Chapter 11

Hinata and Hidan recovered from their colds when Wednesday rolled around and could go to school. That evening, when the Hyuuga girl returned home, her father was waiting for her in his office. She bowed politely when the door was closed behind her, and she stood before Hiashi's desk.

"I'm told you missed school half of Monday and all of Tuesday. What is the meaning of this, Hinata?"

The girl frowned, bowing again, "I was sent home with a fever. It had not gone down by yesterday, so I stayed home to rest."

"Do you understand how suspicious it is that you haven't missed school due to a cold in nearly two years but suddenly do when your father isn't home? I'm sure you can infer what it looks like in my eyes."

Hinata's face warmed. She knew this was how he'd react when she realized Itachi had driven her home.

"I assure you I would never skip school intentionally. Please contact the school nurse. She can corroborate my story."

Hiashi paused to look over his daughter silently, then sighed, "Very well. Do not allow the missed days to affect your grades."

The eldest Hyuuga daughter managed a small smile, "How was your trip, Father? Is Ko doing well?"

The family leader seemed mildly surprised by her question but responded professionally, "Things went appropriately. Ko, as always, suffices as a representative of the Hyuuga name."

Hinata wanted to cringe. Ko has worked himself to death for years to impress Hiashi, but the only thing the man can say about him is that "he suffices". She felt bad for the man.

"What is your opinion of the new staff? Do you have any complaints?"

Her eyes widened, meeting her father's in surprise. Until now, he's never asked her that sort of thing. Then again, he's never hired so many men, and close to her in age, at that. "Th-They're very hard-working. I haven't noticed anything out of order. …I'm sorry if I'm overstepping, but may I ask why you want my input?"

Hiashi appeared angry momentarily but sighed again, closing his eyes in a self-calming manner, "Surely you've discovered Itachi Uchiha's identity by now." The timid girl nodded, still confused. "His father, my old friend Fugaku, asked me to employ and house him because the boy refuses to return home. The others, Itachi demanded to be hired as well, or he'd refuse."

Hinata nodded slowly, understanding how a father would want to ensure his son was safe and fed even if his child was angry at him. She couldn't remember much about Fugaku because she was always with Sasuke and Itachi when they visited, but both of his sons have grown into respectful gentlemen, so he did something right.

"To answer your question, Daughter, I'm telling you this because I want you to find out if the boy's involved with gang activity outside school and work. Surely you've been made aware of his past by now."

Hinata's brow furrowed, "Y-You want me to spy on him? Father, that kind of thing is-" "Do not disappoint me. We've only just begun to find peace in this household."

The girl's mouth clamped shut, stunned completely, but she slowly nodded. What else could she do? If she refused, her father would react awfully. He may even send her off to a boarding school like he did Hanabi. Then no one would be around to ensure her new friends were safe.

"Good. You'll befriend him and his other friends. I grant you permission to stretch your curfew and card usage if it aids your efforts." Hinata bowed, feeling sick to her stomach by all of this. "Oh, and do not speak of this to any of them. Itachi is likely to have a bad reaction to the news."

Nodding, the Hyuuga girl remained bowing while waiting for him to dismiss her.

"You've made me happy, Hinata. You may go."

Hinata kept glancing at him nervously when Itachi sat in the passenger seat on the way to school the following day. Either he didn't notice or pretended not to because he didn't say a word about it. Then, in Science, she did the same thing. It wasn't on purpose. She honestly couldn't help herself.

Her brow furrowed as she studied his pretty dark eyes, framed with long lashes and set against pale, clear skin. Even with the stress lines beneath them, he was easily one of the most attractive people Hinata had ever met.

'Someone with this face couldn't possibly be in a gang, right?'

The bell rang, snapping her from her daze, and she shook her head and began gathering her belongings.

"Did something happen with Hidan?" The girl's spine straightened when Itachi suddenly asked softly so no one else would hear.

She met his eye and shook her head, "N-No! Why do you ask?"

He searched her face without expression before averting his gaze to his books as he stood, "I thought he might've tried something, and you were angry with me for leaving you alone with him."

