Apart Chapter 10: The Other

Hinata wasn’t sure how she had suddenly appeared in the forest wearing only a silky, almost too small nightgown, but found the abundance of Naruto around her very enjoyable. He moved towards her in the dark, his orange and black jacket open, his eyes serious. She was tempted to look away, to blush, to play submissive, but decided, no, not this time. She would embrace his closeness.

Which is exactly what she did, Or, tried to, but Naruto beat her to it. With stunning speed, he had her in his arms, held close against his chest. She blushed, reveling in his warmth, but Naruto did not stop there. A second later, he had pushed her back against a tree, and was pressing his body against hers.

“Hinata,” he whispered heavily. She chanced a glance into his eyes and saw that they seemed glossed over, distant. It was as if he was thinking about one thing, and one thing alone. Hinata could guess what was on his mind, and she liked it.

Without warning, Naruto delved into her neck, kissing, licking, biting, suckling slightly. Hinata couldn’t suppress the whine that seemed to rise out of her as she lifted her head, allowing him easier access to more of her sensitive skin. It felt so good, having him so close, lightly kissing her neck, biting almost too hard…

“Narutoooo…” The sound was soft and long, expressing everything she was feeling, physical and emotional.

Her body became warm, her skin flushed and pinked, and it was as if his red chakra was surrounding her, consuming her, leaking into her, filling her.

She managed to slip his jacket off through closed eyes, and felt his grip on her waist tighten as he pressed his body harder against her. Her hand traveled up beneath his shirt, lightly touching his muscled abs. His skin was so warm, she could feel the heat rising off of him, he was so close… so close…

Again she chanced a look, but was astonished to see Shino watching them, his mouth opening and closing as if he were trying to say something but couldn’t find the right words.

Hinata cursed, trying to move away from Naruto in embarrassment, but Naruto was too lost in passion to let her move.

“Ah!” she cried, blushing furiously, “No! Ah! Stop! Wait!”

“I’m… sorry to interrupt,” Shino began slowly, “but I need you to wake up now, Hinata.”

The world seemed to drip upwards into an inky blackness, and Hinata found her eyes opening to a harsh, Narutoless reality. She irritably brushed the beetle from her forehead, and glared at the tent wall.

Damn you, Shino, she thought. It was such a good dream, too.

Silently, so as not to wake the Sakura that slumbered beside her, she crawled out of her sleeping bag and opened the tent door.  Instantly she closed it, shivering from the cold breeze. Why was Shino making her get up so early? Why did she have to leave her warm sleeping bag? Why did he have to see THAT, of all things?!

She grabbed her hoodie and violently forced her arms through the sleeves, pulling the hood over her head as its warmth slowly engulfed her.

Okay, what do you want? she thought as she opened the tent flap and rolled into the night air. Her bare feet numbed as she walked across a soft bed of pine needles towards the Boy’s tent, an irritated scowl gilding her face.

Shino appeared from behind a tree, his arms folded and his sunglasses pointed at the ground.

“That was unfair,” Hinata said, placing her hands on her hips. “There has to be another way to wake people up, Shino. Messenger bugs that can… can… mind-jack are… Well, it’s just not fair.”

“I’m sorry,” he said, in that calm, emotionless voice, “I honestly didn’t know you and Naruto were… how should I say… having a moment.”

Hinata blushed and looked away. “I’m human!” she said, her voice rising slightly in pitch, “it’s natural for people to think about… s-stuff like… you know… It was a dream, okay? And it’s not like I can control what I dream! And… everybody has those… kinds of dreams… and…” Her voice seemed to die, trailing off into nothingness.

“It’s not like I’ve done anything wrong,” she finally grumbled.

Shino smirked. “Are you trying to convince me, or yourself?”

Hinata wanted to disappear and just blush it all out. Maybe even poke her index fingers together. A warm, blushing purge would do the trick. But first, she wanted to kill Shino.

“Watch it,” she said dangerously. “It’s MY privacy, Shino.”

“Hinata,” he said, becoming icily serious again, “would I have gone to such drastic measures to wake you up if it wasn’t of the utmost importance?”

I don’t care, she thought, you’ve pissed me off again. I went to bed in a good, giggly mood, and now I’m angry ag—

Good grief, not again, she thought, cutting herself off. What is WRONG with me?!

