Sasuke opened the door to the house using the spare key he had. Although he wasn't one to barge in uninvited, he knew that after seeing Neji's car parked in the driveway that Hiashi would be too occupied to answer the door. Taking his shoes off, he looked around as he made his way further into the house.
"Oh, hey, Sasuke." Hanabi came running down the stairs, her headphones in as she tapped on her phone quickly before shutting it off. "Are you here for my father?"
Sasuke nodded, "is he in the kitchen?"
"No, he's in his office talking to Neji. I guess you can imagine what sort of conversation they're having right now. I don't think it's a good time." She motioned for him to follow her into the kitchen where she began preparing herself a snack. "Neji isn't exactly…"
"I get it."
Since they were kids and he first met Neji, there was this sort of quiet understanding between them. Of course, their 'bond' only existed because of the mutual worry they had for Hinata. If Sasuke wasn't there to protect her, then Neji was. The impending conversation about the disappearance of his cousin was something that both he and Hiashi had dreaded. Even if Neji was usually the very calm and slow to anger type, his reaction to hearing that Hinata was kidnapped would obviously make him become the complete opposite.
"Do you want some?" Hanabi pointed at her sandwich, "I know my cooking isn't as great as Hinata's but I sure do know how to make a mean peanut butter and jelly sandwich." She grinned.
"I—" He noticed that she was already starting to make it before he could decline. "Fine."
"I knew you'd want a taste of the Hanabi Helper." She pushed the plate over to him and sat down on the counter as she ate her own.
"'Hanabi Helper'?" Sasuke pulled the crust off of his bread absentmindedly.
"A sandwich good enough to help you get energy or distract you from your problems." She scrolled through her phone.
"What are you trying to distract yourself from?" He took a bite out of the bread, appreciating that she didn't put too much of the sweet jam on it.
"Isn't it obvious, Uchiha? Every day I wake up to see my sister not here, and it's not like she left early for work since she doesn't come back home. I'm distracting myself from the fact that she's somewhere she shouldn't be, nor does she want to be." She averted her gaze. "Father is distant, and Neji just got home. Things are changing in a way no one is prepared for; and the only thing that stays the same is the sandwich I make everyday."
"I'll find her." He silently promised.
"If the police couldn't, what makes you think that you can? Naruto left, father is too old to stress himself too much, I'm not so sure about Neji, and everyone's somehow convinced themselves I'm a toddler who doesn't know shit about what's going on so I'm automatically out of that little circle of Hinata Finders." She swung her feet back and forth.
"I'm not the police, nor am I Naruto. I won't give up on Hinata that easily, I've known her too long to let that happen."
"I wish it was you."
His eyes narrowed, "I know you find me annoying—"
"Oh hush, Sasuke, I meant that I wish it was you who took my sister home. I know for a fact that you wouldn't let anything happen to her if she was ever in danger. I get that Naruto was dealing with his mom but I can't help but hate him for leaving my sister out in the open like that. If it had been you there that day, she would have made it home okay." She leaned her head against the cupboard.
"Hn." He wanted to say that he wished he was with Hinata as well. Sasuke had spent hours beating himself up after they filed the missing persons report, telling himself that she was taken because he didn't answer his phone fast enough. Curse him and his bad luck that seemed to have rubbed off on her.
"Sasuke."
Their conversation was interrupted by Neji who came striding into the kitchen. His suit was long since discarded, leaving him in his partially unbuttoned dress shirt and pants. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows and his hair was free from the usual low ponytail he had.
"Neji." Sasuke watched as he opened the fridge and grabbed a beer.
If the shakiness in Neji's hands weren't enough to indicate the hidden anger he was suppressing, the redness of his eyes were. It was obvious that he'd been crying minutes before, and the red marks on his hands were testimony to the amount of times he's dug his nails into the soft flesh.
"How are things?" He twisted the cap of the bottle with ease, throwing it away as he approached his cousin to get a glass out of the cupboard.
"I was sent home from work."
Neji raised his eyebrow and then nodded in understanding. "Itachi doesn't want you to be distracted." He stated more than asked. He would have done the same if he was in Itachi's shoes.
"Distracted is pushing it. My mother had to intervene."
"How is she holding up?"
Sasuke shrugged and pushed his empty plate to the side. The 'Hanabi Helper' managed to do one thing right, and that was giving him enough energy to remain seated there as his stomach twisted in discomfort. "She cried for a few days, and then offered us help if we ever need it."
"She was very fond of Hinata."
"She still is."
"Send her my regards." Neji finished his drink with ease, already feeling for another one.
"How are you doing? You just spoke to Hiashi."
As if sensing the heavy atmosphere that began to settle amongst them, Hanabi excused herself to let the two of them talk.
"I'm angry." Neji spoke truthfully. "I'm angry for not being there, and for not asking about her while I was abroad. This wouldn't have happened if she, if I—" His voice got caught in his throat. "Sorry."
"I was the same, I probably still am."
He silently offered Sasuke his own beer, opening it for him before placing it down on the table. "The police really have found nothing?"
"No."
"Is the investigation still going on?"
"I would hope so but most likely not."
"Do you have any plans?"
"Naruto gave me a business card for a private detective." He took the card out of his pocket and placed it down. "I'm not sure how good this guy is."
