A/N: Thank you for the reviews! I wasn't going to post yet but I got encouraged reading them so here it is! I'll admit, the beginning was a bit rushed but the mid-point and ending of the story make up for it so I hope I don't get completely shitted on. Enjoyy! (This whole chapter is in Hinata's pov btw. It's also more words than the first two chapters so that's cute!)


Chapter 3

Crossing Paths

It was early in the morning when her boss, Tsunade Senju, a stunning woman in her late 40s called Hinata into her office.

Before being called upon, Hinata had entered the clinic in hopes of helping out. It was extremely busy now that the holidays were nearing and people suddenly took that as the best time to make appointments, the clinic was practically overflowed by people as soon as it opened.

It didn't help in the slightest that half of the staff decided to take their vacation now that they were completely bombarded with work.

Hinata couldn't help but feel as though her co-workers were being selfish by choosing to leave right when the clinic got engrossed with clients.

She knew it was rather harsh to judge them like that, as everyone had their fair share of things to deal with outside of work but everyone was well aware of how much the workload around this time increased and the toll it would take not only on the remaining staff but also the clinic.

Yet they still decided to take their leave.

It frustrated her, but there wasn't anything she or the remaining staff could do.

The workload certainly put a strain on all of them—it wasn't easy taking ten patients per day without the usual staff help but everyone thankfully managed.

Hinata felt sympathetic towards the remaining few and often tried lifting their spirits by bringing them home-cooked meals which certainly did the trick.

She loved cooking and even more when she got to share it with others and see their faces light up.

Once finished greeting her co-workers Hinata headed straight for her boss's office at the announcement, wondering what she was needed for.

It wasn't every day that Tsunade specifically called for her, so she couldn't help but feel a bit worried.

Hinata got there quickly, not willing to make her superior wait on her. She took a deep breath before knocking on the glass door, waiting for confirmation before twisting the handle and taking a step into the office.

Tsunade's office was simple yet lively, a stark contrast to other offices Hinata had seen before.

The walls were a painted beige color that stood out against the brown wooden floor, the large glass windows decorated with sage green curtains. Random paintings were littered on the walls, most were scenery, and others were different kinds of flowers and plants.

Hinata noted how pretty they were, she made a mental note of how Tsunade seemed to enjoy pieces of nature.

Aside from that, everything was as expected.

Her desk was brown and completely littered with papers, books, and notes. Her boss had quite the reputation for leaving things for a later date, so that wasn't surprising.

"Please take a seat, Hinata." Tsunade pointed toward two simple black chairs in front of the desk and Hinata nodded, quickly taking a seat.

Hinata patiently waited, she was beyond nervous but more than anything wanted to know the reason for being summoned to Tsunade's office.

She fidgeted trying to keep her composure as every second passed and her boss still didn't say anything, staring intently at a piece of paper on her desk.

Just what was so interesting about it?

"Hinata," Tsunade took in a deep breath, locking her in place with her piercing brown eyes. Under her gaze, Hinata began feeling uneasy. It was concentrated and focused as if Tsunade was evaluating whether speaking would be a good choice or not.

Was something going on?

"Y-Yes?" She stuttered, even after many years she still struggled with speaking.

Hiashi would be disappointed. Her inner conscience practically screamed and Hinata's composure faltered.

Deep down, she knew it was true. Her father would be disappointed—he always was.

However, it was a bad time to be thinking about stuff like that, especially with how conflicted Tsunade appeared.

So she chose to ignore it, opting to try and calm herself down.

She was okay.

Hinata calmed at the self-reassurance, staring at her superior who seemed lost in thought.

"How would you feel about carrying out a special job?" Tsunade finally spoke out, breaking the silence.

Was that what had her so deep in thought? Hinata silently wondered, to her it didn't seem like something so thought-provoking.

Still, it certainly left her feeling confused.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Hinata's eyebrows furrowed ever so slightly at the odd proposal as she tried to comprehend what Tsunade was insinuating and why it was making her act so weird.

No more stutter.

"I got a request from someone. I won't go into detail, but their in need of a physical therapist. As you know, we're really short-staffed here so I'm not sure how to approach this predicament," Her boss filled her in, tone turning sour as the words 'short-staffed' left her mouth.

Tsunade was more than annoyed at her employees for their poor timing. That much was clear.

Hinata listened, still confused about what any of that had to do with her.

What did carrying out a job and a request for a physical therapist possibly have to do with her?

Oh.


Yeah, so that's how Hinata ended up here.

