I'm back with another chapter. More like a filler chapter but don't worry, things will get good in the next few chapters.
Chapter 19: Left Unsaid or In Shock
I was sitting by my small wooden desk that was laying in the corner of my new room. That was my assumption because we had moved to numerous of hideouts and they were so similar, it was hard to tell if I had in this one once or twice. Either way, it was all the same to me. Though my room it bigger than my last one and more spacious so I was satisfied. When we got inside the lair, Orochimaru questioned us about being late. Kabuto simply answered by saying that the Leaf was holding them back, whatever that meant.
My mind was racing with thoughts and worries I had about Naruto and Sakura knowing that I was with Kabuto. Naruto wasn't as stupid as everyone gave him credit for and Sakura was a female with feelings… they could use this fact against me; they could use Kabuto to get to me and for me to surrender to them. Though I don't consider the bookworm as my "soulmate", he was important to me and I would feel guilty if anything happened to him. Not only that, my worries for Neji missing me was confirmed; he was still waiting for me to this day and I don't know how to process it all. I never thought that I meant that much to him because he was so modest and religious. It made me to believe that finding his soulmate wasn't that important to him. I must've overlooked that.
Regardless, I had moved on and focus on the fact that I found someone else. I still cared about Neji and held the memories of him and me together, but that was that.
The next time I got the chance to see him was unknown, but if and when I do, I only saw him as a good friend.
The sudden sound of knocking on my bedroom door startled me to the point where I almost fell off my seat. I was hesitant to open the door because I was simply no in the mood in getting up, walking to the door, and opening it to talk to someone when I would rather punch a wall until I broke my hand. But however was behind the entrance/exit, they were persistent and seemed to really want to talk to me. Exhaling in frustration, I marched my way to the door and hastily opened it. I was shocked, confused, and irritated to see that it was Kabuto who was behind the door.
"You know, you have guts knocking at my door like that at a time like this." I told him monotonously, narrowing my eyes at him while placing my hand on my hip.
I hadn't spoken to four eyes since we left the Leaf team behind. Even when we arrived to the new lair, I went my separate way because I just didn't want to talk to him after the stunt he pulled earlier.
"Are you still upset with me for what I did?" He asked innocently, though telling from the smirk he was giving me showed otherwise.
I kept my lips in a thin line as I furrowed my eyebrows on him, hinting that I wasn't joking. Kabuto got the message and held out his hands in front of him for defense.
"Okay, okay. But seriously, all jokes aside…" He stressed simply as his eyes gazed at me with truthfulness. "Let me in so I could properly talk to you…"
"Why should I?" I countered, not believing his sincerity.
"Because like you, I don't want others here seeing this side of me…" He admitted gently. "The side that only you've seen…"
From experience, I understood completely where Kabuto was coming from, which made it a good argument. I nodded at him and moved aside so that he could easily walk into my room. He picked up the chair I just sat on before and moved it towards my bed. I allowed him to have the chair while I plopped myself comfortably on my bed, cross-legged. Once we had both settled, I waited patiently for him to speak.
"You haven't spoken to me since we left the old lair earlier today." He spoke broadly, looking at me blankly.
"I thought the reason was already obvious." I commented, cocking an eyebrow. "You literally told the Leaf shinobi—which included my closest friends—that I was your 'significant other' after when we specifically agreed to not say a word to anyone, remember that?"
"Yes, I do." He nodded in confirmation.
"Then why the hell you told them, anyway?" I questioned in anger and confusion.
"We only made that deal just so that Sasuke and Lord Orochimaru won't find out." He answered, unfazed about my use of tone. "You didn't specify nor imply that the Leaf shouldn't know either."
"But, I said anyone… including the Leaf Village." I corrected with a frown, folding my arms.
Kabuto sighed. "You're being a hypocrite, right now…"
Excuse him? Did he just called me a hypocrite?
I let out an offended laugh. "How am I being a hypocrite?"
"You told me yourself that you don't care if they know about us, and you even assured me to not worry about them since you're not with them anymore." He explained expressionlessly. "Now you're upset at me for telling them that we're together after that conversation about not worrying about the knowing."
"I only said that because you were the one who was worried about the age gap." I argued, feeling as though I was being attacked.
"Did you see Naruto and Sakura's reaction?" He quickly asked me.
"Yes, I did. And I heard, smelled, and felt their presence. What's your point?" I sassed irritably.
"They never mentioned the age difference, Katsumi. They just didn't like the fact that we're together because they detest me, and they wanted Neji to be yours and not me." He briefly hypothesized.
"I still don't see your point, four eyes." I grumbled impatiently, resisting the urge to snap.
Kabuto sighed at my lack of patience for him. "They don't care about the age difference, nor did they seem to care about the regulations the Leaf has. Their only problem is that they strongly belief that you're with the 'wrong person'. So you shouldn't be upset with me because I told them." He clarified.
"You still broke your promise, Kabuto." I remarked strongly, sounding more like I was hurt than mad.
Kabuto's eyes showed a glint of guilt then he reached his hand and grabbed my own.
"And I know that's wrong of me. Despite what I've said, I'm sorry… I really am…" He murmured apologetically, squeezing my hand.
"Look, I'm not particularly upset because you told them. It's just that Neji will now know where I stand in our relationship." I assured anxiously, bringing my gaze down.
No one had said anything after my response. Then, Kabuto decided he should say something.
"Are you not over him? Is that the problem?" He questioned coldly, sounding not angry but frustrated.
"Why ask that all of a sudden?" I questioned back even colder, sounding more defensive than I wanted.
"You tell me?" He encouraged harshly, sharpening his glare. "I mean, it kind of makes sense since you're worried about something that shouldn't be your concern."
