Mending Broken Wings
Standard disclaimers apply…
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Chapter Three : Forgotten
After walking for what seemed like hours, the two –Sasuke Uchiha and Hinata Hyuuga- stopped in front of a very small, gray and plain looking… apartment? Well, if you can really call it that way.
Sasuke's apartment looked somewhat odd to Hinata. It had a single wooden door and as said earlier, it was way too small.
As the two of them entered the dull-colored dwelling place of the Uchiha, Hinata noted that instead of eerie looking candles and torches, it had bulbs as sources of light. Though only one room held the bed, dining table, couch, refrigerator, and kitchen wares, at least, she thought, there were some pieces of furniture. Very much unlike the snake sannin's hide out which has multiple cells for his prisoners, a very few household pieces which you could almost count with your fingers, and a very long dark corridor.
Sasuke stepped back after opening the door to let her in. Not that he was trying to look like a gentle man. He did that not for the sake of making a good first impression but to lock the door once both of them are inside. He could not let any of his troublesome fan girls break into his apartment and steal anything. He learned that lesson when he left the door open to allow fresh air to come in after spraying insect repellant before going to the training grounds. He thought the people of Konoha were afraid of him since he was the only Uchiha who survived Itachi's power. But he proved himself wrong when he saw that some of his pictures and boxers were missing.
Damn those fan girls! They could risk their lives just to get his stuff!
He sighed. Hopefully this girl will not attempt to grab his boxers or his pictures. He would surely kill her once he found out that she has the intention to touch his things. Especially his personal belongings.
She looked around the strange looking place, her white eyes widening in amazement. The house would obviously look normal for anyone who lived 'normally', but for someone like her who lived in one of the most unnerving place on earth with one of the most dangerous and deadliest people, Sasuke's humble apartment would seem… funny.
Kami. This place is really different from where she lived for one whole year of her life.
"Y-your name's S-Sasuke… R-r-right?" she asked, finally breaking the silence which was between them even before they started walking to this apartment.
She was standing near the couch, which was actually just a few footsteps away from the door so she has to turn around to look at him. And she did.
He locked the door behind him and unintentionally gazed at her.
Pretty…
He muttered a 'yeah' and slowly paced toward his bed which was placed at the far end of the room near the only window.
"Umm… Y-You're U-Uchiha Sasuke?" she asked once again, her eyes staring at the fan printed behind his black shirt.
…But irritating.
He turned on his heel and looked at her straight in the eyes, annoyance eminent in his expression.
Has she gone insane? Or is she really this stupid? Can't she see the Uchiha symbol at my back? Aren't we classmates back at the Academy? She was only gone for one year! How could she forget who I am?
Hell. This girl is rather annoying. She is just like any other girl. But she's a little more infuriating than them.
He turned his back on her and climbed up his bed. This girl was not worthy of his precious attention.
When the blanket was already draped upon his form, he said, "If you want to sleep, sleep on the couch."
Only his raven hair was visible for her to see since he covered his entire body with the blanket and faced the wall instead of her.
Is his name Uchiha Sasuke? Is he the Sasuke whom they told her? Is he?
She wanted to ask him these questions but something inside her told her that he was not in the mood to answer such queries. Silently, she sat herself at the long blood red couch. She sighed.
She needed to know if he really is Uchiha Sasuke. She has to know if she still wants to live…
Orochimaru-sama…
Oh, how he would love to kill her if she failed… How he would love to rip every flesh of her if this mission will not be successful... He would surely do to her what he does with his prisoners.
She panted as sweat grazed the sides of her face and goosebumps appeared in her skin.
Suddenly, the warmth inside Sasuke's apartment was replaced with a deadly chill. She wrapped her arms around her shoulders and closed her eyes.
She will not be a failure.
She will not die.
She will make sure of that.
This mission will be successful.
Silence.
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The sun was already shining brightly outside when she woke up. She rubbed her eyes and looked around.
He was nowhere to be found.
Where is he?
She took notice of the stream of sunlight coming from the windows, and she found it…
Beautiful.
It was actually her first time to see sunlight after a year of being kept inside that dark and stinking hide out of Orochimaru. The only light she was capable of seeing were the ones coming from candles, torches and computers.
