Chapter 145 - Hard Boiled
The comrades of Hajime and Ninako were all too willing to act as go-betweens, as soon as they heard the news about the separation. Of course, Jimichi knew Hajime better than Ninako, and Sakari was the opposite, but they both wanted dearly to keep their friends in touch long after their families intervened.
Sakari first heard the news about the birth from Jimichi, as it happened. And she was soon thereafter at the Uchiha house with a camera and mountains of questions. She was, at first, turned away—Hajime was exhausted and not in any sort of mood for visitors, and Ino was reluctant to let anyone see the baby without his permission, for whatever reason. But eventually he felt comfortable enough to let her in, and she cooed with appropriate enthusiasm over the little creature.
(Which, in that house, was sorely lacking from everyone but Karai, and spread through the room like buttery sunshine.)
But even after getting the pictures developed and every detail committed to memory, it took a while to get to Ninako. She'd sequestered herself completely to her room—unlike during her pregnancy, when she'd still chance appearances outside her house, while remaining in the Compound all the same. Whenever Sakari came to visit, she was always told by either her father or her aunt that Ninako wasn't feeling well and that she should try again later.
Of course, Sakari was not deterred. And before long she was making impassioned arguments that, goodness, even if Ninako weren't feeling well, visits with friends could make her feel worlds better, and shouldn't she give it a try?
(And to be quite honest, even with Neji's extensive experience with Sakari's father, Lee, he could only last so long against such passion.)
Truly, Ninako didn't look well. Her hair was unkempt, frayed, and her face was worryingly gaunt compared to the rest of her body. Sakari proceeded with uncommon quietness, asking on Ninako's well-being and updating her on unrelated Outside events, such as the winter Chuunin Tournament that was fast approaching.
She didn't receive any replies, at first, but Sakari accepted that. And at the only mention of Hajime—that he was doing well—Ninako pulled in closer to herself and looked out the window, away from everything else.
This would take time, but Sakari was anything if not tenacious, and came back the next day, and the next, calling Jimichi to hear about Hajime (and the baby) in the meantime.
She took time in even mentioning family matters, or relationships; it took her a week to even mention to Ninako that she'd gotten engaged, and was making wedding plans for the spring. This was only after Ninako began making the slightest replies: "Ah," or, "That's nice."
Nearly a month passed before she even brought out the photos she'd taken of the baby, and she passed them face-down on the floor to Ninako. "I went and visited Hajime and the baby a few weeks ago," she explained. "I thought, since you wouldn't be able to go visit in person-"
"If they're photos of the baby, you don't need to show me to them. I already saw it," Ninako said.
Sakari's face twitched with an uncomfortable smile. "O-oh, did someone already show you…?"
"I saw what it looked like when it was born. I don't need to see anything more." Ninako's voice, usually so much like chimes or low bells, sounded dull and heavy.
"Oh, Ninako, but babies get so much cuter after the first few weeks, surely you'd want to see…"
Ninako made a sound like a blade scraping against a rock. "I can't possibly see how that's true here."
"Well it is! Your baby's adorable, Ninako," Sakari said.
"Stop lying to me."
"I'm not!" Sakari leaned forward, her thick brows knitting in concern. "Why would you think-"
"I saw what it looked like." Ninako, not even looking at them, put a hand on top of the stack of photos and violently pushed them away from her, sending a few of them flying across the room. "It didn't even look human. So just stop it, okay?"
Sakari bit her bottom lip, reaching to pull together the stray photographs. "Ninako, what's the matter…?"
"If you want to talk to me, don't bring up Hajime, and don't ever bring up that thing." She pressed her forehead into her knees.
"Ninako, I-"
"Just… go home, Sakari. I'm tired."
Sakari held the photographs to her chest, and pursed her lips. "…I hope you feel better soon, Ninako," she said, quietly.
Ninako didn't say anything.
Sakari left, tight uneasiness in her chest, and went to go find Ninako's aunt.
"Please have someone talk to Ninako soon," she said. "I've never seen her like this, and I'm scared now."
"I'll make sure of it," Hinata replied.
That night—giving Ninako some time to cool off, certainly—Hinata went to prepare her niece for bed, and to talk to her.
"So how was your visit with Sakari-chan today?" Hinata asked, reaching for the brush. "She left a little earlier than usual."
"It was all right," Ninako said, tonelessly, as usual.
"Just all right?" Hinata began to brush her hair.
"Mm. It might be a while before I want to see her again."
"Oh, why's that?" Hinata slowed her brushing.
"She's… I don't know." Ninako shifted where she sat. "She's trying to meddle, and I don't like it."
"I'm sure she means well, Ninako," Hinata said.
"Sure," Ninako replied, mumbling. "But she's not helping anyone. She shouldn't come back for a while."
Hinata smoothed Ninako's hair. "If it makes you feel better, Ninako, I'll tell her to wait before she visits next."
Ninako was quiet for a while, letting Hinata continue her brushing.
Then: "What would really make me feel better," Ninako said, softly, "is if you went to talk to Hanabi-sama for me about having a match made."
"A match?" Hinata said.
"A husband for me," Ninako replied. "The sooner the better."
Hinata paused, turning words around in her mind.
"Ninako, dear, I think now is hardly the time to be thinking about… things like that, much less marriage."
"No, this is exactly the time," Ninako said. "I need to forget about that Uchiha boy and move on with my life."
"Oh, Ninako, don't say that," Hinata said. "Give yourself a little time to recover before you go making decisions like this…"
"I'm not changing my mind," Ninako said, lowly. "If I can move on, then things will be easier for everyone. My family will finally be left alone. And besides," she added, metal in her voice, "why waste my energy on a boy I'll never see again?"