One week later, recalling the events that lead her to this exact place.

Her hair tied into a ponytail, wearing her work scrubs and a thin lavender sweater.

Outside a building, in the chilly fall weather.

A one-story massive building.

Before she came here, her boss and co-workers wished her good luck, bidding her farewell. It made her feel better but Hinata still felt guilty about leaving the clinic during such hard times.

Tsunade had given her words of encouragement briefly before Hinata departed, reassuring her they'd be fine and could manage the clinic while she was gone.

That wasn't the only thing she had to say to her, Tsunade felt as if her appreciation had to be known to Hinata. It caught her off guard when her boss said such kind words.

"About the job, you'll do great. I'm positive there's no other person better suited for it than you, Hinata. Thank you again," Tsunade gave her a cheeky smile, lifting Hinata's spirits and confidence.

It wasn't that Hinata was upset about receiving the job, she just felt like her co-workers were definitely better equipped and overall a better option since they were more trained in the field and held more experience than she did.

Despite all of that, Hinata didn't want to question Tsunade's decision.

After all, she was the boss and chose Hinata because she believed she was perfect for the job.

Her boss believed in her.

So Hinata might as well have a little faith and try and believe in herself as well.

From what Tsunade informed her, it was an easy job.

Still, it being an 'easy job' didn't ease her nerves. The client was an athlete and Hinata had to care for them for three whole months.

When she had first been informed about how long the job would last she almost backed out.

It was just way too long, how many problems with their physique could they possibly have?

Three whole months was simply ridiculous, but so was the pay.

That's the only thing that kept her from backing out.

The money.

For the complete service, they were willing to pay two hundred thousand yen.

Two hundred thousand yen.

With that amount of money, Hinata could finally pay off her cousin's hospital bills as well as her student loans.

When Hinata hit the age of sixteen she left her family home due to certain circumstances. Neji Hyuga, her cousin who although despised her back when they were kids stepped up as her legal guardian, claiming she was too young to go around the world and needed someone to protect her. She thought it was cute.

So, they left the Hyuga household together.

Neji who was nineteen years old got a job to be able to provide for them both, it was nothing with big pay, just a simple family-owned restaurant near their rented apartment that helped keep a roof over their heads and food on the table.

Hinata tried to help and apply for a job herself but when Neji found out they had a long conversation about how he wanted her to focus on her studies, he'd do the providing himself.

Time passed and everything was great between them, with the time they spent together they had grown closer and created a sibling bond.

Hinata soon graduated from high school with honors and the brunette demonstrated how proud he was by throwing her a simple celebration. It was just the two of them but it easily became one of her happiest core memories.

Neji began to notice Hinata's interest in the medical field, how her lavender eyes would linger slightly whenever they passed by a hospital, and how she would afterward be consumed deep in thought.

So, he did what any normal person would do and encouraged her to apply to University and enroll in a medical course. She was put off at first, saying how she'd rather stay and take care of him even though it was obvious who was really taking care of who.

Knowing how stubborn she was when it came to him, Neji applied in her name.

Two months later, Hinata got a letter saying she had been accepted into university. Not just any university, but the University of Konoha.

She practically burst into tears that day and confronted Neji who gave her an awkward smile, admitting he was the one who sent her application in.

Hinata left for University—it took a lot of convincing, but Neji managed to get through to her that he'd be fine and he wanted her to do what she wanted, even if it meant being far away.

He would be there waiting as always.

Hinata was counting on it, getting more excited as her final semester came to an end and she would finally be reunited with Neji.

Then she got the news.

Ironically, it appeared on the Konoha news channel. Hinata had been studying for the exam she'd be taking early tomorrow morning when she briefly paused, hearing the commotion outside her dorm room. The sound of the television flooded her ears as it read something that made her heart completely shatter and her blood run cold.

"Twenty-one year old, Neji Hyuga, caught in the crossfire between two notorious gangs around a family-owned restaurant. It appears the young man had been closing up the business when shots were fired, the restaurant windows completely shattering. An escaped bullet passed directly near his heart, leaving him with fatal injuries. These gangs really—"

The rest was tuned out.

She felt her body shake violently, her throat constricting at the lack of oxygen when she suddenly stopped breathing.

She couldn't have heard right. Neji was okay. Neji was safe.

Yeah, Neji was waiting for her to return home.

The news must've gotten the name wrong—surely, it couldn't be her Neji.

Hinata reasoned with herself, trying to calm down. Neji was careful, he wouldn't let something like that happen…right?

