A Mirror for the Sun - Chapter 4
Hey guys! Sorry it's so late. I don't have too many side notes this time, but I do need to say that chapter 3 has been betaed, and the changes are a little important so I suggest you read it over again. It's also about three pages longer, now standing at a whopping 20 pages!
Thanks so much to Celia! xoxo. She saves my butt every time.
Enjoy!
A Mirror for the Sun
Chapter 4
Tsunade knew what to do.
There was a knock at the door. "Come in."
"Come in."
Hyuuga opened the door and bowed.
"How are you today, Neji?" she asked, taking in his appearance.
Neji was a genius, it was true, and he cleverly hid his alcoholism-but to a veteran like Tsunade, Neji's problem was as clear as the hard liquid he consumed.
"Fine, Hokage-sama."
"Great," Tsunade stated. "You're off duty."
Neji eyebrows rose. "Excuse me?" he asked, genuinely thrown off.
"Think of it as a vacation," she replied airily, though her eyes were as quick and watchful as ever.
Neji frowned.
"You've been overworked. I just read your files," she said, gesturing towards a large binder sitting on her desk. "Seven S and A-ranked missions successfully completed in the last month alone." Not to mention you're on your way to going bat shit crazy, she did not verbalize.
"Nakagawa has completed at least-
"It doesn't matter," Tsunade cut in. "Just take the 'vacation' as an opportunity to start training your younger cousin."
Hinata-sama. Again. Neji's temper began to spike. "I understand," he said with false calm, "but surely Hinata-sama does not need training all day long."
Two fine blonde eyebrows rose. "Are you questioning your vacation, Neji?"
"Yes," he responded bluntly.
"Fine then," she said, preparing to be just as forthright. "The truth is that you are overworked and it's showing."
To his credit, Neji's jaw did not drop to the floor. "Pardon me, Hokage-sama, but you just credited my finished missions-
"Did I say it showed in your work, Hyuuga?" she said sharply. "Look at you: your life is falling apart. You've become increasingly isolated and actively avoid interaction with your old friends. You must be aware of what these signs indicate. And don't think I don't know about your drinking habits," she warned.
This time, Neji gaped at Tsunade in disbelief. "My drinking habits? I don't think my-
"Don't take the tone with me, boy!" she snapped, displeased at being called out. "My personal drinking doesn't concern you, and it never will. But your drinking problem is going to kill you, and that affects me. When that alcohol dependency creeps into your personal life, it'll start taking a toll on your work life and I cannot afford to have you die because you were too inebriated to pull out a damn kunai to save your neck!" Tsunade barked.
"This problem you speak of," Neji snarled, "has not affected my work yet."
"I don't want to see the day it does, Hyuuga. You are off duty."
"But what about the commander?" Neji asked, grasping at straws. "He will be suspicious."
"Danzou reports to me." Tsunade bore her teeth at Neji in a poor imitation of a smile. "I don't care what you have to tell him. Tell him you're getting a gender reversal for all I care. Use your discretion," she said dismissively.
Seething, Neji left the office swiftly.
Barely seconds later, Shizune entered the door slowly, looking after him curiously.
"Stop rubbernecking, Shizune."
Her assistant smiled sheepishly.
Hinata hummed to herself softly. It was surprisingly warm for the chilly season, and she was glad to be able to leave the window open.
Turning to her sleeping patient, she inserted an IV tube into the genin's arm and examined his face, which was beginning to clear of bruises. Some still lingered, but enough time would erase them from the boy's body-and his mind.
The slight pain of being poked woke the child up. Black eyes-which were, this time around, clear of the sheer panic he'd displayed not a few days ago-looked up curiously at her.
"Hello, Hinata-san," he yawned.
"Good morning," she replied with a slight smile. "How are you feeling today?"
"Fine, I guess."
She lifted the metal end of stethoscope around her neck to his back. "And have you remembered your name yet?" she asked lightly.
She knew what the answer was.
"Nope."
His name used to be Ogiwara Takatoshi.
"Another day, perhaps."
