[Log] Finding Thoughts and Long-Lost Cousins [Closed]

[ivory_ayame]

Characters: Sai, Hinata, Neji
Rating: PG
Warnings: None. Unless you count pure INTENSITY TO THE MAX POWER.
Summary: Hinata meets Sai, and the Hyuuga cousins reunite.

He was on his way to visit Ino at her flower shop or at least go there and inquire as to where she was. Sai needed to keep up with the connections he had made in Ceno only because his time there was so limited(he could only stay for two hours at a time). He had no idea where Ino's flowershop would be and had been wandering around for nearly a half an hour looking before he finally thought to stop and ask some nearby vendors. He acquired a map at a relatively busy bookstore and went to sit down to look through it for local flowershops to visit. If he did not find Ino's flowershop, he could always try when he was in Ceno again in a few days.

As he pulled out his chair, he spied a corner of a purple notebook underneath the table, in between the chair legs. He took a quick glance around to see if anyone was watching him or if it could belong to anyone hovering nearby the bookshelves. He picked up the notebook and concluded that the notebook did not belong to anyone nearby as he doubted that middle aged men preferred having light purple notebooks with glitter-flecked flowers on the cover. It was a generalization, Sai knew, but it was usually accurate.

He took a seat and flipped open the book to a filled page and was met with neat and feminine penmanship in blue ink. He quickly skimmed the contents out of curiosity.

I've always wondered... why do we have this innate curiosity for this supposed 'evil'? Who defines evil, anyways? The authorities of District Curia? But then... what if they are defining it to their standards...? And... what if that instinct within us... that 'rebellious nature' is merely our soul's way of telling us that they are wrong?

His knuckles went white as his grip tightened considerably. The event of finding such an item with such treasonous information was...substantial. Sai's mind was racing with what a find would mean for him and for his superiors. This little purple notebook was proof of unrest that was in the minds of even the most loyal of citizens in the purest of districts. Sai quickly flipped to the beginning, with the intent of finding who the notebook belonged to.

On the front cover was a box that neatly presented a name to be immediately filed away into his mind.

This Notebook Belongs to: Hinata Hyuuga.

The sound of footsteps approaching made his head snap up from the cover. A girl was running straight toward him, face flushed and short hair flying. Sai took a wild guess and assumed that she was the owner. She certainly fit the description of someone who would own such a notebook(neat and feminine) but not of someone who would own such radical thoughts.

"Are you Hinata Hyuuga?" Sai asked as she reached him.

Oh no. She didn't forget her notebook... She couldn't forget her notebook! Could she? Hinata didn't know, but as she rummaged through the pack by her side, letting her fingers glide through its contents distractedly, she realized that her precious journal was, in fact, not there. Panicking, the violet-haired individual flushed a bright crimson and stopped dead in her tracks, reaching into her bag to check a second time. When she came up empty - again - the little Hyuuga heir began to mentally check off where she had been today. Martial arts practice? No, I didn't take it out there at all. Father's business? That can't be right... I never wrote in it there, either. Bookstore...?

Her eyes widened and she twisted around, walking quickly towards the building she had just come from. She remembered writing a quick comment about a new development in her father's business, something harmless enough, but the other things one could find there... She could easily be accused of treason, though her behavior was in near contrast to her thoughts. Hinata didn't like breaking the rules... But surely she could have an opinion all her own, right?

The fact that such a question was unanswerable is what made the girl pick up her pace as she pushed through the double doors leading into the bookstore.

Calm down, it's okay, she told herself, eyes searching for the table she had sat at earlier. I mean, it's not like anyone is going to find it so soon after I just lef - Her thoughts were cut off by the sight of a raven-haired man sitting in the chair she had previously occupied, holding her open notebook in his hands. Gasping quietly, Hinata picked up her pace, practically sprinting towards the other. As she neared, she realized that he was only looking at the cover page - the one which merely held her name, and no private thoughts or treasonous opinions. Sighing with relief, Hinata thanked God that he had only gotten to the first page, though a part of her was suspicious that he might have read something else.

That suspicion diminished as she came to a halt and he asked her name, rather than accusing her of crimes against the state.