"Just because it 'makes sense' doesn't mean it's true." I pointed out sternly, shooting him a strong stare.
Within a second, Kabuto's face fell and it made a hurt look. I raised an eyebrow on this because he became bipolar right in front of me in a second.
"Just answer my question, please." He begged lightly, his pupils looking to the side.
I sighed heavily. "Yes I'm over him and I've moved on with my life. The reason why I'm concerned of him is because if he figures out that I'm with you of all people, he would think that he was the reason I left and that I've betrayed not only the village but him on a personal level. You have to understand that I do still care for him…" I justified simply.
"Right…" He breathed, finally gathering himself up to look me in the eyes.
"If it makes you feel any better, you're the only person that I let in this much. Not even Neji knows everything. That shows just how important you are to me and how much faith I have in you." I huffed lightly, breaking a few walls down.
This made Kabuto much better as he glanced at me and smiled brightly.
"That means a lot coming from you…" He complimented happily, his thumb rubbing my hand.
As he was smiling at me, I noticed that Kabuto had his other hand close to his torso, gripping his pants tightly as if he was in pain but tried to hide it. He thought I would be that stupid to not notice this, but apparently he was the stupid one for thinking that I wouldn't catch him.
"Are you hurt?" I asked him suspiciously, eyeing him hardly.
Kabuto remained silent, not answering my question. His smile fell and his lips pushed themselves into a thin line.
"You're hurt…" I concluded, seeing the evidence in front of me.
"It's not serious though…" He insisted weakly, trying to drop the topic.
"Uh-uh, nice try." I refused smugly, getting off my bed. "Lie down on my bed."
"But, Katsumi—!"
"Shush, I don't want to hear your voice." I cut him off in annoyance. "Just get your ass on the bed before I make you."
Thanks to the little threat I gave him, Kabuto did what he was told and laid on his back with his head resting comfortably on my pillow. I performed a general examination by pressing down my fingers on his flesh, trying to find the injured area. I knew that it was somewhere around the lower torso, so I focused on that area. I kept on pushing down and poking his flesh until I pressed my fingers down on his abdomen, making him to yelp in pain.
"So, your stomach is the problem…" I mused thoughtfully, then I glanced at my patient. "Remove your shirt."
Kabuto obeyed me and remove his shirt ungrudgingly, exposing his built physique. I kept my attention on the matter at hand and studied the physical appearance of his abdomen. There was no blood or anything like that, however, a huge part of his top skin tissue was ripped off revealing tender, red muscle. I knew immediately that this wasn't good because there was no telling how long he had this injury, giving a lot of time for his body to contract an infection. What was shocking in all this was that it was just left there. Similar to myself, Kabuto's body was able to heal its damage itself by using his own chakra to do so. Why hadn't it heal itself? I knew his body needed time but it shouldn't take this long. Plus, Kabuto was a talented medic-nin and even if his body doesn't heal itself, he could manually do it himself. But he didn't.
"I've never seen an injury like this…" I commented thoughtfully, studying his tender, exposed skin.
"Me neither…" He responded in agreement.
I glanced at his and furrowed my eyebrows at him.
"Still, why didn't your body heal?" I questioned curiously.
"The damage was too great for body to heal in this span of time." He simply answered. "Even if my body heals externally, the internal injuries are probably more severe than originally thought."
"If that's the case, then why didn't you just heal this yourself?" I asked again, not understanding his logic.
"I didn't have the time, energy, nor chakra to fully treat myself." He answered.
There was still one more thing I wanted to know from the bookworm.
"How did you get it?" I inquired solidly, being very stern to him.
The second I caught Kabuto hesitating to answer my question, I wasn't going to let him beat around the bush again.
"Kabuto, you have two options." I warned him threateningly. "Option One: answer my question. Option Two: I'll skin you alive until your whole body looks like that."
Kabuto knew right there I was being dead-serious, and wasted no time in answering my question.
"When we encountered Naruto and the others, the Nine-Tails inside Naruto took total control of him. I strongly believed that this was triggered by Lord Orochimaru mentioning Sasuke as his property." He answered, a bit shaken up from my threat. "He looked as if he was the miniature version of the Nine-Tails but with only four tails. I noticed that he was intended to kill Lord Orochimaru so I went ahead and attacked him, although I was instantly hit by his attack."
"Damn it, Kabuto! I thought I told you to not hurt them." I exhaled I annoyance.
Kabuto knitted his eyebrows as my retort.
"First of all, I didn't hurt any of them. Second of all, I already told you before that Lord Orochimaru and I will take drastic measures to protect ourselves and that's exactly what we did." He corrected me defensively.
I rolled my eyes at him.
"So, Naruto went ballistic on the snake?"
"Yes. To be honest, I was kind of intimidated…" He admitted softly.
I snorted cockily. "The great Kabuto Yakushi is scared, huh?" I mocked as I poked his cheek with my index finger.
Kabuto slapped my hand away from his face and frowned. "You would've been scared too if you were in my position."
"No I wouldn't because unlike you, I don't get a thrill in pissing people off to the point where they want to kill me." I wittedly countered, cupping my hands on my hips.
"You seem to piss off Sasuke a lot, lately." He muttered insultingly, though I heard exactly what that nerd said.
"Naruto had a good reason to want to kill both of you jerks. Sasuke, on the other hand, is being a little douche and you're letting him." I harshly argued.
"That was uncalled for, Kabuto…" I added unhappily, folding my arms.
"I know that. I'm sorry, okay…" He gently sulked, sounding apologetic enough.
"It's whatever, I guess…" I shrugged dully as I stretched my arms.
