A/N: I'm just going to take the time to say: Thanks so much for the reviews!
There was a lot of Hiashi bashing in those reviews...one of my favourites was something along the lines of 'Hiashi should go DIE IN A DITCH and then ROT IN HELL' or something along those lines... You know who you are XD
Perfect
Chapter 11: Aftermath
Itachi listened to his phone ring in his ear. Once, twice...thrice... ten times before the answering machine picked up.
Hi, it's Neji. Can't come to the phone, so leave a message.
"Damn it Neji, pick up!" Itachi cried before slapping his phone shut. he had been trying to contact him since this morning. Last night, Hiashi had completely trashed him on television. Maybe Neji was suffering from the effects? Maybe he was depressed or something...
The door to his office opened and Shikamaru walked in. He closed the door with a sharp click behind him.
"Hiashi's in the building if you want to attack him." Shikamaru stated. "I just saw him walk by."
Itachi nodded, his mind reeling. Oh man...if he even so much as caught a glimpse of Hiashi...
"I'd kill him, Shikamaru." Itachi stated, rubbing his head. "That bastard..."
Shikamaru nodded and sat down at his desk. They shared an office, as they always worked together. Ever since University.
Itachi stood up. "I'm going to go see if Neji's okay." he stated, grabbing his jacket and throwing it over his shoulders.
"You know where he is?" Shikamaru asked.
Itachi nodded. "Yeah. I think I'm the only person he's told where he's staying."
"Give him my condolences for me." Shikamaru had a copy of Maya open and was beginning to create a figure on the grid.
"Sure thing." Itachi walked out of the office, heading for the stairs. He hated elevators with a passion. He hated them so much, he could write an essay on them. Point one, they're annoying. Subtopics, one you have to wait for them, two you are cramped like sardines when there's enough people on there, and three, they hold smells. Point two, they're freaking dangerous. Claustrophobia is a very bad thing to have in an elevator. It's like being put in a gas chamber for goodness sakes.
Itachi's eyes locked on a face he didn't want to see. Hiashi was talking to Hinata in the lobby of the building. Hinata looked frantic, and Hiashi simply looked defensive. Itachi realized a second later what was going on.
"Off to ruin someone else's life, eh Hiashi?" Itachi stated, his voice barely a growl.
Relief washed over Hinata's face when she realized she wasn't alone. She skittered to Itachi's side, which surprised him. He never would've expected Hinata to run to him like that. What was he? Some kind of shield?
Itachi's gaze hardened as I stared at Hiashi's slightly abashed face. If he was a shield, he would play the part to the best of his abilities.
"What do you want, Uchiha?" Hiashi hissed.
"What do YOU want, Hyuuga?" Itachi growled. "Why'd you do that to Neji?"
"That is none of your concern."
Itachi's eyes narrowed slightly. Hinata backed away, a finger over her mouth. He looked absolutely terrifying. Rage rolled off of Itachi like some hellish aura.
"None of my concern?" Itachi's voice was foreign, even to himself. He didn't know he could sound that angry. "Listen, you bastard, Neji is like a brother to me. You couldn't possibly have thought you could pull a stunt like that on television and get away with it. So what the hell was it? Did you want your power back? Is that all it is?"
Hiashi's eyes darkened. "Stay out of this! It's not your concern!"
"You made it my concern when you messed with Neji!" Itachi snarled.
He was seeing red. Itachi had to get out of there. He was going to throw that bastard through the glass window to his right if he didn't. Itachi suddenly imagined himself doing it, the glass glittering as Hiashi's form crashed through it, watching the shards leave deep, bloody gashes across his skin.
Itachi shook his head violently, shooting Hiashi one last death glare before walking towards the door. He couldn't stay there. Not without doing something he would seriously regret.
"He needed to be taught a lesson! I'm still in charge here, it's as simple as that!"
Itachi whirled around. If he had been closer to Hiashi, he would've thrown him through that window in half a second. But because he was fifteen paces away, all Itachi could do was walk menacingly towards him before throwing him out the window. Now he was rolling in the thought of hurling Hiashi out that window...
"ITACHI STOP!" Hinata cried.
Itachi stopped, glaring at Hiashi with all the rage he could muster.
