"Father?" Hinata asked.
Itachi dove to turn off the music. Kisame put his finger to his lips, looking directly at a few party-goers in particular.
"Uh, no, I am not at uncle's right now, but I don't believe he's home either. Have you tried his cell?" Hinata's voice became soft. Her face was clearly spooked.
Sasuke put his hand on the side of the pool next to her hip, and she glanced at him. Licking her lips nervously and glancing down. He was close enough that he could hear the other end of the line.
"I'm at a friend's house," Hinata answered after a pause.
Another pause.
"I don't think you would care for the answer." Hinata answered less softly.
Eyebrows raised around her. Sasuke pierced his lips to keep from making a noise.
"Goodbye, father." Hinata hung up the phone, her cheeks turning red as she looked around. Her eyes started getting glassy.
Kisame got up.
Sasuke leaned forward a little. "You okay?"
"No," Hinata swallowed hard.
"We are going to need emergency sugar." Kisame picked her straight up, snagging her towel. He tilted his head, and Itachi turned the music back on.
"What just happened?" Hidan wondered in the background.
Hinata sat on the kitchen counter, towel around her, a blanket draped around her shoulders. Kisame asked for some sweets, and she was soon being hand-fed by Itachi and Sasuke's mother.
No one asked about it, so it gave her time to come to terms with what just happened.
That was the first time she spoke to her father since moving to her uncle's, and she snapped at him. Was she going to be in trouble? Would she have been in more trouble if she had told him where she was right now?
"You need anything else, mouse?" Kisame lowered himself to her level. "You want to go home?" Hinata was grateful that he got her out before the tears started.
"I'll be fine in a minute." Hinata didn't want to ruin the party. "I should call my uncle."
"I'll get your phone." Kisame stepped out.
"Here, dear." Mrs. Uchiha handed her a glass of water and rested a hand on her back, making small circles. "I hope this doesn't stifle that spirit I hear so much about."
Hinata blinked at her.
"I hear a lot about you." Mikoto smiled. "You're the only girl my boys talk about." Didn't they live closer to the school? When did they have time to talk to their mom about her? "Quite interesting to find that they have found such interest in a Hyuga." Hinata shook her head. "Don't worry. The old family rivalry has no place in my home. Your mother was a good friend in college, believe it or not." Mikoto mused.
"You knew my mother?" Hinata perked.
"Oh yes, we used to hide in the library until early in the morning, playing cards while we quizzed each other." Hinata could barely imagine her mother doing something like that. What Hinata could remember of her was she had been so sick she could barely get out of bed. "Of course, she was bad at math, and I was bad at history, so we swapped our skills when we could." Mikoto smiled thoughtfully. "You look so much like her." Hinata blushed again, looking down. "No wonder the boys are so interested."
Hinata flinched, but Kisame came back before she could back her out of the idea. He had her phone in one hand and her leg in the other. "Thought you might need this too." He set the leg on the counter beside her.
Itachi's mother took her to leave, while Hinata called her uncle.
Kisame frowned as he waited for Hinata to be done with her call, thoroughly pissed that her father had such an effect on her. It was like life drained out of her little body. He could protect her from schoolyard bullies, but how do you protect someone from their own father?
A small hand on his forearm alerted him. "Are you okay?" Hinata asked in a concerned voice.
"Yeah," Kisame answered too quickly. "Do you need to go home?"
Hinata shook her head. "Uncle said I should enjoy my day, and he will tell me about it when I get home."
Kisame huffed with a nod. At least they could try to cheer her back up. "Ever play chicken?"
Hinata giggled, squeaking as she fell off Sasuke's shoulders again, full-back into the cold rush of water.
"Finally, uh!" Deidara cried, his sopping wet hair clung to him from his times in the pool.
Hinata came back up out of the water just as Sasori threw him in. "You have surprisingly good balance," Sasori commented, backing out of the pool.
Hinata wiped the water off her face. "I have to."
Kisame smiled from the side of the pool, holding out a towel.
Hinata wiped her face. "You don't want to play?"
"I have an unfair advantage, mouse." Kisame excused.
"He can't breathe in the chlorine." Itachi filled in.
Why did Kisame feel the need to lie? "Oh."
Kisame glared over his shoulder. Maybe he hadn't wanted her to know.
"Sasuke-san." Hinata looked back.
"Hmm?" Sasuke wondered.
"I think I'm going to get out for a while." Sasuke nodded, taking her waist and lifting her out.
Kisame lifted her to a chair. He didn't seem to be bothered with how wet she still was. "Oh, I think we left your leg in the kitchen."
"I'm fine without it for a while." Hinata waved her hands.
"Do you want anything?" Kisame asked. Hinata shook her head.
"Why are you wearing swimwear if you can't swim?" Hinata wondered.
Kisame frowned, being caught. "It's kinda the party attire, right?"
