I've got issues
But I know I miss you
Who should be hurt?
Who should be blamed?
Am I supposed to change? Are you supposed to change?
Who should be hurt?
Who should be ashamed?
Am I supposed to change? Are you supposed to change?
Who should be hurt?
Will we remain?
We need a resolution, Aaliyah
Disclaimer: I do not (sadly) own Naruto.
Hinata is twenty when she finally begins to train under the careful supervision of Shizune--and the occasional guidance of the Hokage herself.
"Dodge it!"
I'm trying! Hinata wants to scream as she barely sidesteps a fist of chakra. She gathers chakra in her right hand and aims for Tsunade's knee but is abruptly kicked in the stomach.
"Gah!" Hinata gasps as she flies across the training hall. She crashes into the stone wall and slumps down the cracks in pain, breathing heavily. She attempts to get up and puts both hands against the floor to steady herself but her arms shake so badly Hinata gives up.
"Don't bother, Hinata, you don't want to overexert yourself," Tsunade says as she watches Hinata's blood drip down her arms and legs and onto the stone floor.
It's a little late for the warning! Hinata mentally snaps but then chastises herself. Tsunade-sama is just doing this to help. "Yes, Hokage-sama."
"I think it's about time you went home, and relaxed a bit. Come back tomorrow at 6:30, bright and early."
Hinata's sweaty, aching shoulders slump. By the time she'd get home it would be nearly one, and she's only been getting four hours of sleep each night for two weeks.
"I know you're tired, but you must endure this in order to increase your chakra supply," Tsunade's sympathetic voice carries over as she heals Hinata's wounds. "Another week and you should be about ready to at least begin the training. Although you will probably have to do these kinds of exercises for at least another one or two years to get to Sakura's chakra level."
"Yes, Hokage-sama," softly sighs Hinata. Did she really lack that much chakra?
Tsunade looks over at Hinata's tiny wilted frame and a pang of compassion runs through her. "Hinata," she begins gruffly. "You've done well." Tsunade knows firsthand the difference a little compliment could make as she thinks of the Third. And when she sees Hinata tiredly smile, Tsunade knows Hinata will be okay.
There is a knock on the door and the Hokage mutters, "About damn time. Come in!" she yells.
"Hokage-sama. Hinata-sama."
Hinata's head swivels when she hears the cool voice of her cousin. "Neji-nii?"
"Are you ready to leave?"
"Wait--what are you--aren't you supposed to be in the Mist Country?" Hinata regrets the words as soon as they come out of her mouth. Idiot, he could have finished his mission early.
"I returned just yesterday--
Tsunade interrupts the conversation. It's getting late and she wants her sleep, damnit. "Hinata. Don't take offense, but I've asked Neji to escort you home from now until you get used to the strain of medic-nin training. I don't want you collapsing on the way home, in the middle of the night, alone. Especially with you living on the damn outskirts of the village."
"Oh." Tsunade glowers at Hinata, and knowing what she wants to hear, Hinata hastily adds, "Thank you, O Great Hokage-sama."
"You're welcome," Tsunade replies primly and abruptly sends Hinata and Neji out.
The two walk quietly underneath the starry sky, exhausted.
"How was your day, Neji-nii?"
"Tiring," he says shortly. But Hinata cherishes the few moments she has with her cousin—even though they live together most of the time, she barely sees him—and she won't let him waste their time.
When she left the Hyuuga gates for the last time, Hinata swore she'd never waste another moment of her life and she fully intends on keeping that oath.
She prods Neji with obvious concern. "What happened?"
He sighs. "The elders are still pushing for Hanabi-sama and I to marry."
"They've been pushing for two years, what's different now?"
"Hanabi-sama will come of age very soon."
"But it'll only be her sixteenth--oh, no," Hinata says with rising anxiety. "Ninja become of age at sixteen!"
Neji nods. "Luckily, she is fighting the elders' decision as well."
"She is?" Hinata asks with surprise. "But…she had a bit of a crush on you before. And," she adds lightly with a smile, "I hear you're quite the catch. According to your fan club president, a young…Inoue Shojiro-kun?"
