions." answered Hinata quietly. Neji sighed, knowing that prodding Hinata more will get him nowhere. He knew that Hinata will tell him when she's good and ready. After taking a while with poking and probing Neji's wounds, Hinata seems to be satisfied. "There, Neji-niisan, don't move too much else your wounds will start to tear and bleed again." Hinata finished tying up Neji's bandage and smoothing it lightly with her palms
"Neji-niisan, what happened four years ago… Is still so vivid to me, it seemed like it only happened yesterday." Hinata broke off, her gaze taking in the scenery outside. "Yes, Orochimaru took me to do an experiment. I could still feel the pain and the medicines he gave for the experiment. There was nothing I can do. No matter how I tried to fight him, it was useless; he was too strong. He had me locked in a cell with little light, till I didn't care how many days, months or even years have passed."
Hinata turned to face Neji again. "Are you sure you want to hear the rest of it, Neji-niisan?" Neji forced himself to nod. "Alright then." Hinata paused. "After a while, Orochimaru stopped paying attention to me. I was really relieved back then, thinking that the pain and medicines would go away. But one day Orochimaru went to my cell and said to me, 'Ah, my Hinata, you are ready now.' And I was thinking, ready for what? I was hoping that Orochimaru realized that I was a failed experiment and he would let me go but it didn't go that way."
Hinata gave a little laugh and it chilled Neji to the bones. It was not a real laugh, it was a kind of laugh an enemy would give you if you know that there's no hope left for you to live. "Orochimaru took me outside of the cell and told me to bathe. I didn't know why he wanted me to do it, but I really wanted to take a bath since I couldn't remember the last time I had one and the water smelled like herbs, making me remember Konoha again."
"After the bath, Orochimaru gave me some clean clothes and boots in a bag. He took me outside and it was snowing at that time. Orochimaru told me that he will be watching me and be careful of the time because my life depends on it. Before I knew it, my body was changing. I felt pain all over my body and something was growing out of me. I became a crane. Orochimaru laughed and laughed. I tried to talk but all that came out from me was noises that cranes make.'
"Orochimaru just smiled at me and said 'Ah my dear, dear Hinata, you are my most successful experiments ever. Look how beautiful you are. Absolutely priceless. But alas, I was not able to achieve the full potential of the experiment. You will become a crane only in the morning and become human again in the afternoon and evening."
"What?!" Neji cries out. "He made you into a what?! How dare he touch Hinata-sama! I'll make him pay!" "Neji-niisan, calm down. Hear the rest of my story, I am not finished yet." Neji hesitated then sat down again. Hinata sighed. "After realizing what he said to me, I panicked. Then I took the bag and the scroll regarding my experiment and flew away. I flew just like that." Hinata snaps her fingers.
"Then how did you come here? Are you the one who was killing the villagers?" Neji asked quietly. Hinata looked Neji in the eye and said solemnly, "I am living here for nearly a year now. I rarely go to the village even in my crane form. I am scared that somebody might recognize me and Orochimaru might hear about it and get me."
Neji pulls out a black feather from his jacket. "Then how can you explain this?" Hinata gasps, "Where did you get that?" "It fell from the crane we saw on the village earlier." replies Neji. "Ah, yes. The crane you saw in the village earlier was me. I knew that somebody was coming, but I didn't expect that the team coming will be from Konoha. You think I was the one who killed the girl, didn't you? But I did not. It was something else. And it uses feathers to attack others. I only eat some dried fruits and vegetables I manage to save before winter."
"Listen to me, Neji-niisan, before Orochimaru did the experiment on me, he did it on another person. But it failed. The person mutated into something horrible. We were locked in a cell facing each other. Sometimes we would talk when we knew that Orochimaru wasn't there. He was a kind person. But now, he could barely recognize enemy from friend. He only recognizes me through scent. He was the one who killed the girl. I saw him do it but I couldn't do anything." Hinata begins to cry, deep gulping sobs; feeling relieved that she was finally able to get it off her chest.
Neji walked over her and said, "Shh, Hinata-sama. It's okay now. Neji-niisan is here now. I'll protect you; you don't have to be alone no more. You can come back to Konoha with me. Maybe the Fifth Hokage can help you get cured." Neji kept on repeating those words until Hinata finally calmed down and said, "Neji-niisan, what are we going to do about Watanuki? I also want him to be cured; I don't want him to die. Watanuki told me that since Orochimaru considered him to be a failed experiment; he only has a few years to live."
"Although he was the one who killed the villagers, he only did it to protect me and himself. Watanuki is getting weaker and weaker. I do not know what to do." Fresh tears brimmed at the corners of her eyes. Neji sighed. I'm really without resolve when it comes to Hinata-sama. "If it is okay with Watanuki, we will all go to Konoha so that both of you will get cured, so don't cry anymore, okay?"
"Really? Thank you so much, Neji-niisan!" With this Hinata hugged Neji, lodging his head firmly between her breasts. "Mmf! Hinata-sama, Iii- cannot breathe!" Neji gasps out, blushing red as he realizes that he can feel Hinata's breasts on his face. "Oh! I'm so sorry Neji-niisan! It's just that I am so happy that I can go back to Konoha with Neji-niisan and the others! When are we going?"
to be continued…