"Um..." she whispered, clasping her hands together out of nervous habit, and lowering her eyes to the ground. "Y-Yes." Glancing up at him, but unable to hold his gaze for long, the violet-haired girl shifted on her feet and blushed lightly. "I... um... Could you please give me my... n-notebook back...?"

Sai was reluctant to hand over the notebook because it was solid proof for what Danzou had suspected. However, Sai gave her his smile and gently handed it over. His assignment was not to find proof of the rebellion but to be a part of it. She may or may not have connections with others who have the same beliefs but with time she will be attracted to them and they to her. If he stays close by then the same should happen to him. His assignment truly begins now. He must think of a way to keep her here and make a connection with her. It would not do any good if he allowed her to leave and never saw her again. She is too important of a connection to do so.

Sai quickly tried to think of how to get her to become his friend. He had no idea what to say to her that would get her to talk to him. According to what he had learned from a conversation instructional book he purchased a week ago, he had to quickly establish some kind of common ground or interest to form a conversation and from there a friendship. He did not see any common ground or interest but he did notice that she was very nervous(?). This he realized, was something his book had specifically suggested how to handle. He quickly chose a phrase he had read in the book that he believed would do the job of putting her at ease and more willing to converse with him. "How much does a polar bear weigh?" He asked the flushing Hinata after handing her the notebook.

Her first instinct was to run away as fast as she could. This boy was a threat - and, if not that, a stranger -, and was making Hinata very nervous by just being around him. When he asked a question like that, though, the girl couldn't help but stop and look at him dumbfounded. If this guy was dangerous, then why would he ask such a stupid question? It didn't make sense, and in this state of senselessness, Hinata did something she might not have done if she were thinking clearly.

She answered back.

"W-Why would you... um... ask that?" Her milky white eyes were studying him, flitting over his gray button down shirt, to the black pants he wore, until she was once again staring at the ground below his feet, too nervous to look him in the eye. Clutching her notebook against her chest, the girl shuffled around a little more, waiting for his reply.

Well, that certainly wasn't the answer that he was supposed to get in return based on the sample replies he saw in the book. Perhaps she did not understand him. So he asked the question again. "How much does a polar bear weigh?"

ilting her head to the side, Hinata regarded the other carefully, avoiding eye contact whenever possible. He was a persistent one... though persistent about the oddest of things. But, then again, this topic was safe, no matter how strange it was. It amazed the girl that - by asking such a stupid question - this stranger could make her nervous and put her at ease at the same time.

Brows furrowing, she whispered out, "I... I don't know...?", her statement sounding more like a question than anything else.

"Enough to break the ice." He said. The book said this is should make conversation flow much easier. Sai believed it was a joke but he did not see its element of humor. He had another one if it this one did not work. He waited for her reaction.

That was... perhaps the lamest joke Hinata had ever heard in her sixteen years of living. And yet... she giggled all the same. Just a light laugh, nothing loud or overly rambunctious. It wasn't even because of the joke itself. It was more from the sheer awkwardness of the situation, and the fact that someone had actual had enough self-confidence to say something so stupid aloud. After a moment, she gathered her self control - like her father taught her to do -, and stared at her hands, fiddling them together.

Something still bothered her, though. This boy knew her name... and yet, she didn't know his.

"Um..." Hinata really had no idea how to ask something like this, though. She felt as if she were being rude if she were to outright ask him his name. Wasn't that too bold? Weren't the Hyuuga women of a more modest nature? True, her father told her that power and confidence were traits the heir to his estate needed to possess - traits she herself should acquire some day - but her upbringing and her natural instincts told her that such crudeness was to not be tolerated.

At a loss for words, Hinata trailed off, blushing more at her inability to express what she wanted to say.

Sai gave her his smile. Inwardly he was satisfied that the book's advice was useful. "My name is Sai." He stood up and extending a hand for her to shake before taking his seat again. "It is a pleasure to meet you." His mind was already looking for anything to comment upon. He definitely should not mention the notebook again. However, the shocking color of her eyes caught his attention when she looked up at him for a mere second.

"You have such striking eyes," Sai said. "My roommate has the same eyes as well." Eyes where the pupil is a milky white was something he has never seen before. He would have thought that they would not be as common as this for him to meet two people with the same features. What an interesting coincidence.