She really missed a lot of things during her stay there…
She stood up from the couch and walked towards his bed. The bed was already fixed; the blanket was folded and the plain blue bed sheet was stretched to the sides so that no crease was to be seen in the surface of the cot.
She never thought men could actually be as tidy as women… Especially someone like him who looked as though he had nothing to care for.
Unconsciously, she climbed the bed. She gazed at the nature outside the window like a child who seemed to be too occupied by everything outside. It looked as if she was astonished at seeing the light coming from the sun. She felt as though she was in dream land. Everything looked new and stunning to her. And amazing and wonderful as well. There were really loads of nice things she hadn't seen for a year.
Before she could totally entertain herself by opening the window and stepping out of the house, the door creaked open. She turned her head to see who entered the room. It was him. Sasuke. He was slightly panting. His black shirt as well as his face was drenched in sweat. Before doing anything, he eyed her (or maybe his bed).
She looked down as if to verify something. She saw that the bed sheet was crumpled under her knees. She hung her head, trying to hide the redness of her cheeks. This was totally… embarrassing.
She hastily climbed down from the bed and tried to quickly fix the mess she has done. "I-I'll fix it."
"Just leave it." Sasuke said icily and walked to wards the fridge.
She shuddered and looked at him. "I- I- I…" She was about to apologize for what she did. However, her tongue would not permit her to do so.
Sasuke grabbed a box of milk from the refrigerator and drank straight from the container. He shrugged and made his way to his wardrobe.
"Fix yourself."
He pulled a black shirt which was identical to the one he was currently wearing from the closet. It also had a print of fan at its back.
She blinked.
He doesn't have any other style of shirt?
She seemed not to have understood what he had said so he repeated, "Fix yourself. We have to go to Tsunade's office."
"H-hai." As if snapping back to reality, she quickly stood up and did what she has to do.
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"I cannot make any decision for Hinata-sama's case."
Hinata… sama?
"I am not in the position to do that."
Tsunade shrugged. Her fingers were intertwined, her chin placed on them with her elbow resting against her wooden desk. Her eyes were tightly closed. This was what she does every time she tries to make a decision. A very hard decision.
Sasuke was sitting on the sofa which was placed at the wall near the door. His eyes were closed as well, however, he was not thinking hard like the Hokage. He just did that because he was not in the mood to listen. Why would he listen, anyway? His presence was not even needed here though the old hag insisted him to stay.
Damn old woman.
Hinata was sitting at the chair on the left side of the Godaime's desk. She was silent though several questions were roaming inside her head. She couldn't help but wonder why the Hokage and 'the other person' in the room were making such a fuss about her.
I wonder who they are…
The other man inside the room was someone whom Hinata could hardly recognize. He was sitting at the chair opposite to her. His age could be told by simply looking at the wrinkles on his face, the whiteness of his hair, and the soft voice which seem to trail off every moment. Like Hinata, he also had those powerful white eyes. Though the real heiress of the Hyuuga clan could not fathom who he was, she felt as though she was somewhat related to him.
Probably because of his eyes.
Hinata eyed the elder; her snow white orbs seemed to be searching for an answer.
Who is he? Why does he have the same eyes as mine?
However, the elder seemed not to notice. Or if not, seemed not to care. She was the weak heiress. The failure. Why should he care, anyway? Besides, her own father despises her so why does he have to mind her?
Poor pathetic Hinata…
"I am not in the position to decide the right thing to do with the heiress." He repeated.
Hinata glanced at the elder. She seemed not to comprehend his statement well.
Heiress?
Who is the heiress?
I thought they were talking about me… But now… It was the heiress…
She sighed. This meeting mystifies her. First, the old man who has the same eyes as hers calls her Hinata-sama. Then, he speaks of an heiress.
Can he make his statements a bit clearer for her?
She knew that it all made sense but she couldn't get the connection between calling her Hinata-sama and the heiress. Also, she couldn't get the point why Tsunade-sama, the respected Hokage of Konoha, has to confront this man about her case.
Who are they to decide for her life? Who are they to manipulate it? Do they even have the right to do such thing?