Hinata waved a dismissive hand, "Oh, no. That's not-" She trailed off when she realized he was already walking toward the door and not listening.

At lunch, Hinata was surprised when the roles reversed. This time, Itachi was staring at her while she tried to act like she didn't notice. '

I feel so guilty, and I haven't even done anything. What will he do when he finds out what my father asked me to do? Will he hate me?'

"Yo, tits, are you deaf?"

The girl sat straighter, neck snapping to the side to see Hidan glaring half-heartedly at her, "W-What?"

His eyes narrowed further, "What's up with you today? You're being weird as hell."

Hinata frowned, averting her gaze to her tray but not saying anything. The table became quieter.

Konan said before it could get awkward, "There's a party this weekend. We were wondering if you want to come."

The Hyuuga girl looked between her and the others nervously. This was the exact kind of thing her father told her she could bend her usual rules for, but she was hesitant to accept because then it'd feel like her intentions weren't pure.

"Come on, I need you to go. Yahiko's gonna be there!" Konan mockingly whined, everyone knowing she didn't need help with the orange-haired man.

When Hinata still didn't cave, Sasori spoke in a deadpan fashion, "Naruto will be there."

Blush as hot as a forest fire met the girl's cheeks, and she sputtered to try and convince those at the table that she couldn't care less if the blonde boy would be there.

Hidan tossed his head back, laughing loudly, "You like that idiot? I thought you and the baby Uchiha were a thing."

Hinata glared at him, "Of course not! What made you think that?"

The silver-haired man pointed at his jaw, where the bruise had nearly faded, "Who d'ya think did this when I got back to the house? Thought the prick was protecting his precious little girlfriend."

The blood in the young woman's face drained, and she fumbled to grab his jaw, turning it to the side to see the bruise more clearly, "S-Sasuke did this?!"

Hidan grinned, wrapping a hand around her wrist and jerking it away so she'd release his face, "You better nip it in the bud before the kid gets the wrong idea. Wouldn't want to break his little emo heart by going after his best friend, would ya?"

Hinata tore her arm away from his, frowning down at her tray again, "I'm sure it's just a misunderstanding. I'll talk to him." She glanced at Konan, "I-I'll go, but I don't want to drink. It didn't go so well for me last time."

After school, when everyone was home, Hinata sat on her bed with Sasuke's contact information on her phone screen. How would he respond if she called and asked him about what happened? The younger Uchiha brother hasn't changed how he acts around her. Using that logic as fuel, the girl hit the small green phone icon by his name.

Sasuke picked up after a few rings, "Hey." It sounded like he was driving.

Hinata choked on every response she'd thought of, answering lamely, "Um, hey."

'I can't just ask him if he likes me! If he does, he might get the wrong idea and think I return his feelings; if he doesn't, he might think I have a crush when I don't.'

"What's up? Why'd you call?" The Hyuuga girl struggled to organize her thoughts, "I-I, uh, I wanted to….Ah…." She trailed off, cursing herself inwardly for being so awkward.

"Wanna go out?"

"What!" Hinata's mouth was open in shock. She hadn't expected him to ask so suddenly.

"Do you wanna get dinner with Naruto and me? We're headed to that ramen place he told you about."

Her pounding heart calmed slightly, an embarrassed blush warming her cheeks, "U-Um, sure. What's the address?"

When she arrived, she joined the pair at a booth toward the back of the small restaurant. "Hina, hey!" Naruto smiled widely, his pretty blue eyes sparkling.

Sasuke elbowed him in the ribs, "Stop moving around so much, idiot. You're pissing me off."

The blonde pouted, sliding out of the booth and walking around the table to sit beside Hinata, "You won't yell at me, too, will you?"

The shy girl shook her head with a small smile, "Thank you for inviting me."

A waiter came around and took their orders, the trio enjoying some small talk while they waited. Once the food arrived, Naruto slurped up some noodles and spoke around the food with one hand over his mouth to make sure no one would see it, "I'm glad we're finally hanging out. We should do it more often."

Hinata stared into her bowl nervously, "W-We hung out at the beach, didn't we?"