"Nice to... to meet you," she murmured after Sai gave his name, though it was so quiet he probably couldn't hear. She might have blushed at his statement about her eyes - no one noticed her, let alone such minuscule things about her appearance -, but instead paled at the mention of her cousin. Neji-niisan...? But... he... he left so long ago... Unaware that she was doing such, Hinata took a seat next to the raven-haired individual - no longer a stranger -, placing her notebook in the pack at her side and letting her hands rest limply on the table before her.

"Your... roommate... you say?" He left them. Neji had abandoned his family long ago, instead taking a more shady path in life - or so her father had always told her. The truth of the matter was, Hinata didn't really know what had truly happened to her cousin. He had never seemed like the rebellious type before. Perhaps a little open with his opinion, but it was never something threatening. At least, she didn't think so. But what the milky-eyed girl thought was right, and what the government thought was right, were two completely different things.

Too shocked to continue, the violet-haired individual looked up at Sai, purposefully meeting his eyes for the first time since their conversation began.

"Yes. My roommate Neji." Sai replied. "He moved in with me a few days ago. He is a very nice person for as long as I have known him." He regarded the girl before him carefully. He especially noticed her facial features and realized that she looked like a softer version of Neji. Her reaction to his name and their similar features waved a flag in Sai's mind.

"Do you know him?" Sai asked.

"Y-Yes..." she stammered, breaking her gaze to stare at the isles of bookshelves surrounding the two of them. "He's my... cousin." This was whispered ever so lightly, but was just loud enough for Sai to hear.

"Oh really?" This could work in Sai's favor because now he had a connection to this peculiar girl through his roommate. "It is certainly a small place." Sai said pleasantly, using another phrase he had read from his book for conversing. "Should I be expecting you by our apartment then for familial visits?"

Her eyes snapped back to his, then, something akin to fear shining in their pale white depths.

"I-I don't think Niisan would... would want me there..." Her statement had been strong, at first, but slowly died down to a soft murmur as her eyes once again dropped to the wood of the table. When Neji had left, Hinata had been told that he was a trouble maker, and that should she ever see him, she was to steer clear of his presence. It wasn't until just recently that the girl had considered the idea of searching for him on her own, though even that was probably a foolish mistake. I mean, there had to be a reason why her cousin left in the first place, right? Hinata knew he had always held a deep loathing for her side of the Hyuuga family... and she wasn't sure if his disappearance would have healed that wound, or added salt to the angry gash.

"Has he told you he does not want you there?" Sai asked her. Her changes in expressions were difficult to understand and Sai watched her carefully in interest.

"Well... n-no..." she whispered, thinking this over for a moment before looking back up at Sai. "Um... Where do you... um... live, again?" She couldn't believe her own words, and the boldness of them, but right now only one thing mattered, and that was finding her cousin, and getting to the bottom of why he left in the first place.

He hesitated in answering her. If he told her that he lived in Celo then it would reveal that he is breaking the law by being in Ceno and this could cause questions to come up. As her journal has proved, Hinata can be more perceptive and inquisitive than healthy for her. However, revealing to her his slightly rebellious ways might make her comfortable and trust him. After all, he would appear to be someone like her, another person who is questioning and playing with the borders the government has set. The benefits of what telling her the truth far outweighed questions she may have.

"I live in Celo." Sai answered finally, watching her carefully for her reaction.

Celo. So... that meant... this person was breaking the law? But, he seemed friendly enough. He didn't act like the rebels they taught of in her school textbooks, nor did he look like the disgusting inhabitants of Celo or Cena that was advertised on the billboards of her hometown. And if this Sai character lived in Celo, then it meant that Neji had been relocated there, as well.

Leaning in towards the other, Hinata glanced from left to right before whispering in conspiratorial tones, "W-What are you doing here...?"

He looked left and right as well, thinking that she saw something but the nearest person around was a larger man sleeping on one of the reading chairs nearby. His snores were loud enough to drown out their voices. "I am looking to visit a girl I had met here." He answered.

Oh, that made a lot of sense, actually. Hinata had heard about lovers separated by districts who crossed the border often times to just see each other. It was romantic, in a way, even though they were breaking the law - though, she supposed that the danger of it is what made such an action all the more exciting. But, Sai didn't really seem like the kind of guy to have a lover. If anything... he seemed kind of clueless to anything pertaining to love or sex. But, then again, Hinata was in the same boat as he.