Hinata helped ruin his life.
"Maybe." Ogiwara took a deep breath, like he knew to do when she brought the stethoscope out.
"Can you remember anything new at all?" she asked.
Hinata knew the answer to this as well.
"Nope."
She was, after all, the reason he could not remember the last three years of his life.
"Now take another deep breath for me-deeper, ok that's fine. It seems as if you're getting better rather quickly."
"Awesome." It was said without particular cheer.
Hinata swallowed the guilt painfully.
"We…we haven't found any relatives yet," she lied haltingly. It was more like they hadn't tried to look for relatives yet; nor would they ever.
"Hmm."
"Excuse me."
Hinata glanced behind her, already knowing whose tight voice called to her. "What brings you here, Neji-san?"
She caught the surprise that flickered across his face as he regarded the child sitting upright on the bed.
"This is my cousin Neji," she introduced to the boy cowering behind the sheets.
Ogiwara had previously shown shyness towards strangers, but meeting new people had never brought on such a strong reaction in the adolescent. "He's okay," she murmured gently-though she could understand his reaction.
Even in an agreeable mood, Neji had a very distinct, severe aura. While angry, like he was now (like he was always, Hinata thought sourly), his face tensed and murderous intent leaked from him. It was startling; the only people Hinata had ever felt the same fear for had been the the Kazekage Gaara, at the chuunin exams--and Uchiha Sasuke.
How disturbing, she thought.
"Is something wrong, Neji-san?" she asked, masking the fear in her voice with mild concern.
"We will begin our training today."
Hinata glanced behind her. "I'm afraid I don't have time today," she said apologetically. "I have a lot of patients to see-
"If Hokage-sama can take me off of duty to train you, then she can let you off duty a few hours early."
Ah. No wonder he is so angry. "I-I'll try-
"Prepare yourself for tonight." His voice, full of icy malice, immediately arrested Hinata's objections. "I will meet you at training area 27 at sunset."
"U-Understood."
Before he exited the room, Neji turned around briefly and focused his cold, white gaze on his cousin.
"Do not make me come get you."
Neji left, and Hinata shivered.
The sky had dimmed to a dull blue, and a beautiful orange lazily spread itself across the horizon.
Hinata's gaze lingered on the scene.
Sunset was nearing.
She clocked in, and with her heart dragging across the floor, left for area 27.
A set of three numbers glowed red in the dusky light.
5:25
Sunset was nearing.
Neji slipped on his shoes, put away the vodka, and left for area 27.
Hinata arrived before him, leaning calmly against a training post. Neji was unsurprised; even perpetually-late jounin like Hatake Kakashi had made an effort to be on time whenever Neji was concerned.
Hinata's sleek black hair was tied in a neat ponytail at the crown of her head and she had changed out of her nurse's uniform. She was lost in thought, and Neji made his move.
"You should always be on your guard," he reproached.
To his disbelief, Hinata did not flinch. She looked up calmly. "I knew you were there," she said in her meek voice.
Neji fought down an uncharacteristically embarrassed flush. He had, after all, been watching her for a few minutes before he decided to make his presence known.
Upon thinking about it, he supposed it made sense; team eight was a group that specialized in tracking-of course Hinata would pick up the skill of knowing about everything and anything that was within a half-kilometer proximity.
"I see," he nodded. "Then you require improvement in offense."
Hinata nodded.
"How is your defense?"
"It's…alright," she supplied, hesitant to boast of her nearly impenetrable defense. Knowing Neji, he would find an easy way to break through it.
"You need to infiltrate, not kill, so your defense is much more important than offense," he mused. "Prepare yourself, Hinata-sama."
"Wha-" Before she could finish her inquiry, Neji lunged at her, palms glowing with chakra.
It was only thanks to her eight plus years of missions that Hinata was able to dodge her cousin. She rolled on the floor and quickly swept her leg across it in hopes of tripping Neji. He of course jumped to avoid it and made to attack again, launching five shuriken at her torso.
