A/N: New anime into the mix, sort of: Vampire Knight. PLEASE REVIEW, if you like it!
Thirst Academy
Chapter Two: The Thirst of summer: 12 years later
Hinata fidgeted outside the pristine Yamanaka gates that were flooded with summer flowers. It was the first day of school, and she was perfectly dressed in the female uniform: un-dyed hair, a shamelessly small, crimson skirt, knee-high crème socks, a ironed, white button up shirt, and a crimson ribbon to top it all off.
Hinata has on a fresh pair of glasses, but no one seemed to care that morning. Especially not Neji, who lectured her on not "losing" her glasses this new school year.
They were never lost.
Hinata tried to push it at the back of her mind, before she realized she'd get nowhere doing that every time the horrid feeling came back. Just like Ino advised, she decided to whisper to herself what happened, that she'd get over it faster that way. She was seventeen years old, for goodness sakes! So, she began whispering, as she waited for Ino.
The sun poured against a blended, dawn sky. Though the sky is filled with cold, clean colors, it's hot outside.
It was the last day of school, and I had been sitting out of swim class because my ankle was still healing from a nasty twist. All of sudden, Sakura called me over, waving as if we were best friends. The other girls in my swim class were filled with envy that one of the Red Dreams was calling a girl like meover. When I got close enough, she ripped my sweater right off of me, in front of everyone, and threw it behind her in the pond, as if it were nothing. It was an expensive silk sweater, and I had been reluctant to even wear it to school for the first time.
"See?" she asked Koura—the leader of the Red Dream, the most popular group of red heads in all of Thirst Academy—"No kunai needed, told you I could."
Thinking back, I should have said nothing. In fact, if I loved myself at all, I should have thanked Sakura and ran away as fast as I could. I was stupid, just plain stupid, "C-can I have that b-back, p-please?" I nearly beg. I almost cry because I have to speak to her, more than the embarrassment.
At the edge of the pond Sakura slumped onto her arm, a baffled look spreading over her face, "Huh?" as if she couldn't understand a word I had said. "Are you talking to me? What are we, like, having a conversation now?"
I should have frozen up, fought the fierce blush that scattered across my face, and made a run for it. Instead, I somehow found the gall to repeat myself. "M-my sweater, S-sakura," oh no I didn't…shut up! Shut up! "C-could you p-please give it b-back?"
Koura slid out of the water, her amazing body nearly blinding me with the glare it gave off from the sun itself. I stepped back instinctually. Koura had gotten into twelve fights over the school year. All of them she's pulverized her victims. All of them left Thirst for good. She's yet to get into trouble for any of them.
I didn't dare ask anyone to help me, especially not the new vampire teacher. Koura definitely wouldn't get in trouble since she was sleeping with him. I hear he's not going to be here this year because Koura got tired of him and told her Mom he had been touching her.
I stagger back, but don't get far from her fists. She was itching for a fight, but only got to deliver a clear beating, not a single interruption. She had broken my rib, my thumb, and half a tooth. I was lucky to only lose half my back bottom tooth when she shoved my sweater back in my mouth, wet and all.
I was crying in fetal after class when Ino came across my way. She knew Koura's work and didn't even have to ask me anything. She put me on her back and carried me home, singing some song about being strong in times of adversary. I love that song now.
After that, Ino never went back to the Red Dreams, dyed her hair back to normal, and became a loner. Every day that summer I stood outside her house and rarely spent time with her. Hopefully, since we have similar schedules—that might just change. I'm crossing my fingers that she'd at least walk beside me.
The gate startles Hinata out of reminiscing and a flash of blonde is all she got before she felt hand slam over her mouth, and was pulled behind the opening gate.
"Say nothing," Ino whispered. She leaned her ear against the thick gate and cursed when she couldn't hear a sound through it. "Konoha didn't kill them all, they're alive—Madara, Itachi—they're still alive. They want an alliance from my family. Look, if they succeed—"her words were breathy, falling one right after the other.
A man emerged from the gates. Ino's words caught in her throat. She had been whispering low enough for him not to hear, so when he turned to look at her, all he saw was Ino squealing and hugging Hinata.
Ino pulled Hinata away from the embrace. Hinata hadn't heard what she said well, she looked confused. Hinata stared at Ino: she had wavy hair now, still blonde, but only to her shoulders with the same swish of a right bang. Her white button up shirt had some blood on it, or juice, it was covered up by a ringlet of hair. She wore crimson shorts, instead of a skirt, and had on a tie, instead of a ribbon. Just what was she fighting for? The rules were simple: stick to the uniform.