Hinata sighed and rubbed her forehead. She wanted this insanity to just end, it waas frustrating her. Shino saw it.

“What’s this all about, anyway?” she asked, slowly forgiving him.

“We must wait for our other companion,” Shino answered cryptically as he looked up into Hinata’s pale lavender eyes, the equally pale moonlight glinting off his shades.

“Okay, I’m up, Shino,” Sakura said, rubbing her eyes as she slowly approached her teammates. “What’s going on so… so early in the morning?”

Shino’s getting desperate, she thought. The only thing Sakura was good for was whining.

Sakura shivered as she stood next to Hinata. “It’s… wow, a LOT colder than I thought it would be,” she said, smiling slightly.

Whine whine whine WHINE! You worthless little girl, you’re good for NOTHING! Hinata couldn’t help the thought.

No, no, stop it STOP IT. Hinata, you’re acting crazy. Sakura is a good ninja. And Shino knows what he’s doing. She’s definitely good for… at least something.

Yeah, like being a bi-

STOP IT!

Shino crossed his arms and finally began. “Short version: there’s an S-Ranked missing nin in our path about seventy-five miles from here, or was about an hour ago. I heard it from some passing butterflies fleeing for their lives.”

Hinata regained her composure in time to ask, “Butterflies?”

“Their lament was particularly tragic,” Shino said, bowing his head. “They were watching over a cocoon, but this missing nin gave off such powerful chakra, they had to flee, and didn’t stop until they met one of my hive-networkers.”

Sakura and Hinata exchanged looks. Shino’s voice seemed to drip with sadness, but it was as if he was speaking a language that only he could understand, and it was moving him to tears, if he even had tear ducts.

Probably clogged with bugs, Hinata thought.

“Why’re you telling us?” Sakura asked.

“Honestly, you two are the most responsible of our teammates. Naruto would want to fight him and Kiba… Kiba’s sulking in his sleep. He’s whining. In his sleep. It’s driving me insane. So he’s right out. You two are the only sane ones here.”

His sunglasses glinted in the moonlight as he turned them on Hinata. Hinata felt the look say, Well, at least SAKURA is completely sane, but you’re stronger than her. I need you on board, even if you are the center of both Naruto and Kiba’s emotional problems. It was not a kind look, but it was a look that the conditions called for. Anger rose inside Hinata’s chest again, but she was able to push it away just as quickly. Shino was being a leader, and the leader knew his subordinates.

Hinata smiled in a hollow grin. “Thanks for the complement.”

“I’ve always wanted to be saner than Naruto,” Sakura said with a laugh. “So what’s your plan?”

“Get up and go an hour before sunrise, masks and cloaks on, out of the Country of Fire, and into the Country of Thunder as fast as possible, except we’ll be veering more north than northeast.”

“Deeper inland?” Hinata asked.

Shino nodded. “With any luck, he’s heading in another direction, but we have to be careful. Apparently, he doesn’t know who he is looking for. One of his traits is his random movements. It’s nearly impossible to predict where he’s going.”

A grave silence fell upon the kunoichi. They were taking a gamble, and it was just as likely that they would run into him instead of moving around him. Very risky, but they had little choice.

“Can we take him?” Hinata asked quietly, her eyes locked on the ground.

Shino was silent for a moment. “He killed two Grass Special Forces members in under a minute and a half, and disarmed a third, stronger Grass nin in less than a minute. He’s fast, he’s violent, he’s strong, and his chakra output is… well, demonic.”

“You didn’t answer the question.”

“Yes,” Shino responded. “The five of us, working at our best and getting the drop on him, could probably take him.”

Hinata cringed. Not good odds at all. Three fifths of the group was not at their best, they were floundering in a sea of emotional turmoil. As for getting the drop on him, that in itself would be tough.

He’s not S-Ranked for nothing, Hinata thought. Is sneaking up on someone like that even possible?

Yes.

With our team?

Probably not.

“Get ready to break camp in three hours,” Shino instructed. “Full armor, masks, everything. We can’t take any chances. We have to get to the Hidden Village of Cloud and complete our mission. Getting killed before we arrive is not an option.”

Sakura and Hinata snapped to attention and saluted. “Yes sir,” they said in unison.