"Are you going to heal me now?" He asked promptly, giving me a look of expectation.
"Yeah, yeah… I am…" I assured in bore then placed both my hands on his tender abdomen.
The firm touch of my hands on his red skin caused him to hiss in pain, displaying just how excruciating and severe it was.
"Just stay calm, Kabuto. Okay?" I cooed hardly at him, giving him a bit of tough love.
"Easier said than done." He gritted painfully in reply. "It hurts and stings at the same damn time!"
I huffed at his complaint and funneled my chakra into my medical ninjutsu. I made sure that this jutsu was extensive so his inner and outer injuries were completely healed and gone. As I was treating his injury, I could hear the grunts and cries of pain coming from Kabuto. It was annoying because I simply couldn't stand it and my patience went so far—however on his defense I should've given him anesthesia so wouldn't feel anything, but I thought he was strong enough to go through it. It also sort of worried me a bit because he had high tolerance to pain like myself, and I saw in endured other injuries before but this one was a huge exception.
It took a while but I was finally able to bring that injury to remission. I never though healing a wound like this would take me this long. It reminded me just how strong the Nine-Tails spirit and how even more dangerous Naruto could be if it took control of him.
Kabuto sat up on my bed and examined the after results of my treatment. I was able to heal and repair the lost and damaged skin tissue on his stomach plus healing any other external injuries he might've had. I wasn't going to lie, it was harder than I thought because I had to use more chakra than I originally used since it was that bad and it didn't help that the snake's hideout absorbed chakra from anyone who was in it. Overall, this was one of the most extensive single treatment I had ever done.
"Feel better? Does it still hurt?" I asked him concernedly.
Kabuto glanced up at me and smiled gratefully. "Not at all. I've never felt any better."
"Good…" I breathed tiredly, sitting on the edge of the bed.
Kabuto graciously scooted to give me more space to sit to which I accepted and made myself comfortable. Just before I was about to say something, the medic-nin wrapped me with his strong arms and hastily pulled me in until my lips were captured by his own. I was taken aback by this since it came out of nowhere. Then again this was Kabuto and he was known for surprises. I was finally able to calm myself down from complete shock and joined in the kiss. Our lips moved in sync with so much passion; the chemistry we had was unbelievable and we seemed to move in the same, perfect way. I had one arm around his neck while the other was stroking his chest. I slid closer to Kabuto until I was sitting on his lap as he pulled even closer to him.
"You… taste… so good…" He breathed lovingly in between kisses, holding me tightly in his arms against his bare chest.
I pulled away from his lips but I relaxed by head on his forehead as he breathed heavily on my face with his hot breath. Meanwhile, my left arm was positioned around his neck as my right hand cupped his cheek, caressing his smooth skin.
"You can be such a weirdo, you know that?" I commented in a sigh, adjusting my position on his lap.
"But being a 'weirdo' is one of the things that made you attracted to me." He remarked conceitedly as he threw me his smirk.
"Whatever…" I sighed as I rolled my eyes then leaned in towards his mouth again.
We exchanged loving kisses for another brief moment until I slightly pulled away while Kabuto went ahead and place light kisses on my neck. I placed my attention on his abs as my fingers playfully stroked them. He didn't seem to mind this as he pulled back from my neck and removed a small piece of my hair. He then started playing with it too.
"You know, earlier I mentioned you to Sasuke…" He spoke conversationally.
"What about it?" I asked uninterestedly, distracting myself with the sight and touch of his midsection.
"He was a lot quieter than before and a bit lost when I mentioned your name." He told me thoroughly. "I don't know, he was just acting strange."
"Tell me something I don't know…"
"Well, it's obvious that you said something that shaken him a bit. I can understand why, though…" He commented quietly, cocking his head to the side.
"You know I can hear you." I exclaimed.
"What do you think you said that might have caused him to be like that?" He asked curiously, waiting for my guess.
"I'm not really certain." I told him then I lifted my gaze to look at his dark eyes. "But if I had to guess, it's probably about me daring him to choose me or his need for revenge."
"Katsumi… that wasn't necessary…" He scolded disappointedly, giving me the look a parent gave to their child if they did something wrong.
"What?! Why are you acting like it's my fault?" I inquired defensively.
"Listen, I don't care if your brother's 'feelings' get hurt or whatever." He stated. "But giving him a decision like that is crossing the line. You're lucky you're his sister because if it was anyone else who said that to him, he'd kill you on the spot out of spite."
"Ew, you're just like Sasuke." I grimly replied, scrunching my face a bit to show my disgust.
"I'm not agreeing nor siding with him; I'm just stating my opinion, is all. Demanding him to choose between his goal and you is exactly like demanding me to choose either you or Lord Orochimaru." He contrasted simply, trying to clear the air.
"And who would you choose?" I asked encouragingly, finding a new interest in knowing his answer.
"Katsumi…" He gritted warningly.
"Okay, okay. My fault, but don't bring stuff like that up if you don't want to be interrogated." I briefly snapped, holding my hands up as a form of surrendering.
"Just watch what you're saying and who you're saying it to, okay. Being blunt all the time isn't a good thing." He nagged softly.
"I see myself more honest than blunt." I commented, folding my arms.
Kabuto rolled his eyes. "So what was his answer?" He then asked, dropping the topic for another.
"He refused to answer my question. Like you, he said that it's not fair of me for giving him options that were impossible to choose just one." I answered bluntly, sounding as though I was mocking him.
"Would it sound bad if I said that I expected something like that from him?" He asked cautiously.
"No, I don't blame you. I mean, I had some idea that he would be hesitant, but seeing it was much harder than I thought." I replied lowly, feeling a little sad.