"Hinata," Ino pulled her in close, "This is a family friend—Ma—Akito, Akito Kaifeng." Ino obviously made up, but neither party looked concerned with that.
Madara wore a comfortable smirk, "My deepest pleasure Hinata Hyuuga." Hinata was too confused to wonder how he knew her last name, and that if he already knew who she was, why did Ino introduce her?
Instead, she stuttered. "N-No, the—the p-pleasure is all—all mine."
He was so frightening up close, wickedly handsome, but in a threatening way. His arm snaked around Ino's waist, "I'll escort you two young ladies to school. Sasuke is not quite up yet, but it seems you two wanted to be up at dawn to catch up. Either way, it's not natural for young woman to be stalking the streets so early in the morning. The world isn't as innocent as you might think. You both might end up in some serious, deadly issues, yeah?"
"Right," Ino said. To her, he was slithery and slimy, and needed to be watched carefully. He and Itachi had shown up at the Yamanaka doorsteps not even a full year ago with no intention to leave, just recently had Sasuke come into the equation. Just last night they had opened the idea of sparing the Yamanakas in exchange for an alliance.
"In fact, Ino you are too valuable to lose." Madara said sincerely. "I'll have Sasuke be your personal escort from now on, for your own protection."
"I have a boyfriend," Ino spat. "He'd get really jealous."
"That spiky-ponytail haired kid who can't even bother to open his eyes all the way?" Madara laughed. "I'm sure."
Hinata could've sworn Ino fingered a kunai beneath the hem of her shorts. Madara caught it as well. "Your mother is such an excellent teacher, Ino," he smirks at her stiffening. "There is so much of the mind to master. Once I've got it, I'd say I'd be the most powerful ninja ever. Too powerful to cross, wouldn't you agree?"
"Undoubtedly," Ino said quickly.
By the time they reached Thirst Academy, Hinata didn't catch a single threat Madara gave off. However, she did catch the summer rumors that floated shamelessly.
"I hear Ichigo married Rukia this summer," someone whispered. "They live together anyway, Byakuya left for some high executive spot, I heard. Talk about daily action!"
"I hear that the Red Dreams have split up!" was the main attraction of Thirst. "Well it looks true, look at Ino with her. How long you think this chaos is going to last?"
Rukia, for one, didn't care for rumors. She hadn't gotten married over the summer, she had gotten engaged, and so much for Orihime keeping secrets. She hadn't even had sex with Ichigo, but it wasn't like anyone would believe her. They could just follow her home—to his home—and see that she lives inside his room. The rumors were just barely exaggerated, if not utterly true.
Ichigo tried not to seem eager to get in his fiancé's pants. She was a lady first, not some tramp. He couldn't just pull her in the back of his car and give into the lusts that kept him up at night. Even as she wore that tiny skirt that was required, she gave Ichigo a rise. Thank goodness she had gotten taller a few years ago, tall enough to reach his chin, and her breasts filled out into a surprising upper B cup stretching to C with a push up bra. Rukia had made sure he noticed the differences, she wore lower cut shirts and measured herself daily—both her height and those little round puppies.
They didn't act like a regular couple. The only pet names they gave each other were insults, and they fought much more than they ever kissed and made up. Rukia usually had her way when it came to argument agreements, but Ichigo was usually right, anyway. They're friends hadn't treated them much differently, save Renji barely saying more than a handful of sentences to him on a good day. His father demanded a traditional wedding and helping Rukia pick out her dress the day after graduation. He hadn't even threaten to tear Ichigo's heart open if he dared got her pregnant and didn't marry her.
It was strange how things could change so drastically, but remain the same at the same time.
By lunch time, Ino, Hinata, Sasuke, and Shikamaru had been marked the oddest newfangled friendship to ever form at Thirst. Though, it wasn't really even a friendship. Hinata ate quietly, Shikamaru was half asleep beneath a tree, Ino looked to be thinking feverishly, and Sasuke was only there to make sure Ino's terse words didn't venture on revealing.
By lunch time, Choji was eating in the bathroom, his legs crossed over the toilet seat so no one would know he was there. He even put a 'broken' sign on the door, and forced himself to stop eating each time a person entered the room. Last year had been miserable; no one talked to him, even when they were forced to be his partner on a project. Koura had broken the teacher's nose when she asked her to pair with Choji. Was he truly that bad?
Come to think of it, the other day, a little girl had fallen flat off the swing. He helped her up and smiled. She clawed at him and ran away, crying to her mother who cursed him until he was out of earshot. It wasn't his fault he was born a vampire to a city that hated them.
