Hey, hey!
So, this chapter is angst. It is an emotional chapter that dives into addiction and how it affects addicts loved ones. It might be triggering for some people, so I just want to warn you. Hinata will be heavily suffering from her addiction and her loved ones will be exposed to the darkness that comes with the disease.
Just a fair warning.
'Inner Hinata thoughts'
'Heated talking'
Daddy's little girl.
That's what she always was. That was the hidden understanding that Hinata had with her father. No matter what they've been through. She always went back to her father. Now what was she going to do? When times grew rough she always had went back to Hiashi. Now she was alone.
She was alone and no one could protect her from her nightmares anymore. She'd have to go back to her clan, in that home and be around the very person that hurt her and Neji the most.
That man was sick. He was evil. He was the cause of all of this.
Why father? Why did you leave so soon. Too soon. Without giving the justified closure.
Hinata ended up in the hospital for four days. The medics and Tsunade trying everything in their power to break whatever hold Orochimaru had over Hinata's dark chakra. It was proving to be harder than they thought. As Orochimaru healed, he'd torture Hinata more and more. Angry with being out played by her.
If they tried to restrict him. Orochimaru would torment Hinata more. So they were at a stalemate until they could extract all the intel from him.
Today Hinata was going to be discharged with no real help what so ever. She couldn't keep relying on medics to heal her. Her chakra system was much too hectic for her to heal herself. All Hinata could think about was her father.
When times were rough and everyone's helping proved to be futile, whatever her father did worked. It helped her come out the darkness.
Now she was alone.
Why was she alone? Simple, Hinata put a wall up. She couldn't possibly tell Naruto and Sasuke what caused her to start her drinking habit to begin with. What would they think of her? Surely worse than what they think of her now. They had to think of her as weak and pathetic now.
A total burden.
Sasuke looked at Hinata's blank expression as Tsunade was talking to her. Discharging her from the hospital and giving her helpful tips to ease the pain until they could correctly handle Orochimaru. They were starting the extraction process now. Going into his mind frame to gather information.
He could see Hinata's eyes glazed over. She wasn't really listening to Tsunade. Only enough to repeat what she said if asked. Naruto was the one asking multiple questions in case anything went wrong. What should they do to care for her at home. What signs to look for. How to handle the dark chakra and her pain level. Naruto was really the one taking charge of the situation. He was turning into a real leader.
Once they were discharged Naruto carried Hinata home. Neji was at the hospital earlier and he felt Hinata should be back at his home. Where she had been staying at for the last three years, but Naruto and Sasuke wanted her with them. They felt Neji was too busy to watch her correctly and Tenten didn't need the added stress at the end of her pregnancy.
Neji argued them DOWN.
What experience did these two really have with a much older and less kind Hinata? She was in constant pain. How would she handle being out her environment and away from her family? At this point, Neji was the only real familiar face she had left. The only person that could keep her on track of her sobriety because he was there during her rehab.
This was the exact point Naruto made at why Hinata should be with them. How were they ever going to build that connection with her trusting and relying on them, if she always turned to Neji and other Hyuga's.
She couldn't keep shutting them out and only coming to them when she wanted. That's not how this all worked. Hinata would have to show them her true demons sooner or later. Kakashi has seen it. Neji. Her father. All during her worst points of wanting to feed into her addiction. Naruto and Sasuke needed to experience it.
When they arrived to Sasuke's apartment, he opened the door so Naruto could carry Hinata to the bed and lay her down. She mumbled a thank you and just curled into a ball and stared off into nothing.
"Hinata. Are you hungry? You haven't really been eating anything." Naruto sat on the bed beside Hinata and started to run his hands through her hair, but Hinata flinched away. Like he was hurting her. "N-N-No thank y-you. I am not h-hungry."
Naruto frowned at this and let out a sigh. He looked at Sasuke, who had his arms folded across his chest and was staring intensely at Hinata. "You need to eat. Naruto's sugar coating it. You haven't eaten in three days. The IV fluids were the only way you were staying hydrated. Eat Hinata."
Hinata curled further into herself and didn't say anything else. She closed her eyes and gave the appearance that she'd much rather sleep. Which they knew was a lie as well. She hasn't slept more than two hours since she's been in the hospital.
Sasuke growled at this. He wasn't going to let Hinata just mute herself and get away with destroying her body. The more she let her health decline, the more power Orochimaru would have over her. He needed her to snap out of it.