I tried to distract myself with Kabuto's abs, but the owner of them noticed this right away and gripped my hand hardly as he tried to keep my focus in check.
"Don't feel upset about it. There's no doubt that he deeply cares and loves you. You just need to give him some time and when he's ready, he'll talk and explain everything you need to know." He soothed sweetly; his eyes told me he was telling me the truth.
"You talk as if you've been through it yourself." I briefed as I cocked an eyebrow.
"You can say that." He replied with a soft smile. "I had an older brother named Urushi back when I used to live in the Leaf's Orphanage. We weren't blood-related, but we were brothers nonetheless. He was loud, brash, brazened, and he used to always pick on me for the fun of it. But deep down, I knew he loved me and would always stand by my side when I needed him the most. Just like Sasuke, he was very protective of me and solely wanted to keep me safe. I love and appreciate him to this day…"
"When's the last time you saw your brother?" I asked him.
Kabuto's face fell as he clenched his fists in guilt and regret. I waited patiently for him to answer my question but then I noticed the male struggling to contain his old feelings and emotions from the past. Then his tensed body relaxed and he looked at me with no expression.
"When I was assigned to that mission by Danzo…" He grunted lowly.
"Where is he now?"
"I have no clue. And honestly, I don't know if he's even alive…" He admitted discouragingly.
"I'm sorry, Kabuto…" I sulked sadly for him, locking my fingers with his for comfort.
"Don't be, I've learned to move on. All I'm trying to say is that no matter who Sasuke is and despite the things he's done, learn to appreciate him for being your older brother. I know for a fact that he loves and appreciates you a lot…" He advised strongly, gripping my hand tightly.
"Fine…" I huffed in defeat, earning a smile from the medic-nin.
"Good." He chirped.
Kabuto then turned to grab his shirt as I sat there staring at him, thinking deeply to myself. Once he was fully clothed, he removed himself off of the bed and walked towards the door. Before he exited my room, he side-glanced at me and smiled kindly.
"Goodnight, Katsumi…" He said sweetly.
"Yeah, night…" I returned the gesture.
He left it at that and left my room quietly, leaving me all alone in my room. I got up and quickly prepared for bed. I laid there on my back, staring hardly at the ceiling. I referred to what Kabuto told me before he left my room: learn to appreciate Sasuke. Thing was, I already do… at least I used to. Sasuke was with me threw my ups and downs when we were younger. Even when he was placed in a squad and I was working nonstop at the Leaf's Hospital, he would somehow always had time for me and hung out as friends. Despite him having a goal, I was his first priority and I was okay with that. But now, I felt different about him. I wasn't saying nor even implying that I don't love him anymore; I loved him to death, no doubt. Not only had I still loved him so much I still respected him as well just as much as I did in the past. Everything I felt for him was the same except I lost the appreciation I had for him. I appreciated for his mindset and what he stood for when we were young, but thanks to his urge to take out his revenge, he completely changed as a person and his mindset. He went as far to come out and say that he didn't care if Orochimaru took his body as his own. All he represented was hatred and revenge; it was beyond a goal, it was who he was.
Kabuto did had a point about appreciation was just as important as love, but it was hard to regain something that I had for my brother because of what he had become. And honestly, it apparently didn't mattered to Sasuke himself because he doesn't care enough about me to know that I appreciated him. Or maybe I was overreacting? Maybe I was the problem? Or maybe not because though Kabuto was very kind and gentle towards me, he was just as honest as I was; if I did something wrong, he would come forth and tell me that straight in the face. So I guess that meant Sasuke and I were both at fault in this?
Even though the situation wasn't healthy for our close relationship and despite what Kabuto said was true, I had learn to somewhat accept where Sasuke and I stood. I also had to learn to stop being the bigger person in all of our issues or else I would start resenting my own brother; he had to start taking responsibility for his actions and behaviour and if that meant never speaking to him again, then so be it.
We were flesh and blood to have each other's backs, not glued together as one person. If he couldn't do it, then why waste my energy on something that wouldn't be worth it for the both of us. It might sound stubborn and even childish, but that wasn't always a bad thing. I basically don't have my big brother with me anymore, which meant I had to grow independently.
The thoughts rushing within my head started to slow down as my eyes got heavier. It was then I knew it was time to put myself under a deep slumber.
Meanwhile Back At The Leaf:
Neji's POV:
It was the third hour, yet I still couldn't believe what Naruto and Sakura told me and the rest of us about Sasuke and Katsumi. Personally, I couldn't really care less about him since he was nothing but a lost cause. What was appalling to me was the fact that she was together with that traitor and good-for-nothing, Kabuto. Of all people in this world, she just had to choose him. It was hurtful enough that she left the village, thus taking a break from us. But now I had to live with the fact that she was with that psychopath.
Was this all my fault though? Did she felt like I didn't care about her as much as I actually do? Did she felt like I was with her because she was an Uchiha?
It was true, the main branch wanted me to go forth with my "plan" and prayed that I married the girl to have exceptional offspring. But it was more than just talented babies to me. I really did cared about her and I still do. I hoped that someday we would meet again and stay together until we died. But by the tone Naruto and Sakura gave us, my dreams were stripped from me before my eyes.
"Hitomi's with KABUTO!?" I heard Kiba spat in disgust as Akamaru barked angrily.
"Are you sure about that, you guys? Maybe he's messing with you or something." Tenten assumed skeptically, not really fazed by all this. "I mean, it isn't the first time he has."
"I SWEAR on my LIFE she's with that bookworm!" Naruto barked, enraged. "He even said so himself!"