"Oh," she answered, instantly assuming that this girl was his love from another district, and let it go at that. He didn't look uncomfortable with the subject - in fact, his facial expressions rarely changed to anything significant, and even then it seemed forced -, but Hinata made an effort to change the subject anyways.

"I... um... Well, I was wondering if... if you would mind letting me go with you back to your...um... apartment..." She blushed after realizing the scandalous nature of what she had just said, and sputtered out an explanation for her words. "I-I mean! To... um... s-see my cousin... again..." Her attempts at saving grace failed miserably, so she decided to wring her hands nervously instead.

Sai did not realize the double entendre of her proposal at all. "He should be home around this time." Sai murmured. "I will escort you back to my apartment, but only if you are sure you want to do this." He lowered his voice considerably. "Ignoring borders is not something they would take lightly." He was now playing the part of a citizen who was afraid of the government but has allowed their illogical desires to get in the way. Hinata's status as a Ceno citizen made a relationship with her twice as important for his assignment. Bringing Hinata back home with him, will further cement his connection with her whether the meeting with Neji went badly or not.

She shook, out of fear, or excitement, she would never know. Deep in the pit of her stomach was this sick, sick feeling that the results of this event would be unchangeable. That somehow, someway, Hinata would never be the same again. It sickened her, to a degree, and yet some basic instinct told her that this little adventure could be the first step to the road to freedom she had sought out for such a long time. She knew it was illegal. She knew it was wrong. But what became the deciding factor in whether or not she followed Sai to her cousin, was the fact that the girl had no idea what 'wrong' was anymore.

Was 'wrong' what the government punished others for? Or was it deeper than that? Was there a sense of morality within her that ran deeper than the rules and standards set by those in power?

Hinata didn't know, but she sure as heck wasn't going to pass up the chance to find out.

"N-No... it's not," she mumbled, ignoring the snoring man in the corner and glancing at Sai again before lifting up from her seat. Grabbing hold of the bag by her side, Hinata turned to her new companion and gave him a soft, genuine smile. "I'll follow." The words were soft spoken, though stutter-less, and for that, at least, she was quite proud.

The guards at the gate will stop her if she is trailing behind. They know him by sight to leave him be if he passes through. "It would be best if you walked with me." Sai said firmly. He thought quickly of how to get her across the border without her noticing that the Arma stationed was very clearly letting him pass. The best bet would to actually sneak his way back into Celo and Simull will be the perfect road to take. Simull is peaceful and not monitored. They should have a relatively simple time getting through to Celo.

He stood up and motioned her to come with him. They began to walk towards the Simull street and as he walked along he figured it would not hurt to make some conversation. It would certainly make them look like they were an ordinary pair taking a stroll. "Have you been there before?"

"N-No..." In fact, Hinata had never even been near the border between Ceno and Celo. She had been sheltered all her life, warned not to set foot near those gates, forbidden from even thinking about crossing the border. But where had her life's upbringing brought her now? Traversing the back roads of Ceno with a stranger gave the girl plenty of time to reflect, though it was her own choice to suppress such memories. Right now she needed to focus on only one thing. Neji, and Sai. And so, still nervous, though trying to rid herself of such fear - this was her decision, after all! - Hinata followed Sai obediently.

"H-have you...?" It was a stupid question, and she realized such a thing as soon as it had left her mouth. Blushing at her own incompetence, the violet-haired girl shifted her gaze to stare at the ground, feeling all the more an idiot for not even being able to make small talk with someone who was helping her so much.

"I take different routes usually. This is my first time using this particular road." Sai replied. He usually just used Sanctus to get through because it

wound around the outskirts of the Blue division which allowed him multiple places to enter the district. He did not need to sneak around the Arma because they allowed him through, but he had to make the lie of sneaking around true by actually doing it. It seems unnecessary but the eyes that watched you do not belong to the government only.

They were walking for about a half an hour before the change in the buildings and general cleanliness became distinct. The buildings thinned from the usual uniform and neatly arranged houses to become more cramped and disorganized. The hue of the area changed from blue to pale blue and then to white.