Sasuke didn't know what made him more angry. Orochimaru still being alive to hurt Hinata, or the fact Hinata was on the decline over a man that was a piece of trash father to her. "I'm going to make you something to eat. You're going to eat before you sleep. By the way, I am not Naruto. I'm not asking. I'm not hinting. I'm telling you this is what you're going to do."
Naruto watched Sasuke walk off. Sasuke wasn't a gentle person at all. He was loving, but it wasn't in him to baby you. "Hinata. Let's get you into the shower and then dinner. That'll put you in a good sleep afterwards."
When Naruto got Hinata in the bathroom, she noticed how he left the door open and unlocked. How he stayed in the bathroom. She took in a deep breath of anger and looked at the door. Naruto didn't trust her. He thought she was going to do something bad to herself. He thought she was pathetic.
Aren't you weak? You are because you sit there and listen to them. You're too weak to disobey them and do what YOU want to do.
Dark chakra fueling her addiction. Putting little evil thoughts in Hinata's head. It's been happening since her father slipped away from her. The dark chakra grew stronger because her resolve had left her.
Before Hinata knew it. Naruto was taking her clothes off. "I-I can do it." Again she flinched away from his touches and Hinata began to remove her clothes by herself.
When she was completely nude she could see from her side glace in the mirror how obliterated her skin looked. She was completely red. The dark chakra actually had her veins almost lifting from her skin. It burned and hurt so bad. She just hurt so BAD. Plus, just seeing the dark chakra flow from her feet, up her legs, her thighs, her women hood, stomach, hands, fingers, neck, EVERYWHERE. It was everywhere just bulging out her skin and Hinata felt HIDEOUS.
She had a botched hand. She had a permanent scar on her side, near her ribs and these black veins on her now welting red skin. People would shun her. They would exile her. She was scum. Ugly, imperfected, weak SCUM.
"Don't look at me. Please don't look at me." Hinata used one hand to shield her face from Naruto and the other to turn the shower on. It hurt to move, it hurt to feel, but it hurt worse to have Naruto and Sasuke look at her like this.
All that work she'd done to improve herself while they were away. Just for her to fall like this.
Naruto looked at Hinata sadly. She had fallen into this deep depression and he felt like there was nothing he could do to help her. She was just shutting him out. "Hinata. You're not ugly."
"Yes I am. Please…give me time alone."
Naruto let out a sigh and tried his best to control his own emotions. "I'll stop talking to you, but I won't leave you alone." Hinata didn't reply back. What was the point? They already had their viewpoint of her.
They see you as a useless junkie. A whore that they can use when they want. Why not be what they want you to be? Feed into your temptations.
Hinata finished bathing in silence. She ate dinner in silence. She barely ate, but Sasuke was relentless that she would at least eat SOMETHING. After dinner Hinata laid on the bed. She specifically made it a point that she wanted to be on the edge. She refused to budge from the edge and made grunts of pain if Sasuke or Naruto tried to move her to the middle.
Her being in the middle would have made it a lot easier for Naruto and Sasuke to take turns sleeping. One could watch her while the other slept. Hinata being on the edge made it so, whoever was closest to her, would have to be on alert majority of the night and get the least amount of sleep. So, Naruto decided to lose out on sleep tonight and sleep beside Hinata.
When night fell and it was silent. Around one in the morning, when Naruto typically felt like Hinata would be waking up in pain, he snapped awake when he heard the faintest sound of a foot touching the floor. Like someone was putting their shoes on.
Hinata was trying to sneak out. Naruto couldn't fucking believe it.
Naruto sat up and could see Hinata's small frame sitting on the couch, outside the bedroom putting her sandals on. She was fully dressed like she was getting ready to leave. Immediately Naruto hopping out the bed woke Sasuke up and he watched as Naruto beelined to Hinata.
"What the hell are you doing Hinata?" Being so late into the night, Naruto had lost all of his patience with Hinata's cold behavior. She silently put on her other sandal before she looked at Naruto. "I'm leaving."
Naruto looked at her utterly confused. Sasuke had made his way beside him. They were both in white shirts and dark pajama pants as they looked at Hinata like she was crazy. Sasuke was in no mood for Hinata's short answers, "Where Hinata? Just out with it. Stop talking like you never learned to speak."