Naruto made a loud, disagreeing sound, "That's not the same. There were so many people!"

"Why did you call?" Sasuke butt in before anyone else could speak.

The Hyuuga girl met his eye, realized his unrelenting stare, and anxiously averted her gaze again while losing courage, "I-I just…. I wanted to thank you for helping me when I hurt my wrist." Inwardly, she was proud of herself for coming up with an excuse so quickly.

"Oh, yeah. How's it healing?" Naruto mused, reaching over to grab her hand and lifting it to his eye line to inspect it.

Hinata's face burnt bright red, and she watched as Sasuke cursed at him, "Don't touch people without permission, dumbass." The Uchiha shook his head at her, "It's fine."

Maybe twenty minutes later, the more hyper boy excused himself to the restroom, leaving the other two alone at the table. Sasuke stared at the girl without hesitance, and she fidgeted anxiously.

Finally, he broke the silence, "Why did you really call?"

The girl sighed defeatedly, searching his face with a blush, "I-I found out about what happened between you and Hidan, and I…."

"Ah, got it." Hinata's mouth clamped shut, eyes wide. Sasuke smirked, "Don't worry, it's not what you're thinking. We're friends, idiot." Tears welled in her eyes, but only because she felt guilty. The young man's smirk threatened to turn into a grin, "Besides, you like Naruto. That dumbass isn't lucky enough to have a girl fall for him twice, so I won't get in your way."

After dinner, Hinata returned home, feeling giddy that things had turned out well with Sasuke. Since they've known one another for so long, she considers him a good friend and would hate for things to get complicated.

The next day passed rather quickly, the Hyuuga girl informing her father of her plans for the night so he wouldn't get upset if he noticed she was home late. Konan came home with her after school to study. When it was sunset, she helped her pick an outfit for the party.

As she combed through Hinata's closet, she casually mused, "I don't know if Hidan warned you, but make sure you stay close to one of us tonight. We'll be on the bad side of town, so we don't want you to get lost or anything."

The more timid girl frowned, suddenly more nervous than before, "No, he didn't warn me. …Do you think it'll be okay? Should I just stay home?"

Konan waved a dismissive hand, smirking calmly, "Like I said, just stick close to someone you know, and you'll be fine. There's nothing to worry about." She sighed, giving up on the closet and crossing the room to pick up her backpack, "I had a feeling you wouldn't have anything to wear, so I packed an emergency outfit just in case. Here, change into this."

Hinata stood, accepting the bundle of clothing from her blue-haired friend. It was a pair of high-waisted, denim skinny jeans and a lavender, sleeveless crop top. Once the girl was changed, she fidgeted with the shirt hem uncomfortably, "I-I don't know about this. It's kind of revealing."

Her friend snickered, fastening a thin black choker around the girl's neck and procuring a pair of fashionable white sneakers from Hinata's closet, "You look hot. Naruto's not gonna know how to react!" She motioned for her to sit at the vanity, "Hurry up. I need to do your hair and makeup so I can change, too."

When she was finished, Hinata barely recognized herself. Her long hair was down, for once, and straightened so it reached the middle of her back. Dark yet tasteful makeup accentuated her pearl-colored eyes, and a thin layer of sheer lipstick made her lips appear soft and plump.

Konan sighed wistfully as she changed into a dark purple tank top and black skinny jeans, just a sliver of her pale stomach peeking through when she'd move the right way, "You should wear your hair down more often. It suits you." After slipping on a pair of black high-heeled shoes, she pulled her hair into a cute bun, did her makeup similar to Hinata's, and then it was dark outside and time to leave.

The blue-haired girl drove there since she knew the way, and the timid girl did her best to memorize the directions for when she drove home later.

When they parked the car on a block near a dark alleyway littered with vehicles, Hinata became anxious. The street lights were all busted except for one, so it was hard to see in the dark. Shady-looking people could be seen passing under the single working light every so often, each one scarier than the last in the Hyuuga girl's eyes.

'I never realized just how sheltered I really am until now….'