He glanced ahead of them and saw that there was luckily no one in sight. He glanced beside him at Hinata to make sure she was not having second thoughts before continuing on forward with confidence. In an anti-climatic instant, Hinata and Sai passed the border between Ceno and Celo.

"This way." Sai began after walking for five minutes in silence. The number of buildings were increasing as they walked deeper towards the center of the White District. They were using smaller paths between buildings to make their way to the main street. "Your cousin and I live at the end of Sentio." At the end of Sentio things were slightly more forgotten and run down for Celo and therefore the cheapest place Sai could find on such a prominent street.

As the scenery around her changed, Hinata became more and more apprehensive. Clasping her hands together nervously, the milky-eyed girl glanced from building to building, feeling so very stupid for letting a complete stranger lead her away from all that was safe and familiar. But this was for her cousin, wasn't it? She had a right to know what had happened to him, didn't she?

Hinata didn't really know anymore, and as Sai led her further into the bowels of this 'tainted' district, so to speak, the violet-haired girl couldn't help the involuntary shudder that ran through her body. "M-My cousin... he l-lives in these conditions?" At that moment, an ugly, yellow-eyed rat decided to cross her path, nearly colliding with her foot as it scampered on its way. A small, wavering shriek tore through the girl's throat as she jumped towards her left, colliding with Sai and losing her balance while doing so.

Before she could think to do otherwise, Hinata jerked towards her right - trying to put some distance between her and the raven-haired boy and blushing brightly in the process -, losing her footing entirely to tumble towards the ground.

He heard her squeak and the sound of her shoes scraping against the ground. Reflexively, he reached out and swiftly caught her before she could land and crack her head open on the stone street. He was able to grab her left arm that had flailed out as she began to fall and used his grip to pull her toward him. His other arm wrapped around her slender waist to stabilize her and pull her upward as well.

She ended up pressed against him and Sai oddly became very aware of the way she was breathing. He felt warm being this close to her and not just because of the body heat. He noticed the feeling of how her chest felt against his. The way she was breathing. The way he was breathing. His sight seemed to sharpen as he spied minuscule details about her. He was so aware of everything. It unsettled him.

"The living conditions are better than it looks." Sai said. He was close enough to her that his breath ruffled the stray hairs on her cheek. He was lost in this new sense of awareness and continued to stare at the fascinating colour her fair skin had become colored with.

The adrenaline pumping through her veins guaranteed that her fall was far from uneventful. One moment Hinata was facing the rapidly growing pavement, scrunching her nose up in preparation for the impact. The next, she was wrapped up in another's arms, the warmth of his embrace seeping through her clothes and into her own shivering skin. She shook from the energy pumping through her veins, but as that short-lived high slowly began to die down, a completely new sensation crept through her skin and made her hyper-aware of the person holding onto her now.

His breath ghosted across her cheek, tickling her nose, and the blush which already adorned her face deepened. The feel of his hands against her waist - of his chest pressed up against her side and his heat sending a pleasant tingle down her spine -, were sinfully delicious. But of course, this thought only made Hinata shiver more and turn her face away in embarrassment. For the longest moment, she didn't speak, not wanting this odd sense of security to leave her. The emptiness in which she lived in from day to day, under her father's thumb, was unbearably crushing, and in these few moments, wrapped up in another's embrace, she could almost forget that constant pressure nagging her in the back of her mind.

But all things must come to an end.

"T-Thank you..." she whispered, dipping her head downward as if to give him an informal bow. It wasn't until her forehead touched lightly against Sai's shoulder that she realized she was still standing very close in his embrace, and that when she lifted her head slightly, his chin brushed against the top of her head. Highly embarrassed about her position, Hinata froze on the spot, her brow still leaning up against Sai's shoulder and his chin still inadvertently trapping her in place.

Sai slowly began to regain clarity in his mind when she shifted away from him but the aroma of her hair that waffed up to his nose stilled him. His eyelids flickered slightly as he breathed in the scent of, what he assumed to be, lavender. He released her hand and the arm around her waist had loosened but they stood close to one another to drink in as much warmth and security from one another as they could. What he was feeling...was unknown. If he was more intune with complicated feelings, he would have identified that he was frightened by the onslaught of sensations that came over him. It was this fear that snapped him out of...whatever it was that overtook him.