Hinata stared at Sasuke sharply. The two matched the same angered expressions before Hinata slowly stood up. Her face slightly contorted in pain because it still hurt to move, but she'd move for this. She WANTED this. Craved it. "I am in pain. I want to drink, so I will do what I want to do to ease the pain. No one is helping me so I will help myself."
Push them away. They were going to leave you anyways. Everyone is going to leave you. Those two have left you before. It's easy for them to leave you again. All alone.
Naruto's eyes widened at Hinata. She had just flipped and changed her whole attitude. What the hell happened? "What? No. Sit down Hinata. You're talking nonsense." Hinata turned her head sharply at Naruto and stared daggers at him. "I don't want to be here anymore. You cannot tell me what to do. You cannot hold me hostage here. I can do what I want."
Sasuke frowned at her. This wasn't Hinata. He could tell that much for sure. "When you act like this. You've taken away whatever right's you've once had. Obviously you weren't listening to the Hokage when she dismissed you from the hospital. About your mental and how you're taking a massive nosedive. So, let me explain and make it clear for you. We can tell you what to do and we can hold you 'hostage' until you act like you have sense again. So, I advise you to go change and get back in bed. You can move around for your addiction, but not for anything else? Get ahold of yourself Hinata."
He insults you. Like you're beneath him.
Hinata frowned at Sasuke. Complete and utter anger with hatred was on her face and directed to him. "You…you are an EVIL person."
Sasuke's eyes widened and hurt passed through them before he steeled himself. This was it. This was her addiction. They were coming face to face with her ugly side head on. "Hinata. Watch your tone."
Seeing that she struck a nerve, Hinata didn't back down. "You've belittled me for years. Only wanting me for my genes. Not for me. Do you think I did not notice? You're like everyone else. You don't care about me. You've never cared. Only thing you care about is reviving your clan. You HATED my family and especially my father. It's because of YOU this is happening to me. It's because of YOU, Orochimaru did this to me. That he hurt me. No one has EVER protected me. I've always had to protect myself. So, leave me alone and let me GO. From the bottom of my destroyed heart, I want you to know that I HATE YOU, Sasuke Uchiha!"
No one saved Hinata when her grandfather took advantage of her. No one was there to stop her tears from falling when she said no. No one consoled her after being kidnapped by Cloud. No one was there when she had to bite a mans finger off. No one was there when she had to kill a mob of men with her bare fucking hands. No one was there when she had to sew herself together.
No one was ever there. Hinata was destined to be alone. Forever. If she was going to die alone, she rather die doing what her dark soul desires to do.
"Hinata!"
Naruto yelled at her as he saw the frozen look on Sasuke's face. How utterly hurt he was that Hinata said this. She turned her head and looked at Naruto with unstable, dancing eyes. Hinata squeezed her eyes shut in pain as the dark chakra ate more and more at her inner core. Tearing her apart from the inside out. A feral growl escaping her.
She needed to escape. To drink all of her pain and misery away.
"I hate you. I hate you Naruto Uzumaki. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you!"
Hinata went to walk out the door, but Naruto held on to her hand and Sasuke wrapped an arm around her waist from behind. "Let me GO!" Hinata thrashed around in there hold. Strength that she held in for a moment like this.
Look at them! They've shown their true colors. Now they're forcing you. Just so they can leave you once they're done using you. They all leave. All. The. Time.
I'm still here though. Even after you abandoned me for years, I still stayed by your side. Waiting for you to come back to me. I will never hurt you like them. I make you feel good.
Remember?
Hinata screamed. A mixture of pure insanity and pain. Naruto was staring at her as her eyes just became so deranged and unstable. As she looked at him with pure hate and malice. She just screamed and wouldn't stop.
Naruto knew him and Sasuke had to endure this meltdown, but he just didn't understand. Why wouldn't she just STOP?! They fucking loved her. Weren't they enough?!
Sasuke put his hand over Hinata's mouth to silence her. He didn't want the neighbors to think they were really hurting her. "Shut up." Hinata bit his hand as hard as she could, and Sasuke hissed. He let go of her mouth and Hinata high kicked Naruto in her fit of rage as she leaned her head back and headbutted Sasuke in the chin.
She lashed out at them. They still rebounded and wouldn't let her get close to the door. Naruto took over. He wrestled her and finally pinned Hinata to the ground while she screamed in pain. "Get off me! You're hurting me! Stop it! I hate you! I. HATE. YOU!"