“Dismissed.”

They turned and headed back towards the Girl’s tent. Hinata wanted to go back to bed, maybe reclaim her dream, but knew it would take an hour for her to feel ready and awake enough to move out at the level Shino needed, and regaining only two hours of sleep? Better just to stay awake, and warm up.

“He sure knows how to give a pep-talk,” Sakura said sarcastically. “Looks like it’s up to us to keep the boys in line.”

“Yeah,” Hinata said, her voice distant and distracted. Had she been looking, she would have noticed Sakura give her an “Are you okay?” look. Hinata was preoccupied with more important matters though. Their impending doom at the hands of a madman who scared butterflies, for one, not to mention the whole “misunderstanding” situation with Kiba and her missed opportunity with Naruto…

“I’m not going to get anymore sleep tonight,” Sakura said, “Wanna find a stream or a waterfall or something? Maybe take a bath?”

Hinata actually thought it sounded relaxing, fun even. Except for the “with Sakura” clause attached to the concept. That sounded annoying.

“Sure,” she found herself saying, “Why not?”

They gathered their towels and clothes and assorted bathing supplies, and headed into the woods. It wasn’t long before they could hear the sound of rushing water, and, as luck would have it, there was a large pool with a waterfall burbling over some rocks.

“Lucky,” Sakura said, smiling. She pulled her clothes off and tossed them aside, walking towards the pool. The moon’s reflection rippled as it was broken by Sakura’s waves, her body sinking into the cold water. “It’s really cold, but it feels really good,” Sakura said, smiling.

Be nice, be nice, be nice… Hinata closed her eyes and pulled her own clothes off, setting them neatly on a rock. Sakura was right, the water was freezing. Hinata considered backing out as she got about calf deep into the water. She could turn back now, and make some excuse, but the prospect of walking back with wet feet was not compelling…

Hinata sank into the cold water, feeling the pool deepen beneath her as she moved farther from the shore. She was up to her neck when she realized that, again, Sakura was right. It felt good. Her muscles untensed and numbed, and her mind seemed to slowly regain order, removing the excess chaos and allowing her to focus on one thing at a time.

One thing at a time…

For one thing, her rising temper was going to get her into trouble if she didn’t regain control.

Kiba she had dealt with, but he was going to be a whining puppy for the next few days. Hopefully he’d do that in silence. He had to realize that Hinata couldn’t provide the comfort he wanted.

And Naruto…

“So what happened last night?” Sakura asked casually, sliding back into the water after grabbing her shampoo.

“Hmm?” Hinata asked, her thoughts interrupted. “Oh, um… just… stuff.” Hinata had hoped for silence, and sank into the water up to her nose, as if to hide from Sakura’s approaching storm of questions.

Sakura lathered the soap through her pink hair as she nonchalantly said, “Hinata, Kiba hurt someone very clo—his own teammate. I want an explanation.”

Naruto is very close to you? Hinata thought. Then act like it!

She does. She bandaged his wounds and made sure he was okay while you ran off to beat the crap out of Kiba.

Hinata looked into her reflection and said, “Kiba… wanted something from me that I couldn’t give him, and he was frustrated and felt… b-betrayed. Naruto said something about me that pissed him off, and he snapped.” Hinata paused. “I fixed it.”

“He still thought you two were going out?”

“We were never going out!” Hinata muttered, shutting her eyes in frustration. “It was a misunderstanding.”

Misunderstanding? You lead him on!

Shut up… Hinata begged.

Sakura dunked her head under, washing the soap from her hair. “Why don’t you tell Naruto how you feel, Hinata?” she asked as she resurfaced.

Hinata glared at her. For a second, she just stared at the girl, studying her, her movements, her body, everything. Sakura wasn’t prettier than her, she wasn’t smarter, she wasn’t a better ninja. And yet she had something Hinata didn’t have: Luck. The luck to be around glowious Naruto all the time, and the confidence to say any damn thing she wanted. Hinata only had nervousness and timidity and… pent-up rage.

“How I feel…” she began, but stopped before saying, “is none of your damn business.”

“Hinata, it’s so painfully obvious you love him,” Sakura said, finally turning to face Hinata. “You’re lucky Naruto is so dense. Any normal boy would notice those looks you give him, would put two and two together and make four. Naruto doesn’t have that good sense.”