She'd been expecting the attack and quickly pulled out a kunai and averted them all. Annoyed he had barely warned her before attacking, Hinata threw the kunai with greater force than necessary, aiming it for Neji's Achilles tendon. To avoid it, her cousin somersaulted until he was at a safe distance. Hinata smiled, a little proud that she'd forced her genius assailant to keep his distance.
Her cousin frowned at her light-heartedness.
"Do not be so easy going, Hinata-sama!" he cautioned.
And suddenly, there were about nine replicas of the ANBU commander surrounding her. Her smile fell immediately and she began to panic. One Neji was difficult enough to keep up with-how was she supposed to deal with nine?
"Byakugan!" she called nervously, hoping her eyes would help distinguish the original, but it was to no avail; Influenced by his old savior Naruto, Neji had used shadow clones. Simultaneously, they sprung at Hinata, who had no choice but to play her trump card.
"Shugohakke Rokujūyon Shō!" she cried, and as she waved her arms she allowed thousands and thousands of small chakra needles to escape to hands.
The replicas disappeared upon contact, and her cousin was thrown backwards. Once she ascertained he was not getting up to attack her again, Hinata stopped her defense and ran to check on him.
"Are you okay?" she gasped as she reached him. "I'm sorry!"
The front of his shirt was shredded by the chakra needles, and, Hinata noticed with dread, she had drawn blood. If she made the needles a little bit thicker, she knew she could have done extensive damage.
"Don't worry, Hinata-sama," he said, sounding awed and a little incredulous. "That was…" he seemed at a loss for words. "Unexpected," he came up with, and her shoulders slumped a little. She helped him up and wondered why she would ever think that he would compliment her.
He sat down on the bench nearby and Hinata pulled out her med kit, kneeling in front of him. Neji was looking at her oddly, intensely, and her face began to burn.
"Unexpected," he repeated slowly. "But it was also the best defense I have seen in a very long time."
Hinata looked up at him so fast that she pulled a muscle in her neck. Darkness swam in front of her eyes but she fought it off. "R-Really?"
Neji didn't reply, but his smoldering white gaze remained concentrated on her. Avoiding his stare, she looked down and poured antiseptic onto a cloth and began to clean his cuts. The pungent smell saturated the air around them and only the sound of crickets nullified the silence.
"I guess," Hinata finally ventured, "this means I don't need to strengthen my defense?"
Neji let out a dumbfounded huff of laughter before silencing it quickly. "No, Hinata-sama," he said, unable to keep the sides of his mouth from turning slightly upwards, "you do not."
Hinata, focused on the foreign sight of Neji smiling, did not hear a word he said and smiled shyly back.
Night fell and morning came. Sunlight streamed through the window and brightened the room.
Hinata rolled out of bed, and, stretching her arms sleepily, made her way to the fridge and opened the door-only to be jolted awake up by an overwhelmingly disgusting odor.
"Oh my-" she choked, slamming shut the white door. "Ugh."
She saw Neji walk down the hallway out of the corner of her eye.
"Is something the matter, Hinata-sama?" her freshly-showered cousin demanded upon seeing her greenish pallor.
"I think there's something…old…in your fridge," she said, holding down the gag.
Neji was unruffled. "I typically am not here for long periods of time," he explained, shrugging. "My apologies."
"I can go shopping after work," Hinata offered.
"Do not bother. You will be meeting me at the same area once you get off."
Hinata nearly scowled at the order but she nodded anyway.
Because there was no edible food in the apartment, Hinata ended up skipping breakfast-and lunch as well, because there was an accident in the lower east side, injuring nearly forty people, and keeping the hospital very busy.
Despite the amounts of people rushing into the hospital, Tsunade grudgingly allowed Hinata to leave early, knowing of her evening training sessions with Neji. Grateful for the chance to put some nutrition in her body, she rushed out and went straight for the first food stand she could find.
"One bowl of ramen, please," she said weakly.
"Which kind?"
"Any," she begged.
"She'll have a miso ramen," a purely masculine voice said behind her. "And one for me, too!"
"Naruto-kun!"