"So what do you want to do with her then?" Tsunade asked, finally opening her eyes. "You could not just leave her."
"I guess it would be better if she'll stay with the Uchiha for the mean time. And we'll inform Hiashi-sama about this. We could only make our move once he tells us what to do with her." The elder answered and decided that the conversation was finally over. He stood up from his chair and turned to leave when he heard her say something so strange.
"Hiashi… sama?"
The moment the old Hyuuga mentioned the name 'Hiashi-sama', Hinata felt her heart skip a beat. The name sounded… familiar. But then, she could not remember who Hiashi-sama was or even how he looked like.
Hiashi-sama…
She was not entirely sure of what she really felt when she heard that name. Nervous? Loneliness? Pain? Whatever she felt, she knew that it was not something good.
All eyes turned to her direction.
What did she just say?
Hiashi-sama?
A person could easily decipher what she meant by her expression. She looked as though she was questioning the elder who Hiashi-sama was.
Sasuke eyed her. So that's why she asked me if I am Uchiha Sasuke. So that's why she couldn't remember…
The Hokage and the elder looked at the Hyuuga heiress suspiciously.
What does she mean by that?
Has she forgotten that Hiashi-sama was her father?
…Or was she playing tricks?
The second option was obviously impossible. They both knew that Hinata was not the type to do such ridiculous thing. She was way too shy and modest to do that. But… What could be the reason behind this sudden outburst?
Before the Hyuuga elder could actually step out of the Hokage's office, he turned around and faced their clan's rightful heiress. He stared at her as if to trace any sign of mischief in her face. The heiress was a bad liar anyway.
"Hinata-sama…"
Her expression showed genuine enthusiasm to know who Hiashi-sama was. It was too obvious that she was neither lying nor playing games.
What's wrong with her?
Before he could formulate a conclusion about Hinata's strange actions, the door slammed open. Good thing he had walked a few steps away from it, because if he did not, he would have flown straight to the opposite wall due to the excessive force the 'visitor' had applied on the entrance.
Kurenai came running from the doorway, her messy black hair flowing behind her. "H- H- Hinata?" She was panting. She clutched her chest in a futile attempt to stop herself from breathing hard. She stared at the young white-eyed girl who was currently sitting on a chair near the Hokage's desk. Tears clung on her lashes as realization dawned on her.
Though her head pounded with headache due to the hangover she had after drinking sake, she still managed to go to Tsunade's office after hearing from Shizune that Hinata was back. At first, she thought someone was playing a prank and used a transformation jutsu to copy Hinata's appearance. Either way, it seemed as though her only choice was to go straight to the Hokage's office. If the Hinata Shizune was talking about was an imposter, she will make sure that she'll beat the crap out of that bitch or bastard who dared to use Hinata's name and looks. But in case it was Hinata, which was ninety-nine percent not viable, she was not sure of what she could possibly do.
Squeal? Jump because of too much joy? Go hysterically wild? Cry like any other idiot?
The possibilities were… endless
She might do something she hasn't done in her entire life.
Just in case Hinata was really… alive.
"Hinata-chan, is that you?" she managed to ask albeit she was out of breath. Heart pounding in her chest, she continued, "Tell me it's you. Tell me it's really you."
Hinata stared back at the red eyed woman with her eyes widened in both shock and surprise. This woman, like the name Hiashi-sama, seemed to be too memorable to her. It felt as if she held something in this lady close to her heart.
Who is she?
How did she know my name?
It seems Konoha has a lot in store for her. Probably this village could help her solve her memory's puzzle… Help her find her lost pieces…
But Kabuto told her that…
Sasuke, who had been silent all throughout this meeting, felt somehow disgusted at the way Yuuhi Kurenai displayed all her thoughts and emotions. How could she? Didn't she think that some people might make fun of her because of this oh so dramatic scene?
Girls are really one silly equation which could be so hard to solve. (In Shikamaru's version: "Girls are really troublesome.")
"Yeah, she's your student." His voice was still colder than ice. Keh. Knowing the one and only Uchiha Sasuke. What would anyone expect anyway?