“Stop it…” Hinata whispered. She wasn’t sure whether or not she said it loud enough for Sakura to hear, as Sakura did not stop.

“He’s a good man, Hinata. And he won’t be free forever. You’ll want to make your move quickly.”

Pause.

“Or someone else will.”

The gauntlet had been thrown.

“So you’ve made up your mind?”  Hinata’s voice was quiet. Deadly quiet.

“Patching the moron up yesterday… I felt something. Something I haven’t felt… since Sasuke disappeared and we failed to recover him. Maybe not as strong as before, and there is definitely a part of me that feels like feeling this way is betrayal… but…”

Look who needs to make up their mind now, Hinata thought bitterly.

“You’ve loved him since you were twelve. You have first dibs, Hinata, and we girls respect that. But that right won’t last forever.”

“Dibs?” Hinata began. “He’s not an object, Sakura!”

“Then don’t treat him like an idol, don’t worship him as a God, love him for what he is: a man!”

Those words stung Hinata, stung through her numbed skin to her raw and swollen heart.

Bitch!

Is… is she right?

BITCH!

Do I really… treat him as more than human?

I’m going to KILL THAT BI-

No, I’m not. So stop yelling.

…

Hinata looked away, here eyes unfocused as she sunk back into the water. “Do… Do I…?” she began.

“What I mean is… well, Hinata, you’ve turned him into a God, and to you, he’s unapproachable because he is perfection. He’s not.” Sakura paused and looked at her reflection in the water, suddenly lost in thought. “Nobody is.”

“I… I think you’re wrong,” Hinata said timidly. “I don’t ignore his faults. I… think they’re cute. I love him for his mistakes. And I accept him. All of him. So, no, I don’t think I treat him like an idol.”

“Then what is holding you back? Why don’t you just--”

Hinata exploded. “Because I’m shy and nervous and timid and afraid! I don’t have confidence in myself! I’m afraid of losing any possible chance I could have with him! I just don’t talk about love or my feelings or people who are important to me! I don’t!”

Sakura smiled slightly as she stood and began to move towards the bank. “I think you’re wrong,” she said. “You just told me all of those things. Your confidence is there. Your fear isn’t as strong as you think it is.”

Hinata wanted to scream, to claw out the girl’s eyes, because… because she was right. Hinata had told her.

But I don’t, she thought. I don’t have confidence, I have a raging temper that just started to flare up recently! I’m not telling you because I believe in myself or some crap, I’m yelling at you because I’m frustrated!

Let’s kill her.

Yeah, why don’t we—

Wait.

We?

Sakura dried her hair and wrapped her towel around her body. “You’re stronger than you think, Hinata. Don’t be afraid.”

Sakura turned and walked away, smiling to herself. Maybe Sakura would never get the man of her dreams, but Hinata looked like she was thinking hard about what she had said. Maybe, just maybe, she could help Hinata finally make a decision. She was proud of herself.

She was, of course, as clueless as ever.

Don’t be afraid.

Don’t be afraid.

We?

Hinata wasn’t afraid. She was petrified. It went far beyond common terror. The conversation with Sakura was forgotten, replaced with a terrifying question.

Who’s we?

No answer.

Is there someone else inside me? she thought, her panic levels rising.

No answer.

Are you the rage that keeps threatening to overthrow me? The rage that overthrew me last night with Kiba?!

No answer.

Hinata quickly dove under the water and screamed in frustration, in terror, in wrath. The sound blubbed away under the surface of the water, silent to all but her. She drifted for a while, just watching her hair flow around her, examining her body. When Hinata emerged from the chilling depths, she found herself climbing atop the surface of the water and crawling across the rippling pool to the waterfall. She instinctively sat underneath it, letting the cold water wash over her body as she closed here eyes and focused her thoughts.

Hinata turned her attention on the feeling of another presence inside her, instinctively drawing her arms to her chest, seeking some form of comfort. It was futile, of course. Gallons of cold water were pouring over her. Comfort was impossible, so she would have to face her problems head on without coddling herself.

We?

As she searched her mind for definite proof of the Other, Hinata silently thanked the flowing waterfall. Underneath its cold torrents of water, she could easily hide her tears.