"He also told us that he was a Leaf genin and even signed up for the chunin exam. So maybe this is another one of Kabuto's lies…" Ino pointed out assumingly, also doubting this fact.
"Ino's right! Hitomi would never trust someone as low as Kabuto! I believe that with the power of YOUTH!" Lee exclaimed confidently, throwing his fists and added a kick to the air.
"But even I heard Kabuto saying that Hitomi's his 'significant other'!" Sakura insisted certainly, trying too to convince the gang.
"Of course, Hitomi's a significant other! She's important to all of us because she's THAT amazing!" Lee chirped proudly.
"Oh, for the love of—she meant significant, as in girlfriend, Lee!" Tenten snapped exasperatedly, tired of our teammate's hyperactivity.
I couldn't blame her, but my mind was on other things right now.
"Oh…" Lee sighed disappointedly, finally calming down as he sulked down on the ground.
Again, I could sympathize as I was feeling the same from within.
"Plus, Hitomi did nothing to discard nor even deny his claims! She even confirmed his statement and didn't seem to have a problem with us not accepting it." Sakura added persuasively.
"So… it is true then…" Lady Hinata meekly sighed, lowering her gaze.
"But why would she ever even CONSIDER a nerd like him! Forget about being a heartless criminal and Orochimaru's servant!" Kiba barked lividly, getting angrier and angrier every time he had spoken.
"Kiba, just shut up already." I suddenly heard Shino's voice, sounding irritated by his teammate's yelling. "You yelling isn't helping the situation at all."
"YOU'RE the one who needs shut up, Shino!" Kiba turned to him, taking out his rage on his closest comrade. "It's not my fault that I care so much about her than you do!"
"For your information, I care about her as a friend just as much as you do. The only difference is that I'm not jealous of Kabuto, unlike you." Shino countered calmly, furrowing his eyebrows at him.
Kiba flinched at Shino's comment which seemed to insult him very much. It was true that the Inuzuka male had feelings for the girl since they were children. It wasn't until the month break during the chunin exam that he told his feelings to her. The only thing I recalled from her was that she was awfully flattered but she told him the truth and said she saw him no more than a close friend. It must've stung for Kiba but he eventually learned to accept it and move on. After that, he discovered along with the rest of the others that we were a couple. Since then, he was slightly sour about it but at some point gotten over it. The fact that it was brought up at this time where she herself was the topic of conversation, it wasn't really a smart move from Shino's side. Just looking at the brunette with a nerve popping out of his forehead was enough to tell anyone that he was more than livid and wanted to kill someone, particularly the Aburame.
"You take that back before I'LL—!"
"He's right, Kiba." A familiar, tired voice spoke up and all of our attention turned to our laziest friend in the group.
"Shikamaru…" said fuming brunette growled angrily at the Nara male, ready to kill him too if he said the wrong thing.
"Being angry and throwing a tantrum isn't going to help at all." He simply stated, glancing tiredly at him. "Stop making it a big deal; it's not the end of the world…"
"Funny… this is coming from a guy who he too had feelings for Hitomi." Kiba seethed cockily at the lazy Nara. "Even someone like you know that this IS a big deal! We all know how controlling Kabuto is; he's just as bad as that snake. There's a good chance that he's just using Hitomi or even manipulating her to do his bidding!"
"I highly doubt that's the case…" Shikamaru critiqued quickly.
Everyone seemed a bit confused as to why he would say that in a spilt second.
"How do you know that, Shikamaru?" Choji asked curiously, eating his favourite snack.
"It's common sense when you think about it. Orochimaru's been on the down low lately, staying quiet for about three years; that was the last time he made a move. Now, whatever he's planning most likely has nothing to do with us. Kabuto—like you mentioned, Kiba—is Orochimaru's faithful assistant, meaning he'll only take out bad doings if Orochimaru ordered him. Unless he was told to, he would do nothing to harm anyone and anything." He explained meticulously.
"Okay. But what has that got to do with Hitomi?" Ino pitched in her question.
"Kabuto won't manipulate her unless he was told to by Orochimaru. Remember, he only wanted Sasuke and Hitomi was just a bonus he got and possibly a backup. Since I highly doubt Orochimaru has a specific interest in her, it's more unlikely that he would tell Kabuto to go and brainwash her." He answered comprehensively.
"So, are you certain that Kabuto won't control or use her as his puppet?" Naruto questioned doubtfully, still worried about his childhood friend.
Shikamaru eyed the group, specifically at the blonde who parted his lips with a blank look on his face.
"Naruto, you know just as much as I do that Hitomi is very stubborn and headstrong; she lets no one, and I mean NO one to manipulate her to doing something she doesn't want to do." He stated confidently then he looked at all of us. "Even if Orochimaru and Kabuto wanted her to be their little lapdog, it will take a lot of sweat, blood, and energy to achieve that and break her down. And believe me when I say this—and by the words of Hitomi herself—she is nobody's b***h."
Everyone, including myself, was taken off guard by Shikamaru's use of foul language. We were all aware of her habit of cursing but that was something she grew up experiencing so we couldn't blame her. Plus, it was a part of her personality and we loved every single part of it.
"Besides, Kabuto wouldn't try to control her for the fun of it. The only purpose he has is Orochimaru; whatever he wants is what Kabuto wants." He yawned tiredly after his strong speech, going back to his lazy ways. "If he doesn't need Hitomi to do his bidding nor use her for his experiments, then Kabuto wouldn't do anything necessarily wrong. I guarantee you all that she won't let that happen to herself. Plus, I know that deep down her heart belongs to the village and she won't allow herself to hurt the village and her beloved ones…"
"What are you implying, Shikamaru?" Sakura asked hardly, knitting her pink eyebrows. "Are you telling us that Kabuto isn't up to no good and that he… he genuinely has feelings for her?"
