Chapter 6 of the 'NejiHina'
The latest chapter I forgot to put here. And, you know, delaying any form of actual updates by pretending I'm getting something done here. And without (much) ado, voila! Something I'm sure everyone interested has already read!
Back to What Passes for Reality Around Here:
Hiashi's arm hurt. His arm hurt a lot. Probably because it was broken. Along with one or two of his ribs, which made breathing fun. Dammit, this wasn't supposed happen! He and Hizashi were supposed to be reunited right now, having beautiful back-from-the-dead sex! He'd had supplies ready, and Powerpoints prepared, and... and well, the point was that he didn't have a plan for this.
He climbed slowly to his feet, and staggered out of the room. First, he'd need a medic, and then he'd see about convincing Hizashi to come back to him. But first, he'd make him pay for the arm. And the ribs. Those hurt, Sasuke-dammit!
A few steps out of the room, an flying body attached itself to his side, and Hiashi immediately cringed away from the weight simultaneously crushing his broken arm and ribs. Who the hell would dare do this to him, the Head of the Hyuuga Clan?
“Baby! How have you been? Has that meanie old man been bullying you? Don't worry, I'll kiss it and make everything better, okay sweetie? Come on, snookums, I've got something for you in my room.” The squeal came from the saccharine voice of a black-haired woman with a cursed seal on her partially hair covered forehead.
Oh. It was a Branch member. But that didn't excuse her Sasuke-bedamned death grip on his broken arm!
“Get off my arm, if you hadn't noticed, it's fucking broken! And you're just making it worse!”
The snap made her back off, but only to grab his other arm and drag him in the direction of the Branch House quarters.
“He broke your arm? That bastard! Come on, darling, I'll make it better for you real soon, okay? Just follow me, I have supplies in my room. You'll feel all better soon, I promise.”
Hiashi followed. He vaguely remembered a Branch member, who had hung around Neji, becoming an apprentice medic a year ago, and it was a better option than going all the way to the hospital. He'd see how this woman's medical training worked out, and if she wasted his time, he'd mind-melt her into oblivion!
----------------------
Shikaku was hanging out in Inoichi's floral boutique with Chouza, waiting for Inoichi to get back with the booze. It was a folly of all ninjas who lived to become jounin. They go very bored, very easily. For the InoShikaCho trio, it was either the booze or the adrenaline. It wasn't usual that they got an early start on the night, but the week had been rather dry of distractions in the form of high risk missions, and they needed to get that buzz one way or another.
Inoichi happened to enter at the same time as Ino's fellow genin, the Hyuuga Heiress. Hmm, she was the shy one, wasn't she? Eh, whatever. The booze was here, Inoichi could deal with whatever the brat wanted. Hey, his shop, his job. He grabbed the bottles, and headed to the back. What he heard from the lips of innocent little Hinata, however, made him stop a beat away from stepping out of the main shop room.
“Oi, Shikaku! Chouza, Inoichi! How've you been? Damn you've gotten way older, haven't you? Hey, I know you've always looked out for me when we were genin, so I'm sure you'll know. Have you seen my son lately? I'm kinda worried about what my brother's done with him while I was gone.” Hinata glanced hopefully up at Chouza, switching between him, Inoichi, and Shikaku.
Shikaku's mind boggled. It looked like Hinata, albeit a bit disheveled, but it talked and behaved nothing like her. She casually leaned her elbows on the counter toward Chouza as she spoke, even though only her head and upper chest appeared over the top of the counter. The result was a strange mix of confidant, cute, and sly, mannerisms that were very out of place for the girl in front of them. If this was an infiltrator, they were doing a piss-poor job of fitting in.
Mentally, Shikaku sighed. Obviously the girl's mind had snapped under the pressure of her position, and she had assumed the identity of the only positive role model her father had ever held her toward. Hizashi Hyuuga. Well, what other Hyuuga within their generation had a son that they'd (presumably, since their kids went to the Academy at the same time) know? And everyone knew that as soon as Hiashi got blasted enough (which happened with alarming regularity) he'd start raving about his brother to everyone within hugging distance.
Yeah, screw this shit, Inoichi could deal with it. He was leaving with the booze, and nobody was going to stop him.