Her cousin pales and Hinata giggles. "I heard he managed to jump you a couple weeks ago. Did you really have to use the sixteen-palms technique to throw him--" she stops herself short and looks beyond Neji. "Oh, Neji-nii!" Hinata exclaims with an unusual glint in her eye. She waves to someone behind her cousin. "Look! There he is--
Neji whirls around in response and Hinata openly laughs, feeling her stress melt away.
It's moments like these, Hinata thinks happily, that makes life worth living.
"Don't do that, Hinata-sama," he says to her with real panic in his eyes.
"I'm sorry," Hinata lies, grinning.
Neji mock-glares at her. He won't admit aloud he enjoys their time alone together above all else but GOD he wishes he could see her everyday, if only to make her laugh, just like this. So he stares at her laughing, flushed face, and feels his heart become heavy.
Don't be a pussy, Neji, he warns himself crudely. Despite his self-warning, he finds himself shaking his head slowly and confessing his wish in the simplest way possible. "You should come back," he mutters.
Hinata glances aside and pretends not to hear him. She doesn't want to have this argument again.
"Don't ignore me, Hinata-sama."
"Neji-nii-san, of all the…" Hinata tallies the conversations in her head. "Of all the three-hundred and seventeen times we've had this conversation, my answer has never changed," she says firmly. "Instead, please tell me how Hanabi and Father fare."
Neji's eyes darken in aggravation, but he grudgingly acquiesces to her request. "Your father's health is steadily failing. The elders are pressuring him to do things he does not wish to do, and the stress worsens his condition."
"What do they ask him to do?"
"Among other demands, they want Hanabi-sama to marry me, and they want your father to convince her, to somehow use his power to force us to marry. Hanabi-sama's refusal to do so has greatly angered the elders, as this is the second major time she has directly disobeyed them."
"Second? What was the first?"
"Hanabi-sama has refused to accept the position as heiress to the Hyuuga clan."
Hinata's jaw drops as she swiftly turns to her cousin in shock. "You didn't tell--why would she do that?"
Neji hesitates. "It is because Hanabi-sama has been convinced that you would return."
Hinata's lavender eyes narrow slightly as she looks at her cousin. "And who is the person who has told her such an outrageous lie, Neji-nii-san?"
"It was no lie," he states shamelessly. The stress of the past weeks combined with Hinata's stubbornness quickly grate away at his nerves. "You will come back."
"I will not."
"Hinata-sama--
"I've asked you to stop calling me that."
"I will not," he says flatly, repeating her words.
"Why don't you understand?" she cries out.
"And why can't you?" he hisses, reserve snapping. Hinata steps back, startled. She hasn't seen Neji this angry since the Chuunin exams. Neji takes two steps forward for every step Hinata takes backward and when her back hits a lamppost her breath hitches because Neji doesn't stop until there's only a centimeter between their bodies.
Her heart pulsates wildly and she prays he doesn't see it with his omniscient eyes.
"You. Alone. Can. Save. Hyuuga," he grits out between clenched teeth.
Hinata averts her gaze, flushing. She keeps her eyes trained on the bright, rowdy pub across the street. "No. Hanabi has been conditioned since birth to lead."
"And that is her greatest weakness."
Neji takes another step closer. Hinata almost hyperventilates as she feels her chest come in contact with his. She's overwhelmed by Neji; she smells Neji, hears Neji, touches--
'Too close!' she squeaks mentally, fighting a blush.
"Know this, if nothing else," he growls and Hinata shivers at the intensity of his deep voice. He forcibly tilts Hinata's chin upwards and looks down into her eyes. "I will never marry Hanabi-sama. I will never follow Hanabi-sama. I will never shadow Hanabi-sama." His darkened, smoky gray gaze lowers and locks on her cherry red lips, parted from shock. "How much longer must I labor under pretenses?"
"Neji," she whispers, unconsciously forgetting the fraternal suffix. "Why are you doing this? For two years," she says, voice shaking, "I've done my best to forget them. For two years, I've tried to move on with my life. For two years, I bettered myself more than I could have ever in that house. I have no desire to go back to that…to that…to that hell-hole!" Two years of constant pressure from her cousin force Hinata to erupt, but she regrets her small outburst almost as soon as she says it.