There were plenty of people with the name Neji—she was sure there was a mix-up.

Don't be naive. Sure, there are lots of Neji's but not with the last name Hyuga.

A tiny, cruel voice that oddly sounded like herself spoke up in her subconscious. Shut up, Shut up, Shut up!

The voice kept her up all night, assuring her Neji would die while she spent her days at University.

She wanted to ignore it—desperately tried to.

But she knew, God she knew.

Hinata didn't take the exam in the morning.

She was called into the office, receiving confirmation of what she so badly wanted not to be true.

Neji was admitted to a hospital in their hometown, he was thankfully alive but remained in a comatose state until further notice.

The guidance counselor handed her the hospital bill, an expression of pity on her face.

Hinata hated it.

The hospital bill came out to forty thousand yen, and would only increase the longer she held the payment off. Her student loans were practically skyrocketing as well. Eighty thousand yen was to be paid off in a maximum span of three years.

That's why she accepted this job.

Those two hundred thousand yen would help her out so much, yes, her job at the clinic helped but not enough to pay for half of the hospital debt or the student loans.

She had to pull through with this job, if not, hope would be nothing but a mere fantasy.

Hinata took a deep breath, deciding it was enough stalling.

She could do this. Neji needed her to be able to do this.

She approached the tinted glass double doors, ponytail swaying with every move as her hands reached to pull it, and—

It didn't budge.

Weird. What was wrong with the door?

She tried again, pulling it out toward herself.

It didn't even move.

Hinata slowly began getting frustrated, why was it not opening?

Her lavender eyes came face to face with a big sign.

"Push, don't pull."

Oh.

She flushed red at the realization, God how embarrassing.

Silently, she thanked whoever built this building that the doors were tinted and no one saw her making a fool out of herself.

Pushing not pulling, the doors opened without hindrance revealing a…gym?

Hinata stood by the doors awkwardly, it was full of men and women. They were all wearing sports attire and crowding around the middle of the gym where two men were seen sparring.

Her attention was redirected when she heard a loud thud coming from a room to her left, a man stumbled outside, dropping to the floor in an instant.

His face was beaten disgustedly red and purple, Hinata panicked as soon as he came into view and instantly dropped her bag, rushing to his aid.

"Are you okay?" Her touch was gentle, worry etched all over her face. The person in question didn't reply, most likely having been knocked out unconscious.

Who did this to him?

She lifted her head upwards only to notice the presence of a menacing figure looming over her, his huge body practically towering over her and the person on the ground. His aura emitted power and Hinata felt herself shrink in his presence, she was filled with uncertainty as their gaze moved from the unconscious person to her.

His black eyes instantly captivated Hinata's attention, she'd never seen or heard of anyone with such dark eyes. They were intense and made her feel as if the man could see right through her, but she couldn't look away.

His hair was black and mid-length barely touching his nape, layered and wavy, it suited him well. The man's fair skin was a striking contrast in comparison to his darker features, but Hinata thought it made him even more alluring.

No doubt, he was a hit with the ladies.

Especially with his physique, it was outstanding.

Her plush pink lips slightly parted as if to say something but he interrupted her, not giving her a chance.

"Hey, who are you." His tone was condescending, pointing his finger accusingly at her as if she had trespassed. He didn't even voice it as a question, quite literally seeming to demand an answer.

This guy? A hit with the ladies? Alluring?

Yeah, no.

Hinata didn't realize before but the gym was unexpectedly silent ever since the commotion occurred and the atmosphere was filled with a sense of…unease?

Just who was this jerk? She glanced slightly in his direction, the guy was waiting for an answer.

"I'm—"

Again, before she could reply someone interrupted her mid-speech.

"You must be Hinata Hyuga! A pleasure to meet you," It was a tall muscular man, with orange spiky hair and gorgeous crimson eyes with a hint of orange. He put some distance between her and the guy, outstretching his hand politely.

He seemed nice.

Hinata stood up from her crouching position, dusting herself off before softly putting her hand into his and giving a firm handshake. She took a glance at the unconscious person, she hadn't quite forgotten about them but these two men had her quite preoccupied.

"Who?" The man now had his arms crossed over the other, watching her with great concentration. She stared back, rather annoyed. It was odd for Hinata to get frustrated with someone, but this guy—he was seriously something else.

"Sasuke, stop being an asshole and be nice to Miss Hyuga. After all, she'll be your physical therapist for three months, try not to be a dick." A new voice interjected and Hinata froze at the revelation that he was the client.

This had to be a joke.

A sick and twisted joke.