"Basically, yes…" He confirmed lowly as he closed his eyes; he looked as if he was about to nap.
"Are you also implying that Hitomi has feelings for him too?" Tenten pitched in her hypothesis.
"That's BULLS**T!" The same enraged brunette spat before Shikamaru got the chance to speak.
"Looks like Hitomi's not the only one with a cussing habit…" Shino mused mockingly; it was hard to distinguish if whether or not he was trying to provoke him.
Either way, he provoked him. And he did a perfect job doing it.
"I'm literally done with your crap, Shino!" He shouted fumingly, then turned his attention towards Shikamaru. "And you! I DARE you to say that Hitomi has feelings for that dweeby psychopath!"
"You didn't give me the chance to say anything, Kiba." Shikamaru calmly pointed out, not fazed by anything in front of him.
"Because I know for a fact that you were going to say that she does, which isn't true! It CAN'T be true! She's way out of Kabuto's league! Hell, barely anyone can stand to par with her!" He argued, exasperated. "There's no way a guy like him could have a heart or any sort of humanity to love someone! And I swear on my life, I'll be DAMNED if Hitomi caught feelings for a heartless, vindictive bastard like him. And I don't care if you or any of you say, there's no way that—!"
"Kiba, just SHUT THE HELL UP FOR ONCE!" Naruto spat, incensed. It seemed that the blonde had finally had it with Kiba's aggravating attitude.
Everyone was stunned as their heads turned to the knucklehead of the group. Naruto had his lips pursed in rage as his shiny, bright blue eyes turned a bit duller than usually. This was the most serious the blonde had ever been, so we were both surprised and a bit scared. The boy was simply one or the other and never in between; he was either very happy, sad, or mad. Right now, he was very mad.
"And why should I, huh!?" Kiba snapped infuriatingly, turning his anger towards him now.
"I've had it with you talking as if you know everything that's going on, when really you're as thoughtless as you sound!" He grimly hissed, glaring daggers at the brunette.
"Big words for a big knucklehead!" The Inuzuka boy mocked harshly.
"Say whatever you want about me! But don't you EVER talk about Sasuke and especially Hitomi as if you've known them your entire life! You have no right in judging and determining things that are true or false without knowing anything!" The Uzumaki boy responded exasperatedly, clenching his fist.
"Why the hell are you so defensive in the first place!?" Kiba questioned irritably.
"Because Sakura and I were the ones who went on this mission and saw Kabuto and Hitomi together! We were the ones who heard them both say that they were a couple! We were the ones who actually TRIED to bring them back! We were the ones who witnessed this all, not you! So stop getting pissed off at everyone just because you don't like hearing the hard truth!" Naruto answered, inflamed with anger.
"Kiba… Naruto…" Lady Hinata breathed sadly; she hated seeing her closest friends yell at one another.
"I know what you mean, Hinata. But what can we do, really?" Sakura agreed softly, watching the two shout from the sidelines.
"So you're telling me that you're not the least upset that one of our closest friends is in love with a cold-blooded criminal!? And you're not even concerned about her at all!? Some friend YOU are!" Kiba then scoffed, daring to move closer to the blonde.
"I'm MORE than just upset! I feel betrayed and hurt because she's my first and closest childhood friend I've known for the longest time! She was always there for me and protected me from others who shunned or harassed me, from kids at the Academy to adults on the streets! She's more than a friend to me; she's mentally my big sister! She was the first person to ever put faith in me and believed that one day I'll become Hokage! Because of her, she prevented me from making so many mistakes in the past!" Said blonde explained passionately, sounding more emotional than angry now.
Kiba's face softened a bit when he heard Naruto's speech. I also noticed that the others were listening intently to the blonde's words.
"That's why I want to bring her back to the Leaf Village: to stop her from making mistakes that she could regret for her entire life!" Naruto's tone softened a bit as his pupils dropped. "Yes, I don't like her being with Kabuto and yes I HATE the fact that she has feelings for him! But none of that matters to me right now! All I care about is to bring her and Sasuke back to the Leaf so we could all be together again!" The blonde added strongly, his voice was covered in determination.
"Well, you're not the only one who cares about her. In fact, I once had feelings for her, if you didn't know." Kiba remarked firmly, no longer sounding as mad as before. "She was one of the rare few that I can relate to. We're both brash, blunt, and express ourselves without giving any sort of damn what others think of us. After she rejected me, I learned to love her as a sister and I can't help but be protective and concerned of her. Now that I'm hearing she's with that bastard, I'm feeling all sorts of emotions at once I just can't process it all!"
"We all understand, Kiba…" We all turned our attention back to Shikamaru, including the blonde and brunette males. "You too, Naruto…"
"But that still doesn't give you a right to go mad and take out your frustration out on your friends. Friends are supposed to get through stuff like this together without conflict between one another." He told us thoughtfully, referring to Naruto and Kiba.
"My bad (Sorry)." They both muttered apologetically in unison.
I looked around and by the look on their faces, they seemed to forgive the two for their behaviour a moment ago.
"But I wanna know something, Shikamaru." Kiba then suddenly spoke, grabbing the attention of everyone once again. "Do you personally care about Hitomi together with Kabuto?"
"Yeah, he's right." Ino spoke up in agreement, looking softly at her teammate. "You've had feelings for her since forever, too…"
"Of course, I care. She's one of my closest friends…" He answered dryly.
"Don't give us THAT, Shikamaru!" Kiba snapped in annoyance. "I know full well—!"