"And why do you suppose it's become a hell-hole, Hinata-sama? Who, do you think, had the power to change everything?" he says angrily. "For two years…I've lived with you. For two years, you've actively kept up with Hyuuga matters, asking about your father's health and how Hanabi-sama is dealing with stress and what herbs to give her!"
He takes a deep breath and wills himself to calm down. "It's a lie, that you've distanced yourself as much as you can. Believe me when I say you are, more than ever, the only one who can save Hyuuga from certain destruction." His cold, calloused hands cup the sides of her face gently. "For two years…I've constantly reminded you…my loyalty will never falter."
Hinata sighs and, standing on her toes, she wraps her arms around his neck. He stiffly bends down to allow her more comfort. "Thank you," she whispers softly into his ear and nudges her head in the crook of his neck. Neji envelops Hinata against his body as he feels her eyelashes flutter against his throat. He pulls back and turns his head slightly to the side, and gathers all the courage he has and cups Hinata's face with his hand. Lightly, softly, he brushes his lips against hers and he feels her hand clench his shirt tightly.
He pulls back and looks at Hinata's dazed face. "Hinata-sama?" he says quietly.
He's waited two years to do this, and he'll be damned if he rushes this--whatever they have here.
"NEJI! HOW YA DOIN', BUUUUUUUDY?" interrupts the cheerful, drunken voice of Naruto as he exits the pub across the street. Hinata leaps--rather ungracefully--out of Neji's strong arms. "WHOOOO'S THAT CHICK WITH--OOOOH, HEEEEY HINATA-CHHHAAAN!"
Hinata feels the atmosphere become tense with Naruto's arrival. She almost fears for Naruto's life after glancing at her cousin's unnaturally straight face and clenched fists.
He saunters his way to the couple, slurring, "I HAVEN'T SEEN YOU GUYS IN SOOOOO LONNNG! HOW AARRRE YOU?" he asks, gathering Hinata in a bear hug. But then he stops, brows raised. "Heeeeyy…Whhhat were you two dooooing?" he asks, sniggering mischievously.
"N-Naruto-k-kun!" Hinata stutters embarrassedly, and, face red, watches from the corner of her eye as veins begin to swell around Neji's eyes.
"Uzumaki--" snaps Neji dangerously, but another voice yells, diverting Naruto's attention.
"Naruto? What are you doing over there?"
"SAKURA-CHAN!" Naruto yells happily. "I'M COMING! WAIT!" He then turns to Neji and sloppily whispers, "Make you…make you sure…no…make sure you use protection! We don't want no babiiiiieeeeesssss," he singsongs.
Hinata faints.
"Leave.Now."
As Naruto giggles his way back to Sakura, Neji releases his (byakugan) glare and turns to Hinata with a sigh. He bends down and gently picks her up and feels something wet slide across his arm. He adjusts Hinata in his arms so he can investigate, and he curses.
"The fuck?" he mutters. "Blood?" It definitely isn't his, so he frantically activates byakugan to examine Hinata. He doesn't see anything wrong and realizes quickly that a greater portion of Hinata's hair shines red instead of its normal blue sheen. What the hell kind of training are you going through?
He shakes his head. Even if training makes her stronger, Hinata isn't going anywhere tomorrow.
And with that thought, Neji hurries back to the cottage, ex-heiress firmly set in his arms.
"I'm late," whispers Hinata in horror as she reads the alarm clock placed purposely across the room. "Nine…thirty…" she chokes with dismay. Tsunade-sama is going to murder me. Slay me. Guillotine me. Chop me to pieces. Revive me and then send me to Sasuke-san's older brother. Even worse, Hinata thinks with dread as she frantically dresses, she'll send me to do a full body check-up on Jiraiya-sama. After all, it worked for Sakura, she was never late again!
"Oof," she grunts as her leggings tangle up around her. In her haste Hinata becomes more jumbled in her clothing and she trips over herself. "Come on!" she groans, pulling her hair in frustration. Ew. What the hell is in my hair? Nevermind that no time no time no time no time--
A knock on her bedroom door stops her in her tracks. "Yes?"