"Does he know him?" Neji picked it up and flipped it over, trying to find something else written on the plain white card stock that was covered in coffee stains.
"It's his godfather."
"How reliable is this guy?"
"Naruto?"
"Both him and Jiraiya. He abandoned my cousin, who's to say his godfather won't do the same when things get difficult?"
"Naruto left because his mother has cancer." Sasuke felt the need to defend him, even if his initial reaction was hostility and anger, he didn't want Neji making the same mistake. "This was the only support he could provide right now."
He was silent for a second. "Are you going to call him?"
"Maybe."
"You should." He handed Sasuke back the business card. "Don't wait any longer either."
"Hn."
Hinata let Kabuto pull out her chair before she sat down in front of her plate of food. The room was empty. and she found herself enjoying it a lot more than when she shared the space with Orochimaru. Her eyes scanned her meal, curious to know whether or not they laced it with a drug.
"It's alright, there's nothing in there." Kabuto muttered, "I will be back."
She nodded, picking up her fork as she played around with the scrambled eggs. It was a little shocking that they served her some pancakes, bacon and eggs with a side of coffee, but she figured that it was done to have her calm down around them. Or worse, trust them. Not for one moment would she do that.
Bringing the fork to her nose, she sniffed a piece of the eggs before eating it. True to Kabuto's words, the food didn't taste off. Soon, she was eating with haste, hunger clouding her eyes as she disregarded her table manners. Her plate was cleared, and her cup was empty but she still felt hungry.
Groaning in unsatisfaction, Hinata stood up and walked around the room in hopes to find something else to eat. What did they do to her? Why was she so damn hungry? Itching her skin, she bit her lip as she approached the door.
"Kabuto?" Her voice was barely loud enough to echo throughout the room. "Are you there?"
The door opened, making her step back.
"What do you want?" He smirked.
"Is there any more?" She pointed at her empty plate. "Just a little bit more."
"Are you still hungry?"
She nodded, her eyes plastered to the floor. "Anything would do."
"Wait here." He turned around and left the door open.
It was as if he was taunting her, asking her to try and escape once more. Yet she remained standing there as her stomach growled, she was too hungry to go. Too scared to make the first move. Sitting down at the table, she pressed her hands to her stomach, resting her head on the table as she groaned.
So hungry.
"Here." He placed down a small cup of water and some pills.
She stared at it in confusion.
"I'll hand you another plate of food if you take those." He smiled down at her. "As long as you take your medicine, you can eat as much food as you'd like. Lord Orochimaru said it's okay."
Hinata's hands shook as she picked up the paper cup filled with five different coloured pills. She didn't know what they were for, or what side effects they would cause, but her mind kept going back to the fact that she was just so hungry.
One by one, she swallowed them and showed him that she was finished. With a satisfied smile, he handed her another plate of food — this time, it had double the amount the first one had.
Kabuto stood to the side, seeing as her eyes darted back and forth as she ate everything on her plate. She took multiple bites out of everything that was offered to her. Her cup would become empty and he would refill it again. Once the second plate of food was finished, her shoulders sagged and her eyes grew tired.
"Do you want to sleep?" He cupped her cheek, liking the way her eyes stared at him as if he wasn't real. Caressing the soft skin, his smiled widely. "Would you like to take a nap, Hinata?"
She nodded, closing her eyes as she leaned into his warmth. "Sleepy."
"I know you are." His hands trailed down to her jaw, his fingers tracing it. "Let me take you to bed, okay?"
She didn't answer, her breathing had long since evened out as her body relaxed. Picking her up out of her chair with ease, Kabuto carried her to a room that wasn't her own. Placing her down on the medical table, he looked up at the glass that overlooked the operating room.
Orochimaru stood there, his eyes shining with excitement as he gave Kabuto a sick smile.
Putting on his gloves, and wearing a mask, Kabuto picked up a scalpel and hovered over Hinata. "The Pretty Princess won't be pretty for too long." He lifted her shirt and made an incision under her right rib.
Not once did Orochimaru's eyes leave the horrid display of blood. He licked his lips, watching as she was stitched up before being cut in a different area. They were obtaining tissue samples from her body, ones they can test different things on without risking damaging to her as a whole. Soon, most of her body was covered with bloodied stitches and dried blood.
Kabuto looked back up at Orochimaru, giving him a thumbs up to let him know that the operation was a success.
Hinata was still asleep even after they cleaned her body and changed her bloodied clothes. They wrapped her arms, legs, neck, and abdomen with heavy gauze. Kabuto even took the opportunity to cut her hair to have a better look at his work. He knew that when she woke up, she would be entirely too broken and tired to fight back.
She'd feel violated, and that thought made his heart beat faster than ever.
Placing her down on her bed, he covered her and pressed his lips against her forehead, an action he hoped to advance the longer she managed to survive the brutal plans they had for her. It was just the start of everything that she would be prepared for.
They'll break her and make her into their little lab rat. She'd do as they say in fear of her life. The idea really did make him excited.
Months of just watching her and the people she interacted with, wanting to gain that same trust she had in those people. Now he was able to do it in a not so pleasant way. He'll break her. He'll screw with her head so much that she has no choice but to see him as her savior.
Kabuto smiled as he turned the lights off and closed the door behind him.