Hinata didn't look so sure. "Can you swim in the sea fine?"
"Yeah, I'm a fish," Kisame told her jokingly as he sat down.
"Maybe we should go to the beach next time," Hinata suggested.
"What about you?" When Hinata looked confused, Kisame tapped the thigh of her half-leg.
"We can figure something out. I don't have to swim." Jumping into a pool wasn't like swimming on the beach. Waves tossed you around if you were too deep, and in shallows, you had to be able to walk around.
Kisame didn't need to swim if she was going to be uncomfortable. "Feeling better?" Kisame immediately kicked himself. That was not going to help her mood. Should have stuck to planning another trip.
"Yes, thank you," Hinata rubbed her finger over her phone. "It's been so long since I spoke to my father. It shocked me more than anything." Hinata looked downright sick when she answered the phone, more than a little shocked.
Hinata's eyes danced back to the pool, where Sasuke pulled himself up on a float while Itachi tried to talk to him. It almost looked like he was actively ignoring him. Hinata smiled at the two of them, and it made his stomach sink. "You and Sasuke seem to be getting along well." Kisame blurted out.
"Oh, yeah, he's quite nice." Hinata agreed.
Kisame didn't know how to further the conversation. "He seems to be trying pretty hard…" What did Itachi want him to say to ask about this?
Hinata smiled back at him with a twinkle in her eye. "Can you keep a secret?"
Kisame was dreading knowing. "Sure."
"From Itachi-san?" Hinata's eyebrows rose to challenge him.
"Uh, yeah." Specifically Itachi?
"Sasuke-san is acting like he likes me to make Itachi-san worry," Hinata admitted, looking back at the pool.
Why did it feel like a weight was lifted from his chest? "Why?"
"He knows Itachi-san is distancing himself because Sasuke-san was worried about him. I suggested instead, making him worry, and Sasuke asked me to go along with it. It seemed to work." Hinata nodded her head at Itachi's tense face as he was trying to talk to an uninterested Sasuke.
Kisame was impressed. "He wanted me to interrogate you about it."
Hinata giggled. "What are you going to tell him?"
"I'll figure something out," Kisame wanted to be sure. "So you don't like him?"
"Was that a concern?" Hinata giggled.
Kisame could feel his cheeks turn purple. "Itachi was worried."
Hinata shook her head. "I don't even know him that well, but I really don't think he would be interested. But he is rather sweet when he isn't around everyone else. I like talking to him."
"Hmph," Kisame was relieved, but he was upset with himself for being relieved.
"Were you worried too?" Hinata caught his irritation.
Kisame scratched the back of his head. "Uh, you can like who you like, mouse. I mean, I'm not going to stop you."
Hinata set a hand on his arm. "You seemed worried."
"Was surprised you like the bad boy type," Kisame rubbed the back of his head, feeling her hand like it was burning on his skin.
"I don't think he's a bad boy. He's stand-offish because he wants to be left alone." Hinata pouted out that cute lip. "You are more of a bad boy," Hinata gave him a stern look.
Kisame eyebrows shot up. "Me?"
Hinata slid her hand over the bruises on his arm. "These are new."
Kisame pulled his arm away to cover them with his webbed hand. "I work as a bouncer."
"You like to get into fights." Hinata scolded.
Why was she so cute?
Hizashi met Hinarta at the door when she came home with a solemn face. Hinata hid the pit in her stomach as she waved off her friends and washed up to meet him in his office.
Was she in trouble? What was going to happen? Hizashi wouldn't send her back, would he? Hinata stared at the lines between the floorboards until her uncle found his words.
"I'm sorry for ruining your pool party." Hinata opened her mouth to protest. "I should have picked up my phone. I was upset with him. I didn't realize that he would go so far as to call you." Hizashi leaned over his desk, frowning at his clasped hands.
"Am I in trouble?" Hinata asked.
Hizashi shook his head. "No, why would you think that?"
"I wasn't the nicest to him on the phone. He asked if you were home, and I had to tell him I didn't know because I was out with friends, and then when he asked, I told him he probably didn't want to know who." Hinata shrank.
"He didn't mention it. He didn't even mention calling you. I didn't know until you called me." Hizashi sighed. "He doesn't talk about you."
"I'd prefer that. It means he doesn't have anything negative to say." Hizashi looked at her with a sullen face. "Father's dislike for me is nothing new to me," Hinata added. "I'm used to it."
Hizashi rubbed his face. "Did you enjoy your party?" Hinata nodded. "No problems?"
Hinata shook her head. "I won at chicken a few times and got pushed into the pool by Hidan-san." That's why they wanted her to avoid him. He was rough. He didn't care if he was disabled. He would shove her anyway.
Hizashi smiled, the early frown melting away. "That's good to hear. I'm glad you have friends you are comfortable around."
"Me too." Hinata smiled back.