"May I enter?"
"Yes," she replies as she begins to pull on her boots. "What is it?"
"Stop."
"Stop what?" Hinata asks distantly, as she fumbles with the laces. She should really invest in Velcro.
"There is no need for you to dress in ninja attire today, Hinata-sama. I have asked Hokage-sama to relieve you of training for today."
"Wait--what--why?" sputters Hinata, her eyes open in disbelief. Neji telling her to stop training was like Shino asking her to hose him down with bug repellant.
"No good would have come of training when already exhausted."
"Oh," Hinata says, stumped. Finally, she manages to find her voice. "Was…Tsunade-sama angry?"
"No. But she said she expects you to do twice as better tomorrow. Otherwise…she said something about you accompanying Jiraiya to the hospital?" Neji allows a measure of amusement to enter his normally monotonous voice.
"I see," Hinata says, barely forcing back a gag. She hesitates a minute before smiling bashfully. "Thank you."
Neji glances at the clock. "I need to go."
"…About yesterday…" she begins, biting her fingernails. Damnit! she internally wails. What happened to being more forward!
"We can talk about it when I come back. I must leave."
"Ok."
Hinata gets up and accompanies her cousin to the cottage door. She watches as Neji walks down the dirt path and after his figure disappears, she closes the door. She strips her clothing and, in a dreamlike trance, remembers the night's events as she steps in the shower. She detachedly watches the blood from her hair quickly run down her hair in rivulets--it's a common occurance, especially when she trains with the Hokage--and she (giddily) daydreams instead of Neji pledging his eternal freakin' loyalty.
And how he kissed her.
Flushed—and not only from shower steam—Hinata steps out of the shower and raids the fridge, only to discover moldy cheese and lumpy milk the sole occupants. She shudders and immediately upon dressing, guiltily makes her way to the market. It was always her responsibility to do the grocery shopping and Hinata gags as she imagines Neji eating cereal with lumpy milk.
But…it's not like he is too lazy to buy the groceries, Hinata muses as she examines a juicy tomato. So why wouldn't he do it?
She walks from vendor to vendor, trying to find the best fruits and vegetables. She feels a tug on her white summer dress and she looks down.
"Oh, Eiji-kun, it's you," Hinata says. She looks down into Hyuuga Eiji's similar eyes. "Where are your teammates? And Sakura-san?"
"Sakura-sensei was needed at the hospital today and Sayuri-chan and Nobu-kun are chasing that dumb cat again."
Hinata grins in sympathy. "I can't tell you how many times we had to do that, too."
"Yeah!" her younger cousin nods emphatically. "You'd think the old hag would get a clue, her cat hates her…"
"Anyway, Eiji-kun, shouldn't you get a move on? If someone saw you talking to me you could get in big trouble," she warns.
To her surprise the child snorts. "Puh-lease. They can't do anymore damage than they already have."
"Why do you say that?"
Eiji lets out an audible gulp and Hinata can tell by the way his eyes nervously roam from side to side that he had not meant to let out that information.
"Eiji?" she prods.
"Alright…just…promise not to tell anyone. And I mean anyone!" he says fiercely. When Hinata pinky-swears, he continues. "Last week," he mutters, "I went to the family library and accidentally opened some old scrolls, and the elders accused me of trying to steal family secrets."
"So what did they do?" Hinata asks with dread.
"Well, they were going to activate the seal, but Neji-nii-sama convinced them to give me fifteen lashes instead."
"He did what?" Hinata gasps, aghast.
"I know! Isn't he great?"
"How exactly is fifteen lashes better than the curse seal activation?"
"Hinata-sama--" Hinata cringes at the suffix but says nothing, considering the severity of her cousin's plight-- "you obviously have never had your own seal activated. 15 whip thrashes is mercy compared to the activation."
"I see," Hinata says icily. The elders are senile. Who the hell would do this kind of thing? "Have you had it dressed properly?"