"Know what? As if you of all people know what I'm feeling inside…" said male interrupted coldly, earning a wince from Kiba.
"Shikamaru…" I heard Ino breathed sadly, feeling sorry for her dear friend.
Said friend heard her too, and sighed deeply.
"Let me set the record straight." He dourly proclaimed, wanting the brunette to listen carefully. "Yes, I had fallen for Hitomi for so long and really did at some point loved her. But that was a long time ago, and I learned to forget about her because though she means so much to me, she was holding me back from developing as a shinobi and a man. Thanks to her absence, I couldn't be happier and stronger than ever before…"
Everyone, including Kiba, were in awe of the Nara male's statement, seeing the extent of his development he went through since she left.
"Despite this however, I still love her as a close friend and the thought of her living with a vindictive, cold-hearted criminal like Orochimaru and the thought of her falling for a psychopathic, dweeby, bookworm like Kabuto really makes my blood boil." He added grimly, gritting his teeth in anger then glanced at all of us. "Like me, we love and appreciate Hitomi for the things she's done for us. We have to return the favor as her close friends to save her from the pits of hell… and bring her and Sasuke back home where they truly belongs…"
"You're absolutely right, Shikamaru!" Ino chirped confidently, holding up a determined fist.
"Right on!" Choji agreed, then went back to chewing his food.
"What are friends for, right?" Tenten sighed with a smile, shrugging at the matter.
"W-We'll bring Hitomi back home no matter what! And S-Sasuke too!" Lady Hinata beamed shyly with a bright smile.
"YES! And we'll do that with the power of YOUTH!" Lee announced assertively, fighting the air with his fists.
I examined everyone and noticed that everyone's mood was lifted thanks to Shikamaru's words of encouragement. There was no flaws on the male's intelligence and skills in oral speech. However, my mood wasn't lifted from the gloominess on my face; I hadn't said a single word since the conversation was brought up because the thought of Katsumi alone clenched my chest like it hadn't been clenched before.
"I gotta give credit where credit is due, Shikamaru." Kiba smiled apologetically at him, placing a friendly hand on his shoulder. "Sorry for giving you a hard time; I was being such a jerk. But, I really respect you for keeping your cool in a tough situation."
"Don't sweat it, Kiba…" said Nara male acknowledged with a lazy smile.
"Oh, Kiba…!" Lady Hinata smiled gleamingly, happy for her friend admitting he was in the wrong.
"I'm surprised he has any respect." Shino abruptly remarked in a low tone, standing beside his female teammate.
"I HEARD THAT, SHINO!" Kiba snapped, offended by his comrade's words.
There was a brief moment where we all watched the Inuzuka boy throwing a death glare at his teammate, until another person became a new interest in the group.
"Why do you still have that gloomy look, Sakura?" Ino asked precipitately, studying her old friend.
This made everyone else in the gang glance specifically at a certain pinkette who indeed had a depressed look on her face. Naruto, who stood beside his comrade, gazed aside curiously at her.
"It's just that… I don't think bringing her back will be as easy as we hope…" She hesitantly answered, not wanting to look at any of us and decided to keep her eyes on the ground.
"What do you mean, Sakura?" Naruto asked in confusion, disliking the opinion from the pinkette.
Said female glanced at her blonde teammate and looked at him sadly. It looked as if she could only look him in the eye and no one else.
"You know what I mean, Naruto." She prompted softly, pushing Naruto to remember something as well. "Even she said it herself: she's doesn't want to come back to the Leaf."
"But I thought she never wanted to leave the village in the first place. Sasuke was the one who persuade her, wasn't he?" Tenten commented, a bit confused.
"Apparently, her reason was that it wasn't a good idea to come back after joining forces with Orochimaru. She also added that it wouldn't be the same if she came back because she lost everyone's trust and respect, including ours…" Sakura told her as she gave everyone a brief look. "Not to mention the possible punishment she'll get for betraying the village…"
"But she hasn't lost our trust nor respect, though!" Kiba cut in disagreement. "We all know what went down and that Sasuke was responsible for the stunt. She has to understand that what happened in the past doesn't change how we see her as a person…"
"But what about the consequences she may face?" Shino questioned the brunette tediously.
"Then we'll convince Lady Tsunade to let her off the hook!" He shot at him, assured him. "She never really intentionally betrayed us, so the Hokage will understand and let her down easy."
"But not everyone in the village is as forgiving as her friends, Kiba." Ino pointed out thoughtfully, placing a hand on her hip. "They'll probably be the ones who'll give her a hard time for her actions, which is why she refused to come back maybe."
"Yeah, that's true." Choji agreed sadly, halting his action of chewing. "I heard she was resented by her own family and basically had no one except Sasuke; the possible resentment will be unbearable for her, especially if she doesn't have her big brother. I personally think he's the reason she continues to stay with Orochimaru…"
"You're right, Choji." Shikamaru acknowledged lowly. "In fact, I strongly believe that Sasuke is the one thing that is making her not wanting to leave…"
"W-Well, they are brother and sister s-so there's no surprise she doesn't want to leave her big brother…" Lady Hinata commented shyly, looking nervously down.
"Was one of her reasons for not returning has anything to do with Sasuke?" Shikamaru then asked curiously, regarding Naruto and Sakura specifically.
"We too mentioned that she won't face any punishment for her doings. If I recall correctly, she said that she didn't like the fact that Sasuke could pay for what he's done on his part." The pinkette answered. "It wouldn't make anything better if he takes all the blame, at least that's what she said."
"So, Sasuke isn't holding her back then." Tenten concluded with a huff.