In a school of five thousand, thirst only had seven hundred vampires. He was easily outnumbered. It didn't even make sense, either, there were only five werewolves! And they certainly were popular among the ninjas and shinigamis.
Well, to think of it, the bathroom was an interesting place. He always had daily gossip from bros in the urinals, though they never were talking to him. And, even a few times, he heard pretty dramatic stuff—enough to be replicated in his poetry book. Once upon a time, Kiba had told him he had the best poetry in possibly the history of the world, now the Inuzuka didn't even spare him a thought, probably, because he certainly didn't give him a chance glance.
Choji choked on a sob, and tried to think of other things that were interesting that happened in the bathroom. Like, like that one time where he could've sworn a girl was hiked up on the sink with some guy giving it to her.
Choji would have never left the bathroom, if it hadn't been the sudden onslaught of guys rushing into the bathroom. How could he forget?
The Battle of Thirst!
Each year everyone at school fights until there is only one boy and one girl to represent the school and fight nationally for the best high school.
Most people puked after hearing the announcement or have the urge to pee, so when the bathroom doors flew open, most guys went for the stalls. The putrid smell of puke overwhelmed the air, soiling Choji's appetite, and he stuffed the rest of his lunch in his backpack.
Talk of the Battle filled the air next, followed by pee.
He would never win, no vampire ever won. However, apparently, that might all change with the new kid: Zero. By the sound of it, he might give Sasuke or Ichigo a run for their money. A vampire! Unbelievable!
"A stain! A freaking stain, un-fucking-believable!" Yoruichi swore, throwing a half-finished cup of coffee at the offender: the new student.
Zero caught the cup in time. He tossed it the trash, already pissed off—fourteen seconds into class. It had been quite the accident, really. Naruto had been so excited that Yoruichi was his new Training teacher and pushed Zero straight into her arms, causing the coffee to spill.
Yoruichi exclaimed with rage, "Oh! You want to be fancy, huh?" she went face to face with him. He was slightly taller, his nose just on top of hers, and her chest pushing against his. She loved to smell fear, but he didn't reek like he wanted to piss himself, he actually looked agitated at her. Like she was the dumbass who fell into herself and made her spill coffee, the little puke couldn't even apologize.
"Well?" she raged, grasping his shirt with her fists. Zero wanted to shut her up. If he wanted prove himself to Kaname, to Yuki especially, he couldn't get kicked out the first day for fighting a teacher. Still, she looked like she'd kick his ass real quick if he so much as made a face. His purple orbs crossed over her own sunset orbs.
Truthfully, he was barely thinking when he picked her up by the waist and slammed her against the desk, giving her an apologetic face. He had only done it so no one else could see him stoop so low with that ridiculous face.
He had no idea he'd start a war with Naruto.
Yoruichi is an experienced woman, she's had her legs opened on more than one occasion, but this kid didn't look a bit over nineteen and anyone with sense walking by could see their…ahem…genitalia nearly touching. They had clothes on, didn't they? Then why did Yoruichi feel so naked, such burning excitement?
So, to end all this nonsense, she punched the kid square in the face. She aimed for those pretty, purple eyes, but got stuck with his jaw instead. Naruto ripped him off of her, and got ready to hit the kid.
The ruckus must have caused enough attention to draw in more teachers because Kakashi's lazy butt came in extra late. Maybe if he had been there on time, she might not have hit the kid.
Yoruichi needed this student teaching job, even if it means being the pervert's assistant. Kisuke's been low on business, and if she didn't want to stand out front, all day, with a sexy maid outfit that he made just for her, she would have to pull her own weight. So, she went to Naruto's school to teach.
"What I miss?" Kakashi yawned, reminding her of Kisuke's lazy self. He took a look around the room, and gasped when he saw the state of Zero's jaw and Naruto's fists wound up with his shirt.
He had to be the cool teacher. He had to show this newbie, Yoruichi, how heated situations, like this, should be defused.
"I will give you a month's worth of…"no, detentions were worth nothing these days. This was Naruto after all, "Ramen, if you put the kid down, unharmed."
"Too late for that," Yoruichi spat, "Put him down, or you won't have a job within the hour!" Yoruichi yelled, startling some of the students. Did she know him? Did this hot vixen that demanded the body to sweat and drool really know this annoying, blonde kid?
Naruto swallowed carefully, but couldn't lose face. "I'm protecting your honor—"
Yoruichi wanted to shove her fist in his mouth, but Naruto caught the look and dropped him. Zero punched his stomach so hard, Naruto doubled over.