Naruto straddled her waist and held Hinata's burning hands. Her body was burning up. This would make her sick if she didn't calm down. Her eyes were black now and she looked at him with utter disgust. "Hinata PLEASE stop!"
She shook her head. Like some maniac. "You just want to control me. You just want me to do what you want. You'll leave me again. You don't really love me. No one loves me. Leave me to do what I want to do. What I want takes care of me better. Not you!"
Naruto shook his head as he looked at her. Tears threatening to spill from his eyes. He had never seen Hinata like this. She was utterly EVIL. Almost possessed. "I told you I wasn't going to leave you anymore. WHY WON'T YOU FUCKING BELIEVE ME?! WHY AREN'T WE ENOUGH FOR YOU!"
He plays mind games with you! You're not enough for him. Why else would he leave you for so long?! Make you endure so much?! Make love for the first time WITHOUT you! You'll never be enough for them!
You're enough for me though. Let's get away and escape together, just like old times.
Naruto gripped her shoulders harder than he should have and Hinata thrashed in pain again. Naruto was losing this battle because he could see he just wasn't getting to Hinata. She wasn't listening to him cry out his need for her. He was giving her all he had.
Still. Hinata rejected it. "You LIE! They all lie. Everyone will leave you. No one loves you! I'll be here forever!"
Naruto looked at Hinata confused and finally realized she was being controlled by the dark chakra. It was slowly winning Hinata over.
Oh God.
Naruto was terrified right now. He was literally watching Hinata slowly slip away. His eyes were so wide in horror as he watched the love of his life slip away and he felt like he couldn't do anything to get her back.
Hinata lost her father. Naruto understood there was pain that came with that, but Naruto knew better. Hinata's dark secrets were starting to catch up with her. What she wouldn't share with them was starting to eat her inside and out. Hiashi dying, it triggered her demons to take over.
Naruto could see this because in reality. Hinata and Neji's love for Hiashi was almost nonexistent. He was more so a protector for them. A security guard. Now their security blanket was gone and both Hinata and Neji seemed to have taken a nosedive in a matter of a few days.
Hinata's protector was gone. Naruto could see whatever secrets the Hyuga clan held, Neji was trying to do damage control and isolate him and Hinata. Just like when they were kids. That isolation drove Hinata to drink and submit to her addiction.
Whatever underlying trauma Hinata held. The dark chakra was feeding off of it. Hinata was suffering so bad because she just couldn't express herself. This was killing Naruto. "Hinata! Don't do this. Don't let this thing consume you. Please fight it. Please don't leave me!"
Hinata balled her fists, kicked and screamed in Naruto's hold. Ignoring what he was saying. Finally Hinata took a big gasp of air when a giant pot of water was dumped on her face and she thought she was drowning. Hinata opened her eyes wide and blinked several times as she looked up and saw Sasuke holding the large pot.
This is the second time Sasuke snapped Hinata out of it. With water ironically.
He was looking down at her with his Sharingan raging. Unfiltered anger leaked out of him. Hinata has felt how strong Naruto's chakra was before, but this was the first time in her life she's felt Sasuke's wrath. He was typically always in check. Controlled. Yet his fury was pointed at her now and Hinata was stuck frozen.
She pushed him to this point of anger. Sasuke still looked at her with cold, furious eyes. Having to mask his true feelings for the first time ever with Hinata. "Are you DONE?"
Hinata exerted all her energy and laid limp on the ground. She was taking giant breaths of air as she looked off into nothing. Naruto stared at her. Still straddling her waist and saw that Hinata just had no more fight left in her. This dark chakra would consume her before morning sunlight if she didn't snap out of it.
Naruto hands were shaking, but her still reached over to gently touch her cheek. Hoping something they did would bring her back to them. "Hinata."
Hinata shook her head at Naruto. "Why can't I have what I want? Why are you being so cruel to me. I'm in pain, I just want it to go away. I will come back and be okay."
Naruto furrowed his brows together as he looked down at her. He was beginning to see that Hinata was using her pain from the dark chakra as an excuse to relapse. The dark chakra pain was ONE of the reasons, but Naruto knew it wasn't the primary. Hinata was a tough cookie, she's endured pain before and didn't relapse.
She was trying to make them feel bad for her. Which they did, but Hinata at this point didn't care about them and what they felt for her.
She cared about alcohol. She cared about her addiction. Naruto could see it in her cloudy eyes. "You'll come back? To who Hinata?"