"You son of a bitch." he said hoarsely. "I hope your brother returns from the dead and drags you into the depths of hell to rot for the rest of eternity. You deserve it, for the shit you've pulled." Itachi turned around and stalked out the door, fury still rolling off him in waves.
"I-Itachi relax..." Hinata said timidly.
He didn't respond to her. Itachi stalked towards his car and unlocked the door. He was about to slam it when Hinata grabbed onto the frame. Itachi looked up at her, her silver eyes bearing a striking resemblance to Neji's eyes were wide and fearful.
"You can't drive in that state!" Hinata stated.
Itachi sighed. Hinata was such a voice of reason. He nodded and tossed his keys on the dashboard before leaning back in his seat and closing his eyes. Hinata allowed the door to close and then walked around to the passenger side and hopped in without his saying so. But it didn't really matter at a time like this.
"What was Hiashi trying to do to you Hinata?" Itachi asked when he felt like he had calmed down enough.
Hinata reached into her bag and removed a script. She held it out to him. Itachi took it from her and read the title: Red Wine. Itachi frowned as he scanned the summary. HIs frown deepened and began shifting into disgust as he realized what the script was.
"Did he honestly allow this?" Itachi asked, his voice trembling.
Hinata bit her lip and nodded. "I wanted to be in that fantasy movie. The one with the Mermaids." Hinata smiled to herself. "But...Hiashi told me it was juvenile and childish."
Itachi blinked a few times. She had just called her father by his name. Holy crap...what disrespect. Not to mention the fact that he didn't blame her one bit.
"What else?" Itachi asked.
Hinata sighed. "I told him that I really wanted to be in the movie, so he began looking around at other movies and put me in that one." Hinata cringed with disgust.
Itachi looked back at the script. Then he looked back up at her. "How old are you?"
"I'm sixteen."
Itachi scoffed. "Sixteen? Sixteen and he's trying to throw you in this crap?"
Hinata nodded. "Yes. I know what it is. That's why I don't want to be in it."
"Even I wouldn't act in this stuff!" He cried. "This is bloody porn!"
Hinata nodded again. "I...I think I'm going to do what Neji did. I think I understand now. Hiashi's in it for the money. He's the one who gets paid when Neji and I act in a movie, because we're not eighteen yet. I...I have a feeling that he literally auctions us off to the highest bidder. He doesn't care what we act in, just as long as he makes a profit off of it."
"Son of a bitch..." Itachi let his forehead hit the steering wheel. "That son of a bitch..."
"Please stop swearing, Itachi."
"Sorry..." He sighed.
"But I'm afraid, Itachi." Hinata whispered. "I mean, what if he does the same thing to me as he did to Neji?"
He looked up at her. She looked so frightened and scared that Itachi couldn't help but cross the line from hate to utter loathing of Hiashi's name.
"I won't let it happen. I'm going to get Neji's reputation back, and I'm going to help you keep yours." Itachi tossed the script onto the floor and grabbed his keys. He started the engine of his car, and backed out of the driveway. "Just give me some time to think."
"Itachi, I want to get away from Hiashi as soon as I can." Hinata stated.
Itachi nodded. "When we get to Neji's, we'll talk this crap out. We'll solve it."
"You know everything don't you?"
He glanced at her in his peripheral vision. She was watching me calmly.
"Yes." Itachi sighed. "I know everything."
"Neji trusts you."
Itachi nodded.
"Neji doesn't trust people that easily. You...I don't know why Neji trusts you the way he does."
"Hm." He considered what Hinata was saying. He believed it.
.oOo.
It was his first big movie project. Itachi was told he was going to do the CGI for a movie called Dragon's Blade, a fantasy epic much like The Chronicles of Narnia, only with a plotline that was just as epic as The Lord of the Rings. Itachi was stoked. He walked into the conference room and his eyes scanned over the cast and crew. Shikamaru was there as well. He took his seat beside him. The director began to explain what was going to happen with the story.
It was then that Itachi noticed Neji. He was thirteen years old back then; quite a young age for an actor. His eyes caught Itachi's, his silver gaze meeting his dark one. Maybe it was because his brother was the same age as him. But maybe it was something else as well. All Itachi knew at that moment was that Neji's eyes held more pain and suffering than a boy his age should have. Way too much.
Once the briefing was over, Neji disappeared. Itachi didn't know where he went, but he never left my mind.
...