Kakashi didn't even know the kid and knew Naruto probably deserved it. This would be an interesting class, but more importantly, a tiresome class no doubt. And just who was this Yoruichi woman, anyway?
Hinata was running for her life. Blood dripped down the underside of her ear from where Sakura had gotten in a good scratch. Her left still hurt from Koura's initial trip, she had even gotten low just to swipe her beneath the ankles. Hinata knew by the time she hit the ground, she would have to get up fast and run for her life.
So she did.
Hinata turned every possible corner, even skipped the library where she was supposed to meet for seventh hour Research class taught by Miyuri. She could barely breath by the time she figured out Sakura was chasing her and as sure as Sakura was much stronger than her, Hinata would pay for it. Hinata ran into a dead end, but managed to run up the nearest stairs. The only thing up there was a small supplies closet and a male and female's bathroom.
Hinata dove for the girl's restroom. She struggled to keep quiet and smother her sobs when she heard the door open ten minutes later.
"Where, oh, where is our little Hinata?" Koura's silky, sweet voice that could always slither itself out of trouble, slunk into Hinata's ears. "Could she be here, Sakura?"
"She'd better," Sakura hissed. "I'm missing class for this avenging shit."
Koura audibly hit Sakura. "Save the bull! Ino is one of us, remember? I'd kill this girl before I lose a Dream. You hear me?"
Hinata let a whimper loose, unable to contain it. The urge to pee swelled her, but she fought it off. She hid in the cramped space between the stall and the garbage all the way in the back, underneath the diaper changing mechanism.
"Found you," Sakura kicked the door open to the small space, "You've given us quite a bit of trouble, but you already know what, don't you?"
Hinata screamed uncontrollably as Sakura dragged her out, and slid her body over to Koura who was smirking. "Aw, you're all sweaty. You look like you need to freshen up, for your own good."
Sakura hid a gag; she knew where Koura was going. Koura kicked open a stall, and gestured for Sakura to go in there with Hinata. Hinata pushed back against her heels, away from the toilet. Pee slid down her legs, gushing out of fear of what was going to happen.
"Shit!" Koura swore, jumping away from the trail. "She's peeing herself!"
"Need the toilet, Hinata?" Sakura asked. She gripped her arms behind her back. "I'll break your arms at the first sign of a fight or screaming."
Tears flooded Hinata's eyes as she began to beg, her heart pounding coldly against her chest. "Please! Please don't!"
"Break her arms, since she can't shut u—"Koura ordered.
"Is there an issue here?" Yoruichi appearance almost seemed too good to be true, like a prank, or a deep hallucination. "You sick bastards! What were you going to do with her?"
Yoruichi was glad she went here to get that stain out. It was the closest bathroom to her class, she ran up there when she heard screaming.
"Look," Koura smirked. "Do you want a helping of water, lady?"
Yoruichi was dumbfounded. This puke didn't know who she was. She didn't have a freaking clue as to who she was fucking with.
Sakura had grown used to getting away with things that she did with Koura. This woman was toast, except she did look strong…"Hey, Koura—"
"Shut up!" Koura spat. "Well, do you?" she asked Yoruichi.
Sakura couldn't even blink faster than the lady punched Koura in the stomach and grabbed her by the neck to slam her against the sink. "I'd kill you if I didn't want this job."
Sakura, out of obligation to Koura, ran to punch Yoruichi. It didn't take long for her to be knocked out with an uppercut that would later give her a broken jaw and a throw against the stall that shattered her knee and sent a shard of bone all the way down to the calf muscle.
It had been Hinata's lucky day, after all. She thanked Yoruichi profusely and went straight to the nurse. Before she went, Yoruichi made her promise to come get her if those girls ever gave her trouble again.
The world was spinning, too much, too fast. Sakura could barely stop the hospital room from turning upside down as she realized her mother and her mother's boyfriend were talking next to her.
"The idiot….what did she think we're millionaires? The principal….forfeited all her scholarships to pay for the hospital bill…." Sakura could barely keep track of the news, "…might as well send her night stalking in the Red District." She recognized his voice first.
"Useless…" her mother spat. Sakura heard the chair scrape the floor as she stood up, "Let's go. She knows where the house is, I signed all the paperwork. She'll walk back when their finished with her."
The nurse looked alarmed. "D-don't you want to wait awhile, she might come-to. Visiting hours isn't even over!"
Sakura's mother gave the nurse a cold look. "She got herself into this mess, didn't she?"
And with that, they left her all alone. Sakura refused to open her eyes, to let out the tears welling.
A/N: Pay back for the bullies? What did you think about the humane aspect I gave to Sakura at the end, is she still as bad as you initially thought?