"Sort of. Neji-nii-san dressed it as best he could, and it helped a lot, but it still feels a little raw sometimes."
"Why haven't you asked Sakura-san to heal it?"
"I don't want her to know how fucked up my family is," he says bitterly.
"Pride is no excuse, Eiji-kun," Hinata reprimands gently. But she knows exactly how he feels and she sighs. "Maybe I can help. If you can, come over tonight, I've just finished making some restorative lotions." She then spots a pair of genin with an angry, bejeweled cat walking towards them. "Hey, Eiji-kun, aren't those your teammates?"
"Where? Oh yeah. HEY, OVER HERE!" her cousin yells, waving his hands and beckoning his teammates to join him.
"Hi Hinata-san," chorus the two genin. Hinata smiles at the pair. "Eiji-kun," the girl--Sayuri--says. "Let's go, mission accomplished."
"Yeah, ok. Bye Hinata-sama."
"Bye Eiji-kun. Behave yourself!"
He just waves and turns to his teammates, chatting. She watches the trio disappear before returning to her shopping. After making a mental note that she needs to buy milk and bread, Hinata thinks of the disturbing information Eiji presented to her. Had the Hyuuga gone so far as to activate curse seals on harmless children? Fiercely disturbed, Hinata heads towards the bread-maker's, and decides that she will give Eiji the entire tub of healing lotion. It's the least she can do, because honestly Hinata feels at fault.
After nearly two and a half more hours of shopping, and a late lunch with Kiba, Shino, and Kurenai, Hinata, arms full with groceries, makes her way back home and sees a tall, thin figure waiting on her doorsteps.
"Hanabi?" Hinata says incredulously. Could this day get any weirder?
"…Onee-san," her sister greets solemnly. She then kneels to the floor and bows to Hinata.
"H-Hanabi-chan! What are you doing, get up!" Hanabi never bowed. Not even to the elders.
"I've come to ask for forgiveness."
Hinata is still shell-shocked. "What for?" The fact that Hanabi remains on the floor greatly bothers Hinata.
"I'm asking your forgiveness for everything. I don't even know where to start."
Hinata lets out a nervous laugh. "Uh…neither do I," she says honestly. "I don't know what you want forgiveness for, when there is nothing left to forgive."
"And that is where you are wrong, sister. The family has wronged you--
"Ah," Hinata says, understanding hitting her. Hanabi stops speaking. "Are you here to ask me to come back?" Hinata guesses, not unkindly.
"No. I'm here to beg you to come back." Hanabi bows even lower.
This is some crazy shit going on right now, Hinata thinks, bewildered. That's the only way to describe it. Crazy. Shit.
"Please get up." Hinata struggles under the weight of the groceries and feels them getting heavier by the minute in her sore arms. "Maybe we should talk inside?" So that I can put these things down!
Hanabi nods, and juggling the bags between her arms, Hinata finally manages to unlock and open the cottage door. Thanks for helping, Hanabi, you spoiled little brat.
As soon as Hinata places the bags on her kitchen counter, she shakes her arms, trying to get the blood to circulate once more.
"Your cottage is cute."
"Thank you."
"You even have a little pond and garden. You must have everything you ever wanted," Hanabi says and her sister can easily hear the bitterness and envy in her voice.
Hinata chooses not to answer that remark but instead asks, "You're staying for dinner, aren't you?"
"Yes, please," she says after a few moments of consideration. "Do you want help? I can't cook or anything, but I can cut vegetables, or whatever."
"Really?" Hinata asks, once more surprised. "You've changed so much, Hanabi," she says, shaking her head slightly. "I won't start dinner for a while, but you can soak those in the bag, and peel the cucumbers."
"Two years can do a lot to a person," Hanabi responds almost admiringly as she looks at her shorter sister. She stops peeling. "Onee-san…Before anything else, I just wanted to say…I'm sorry for the way I treated you before."
Hinata's eyes widen momentarily. "Hanabi--
"I never realized how much…you meant, until you left. I didn't realize how much I would miss you. And I know it sounds stupid, or whatever, but we…really need you." Hanabi wants to tear her own hair out. Why does she have to suck at everything emotional?