"Ninako…" Hinata put the brush down. "Using a marriage to try and forget about Hajime isn't going to make you feel any better."
"And how would you know that?" Ninako drew her knees up to her chest, her shoulders hunching. "What else would keep me preoccupied? I can have another child." She paused, and the chakra in her chest curdled. "A human child. And if that doesn't work… well, then I'd know I was truly useless to everyone, huh..."
The darkness in her voice was sharp and it was familiar.
Hinata closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. She gently laid a hand on Ninako's shoulder. "You're not useless, Ninako."
"If I'm not useless then I'm at least defective," Ninako replied. She unbent herself and crawled across the floor to her futon, where she lay down. "There's no place in the clan for defects…"
As Ninako turned over onto her side, back to the door, Hinata put the brush away, and then pulled the futon up over Ninako's body. "There's a place for everyone, Ninako. You just have to find it."
Ninako didn't say anything, just pulling the blanket tighter over her shoulders.
"Goodnight, dear niece," Hinata said, patting her once more on the shoulder, before leaving.
It wasn't yet so late at night that everyone was asleep; Ninako was more and more lethargic, lately, and told Hinata that she wanted to sleep earlier and earlier. Therefore it wasn't much of a disruption when Hinata went into the study of Neji's home and asked that he take over for her temporarily as Ninako's keeper.
"I just remembered some business I have to attend to," she explained. "I shouldn't take long."
"Hinata, by all means," Neji said, eagerly, but the concern in his tone was plain.
Yes, it wasn't a disruption to go to Neji.
But Hinata needed to disrupt her sister.
She entered Hanabi's chambers and gestured to each servant she passed for silence, her Byakugan flaring. She found her sister quickly, and entered her room after flinging the door wide open; the frame clattered violently.
Hanabi looked up from the scroll on which she was writing. "Sister, you'd best have a good reason for bothering me."
"I have a reason," Hinata replied.
"Mm? What is it, then?" She went back to the scroll.
"You need to let Ninako see Uchiha Hajime again."
Hanabi paused, halfway to grasping her ink brush. "Sister, you know I can't allow that."
"You have to."
Hanabi took the brush. "Please. It's not even necessary."
"It's more necessary than you think, Hanabi," Hinata said.
"Mm, and why is that?" Hanabi resumed writing. "Do you suppose that, now that Ninako has been delivered of the abomination, she ought to be granted some clemency?"
"Her child is not an abomination, Hanabi." Hinata's voice turned raspy.
"Mm." Hanabi marked the end of a sentence. "Regardless of what you call it, the girl needs to be punished, so I'm not inclined to change my mind."
Hinata reached over and pulled the scroll out from under her sister's brush, and the paper made a hard noise, being handled so harshly. "What she's going through now isn't punishment, sister. It's torture. And she can't take any more."
Hanabi just stared at the now-empty space in front of her, brush still in hand. "And what makes you say she's being tortured? Is being kept from that boy really so bad?"
"She's talking to me like you did, right before you tried to drown Andou."
Hanabi's eyes flicked sideways, narrowing. "Don't you dare."
But Hinata continued. "When Tomoshi was taken from you, Hanabi, you tried to kill your child, and then yourself. Uchiha Hajime is Ninako's Tomoshi, Hanabi. And without him, we're going to lose her."
"We can ensure she won't commit suicide," Hanabi said, the whole of her face drawn tight.
"Even if her body is saved, I don't know if we can keep her from losing her heart," Hinata replied.
Hanabi clucked dismissively. "Ninako's emotional state isn't that important, so long as she doesn't die."
"Could you say the same for yourself, sister?" Hinata said.
Hanabi's mouth soured, and her body stiffened, but she did not immediately reply. "What happened to me does not apply at all to Ninako."
"But it could," Hinata replied. Her voice softened. "Please, Hanabi, just have some empathy…"
Hanabi turned her head away. "I cannot afford to make exceptions in situations like this."
"Or what?"
Hanabi didn't reply.
"Keeping her away from that boy isn't helping anyone," Hinata continued. "At least allow them one day together—the two of them, and their child."
Hanabi sighed. "You say that without any consideration for Uchiha Sasuke," she said. "You do remember the trouble he caused the night he came to us?"
"Well, I heard," Hinata said, almost smiling, "Uchiha Sasuke has been seeking help for his emotional problems, lately. And if I'm not mistaken, Uchiha Hajime is acting as clan head in his absence, so the Uchiha clan at least shouldn't have any objections."
Hanabi sat, thinking for a moment, before holding out her left hand. "If you please, I'd like my scroll back."
"Hanabi…"
"My scroll." She tilted her hand palm-up.
With some degree of hesitation, Hinata obliged. The ink on the freshest line had smudged slightly in the tousle, and the last character extended into a long, tail-like line.
Hanabi refreshed her brush, and began on a new line.
"Just… consider, please," Hinata said, feeling that she had exhausted her resources.
Hanabi didn't say anything.
Hinata turned to leave, reaching for the door.
"I'll consider the possibility of one visit. No more."
Hanabi was still focused on her writing, but all the same, Hinata smiled, and nodded, closing the door softly as she left.
She returned to her watch after preparing for bed, herself, and held only the normal set of worries to her chest as she slept.
The next day, at lunch, a messenger came to Neji's house with a folded paper envelope in his hand. It carried Hinata's name and Hanabi's seal, and as such was delivered to Hinata.
It had only one phrase written within: "She gets one night."
Hinata's heart swelled and jumped somewhere into her throat, and she immediately went to get Ninako prepared.
Of course, Hinata couldn't just go up and tell Ninako that she was going to see Hajime again—not in her state of mind.
But Hinata had extensive experience in getting shadow-filled people to do the things they needed to survive.
(If she wasn't, then the present clan would probably have a different leader.)