Months later, Itachi saw him again. More technically speaking, he found him. Shikamaru had stupidly spilled a can of pop all over his desk, and was frantically trying to stop the flow from touching his expensive computer and everything else on his desk. Itachi ran to the nearest janitors closet and pulled the door open. He stopped dead in my tracks at the sight of Neji, sitting in the corner, his eyes wide and frightened at the sudden entrance. Again, Itachi caught sight of that pain in his gaze. He was scared. Itachi didn't know what he was scared of, but he knew he was scared.
Itachi grabbed a roll of paper towel and cast one last look at him.
"Wait here." He said as kindly as I could. "I won't tell anyone."
Then Itachi left, closing the closet behind him and jogging back to his office and handing over the paper towel to a relieved Shikamaru. Itachi ran back to the closet and opened the door again. He had expected him to have run away, but to his immense relief, Neji still sat in his corner, arms around his knees. Itachi flicked on the light and closed the door, sitting on the floor beside him.
"What's wrong?" He asked.
Neji sniffed. "I don't want to go home." His voice was so young and scared. It was so much like his brother Sasuke during the time he was scared of the monster in his closet.
"Why don't you want to go home?"
He sniffed again but didn't answer.
"What's your name?" Itachi asked.
"Neji."
"I'm Itachi, Neji."
He glanced up at him.
"My office is in room 305. If you ever need a place to hide, don't hesitate to go up there, okay?" Itachi gave him a warm smile. "A janitors closet is hardly a decent place for you to hide. There's too many dangerous chemicals and solvents in here, and if you spilled some on yourself, you could get hurt."
With a little bit more coaxing, Itachi finally got him out of the closet. He let him stay in his office and watch him and Shikamaru create the CGI for his movie. Eventually it was time for me to go home, and Itachi left the poor kid to the mercy of Hiashi. If Itachi had known that Hiashi was the reason for his fear, he never would've left him.
...
The next time Itachi saw Neji was another few months later. This was after the movie had been finished and was still being processed in both CGI, and by editors. He was working alone that day, because Shikamaru had called in sick, which was surprising as Shikamaru never got sick. Caught side of the couch maybe, but on the phone, he sounded legitimately sick, so Itachi believed him.
Itachi's door flew open and he jumped to my feet in surprise, screwing up his Maya model. He cursed and hit the undo button before turning to see what all the ruckus was about. Itachi caught sight of Neji and quickly moved to the door. He closed it and turned towards Neji who had a hand over his nose and mouth.
There was a knock at his office door and Neji looked towards it in fear before diving beneath Itachi's desk. Itachi pushed his chair in front of the cavity, creating a noise as if to slide away from his desk and stand up. He walked to the door and pulled it open. This was my first sight of Hiashi Hyuuga. The second Itachi looked at him, he knew there was something he hated about him.
"Have you seen my nephew?" He asked. "He ran this way."
"I haven't seen anyone." Itachi stated. "I've been working on a movie for the last couple of hours."
His eyes narrowed suspiciously. "So you haven't seen Neji?"
Itachi shook his head. "Not since I added CGI to his image before my break."
Hiashi stared him down. "I know when someone's lying to me, you know. Let me through."
Itachi scoffed. "Are you a cop? Do you have a search warrant?"
"If you won't let me in, it's obvious that you're hiding something."
"I have work to do. Excuse me." Itachi closed the door, only to have Hiashi stick his foot in it.
"Let me in!" He shoved the door open.
"GET THE HELL OUT OF MY OFFICE!" Itachi roared, stepping in his path, trying to stop him from spotting Neji's trembling form beneath the desk.
Thank heavens at that point, security had a moment of sixth sense and came running to his aid. They asked what the problem was and Itachi told them that Hiashi had just entered his office without permission, and he was disrupting his work. Security removed him and Itachi closed the door. He made sure to lock it before pulling the chair from his desk and telling Neji it was safe to come out. He still had his hand over his face.
"Are you all right?" Itachi asked.
He shook his head slowly. "I'm hurt." He said, his voice trembling.
Itachi frowned before helping him out from under the desk. He sat him on his chair. "Let me see." Itachi told him.
Neji lowered his hand. Itachi tried and failed to hide his shock. Someone had hit him. That much he could tell. His lip was split, and he seemed to just been getting over a nosebleed.
"What the hell did he do to you?" Itachi whispered.