----------------------
Hiashi felt as though he should be saying something. He wasn't sure what. Naturally, as the clan leader, it was his sworn duty to berate and belittle all branch members (excluding his beloved brother's clone), but first, she had a grip on his broken arm, and unlike his brother, he had some self-preservation instinct (though not much of one). Second, she was babbling a mile a minute, something about bastard uncles, and he wasn't sure if he could get a word in edgewise, much less a tirade. And what didn't even occur to him and should have been third on that list, was the fact that he was in his nephew's body. Apparently, self-delusion was a genetic trait strongly visible in the Hyuuga clan.
Hey, she was shutting up now! And his arm felt better!
“What do you think you're doing, assaulting me and dragging me here! Don't you know who I am? And how dare you try to heal my arm with whatever pathetic medical skills you might possess? And furthermore -”
What - had she? That branch member had just slapped him! Him, the clan head! Ohh, she was going to get it just as soon as he got his arms out of the death-grip she currently had them in. Hey, she was saying something.
“Neji darling, I know you're a little stressed, having to deal with your uncle and all. And I know that you're in pain and probably lashed out because you're just frustrated. But if you ever say anything like that to me again, I will crack your head open like a walnut, do you hear me lovely? I may be your cousin, but I will not put up with that sort of talk, even from you, kiddo.”
Hiashi was sure that steam was coming from his ears. That-that-bitch! Now that she'd dropped her arms, he could show her the consequences of threatening Hiashi Hyuuga! He brought his right hand up, in the multi-universal sign for peace, moving the outstretched fingers together for what was commonly known as the Main House Mind Melt. Ah, her screams of agony would be so sweet...
Any minute now, she'd be on the ground writhing in pain. Any minute now.
Ow. His newly healed ribs creaked as the harpy latched onto him, blubbering that of course they could have peace together, he was her beloved cousin, right?
“I'm so glad you're back to normal, Neji, I was so worried when you stumbled out of that room -”
This was - this was unexpected, his mind gibbered over and over.
“You know that I was thinking about ditching the apprentice medic-nin job to join my band full time as a guitarist, right? Well they've got a contract offer and it's now or never, but I'm still -”
The curse seal had done nothing. The Sasuke-blessed curse seal with which his family had controlled it's cousins for centuries had done absolutely nothing. He pushed himself off the bed, batting the harpy's claws away as he stumbled into a run out of the room and through the halls. Oh Sasuke! He was in Neji's body right now. He was a Sasuke-forsaken Branch!
Back to What Passes for Reality Around Here:
Hiashi's arm hurt. His arm hurt a lot. Probably because it was broken. Along with one or two of his ribs, which made breathing fun. Dammit, this wasn't supposed happen! He and Hizashi were supposed to be reunited right now, having beautiful back-from-the-dead sex! He'd had supplies ready, and Powerpoints prepared, and... and well, the point was that he didn't have a plan for this.
He climbed slowly to his feet, and staggered out of the room. First, he'd need a medic, and then he'd see about convincing Hizashi to come back to him. But first, he'd make him pay for the arm. And the ribs. Those hurt, Sasuke-dammit!
A few steps out of the room, an flying body attached itself to his side, and Hiashi immediately cringed away from the weight simultaneously crushing his broken arm and ribs. Who the hell would dare do this to him, the Head of the Hyuuga Clan?
“Baby! How have you been? Has that meanie old man been bullying you? Don't worry, I'll kiss it and make everything better, okay sweetie? Come on, snookums, I've got something for you in my room.” The squeal came from the saccharine voice of a black-haired woman with a cursed seal on her partially hair covered forehead.
Oh. It was a Branch member. But that didn't excuse her Sasuke-bedamned death grip on his broken arm!
“Get off my arm, if you hadn't noticed, it's fucking broken! And you're just making it worse!”
The snap made her back off, but only to grab his other arm and drag him in the direction of the Branch House quarters.
“He broke your arm? That bastard! Come on, darling, I'll make it better for you real soon, okay? Just follow me, I have supplies in my room. You'll feel all better soon, I promise.”
Hiashi followed. He vaguely remembered a Branch member, who had hung around Neji, becoming an apprentice medic a year ago, and it was a better option than going all the way to the hospital. He'd see how this woman's medical training worked out, and if she wasted his time, he'd mind-melt her into oblivion!
----------------------
Shikaku was hanging out in Inoichi's floral boutique with Chouza, waiting for Inoichi to get back with the booze. It was a folly of all ninjas who lived to become jounin. They go very bored, very easily. For the InoShikaCho trio, it was either the booze or the adrenaline. It wasn't usual that they got an early start on the night, but the week had been rather dry of distractions in the form of high risk missions, and they needed to get that buzz one way or another.