She gets her feelings under control. "When you left, everything changed. The elders became more ruthless. Father's health started to fail. Not that his health had anything to do with you," she lies, "but the added stress from those old assholes started to take a toll and now he can't even walk without a cane. He's not even fifty, and he needs a fucking cane. You know he keeps your old teddy bear in the corner of his room, where he thinks no one else can see it? Or that he keeps all the birthday cards you made him in his office drawer on top of all the important scrolls?"
Hinata says nothing, but the pain in her eyes is obvious.
Hanabi continues and attacks the cucumber with a passion Hinata has only seen her display while training. "Neji-nii-san is falling under the pressure too. He's pissed off the elders more times than I can count, and once they activated the seal. He can barely stand being in the house. I counted, and the longest he's been there since you left is 9 hours at a time. He hates it so much herequests extra missions. And when he's not on missions, he trains with Tenten-san and Lee-san. I don't even want to know where he goes the nights he doesn't come back."
"Hanabi, he stays here. The second bedroom belongs to him."
"What? Seriously?!" At Hinata's nod, Hanabi lets out a foxy laugh. "Ohohoho! Onee-san, are you getting freaky with Neji-nii-san?"
Hinata does a double take. What the hell just happened to her? "N-No!"
Hanabi ignores her sister. "No wonder the elders want to get rid of you!"
"They want to kill me?" Hinata asks, appalled.
"No!" Hanabi says, taken aback. "They aren't completely senile! Jeez, have you been watching a lot of soap operas lately or something?" Hanabi rolls her eyes and tries to get serious again--it would ruin her image if she became too ill-behaved--but the knowledge that her sister and would-be fiancé were getting it on was too juicy to let pass.
"Well, everything makes sense to me now, anyway. The elders want Father to somehow marry you off--as if he even had the power to, legally speaking, anyway. But I guess they knew you and Neji-nii-san were living together and had a thing for each other--
"We don't!"
"--because they felt you were just getting in the way of everything. Since you and Neji are having some kind of passionate tryst--
"We're not!"
"-that stops Neji from wanting to marry me. And since you're still unmarried you don't have any affiliations except Hyuuga, so you still have a chance to come home. You also have a large following of Hyuuga who want you back, and who are convinced you'll return. The geezers want Father to give you to Uchiha, but they obviously don't know that him and the pink haired girl are fucking. Just like you and Neji-nii-san," she adds, just to be a brat. She hasn't had the freedom to be a brat in a very long time.
"We aren't--oh, forget it," Hinata mutters in annoyance. Little sisters...I forgot how obnoxious they can be… "Let's just start dinner now, Neji will be back in an hour."
"You're like a wife! Ohohohohoho--ow!" Hanabi says, rubbing the spot on her head where Hinata smacked her. "What was that for?"
"I think you know," Hinata responds. Something about her younger sister brings out the mean in Hinata--something she hasn't felt in nearly twelve years. "Now turn on the stove, I'm going to teach you how to make something simple."
"So, Neji-nii-san?" smirks Hanabi, two hours later. "How was dinner?"
"Disgusting."
"What? Say that again!"
"Hanabi…Neji-nii…"
"Do you need a different vocabulary word?" he asks, smirking back at her. "Ok, revolting. Repulsive. Nauseating. Sickening. Vomit-inducing." Neji doesn't even flinch when five kunai land in the wall behind him, barely missing his head.
"Hanabi, stop it."
Hanabi looks at her sister incredulously. "He freakin' started it!"
"Neji, you're six years older than her. Please act it and stop antagonizing her," Hinata says, rubbing her eyes tiredly. Both, Hanabi and Neji notice the lack of suffix attached to his name, and Hanabi grins wickedly.
"Ne-ji? No 'nii-san'?"
"What are you--" Hinata tries to ask, but Hanabi is too busy trying to instigate to listen.
"I knew it!" she sings. "You two are most definitely doing IT! Ohoho!" she cackles. "Hinata and Neji, sitting in the tree! F-U-C-K-I-N--
There's a knock at the door and before Neji can attack her sister Hinata runs to answer it to avert their attention from each other.