Hinata looked at Naruto confused before she realized what he was saying to her. "You'd leave me? You said you'd never leave me. You and Sasuke-kun said you'd always be there. Why…why can't it be a fair trade? You left me. You and Sasuke-kun made love for the first time without me, then you came back. Why can't I leave and come back?"
Naruto stopped breathing for a second. His words caught in his throat at hearing Hinata sound like someone else. Tsunade told him that Hinata might fall into a heavy craving and everything she would say wouldn't be genuine. It would be to spite them. To try to get them to submit to her addiction.
Still this hurt. It hurt because, if you thought about it long and hard, nothing Hinata said was false.
In the beginning, Sasuke was horrible to Hinata. He voiced that Hinata had good genes and would be a good wife purely because of her genes and nothing else. Hinata was put in many situations where she was alone to fend for herself, even though Naruto and Sasuke swore to protect her.
They did leave her. They did make love without her.
It honestly made Naruto question if Hinata really did love them. Or if they were just her new security blanket that she went to because they were familiar.
Naruto felt Hinata reach for him as he was still straddling her. She was touching him in a provocative manner. Like she was offering herself to him. Naruto told her a long time ago, how he saw people in the red-light district do demoralizing things to feed their addiction. He was watching Hinata hit that rock bottom just now.
Hinata just said she didn't love them. That they were users. That she was alone in this world. Yet, she was offering her body to him so she could get drunk. This self-control that they were supposed to have for someone struggling with addiction was HARD. She was literally breaking Naruto's fucking heart. Yet, as supporters they were supposed to endure.
Enduring was supposed to be okay? This was supposed to be OKAY?!
Sasuke almost jumped when he saw Naruto snap. When he saw Naruto smack Hinata's hand away from touching him like some sex client. Like she would please him for what she wanted. Naruto's eyes filled with rage and he shook as he looked at Hinata. Her eyes were so much in a haze, she couldn't even see how hurt Naruto was.
She just wanted her fucking fix.
Naruto just snapped. He reached over and gripped Hinata's jaw with one hand. He knew it hurt her, he could care less. "Are you fucking serious? Do you know how much I fucking love you?! How much I would do for you?! For you to do this to me. Treat me like I'm NOTHING to you!"
He let go of her face and pushed her back on the floor. Hinata stared at him harshly and barely flinched when Naruto's hand slammed next to her head. Leaving a dent in the floor. "You're not even trying anymore! You just quit! You quit on me Hinata! You just went on and on about what me and Sasuke promised you. Well what about what you promised ME HINATA?! You promised me you'd get better. YOU FUCKING PROMISED ME! Look at you! LOOK!"
Naruto was taking big breaths along with Hinata. Both staring at one another heatedly. Both waiting for the other to rebound with hurtful words.
Sasuke watched Hinata and Naruto interact this whole time. From him getting the pot of water to now. Naruto knew Sasuke quickly got damaged from Hinata's words, so he took over the situation. Naruto took every vile thing Hinata had to say. Naruto slept beside Hinata when she was being unreasonable. Naruto took on being Hinata's caregiver since arriving to the hospital.
Seeing Hinata sink further and further away from them finally caught up to Naruto. Sasuke could see Naruto had broke just as much as Hinata, because Naruto was trying to make sure Sasuke was okay and Hinata at the same time.
Catering to Hinata was over. She needed a reality check.
Sasuke walked to the front door and stood in front of it. He unlocked the door and crossed his arms over his chest. "We said we would always be there? Well, I changed my mind. If you want to leave. If you want to quit being sober for over three years, then I won't stop you Hinata. I also won't be there when you get back. Is it really worth it? I'm letting you decide that."
Sasuke looked at Naruto, because he could see Naruto, as hurt as he was, didn't agree with Sasuke. Naruto would be the person to stay with Hinata no matter how bad off she was and no matter how much it hurt him. Naruto loved and relied on Hinata that much. "Naruto won't be there when you get back either."
Naruto took the hint. He looked reluctant at first, especially when Hinata looked at Naruto with slightly clear eyes and actually appeared hurt by Sasuke's words. Still Naruto got up from straddling Hinata and walked over to Sasuke. If they both didn't stick together with this, Hinata wasn't going to get better.
Hinata slowly sat up and looked at Naruto and Sasuke as they stood next to one another. It took a long solid minute, but Naruto and Sasuke started to see Hinata's cloudy eyes begin to clear as she was processing the consequences for her actions.