"He...he hit me..." Neji said softly.
"Are you hurt anywhere else?" Itachi asked, patting down his arms, watching for a reaction. He flinched at the first touch. Itachi frowned. "Did he grab you?"
Neji nodded slowly.
Itachi opened one of his desk drawers and pulled out a wet nap, one of those wet napkins from Swiss Chalet. He used them to clean his keyboard and mouse.
"Here. Wash your face." Itachi handed it to him.
Neji tore it open and washed the blood off his face. That poor kid. That lip looked like it needed stitches too.
"I'm going to take you to the hospital." Itachi told him, standing up.
"N-No..." He gasped, his eyes looking at him in fear. "Don't tell anyone...Please..."
Itachi stared at him. This kid was being abused, and he knew it. Yet, he didn't want anyone to find out.
Itachi sighed and nodded slowly. "All right. I won't tell. But you can come to me anytime, remember that."
Neji nodded.
.oOo.
Itachi knocked on Neji's apartment door. The building he lived in was pretty damn shabby, but also in the building were young adults who were finding a cheap place to stay while they went to college or university.
He knocked again, this time more urgently. Hinata stood by his side, looking very worried.
Itachi sighed. "Neji, open up. It's Itachi. Hinata's here too. Let us in."
A few seconds later, the lock on the door clicked. The door didn't open, but Itachi figured that if Neji just locked the door, he wasn't welcome. But if he just opened it...
Itachi put his hand on the doorknob and turned it. The door swung open, revealing Neji sitting on his couch/bed staring out the window. He and Hinata stepped into the apartment. Hinata closed the door, looking around, her eyes wide with surprise. It was as if she couldn't believe Neji was living in a place like this.
Itachi sat down beside Neji. "So Hiashi destroyed you."
Neji looked at me. His silver eyes were laced with anger. "Yes."
"Are you going to stand for this?"
Neji looked away. He took a few seconds to answer.
"No." He whispered. "But at the same time, I wonder if it's even worth it."
"What do you mean?" Itachi asked.
"I...don't really want to be an actor anymore."
Itachi sighed. "In the future, people will look down on you as an actor who quit acting just so he could do drugs. Do you honestly want that?"
Neji looked at him again, his eyes laced with sorrow that time.
"I know." He said softly. "But...how can I fight back?"
"Prove your innocence." Itachi told him. "Do whatever it takes. Trash Hiashi. I don't care how you do it. Whatever you do, Neji, I'll back you up."
"But..." Neji trailed off. "You know what he did."
"I do."
"You'll get the police and child protection agencies involved. They'll take me away from Hiashi and I'll never see you, or any of my friends again."
"You can stay with me then." Itachi stated.
Neji looked at him, shock apparent in his expression.
"Just until you're old enough to look after yourself." Itachi added.
"Why? Why would you do that?"
Itachi looked at him. "You're like a brother to me, Neji. I will defend you with my life if I had to."
Neji blinked in confusion.
"Neji?"
Neji turned towards Hinata.
"You...I..." Hinata struggled to find the words. "I want to run away too..."
Neji continued to look surprised.
"Hinata has been placed in a movie that makes the movie you were placed in look G-rated." Itachi stated.
"WHAT?" Neji cried.
Hinata pulled out the script again and tossed it to Neji. Neji only had to skim the first page before he got the picture.
"What the hell is that bastard thinking?" Neji cried. "Putting a sixteen year old girl in a movie like THIS? This isn't show business, this is...this is..."
"Sick? Horrid? Disgusting? Disturbing?" Itachi threw out words.
Neji shook his head. "None of those fit. I can't find a word, damn it!"
"Violating? Sickening?"
"Child pornography?"
Neji looked at Hinata with shock. Even Itachi was surprised. He didn't even think such an innocent girl could use words like that.
"That's...exactly what it is." Neji stated. "It's disgusting."
"So I'm going to quit too." Hinata stated. "I'm...I'm going to do what you did and throw Hiashi aside." She looked up at him. "Can I come to your school, Neji?"
Neji stared at her for a moment. Then he smiled. "Yeah. Sure."
A/N: If this chapter looks shaky, it's because originally it was in first person point of view with Itachi. I changed it to third person so the story would look a bit better because I changed it so every time it was in first person, that was Tenten's point of view.