"We should go quickly. I need to get you back to Ceno before it is dark." He murmured, his voice low and rumbling in his chest. The subtle smell of lavender disappeared as he took a step back from her.

It took her a moment to realize what he was doing, but by the time Sai had released her from his embrace and stepped back, she only had the memory of his lingering warmth to comfort her in the aftershock of what had just happened. Sighing lightly, she allowed her cheeks to cool from the light flush which had previously occupied them, and lowered her gaze downward to once again stare at the ground.

Nodding at his words, Hinata looked up, meeting Sai's gaze for a brief moment before flicking her milky white gaze towards the white lights of Celo.

Thinking for a moment about what she had done, Hinata turned once again towards the other, only just now realizing that he still stood quite close. Dipping her head for a proper apology, the girl held her position and breathed out shakily, "I'm sorry...f-for falling on you..."

He turned to look at her and quickly looked away. "You did not. I caught you." He had already forgotten what had happened or at least shoved it aside and refused to acknowledge it. He continued walking at a much faster past than before. He would pause along the way when he caught her squeaking from trying to catch up. After a few moments they finally stepped onto Sentio and about another fifteen minutes for them to walk to the end.

Sai lead her up four flights of stairs before reaching door number three. He looked at her again briefly before inserting the key and opened the door.

At that moment Neji was sitting on the floor in his room, sorting through his collection of books. He hadn't realized how many he actually owned until he'd had to pack them all into boxes and move them, and he was fairly certain that there were several that he could do without. He'd made a stack of them to the left of his desk: books he'd bought for school and never resold, things he'd held onto for purely sentimental reasons that he'd since forgotten, all of which were going to be sold or given away. He was adding another book to the pile- a volume on differential equations or some equally obscure and useless mathematics- when he heard the front door of the apartment creak open. Sai was back from his outing, and they would no doubt be having dinner soon. Neji stood up and went out into the living room, leaving his stack of books for later.

Unsurprisingly, Sai was standing in the doorway... but he was accompanied by a girl who looked about the same age as them, and who seemed strangely and uncomfortably familiar. And the moment he saw her face clearly, Neji understood why.

The girl was none other than Hyuuga Hinata... his sheltered, naive fool of a cousin whom he had not seen in person since being removed from Ceno.

"Sai... what is she doing here?"

Sai smiled at Neji. "She wanted to see you." As Hinata stepped further into the living room, Sai closed the door behind her.

It was so strange seeing her cousin right there, before her very eyes, after he had been gone for so long. The normalcy of the moment was so common that it was nearly catastrophically impacting. Neji was alive... a fact that both relieved and devastated her. Relieved, because he wasn't hurt or harmed in any way, and she would never wish such a thing upon her cousin. Devastated, because that meant her father had lied to her... that all of Ceno had lied to her... and that, on some level of subconscious thought, she had blinded herself just to adhere to these lies.

At the harshness of her cousin's tone, Hinata took a step closer to Sai out of basic survival instinct. Why is he angry with me...? she thought, wringing her hands together and staring at Neji's feet with wide eyes.

"N-Neji-n-niisan..." I'm sorry... I didn't know... I... I... There was so much she wanted to say, but her own fearful stuttering kept her from saying it. So instead, she drifted off at the end of her sentence, clenching her eyes closed and fighting back the reality of what all was happening to her at this moment.

Neji's eyed narrowed... it seemed his cousin hadn't outgrow that irritating stammer. "What's the matter, Hinata-sama?" The honorific was something that he still used out of habit, but he said it with as much contempt and cynicism as would fit into the two small syllables. "Tell me... does Hiashi-sama know you're here? I thought the people of Ceno were all fine, law-abiding citzens... or did he send you here?" Neji's question wasn't entirely rhetorical; though he had no warm feelings toward his cousin, a part of him was genuinely curious as to why she was in Celo. Visiting other districts was technically forbidden, and Hinata was not one to question the rules or act rebelliously... any way he looked at it, her mere presence in Celo was wildly out of character.

Her eyes widened at the harshness of his words, and she brought her hands up to her chest in a defensive gesture.

"N-niisan... I..." She didn't know what to say. The words were jumbled in her mind, and the anger he showed towards her - the pure malicious spite which seethed from his very being - frightened her to unimaginable degrees. "...I just wanted to... to see... if..." She couldn't continue. Tears were threatening to fall from the edges of her eyes, though she held them back as best she could.