They were really going to leave her alone. She TOLD THEM her worse fear was being alone. How could they do this to her?! Why were they so EVIL?!
"W-W-Why are you doing this to m-me? W-Why are you b-being so MEAN?!"
She cried. It was her last defense against them. Tears. To try to guilt trip them.
Hinata sat on her butt and curled her knees to her chest as she made herself into a ball and just cried. It wasn't the insane scream cry like earlier. She's realized that created a bad reaction to them. So her addiction took a different approach.
She appeared weak right now. Weak and innocent, but this wasn't the real Hinata. This was her addiction trying to fool them into feeling bad for her. She was trying to manipulate them.
Hinata was breaking Sasuke and Naruto's heart. This wasn't her.
So far Hinata has went through anger, bargaining to crying for sympathy. Her addiction clearly taking over as the dark charka ate away at her resistance to stay sober. Naruto's jaw squared because this hurt him so bad to see Hinata like this. "Hinata. We're not being mean. We're telling you to make a decision."
She didn't respond back. She just cried louder because she felt like she could break one of them sooner or later by doing this. That they'd let her leave and come back. That they'd still be there for her.
Sasuke frowned at this. Seeing through her antics. Sasuke opened the front door, just a crack and watched as Hinata slowly stopped crying. Like an actor. She stopped crying right on cue when she realized she wasn't going to convince them to let her feed her addiction and still stay with her. "If you want to leave, to drink your alcohol. Then leave. You'll be alone afterwards though."
She knew better. Sasuke never lied to her and Hinata wasn't willing to call his bluff.
Hinata's eyes widened at hearing Sasuke and the one thing she latched on to was her being in solitude. They didn't understand what those three years did to her. They didn't understand how alone she was. How life was passing her by those three years, and she didn't know how to live it without them. How alive she felt when they came back to her.
Naruto and Sasuke didn't realize how much their presence stopped the dark thoughts and memories from invading her mind 24/7. She needed them. She loved them. Hinata truly loved Naruto and Sasuke.
Naruto was her light. Her sunshine and joy. He made her feel warm all over and protected. Naruto helped Hinata be free from societies standards. He was her first love. Naruto was irreplaceable in Hinata's heart.
Sasuke was her tranquility. Her confirmation that it was okay to be herself. It was okay to be dark and silent. He was her security. Her comfort and silent protector. Sasuke wasn't her first love, but her love from him stood equal to Naruto's.
She hated herself for sinking so low because she couldn't control her urges right now. She hated that she couldn't hide her reality from them. "No. No, no! Please! I don't want to be alone. Please don't leave me alone Sasuke-kun. Y-You PROMISED me!"
This was genuine. Sasuke could tell now. The good thing of being through this struggle with Hinata for so long with her addiction. Was seeing when she was actually listening to you. Processing what you were saying and being authentic.
That fear on Hinata's face right now was authentic. She has realized that she wasn't going to win this and was VERY close to losing Naruto and Sasuke. The face she was giving Sasuke right now was complete terror.
She was terrified of losing them. This made Sasuke shake with the urge to just hold her and comfort her, but he hid it. He needed Hinata to be strong. He knew she was in pain. He knew this pain would push anyone beyond their limits, but Sasuke needed Hinata to try HARDER.
He couldn't lose her. He couldn't survive without her.
Sasuke narrowed his eyes at Hinata. Again masking his true emotions. "Then pull yourself together Hinata. Or that's exactly what you'll be. Alone. If three years of us not being here hurt you, imagine a lifetime of us being right here in Konoha and not with you. Ignoring you. Pushing you away. Imagine that pain Hinata, because you're VERY close to experiencing it."
Naruto and Sasuke watched as Hinata hung her head down in shame. She quietly stood up and walked to the bedroom to change her clothing back to her pajama's. Naruto watched as Sasuke closed the front door and locked it. He leaned his back against the door and closed his eyes as he finally let the moment sink in.
Oh did Hinata do a number on him. Sasuke was broken and torn DOWN. What Hinata said to him hurt him to the CORE. Which in reality, Sasuke couldn't have been in Naruto's shoes. What Hinata said to Naruto, it would have made Sasuke probably leave his own apartment.
Naruto cupped Sasuke's cheeks and looked at him, "Hey." Sasuke slowly opened his eyes and looked at Naruto, who wiped away Sasuke's tears as they started to fall. "It's not your fault. I know this. Hinata knows this. That wasn't Hinata."