Inoichi happened to enter at the same time as Ino's fellow genin, the Hyuuga Heiress. Hmm, she was the shy one, wasn't she? Eh, whatever. The booze was here, Inoichi could deal with whatever the brat wanted. Hey, his shop, his job. He grabbed the bottles, and headed to the back. What he heard from the lips of innocent little Hinata, however, made him stop a beat away from stepping out of the main shop room.
“Oi, Shikaku! Chouza, Inoichi! How've you been? Damn you've gotten way older, haven't you? Hey, I know you've always looked out for me when we were genin, so I'm sure you'll know. Have you seen my son lately? I'm kinda worried about what my brother's done with him while I was gone.” Hinata glanced hopefully up at Chouza, switching between him, Inoichi, and Shikaku.
Shikaku's mind boggled. It looked like Hinata, albeit a bit disheveled, but it talked and behaved nothing like her. She casually leaned her elbows on the counter toward Chouza as she spoke, even though only her head and upper chest appeared over the top of the counter. The result was a strange mix of confidant, cute, and sly, mannerisms that were very out of place for the girl in front of them. If this was an infiltrator, they were doing a piss-poor job of fitting in.
Mentally, Shikaku sighed. Obviously the girl's mind had snapped under the pressure of her position, and she had assumed the identity of the only positive role model her father had ever held her toward. Hizashi Hyuuga. Well, what other Hyuuga within their generation had a son that they'd (presumably, since their kids went to the Academy at the same time) know? And everyone knew that as soon as Hiashi got blasted enough (which happened with alarming regularity) he'd start raving about his brother to everyone within hugging distance.
Yeah, screw this shit, Inoichi could deal with it. He was leaving with the booze, and nobody was going to stop him.
----------------------
Hiashi felt as though he should be saying something. He wasn't sure what. Naturally, as the clan leader, it was his sworn duty to berate and belittle all branch members (excluding his beloved brother's clone), but first, she had a grip on his broken arm, and unlike his brother, he had some self-preservation instinct (though not much of one). Second, she was babbling a mile a minute, something about bastard uncles, and he wasn't sure if he could get a word in edgewise, much less a tirade. And what didn't even occur to him and should have been third on that list, was the fact that he was in his nephew's body. Apparently, self-delusion was a genetic trait strongly visible in the Hyuuga clan.
Hey, she was shutting up now! And his arm felt better!
“What do you think you're doing, assaulting me and dragging me here! Don't you know who I am? And how dare you try to heal my arm with whatever pathetic medical skills you might possess? And furthermore -”
What - had she? That branch member had just slapped him! Him, the clan head! Ohh, she was going to get it just as soon as he got his arms out of the death-grip she currently had them in. Hey, she was saying something.
“Neji darling, I know you're a little stressed, having to deal with your uncle and all. And I know that you're in pain and probably lashed out because you're just frustrated. But if you ever say anything like that to me again, I will crack your head open like a walnut, do you hear me lovely? I may be your cousin, but I will not put up with that sort of talk, even from you, kiddo.”
Hiashi was sure that steam was coming from his ears. That-that-bitch! Now that she'd dropped her arms, he could show her the consequences of threatening Hiashi Hyuuga! He brought his right hand up, in the multi-universal sign for peace, moving the outstretched fingers together for what was commonly known as the Main House Mind Melt. Ah, her screams of agony would be so sweet...
Any minute now, she'd be on the ground writhing in pain. Any minute now.
Ow. His newly healed ribs creaked as the harpy latched onto him, blubbering that of course they could have peace together, he was her beloved cousin, right?
“I'm so glad you're back to normal, Neji, I was so worried when you stumbled out of that room -”
This was - this was unexpected, his mind gibbered over and over.
“You know that I was thinking about ditching the apprentice medic-nin job to join my band full time as a guitarist, right? Well they've got a contract offer and it's now or never, but I'm still -”
The curse seal had done nothing. The Sasuke-blessed curse seal with which his family had controlled it's cousins for centuries had done absolutely nothing. He pushed himself off the bed, batting the harpy's claws away as he stumbled into a run out of the room and through the halls. Oh Sasuke! He was in Neji's body right now. He was a Sasuke-forsaken Branch!