"To see what, Hinata-sama?" Neji's voice was clipped, and his patience with the girl was wearing thin. He had seen the trembling in her lower lip and the wetness gathering at the corners of her eyes, which only made him more exasperated... Hinata was going to start crying now.

"...To see if you were still alive, n-niisan..." There! She had gotten it out. The words were forced, but spoken carefully, with as little a stutter as possible so she could clearly get the meaning across. She had come to Celo to see if Neji really had been killed. She had broken the law for her cousin, and now - even though he was yelling at her -, she felt infinitely better (and worse) knowing that he was still breathing.

Neji was at a loss for words. Hinata... this girl who had always been so docile, so obedient... had actually broken the law, and risked being shunned and sent away by her family, just to see if he was still alive? For a moment, he was unsure whether to be touched by her concern or appalled by her foolishness. In the end, he chose the latter.

"And what now? What will you do when you return to Ceno... do you actually think you can keep this a secret? Do you know what will happen to you when they find out you've come here?" Neji's voice was low and vaguely threatening. He carefully enunciated each word, as if he were trying to drive them into the girl's head. "It won't be the same as it was with me... they sent me here because I was too young to truly understand my infractions. But you... Hinata-sama, you knew exactly what you were doing. You crossed the boundary, in spite of knowing full well that this is forbidden.  They won't be as lenient with you as they were with me."

"I..." She didn't really have anything to say to that. It was true. All of it was painfully true. But in the heat of the moment, when she had been given the opportunity to see her cousin just one more time, she had disregarded common sense and fled with a total stranger to the streets of Celo. This act of sheer stupidity might have cost her everything. She might... she might be relocated. Freezing up at this idea Hinata clenched her eyes shut and took a hesitant step backwards. "I... Father wouldn't..." Would he? She didn't know, and for this very reason she refrained from stating her hopeful thought out loud.

"I d-don't know... niisan..." Her voice was small and meek, a tone she was generally used to using, but this time the reason for her hesitation was because the tears sitting at the corners of her eyes were threatening to spill over.

The older Hyuuga's expression was devoid of anything resembling pity. "You haven't changed at all, Hinata-sama- you're still a naive little fool. I would say that you would do well to think these things through more carefully next time... but I get the feeling that the Auctors won't be giving you any second chances." With that, Neji turned around and retreated into his room, slamming the door behind him.

The reaction from Neji and change within Sai's quiet roommate was completely unexpected and startling. Neji was spitting words soaked in venom and Sai merely watched in fascination as Neji verbally ripped apart the demure girl in front of him. Hinata was shaking so violently that Sai nearly thought the ground would crack open and swallow her.

He stayed silent even after the echo from Neji slamming the door had long disapated. "I am sorry this did not go very well." Sai finally offered awkwardly. He didn't dare put a hand on her shaking shoulder.

It hurt. To see such anger on his face... such contempt in his eyes. He hated her, and it hurt. Hinata couldn't stop the gentle quake of her shoulders, nor how her throat closed up until she was practically gasping for breath every chance she got. She was surprised to find that, a few moments later, silent tears began to make their way down her cheeks, leaving cold, wet tracks in their wake.

At least Neji isn't watching, she thought, wincing slightly at the sound of Sai's voice, just now remembering that he had been standing there the whole time, and had watched as Neji completely blew her off. Wiping furiously at her eyes - though it didn't help, seeing as more tears replaced the others as soon as they were gone -, Hinata sniffled slightly and shook her head.

"Me too..." she whispered, her voice very small and helpless at the moment. "...Me too."

"Would you like to have something to drink?" Sai asked quietly, figuring that some tea or something would help calm her down. He didn't know what to do so he just fell back on the basic things people did to console another person.

Hinata knew that a drink would do little to quell the pain which caused her body to shake, but even after such an ordeal, her ingrained politeness took over.

"Y-Yes, please..." she whispered, forcing herself to calm down, though that was a losing battle. Because Neji's words - no matter how harsh they had been - were so true. What would father think when she got home? Would he even let her back into the house, after pulling a stunt like this! She would of course be fined, that was a given, but the chances for relocation - a fate far worse than having to pay some measly amount of money -, were very high.