Sasuke nodded his head. He felt Naruto still shaking and that made him feel worse because he didn't have it in him to console Naruto. "Yeah I know."
It was nice for Naruto to comfort Sasuke at this time, but he needed Hinata. He needed her to be okay and to talk to her. To hear those words from her.
The two made their way in the bedroom and saw that Hinata was back in her pajama's and was lying in the middle of the bed. She had taken two over the counter pain killers and that should get her maybe to a six again. She was a raging 9 on the 1-10 pain level right now. 10 being the worst.
Sasuke watched as Hinata reached over to the night stand and took the water he left for her. She chugged the water and silently laid back down. Naruto laid beside her and actually rolled Hinata over gently to face Sasuke. Naruto pulled Hinata's back flush against him and frowned at how hot her skin still felt.
Her body was cooking. Her fever never went down, even while in the hospital. Her brain was cooking for days. While Naruto was hurt by Hinata's words, he understood that nothing coherent was processing through Hinata at this moment. She was in too much pain.
Sasuke laid on the bed and the two looked at one another. He could see rationalization and humility creep back in Hinata's eyes. "Hinata. I want you to know, at the end of the day I still love you. Koibito."
Tears slid down Hinata's face. The guilt of everything she said had finally caught up to her now that she was thinking with a clear head. "I'm a monster Sasuke-kun. I am so sorry. I…never wanted you or Naruto-kun to see me like this."
She tried so hard. For years to avoid Naruto and Sasuke seeing her like this.
Sasuke hushed her and kissed her burning forehead. "Stop it." Hinata was stubborn and didn't listen as she cried. Real genuine tears. "I love you and Naruto-kun. I need you so much in my life. I never meant what I said Sasuke. I don't blame you for anything. I said very nasty, vile words to you and I hope you can forgive me. I will do anything for you and Naruto to forgive me."
Hinata has taken on so many enemies out of her league for Sasuke and Naruto. They would be a fool to think she didn't love them. Sasuke remembered 13 year old Hinata, bulldozing down a tree and knocking Orochimaru into another one. Taking that stab wound just for him. That stab wound that would torture her for the rest of her life. She did that for him and still craved him. That was love.
Hinata refusing relief of pain, just so Sasuke could have the curse mark removed. That was love. Sasuke knew Hinata loved him. He just felt guilt. He would forever feel guilt.
Sasuke cupped one of her cheeks and Hinata leaned into his touch, even though it hurt her. "Then you keep fighting Hinata. I know it's hard. I know you're in pain. I know I would be just like you if I was in your position. I probably would have said worse, but I need you to be strong. Not just for me and Naruto, but for your clan. I know you relied on your father, but learn to rely on us now Hinata."
Hinata's shoulders quaked as she squeezed her eyes shut. "I…just can't believe this is happening. I can't believe he's gone. I loathed my father and at the same time I loved him. I'm trying so hard. I just feel like I'm sinking. Still, I shouldn't take it out on anyone. I need to endure and I will. I just…I don't want you and Naruto-kun to hate me. I don't want to be alone anymore Sasuke-kun. Please don't leave me. Promise me?"
Sasuke leaned over and kissed Hinata's wet lips. She opened her eyes to look at him. Eyes full of insecurities. "I promise. We're not going anywhere Hinata."
Naruto kissed the back of Hinata's head. "I promise if you promise not to leave Hinata. That evil inside of you can't have you."
Hinata nodded her head repeatedly at this. "I promise. This will never, ever, EVER happen again. This is my promise to you and Naruto-kun. I'll never let you down like this again."
The three finally went back to sleep. For another two hours before Hinata woke up again in pain. Less miserable and more cooperative to their help.
In the future they'd get Hinata to accept more of their help. In the future, Naruto and Sasuke saw that Hinata kept her promise she made them tonight.
End of chapter
Whew! Let's take a big breath from this chapter!
I will say, this will be the last time Hinata has a moment like this or suffers this bad from her addiction. She'll keep her promise to Naruto and Sasuke.
Just to bring to reality that addiction is real and it can bring the absolute worse out of someone. Even if that someone is innocent and reserved.
Well, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. It was an emotional roller coaster. I promise I won't put NaruHinaSasu through anything else as stressful.
Next chapter will be Hinata dealing with her family and the punishments will be in that chapter.
See you Wednesday!