Tears of too much happiness fell from her eyes as she fingered the smooth pale skin of the only kunoichi in her team. She stared at those widened white orbs. Kurenai mused that not one of the Hyuuga family has the same eyes as hers. Every Hyuuga has eyes which were devoid of any emotion except her.
"Hinata…"
Kurenai did what she never thought she could do. She squeezed her student with her arms.
Hinata's chin was resting against one of Kurenai's broad shoulders, her eyes glued on the ceiling. She could feel the dampness of the portion of her clothing which covered her right shoulder.
Was she… crying? Why would this woman cry for her?
Kurenai smiled to herself and whispered, "I'm glad you're back."
Sasuke hissed. He could not take this too much display of motherly affection. It only made him wish that Itachi spared their mother's life.
Tsunade, on the other hand, felt something not really good inside her. She knew how much Kurenai loved her female student. She witnessed how the jounin went in and out of the village hospital because of suddenly fainting (she was skipping meals). How her eyes became too swollen, puffy, and red… How she paled… How her missions failed… How she deprived herself of any luxury… She did almost everything unhealthy because of what happened to her student.
The Godaime knew that the lady jounin was too happy to be informed that Hinata was alive and back. But she doesn't know how Kurenai would feel once she knew that Hinata has forgotten everything –even her own father. How Kurenai would feel once Hinata says-
"Wh- who are you?"
Kurenai's eyes widened. Who am I? She unwrapped Hinata from her tight embrace and slowly backed off. She stared hard unto Hinata's eyes, her mouth slightly gaping.
Tsunade looked away. She couldn't take it. Kurenai loved Hinata like she was her own daughter. Now that Hinata was back –but could not remember her- how would she feel?
The Hyuuga elder bowed his head, trying not to look at the reunited 'mother and child'. Hiashi has always mistreated his first born; he wondered how the head of their clan would feel once he knew that his own daughter could not remember anything about him. Would it break his heart?
Unbelieving her own ears, Kurenai pretended not to have heard clearly what Hinata had just said. She smiled through her tears and said, "G- gomen, Hinata-chan. I think I haven't heard you quite well." She hoped against all hopes that she heard Hinata's statement wrongly.
Tell me everything's alright.
Hinata looked down as if finding something interesting about her black sandals. Though she has forgotten everything in her life, she was still sensitive about other people's feelings. At least, she didn't lose that trait of hers.
The Hyuuga lady clutched her pants. She felt sorry and guilty for the beautiful red eyed crying woman… She wanted to tell her that it was nothing, that she could just forget about what she said. But then, she wanted to know everything about her past life. She has to find the lost pieces of her memory and it seemed as though staying in Konoha and talking to its people could help her a lot in obtaining her memories back.
Even though Kabuto told her that these people were the ones who attempted to kill her mercilessly.
"Ano… Who are you?"
Kurenai's heart sunk. After a year of living in so much pain and sadness, this was what she got? Instead of feeling happy about Hinata's return, she felt as though the heavens have taken all of her hopes of living in peace with Hinata once again.
She didn't really know what she'll do now. Shout 'why I'm your teacher!' and pretend Hinata was just trying to pull a prank on her? Slap her student in the face for her rudeness? Shake her so that she would remember her?
Despite the numerous options she had, the only thing she was capable of doing was to mutter-
"Hinata… Why?"
Sasuke mumbled a 'che' and decided that he could care less about anyone's feelings.
The elder coughed a few times and dismissed himself. Somehow, he knew that his presence was no longer needed.
"Kurenai," Tsunade called and carefully chose the words that she would tell the jounin. "Hinata has just returned last night. Why not let her rest for a while?"
Kurenai nodded and left the room. Perhaps Hinata was just tired. She has to leave her and let her rest.
She silently sighed. Hopefully all her student needed was some rest.
When Kurenai was finally out of earshot, Tsunade spoke, "Uchiha, looks like you have to take her home again."
Sasuke grunted and wore his usual scowl.
Tsunade added with a grin, "Remember, take her home, not bed."
To be continued... (If i feel like it.)
Sui's note: Okay. I have to leave you here folks. Until next time (if there is a next time)!!! Bye!
Please leave a review before leaving this page.
Oh. I forgot. You may point out my mistakes if you want to… I'll be happy to repost this chapter for you.