"Then again, she probably wants us to think that." Shino thought aloud, earning everyone's attention. "It's reasonable for her to want to stay with Sasuke because they are siblings. And, like Choji mentioned, he has been by her side through thick and thin."
"But, knowing Hitomi… she doesn't allow others to influence her decisions and wishes, including Sasuke." Lee commented, furrowing his thick eyebrows.
"That really sucks." Kiba exhaled tiredly, resting his head on his linked hand. "If Hitomi really wanted to come back, it would make bring Sasuke back a lot easier since he's so stubborn and she's literally the only person that could persuade him."
"Well, not exactly. At least, not any longer…" Naruto replied disappointedly, his blue eyes staring hardly on the ground. "She said that she wasn't going to bother convincing Sasuke to come back or anything for that matter. Whatever Sasuke wanted to do, she isn't going to stop him."
"So, Sasuke isn't the reason for her wanting to stay with Orochimaru…" Shikamaru concluded briefly, sounding a bit disappointed.
"If that's the case, then that means…" Ino muttered sadly, stopping at midsentence.
"Yep…" Tenten sighed nonchalantly.
"I guess it's true, then…" Lady Hinata breathed miserably.
"Hitomi genuinely doesn't wish to come back; she's on Orochimaru's side… which basically makes her our enemy…" Shino commented dryly.
"Damn it, Shino!" Kiba snapped exasperatedly. "Why do you also have to be so negative?"
"I'm not being negative. I'm simply stating the facts…" He calmly amended his teammate, not fazed by his tone.
"Some friend you are…" The brunette murmured begrudgingly, crossing his arms.
"Well, I don't give a damn if Hitomi and Sasuke are considered our 'enemy'!" Naruto then claimed determinedly. "I'm going to bring them back to the Hidden Leaf Village, no matter what! They're my friends and Sakura and I share a special bond with them… a bond that makes us a family and SQUAD 7!"
"Naruto's right. Sasuke and Hitomi are our friends too, and as their friends, we have to bring them back home so we can all be together like the good old days back at the Academy and even the chunin exam." Shikamaru agreed confidently, putting on a bright face.
"Right!" The whole gang said in unison.
As I watched everyone's mood brightened up by the encouragement they fed off from one another, I stood a bit in the background silently, keeping my thoughts and feelings to myself. I honestly believed that no one would notice that something was off with me because I had my usually straight-face on. Unfortunately, there were those whose eyes were quicker than I hoped.
"Hey, you okay, Neji?" I heard Tenten's voice calling for my attention as she gently nudged my arm.
I snapped out of my thoughts and looked around only to see that everyone was looking directly at me. They too wanted to know since they just realized that I hadn't said a word since the conversation first started.
"I'm fine." I assured simply, not giving anything away for them to think otherwise.
"Are you sure about that, Neji?" Shikamaru questioned doubtfully, giving him a questioning look. "You haven't said a single word during the discussion about Sasuke nor even Hitomi."
"Yeah. I thought that out of all of us, you would be the most upset about it…" Kiba cut in in agreement, also doubting that the situation didn't upset me at all.
It did upset me, but I didn't want to show my personal feelings to everyone. It was both pointless and immature.
"Well, I'm not upset. It is what it is, and there's nothing I can do about it…" I firmly corrected then turned on my heel, indicating that I was done with the matter. "It's getting late. I should take my leave now…"
Without hesitation, I walked off without turning to see the looks on everyone's faces. I didn't wanted them to know how hurt I was about it all because it was so unlike me. To make matters worse, I strongly believed that it was because of this, Katsumi wanted to leave.
I was now laying on my bed, thinking really hardly to myself. I continued to scold myself for being so weak and not able to stop Katsumi from leaving the village. I regretted letting my feelings for her get the best of me. If I just broke down all of my walls and not let my complex get in between us, she would've had a reason to stay. But nonetheless, she left the village, broke ties with her loved ones, and—worst of all—got together with Kabuto.
I wasn't as confused and angered that she fell for a criminal as Kiba, because I felt like it was because I wasn't good enough for Katsumi that made her drawn towards him. If only I stopped for a minute and gave the ravenette to speak her mind and feelings she carried deep within her, then things would've been slightly different. Like everyone else in the group, I loved her but as her boyfriend at the time, I didn't know what to feel. I wasn't committed to her as much as she was committed to me. I didn't show enough compassion and care for her. I wasn't being originally because of the corrupted customs of the Hyuga household. I knew she understood this because she came from the Uchiha household that carried similar customs, but unlike her, she went against them and became her own person. I dreaded for that, but I was too busy being a prodigy I dismissed her as much as possible while taking her patience for granted.
It begged the question of how Kabuto was treating Katsumi to begin with. Knowing her, she wouldn't want to date obnoxious, arrogant people—then again, she still had feelings for the likes of me who was obnoxious and arrogant. There was a possibility that Kabuto was just like myself: he had a façade that he showed to everyone publically, but was a completely different person when alone or with Katsumi for that matter. In that case, it made sense as to why she fell for him.
But it didn't mattered what the reasons were: she was gone with another man, losing the chance in redeeming myself to her. As much as it hurt my heart, I had to let her go because I truly wanted her to be happy even if it meant being happy with someone else. She obviously moved on with her life, and so should I.
I turned to my side, preparing myself to succumb to my tiredness. 'I just wish I could see her one more time to tell her how sorry I am… and show her how much she meant to me…' I thought hopefully as I closed my eyes, allowing my brain to recall the memories I had of the first person I fell for.
That was a long chapter. Probably the longest ever. Anyway, I hoped you guys enjoyed this chapter since you briefly get to see the Rookie gang once again. The story will continue in the next chapter, so keep that in mind if you're eager to read it.