It scared her to think about it, so instead she tried to focus on the person standing next to her. Turning teary eyes to Sai's feet, Hinata clasped her hands together and kept her head tilted down timidly. Sai was... at least trying to help, wasn't he? He was polite, of course - even though that politeness seemed suspiciously practiced. But she shouldn't blame him for how Neji had treated her. Holding anything against this Sai character was very rude in her opinion, so Hinata cleared her mind of all her suspicions, risking a glace up in the other's direction as if to affirm his innocence to herself.

"I have some tea I could make for you." Sai whispered, as if the intense setting was suppressing his voice to rise any louder. He led her to the kitchen, gestured for her to sit on one of the kitchen stools, before he turned out to microwave a cup of water. Once the microwave beeped, Sai placed a tea bag into the cup and handed it to her(carefully avoiding touching her hands).

He did not know how to comfort someone. Neji's last biting words still rang in Sai's mind and without a doubt in Hinata's.

"You will not be in trouble." Sai said. "No one will know that you left Ceno." Sai knew the locations of each of the Arma on station as well as the cameras on the streets.

She knew he was just trying to help. It worked, a little bit. ... The scent of of the tea cupped in her hands wafted up to her small nose, and she closed her eyes at the smell. It was a kind she had never seen before, if the scent was any indicator, but the aroma was purely magnificent. His statement, though, only made her think about the inevitable trip home, and she froze up at that thought.

"Father... h-he'll find out..."

"How?"

Because he sees everything, she thought, though didn't dare speak those words aloud.

"He... he has his... ways..."

"What do you mean?"

Hinata, still nervous, just shook her head, letting her gaze fall to her hands clasped around the cup while sighing. "N-Never mind," she whispered quietly, avoiding Sai's gaze. Then, trying to change the subject, "What kind of tea is this?"

"Happiness." Sai answered. "You must tell me how he will find out. I may have a way around it." Sai said evenly. "You will incriminate me as well if you do not tell me."

Shocked, and a little threatened, by his words, Hinata set her cup of 'Happiness' tea down, glancing up once before looking at the floor with a blush on her face. "Father... he supplies w-weaponry to Curia. H-he..." And here she paused, taking a deep breath before continuing. "He has... security cameras set up around t-the compound." Then, looking directly into Sai's eyes, she whispered unwaveringly. "He'll know..."

"Can you go to the compound yourself?" Sai asked, mind quickly working through way around getting noticed. At the mention of her father supplying weaponry, Sai's mind connected her last name to one of the leading manufacturers. The importance of befriending Hinata grew tenfold. "I will take you back into Ceno. If you return to the compound by yourself before sunset, I believe you will be alright. You can tell him you were at the bookstore all afternoon." Hinata had said that there were cameras all around the compound and if he did not appear near the compound he should be fine.

"I-I... I suppose..." Hinata didn't want to know how Sai became so adept at formulating lies, because at the moment, when those lies were going to help her, she wasn't going to worry about such a small thing. Glancing over at Neji's closed door again, the girl sighed, her shoulders slumped over in a helpless gesture of defeat. "He... hates me," she whispered, burying her head in her hands, she sighed and closer her eyes again. "Maybe... maybe I should just go..."

"We need to get you home early." Sai said, his voice cutting into the air. He paused. "Has he said he hated you?" He gave her a smile and stood up to head out the door. He needed to return Hinata back to Ceno now or it would be too late and minds will inquire. "Come on."

Getting up, Hinata looked back to Neji's door one last time before following Sai out of the apartment, her head down, though she had stopped crying by now.

"T-Thank you," she whispered in a small voice, hand folded together.

He did not say anything until they reached the front of the apartments. "It was no problem." Sai said finally. He was preoccupied by what it meant to have a member of the Hyuuga family living with him and the ways to get around without anyone noticing. He unconsciously kept himself farther away from her so a repeat of what happened earlier that afternoon did not happen. They spoke a little until the grave ambience of the situation caused silence to fall over them. He did not say anything else again until he walked her all the way back to Ceno and in front of the bookstore in which they had met.

"I hope we meet again. Please get home safely." He gave her one final smile and a wave before heading home himself. She would just be fine if she followed what he had told her.

She will be just fine.