He smiled cheekily at her, and Hinata couldn't help but blush a little. He had grown to be very handsome-almost the spitting image of his father.
"How are you, Hinata-chan? Last time I saw you, you were lying in bed after exhausting-what was it-like ninety-eight percent of your chakra?"
"You were there?" she asked, surprised. "I didn't know."
"Yeah, because you're such a troublemaker that you needed people to watch over you even when you've passed out!" he laughed.
She laughed too, though it was more at his rambunctious laugh than his terrible joke.
"But that wasn't the last time you saw me, Naruto-kun. We saw each other a few nights ago, at the restaurant."
"Oh yeah!" he exclaimed, remembrance settling in his sky blue eyes. They darkened and Hinata knew exactly what he was going to say. "I hope you gave that Tenten a piece of your mind, Hina-chan."
The sky was beginning to fade into a royal purple, but Hinata paid no attention to it, enjoying her time with her friend too much.
She blushed at the nickname. "N-not quite…"
He snorted. "Of course you wouldn't. You should've thrashed her."
Ayame gave the duo their food, witnessing the interaction curiously.
"I understood how she felt after she explained herself." It was quietly said.
Naruto sighed loudly, accepting the explanation reluctantly. "Well," he said in between enthusiastic bites, "I hope you at least made her squirm a little."
She smiled mysteriously. "Perhaps."
Naruto paused. "You did?"
Hinata took a dainty bite.
"NO WAY!" he exclaimed, taking her silence as an affirmative to his question. "Good for you!"
"Shh, Naruto-kun, people are staring!" Hinata said, in spite of her laughter.
"Indeed they are," came a low, ugly voice from the side. "Naruto-kun," her cousin spat mockingly.
Hinata's spine straightened immediately and the hairs on her arm rose.
Naruto was not as obtuse as his comrades thought, and judging by the way Hinata suddenly froze, he knew there was something very, very wrong going on. "Is something wrong, Neji?"
Neji ignored him. "What time is it, Hinata-sama," he asked softly-dangerously.
She swallowed the lump that formed in her throat when he said her name. "S-s-six thirty," she whispered fearfully.
"And do you happen to remember what time we were supposed to meet?"
"S-sunset," she said painfully, closing her eyes.
Naruto frowned and got off his stool. Hinata was a sweet girl, and she did not deserve such treatment-no one did.
"What's your problem, Neji?" he demanded angrily.
Neji refused to answer. "We are leaving, Hinata-sama."
Hinata slapped down a bill quickly and leapt off her seat.
Naruto growled. After suffering through a lifetime of being ignored, he'd made it a point to never be cast aside like garbage the way he'd been as a child.
He shoved Neji, not looking for a fight, but knowing it would start one. "You're an asshole, Neji."
To Naruto's complete shock, Neji did not push back, and his words seemed to almost calm the angry ANBU commander.
"I know," he said simply.
"Is that supposed to be a joke?" Naruto asked dubiously. "Because it's not fucking funny."
"No," Neji replied seriously. "It is no joke."
Hinata sighed. It was, once more, her fault for bringing about another unnecessary confrontation between her cousin and an old friend. Judging from Naruto's nearly snarling demeanor, he would not let her cousin go without a fight.
Glancing at Neji, Hinata froze in shock for a second and then immediately spoke up.
"Naruto-kun," she said softly, but with massive amounts of force. "We must leave."
"But-
"Please."
Naruto looked at her pleading face and gave in. "If he's this much of a jackass at home," he said hotly, slamming money down on the wooden counter, "you tell me."
The counter gave a little crack and Naruto stormed off without another word.
Neji turned the opposite way and Hinata followed after, glad to get away from the curious eyes of the surrounding market.
"Neji-san…I apolo-
"Do not worry," he said curtly. "Use that energy for training."
Hinata nodded, beginning to understand his mannerisms. If she'd been correct in reading her cousin, she understood something extremely important.
Because when Hinata looked at Neji two minutes ago, she could have sworn she saw sorrow in hardened eyes.