"Eiji-kun!" she says loudly, hoping the presence of their young, impressionable guest would force the two to behave. She lets him in. "Have you eaten already?"
"Yeah, the cat-lady treated us to dinner for finding her poor animal, thanks. Your house is very nice," he adds politely and hands her a bouquet of calla lilies. Hinata laughs--kids are too cute-- and thanks him. "But what are these for?" she asks, putting the flowers in a vase. He just shrugs and blushes, and Hanabi pipes up, "Eiji-kun, are you taking her on a date? Because if you must know, you'll have to fight Neji--mmph!" Neji's brow twitches twice as he covers Hanabi's mouth. He waits a moment before letting go; he has no desire to have Hanabi's teeth marks carved into his hand.
"You're enjoying this a little too much, Hanabi-sama," Neji warns. "Don't you have an image you wish to maintain?"
"Fuck you," Hanabi mutters. "But wait! Onee-san already--
"Hanabi-sama," growls Neji.
"Hanabi-sama? Neji-nii-sama?" Eiji interrupts carefully before he finds out things he really doesn't want to know. "Why are you here?"
"We should be asking you the same thing."
"Hanabi," Hinata reproves. "Eiji-kun is here so I can take a look at his injuries."
"I see." Hanabi's voice returns to its normal iciness as she recalls the extent of Eiji's injuries.
Hinata turns to Eiji and places a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Please lie down, so I can look at your back."
Eiji nods and lays facedown, shirtless. Hinata unbinds Eiji's bandages and moves a hand quickly to cover her mouth and any sound that might escape. Eiji's injuries, infected and swollen, are grotesque. When Hinata can muster the strength to speak again, she says, "Eiji-kun. You have to go to the hospital. This…" Hinata can't even finish her sentence.
"No!" he cries. "No," he says, again, more calmly. "Please," he begs her. "No."
"But I don't know if I can fix this," Hinata tries to explain. "The most I've done so far is bring a fish--
"I don't care! Please, Hinata-sama!" he says hysterically.
Neji and Hanabi watch Hinata carefully.
"Fine," she says shortly. "But if I can't heal you and your injuries degenerate you will immediately be sent to the hospital. Got it?"
"Yes," Eiji says, sighing with relief.
"This will hurt quite a lot," she warns. "Especially since I have to clean it with alcohol first."
"I trust you." Admiration shines in his eyes. Hinata smiles uneasily and fills her index and middle finger with chakra and hits the center of his forehead hard. Eiji passes out.
"There," she says grimly. "At least he won't feel any pain until he wakes." Hinata glances at the clock. "Hanabi, you should get going soon."
"Yeah."
"Will you please tell Eiji's parents he will be staying elsewhere tonight?" Hinata chews on her lip. "I don't want you to lie to them about where exactly he's staying, but considering the circumstances, it might be better. For now."
"Yeah, alright."
Hanabi looks at her sister's slim form as she dabs gently at Hyuuga Eiji's oozing wounds, and she looks at Neji's stern but approving face, and she remembers Eiji's admiring gaze and she bitterly acknowledges that she'll never be able to measure up to Hinata in the Hyuuga's eyes.
Ahh, chapter two completed, after 15 pages of writing. I really hope I haven't disappointed anyone with this chapter, as I've been messing around with my writing style. Anyway, I made this extra long to satisfy you! The new semester starts Tuesday so I won't be able to update until April. But, I promise, if you review, the chapter will come out earlier than planned because reviews really encourage me and make so happy you guys don't even know. So seriously. Please. Press the button and Review!
I need the love.
PS.I Hope everyone got my replies. To those who reviewed but didn't leave an email address or anyway for me to contact them, thank you too! I especially wanted to thank Random Person, who pointed out that Hiashi would have warned her, and not asked to her to reconsider. That will totally be addressed in the next chapter, as it will be Hiashi's time to confront Hinata! GASP That will be hella awkward.
Also, I wanted to address Timme, who said that Hinata should have stayed in the clan instead of deserting them. I think she'll start to feel that way soon. Very soon. (I hope I haven't given too much away!)