"Here, hold my hand until we get there. I can tell you're nervous," Konan intertwined her fingers with hers, whispering reassuringly.

"Why'd you park further away?" Hinata asked softly, eyes darting around covertly. She was beginning to regret coming along.

Her friend squeezed her hand, smiling when she looked over, "If too many people see that you drove here, they'll try to bum a ride home."

The pair of young ladies walked down the dark alleyway, around a corner, up one more street, and finally arrived at the house where the party was located. It was in full swing by the time they stepped through the front door. People from the age of seemingly sixteen to their thirties were standing around, drinking, smoking, playing card games, playing pool, and talking over the loud music thumping against Hinata's ribcage like a heartbeat.

Konan procured them both drinks, the Hyuuga girl's having no alcohol because she'd made it clear she didn't want to get drunk. While they casually made their way through the house, searching for friendly faces, someone grabbed Hinata's wrist. She turned quickly in fear, only to offer a relieved smile when it was only Naruto. His eyes were wide in surprise, "What are you doing in a place like this?"

"I see Yahiko. Are you okay here?" Konan whispered into her ear. Hinata gave her a slight nod, communicating wordlessly that she was grateful for the girl's help.

Naruto pulled her to the side so they were standing against a wall instead of blocking the hallway, and the girl spoke a little louder so he could hear her, "Konan and some of the others invited me."

He looked over her appearance, "I never thought I'd see you around here. Especially dressed like this!"

'He must've had a couple of drinks by now. His face's all red.'

She blushed, "D-Does it look bad on me? I told Konan I wasn't sure about it."

The blonde boy frantically waved a hand, "No, you look amazing! I'm just not used to seeing you like this, is all!"

An hour passed, the pair chatting casually. Hinata was feeling very happy because the tension between them had long faded. She and Naruto were talking casually. He stood close enough that their arms touched as they watched people walk past them in the hall. As he told her about how he had his own apartment a few blocks away, she glanced at his profile with a small smile.

'I really do like him. He's handsome, kind, and never lets things get boring.'

"Oh, one sec, I'm getting a call," Naruto mumbled as he pulled his cell phone from his pocket. His eyes widened when he saw the screen, and he answered immediately, "Sakura? What's up? Why are you calling so late? Is everything okay?"

The giddy feeling in Hinata's stomach faded instantly. There was a noticeable difference in how he spoke to Sakura just then compared to how he talked to her. It was at that moment that she realized Naruto liked her pink-haired friend. The concern on his face was genuine and immediate. Some of her wondered why Sasuke didn't say anything about it, but then maybe he didn't want to discourage her.

'It's not his job to protect me from something like this.'

"Hinata, I'm sorry, but I have to go. Something's come up. Can you find your friend on your own? I can help you look real quick if you want," Naruto asked, his brow furrowed.

Her heart hypothetically breaking, the timid girl shook her head, "N-No, that's okay. Thank you, though." The blonde affectionately ruffled her hair, offering one last smile before turning and hurrying through the hallway toward the front door.

Then Hinata was alone in a big house full of inebriated strangers. Glancing around anxiously, she lost all her courage and pulled out her phone to text Konan, informing her that she was just going to leave. The blue-haired girl planned to catch a ride home with Yahiko, anyway, so it wasn't like she was abandoning her.

Then, the disappointed girl made her way out of the crowded and loud house, trying not to garner anyone's attention. Party-goers littered the surrounding sidewalk outside, and Hinata thought she'd safely escaped without issue until she reached the end of the block when someone suddenly grabbed hold of her wrist.

She looked back to see an unfamiliar face. It was a pale man with long white hair pulled back into a low ponytail and brown eyes. He appeared to be at least twenty-one, maybe even older.

"What's a cute thing like you doing alone on a night like this? Don't you know it's dangerous on this side of town?"

Hinata tugged at his hold unsuccessfully, frowning as her hands trembled, "L-Let go. My friend's waiting for me."

'Mom always told me never to let an attacker know you're alone.'

"Oh, I'll walk with you, then. Wouldn't want something bad to happen to you." Then the man began walking, quickly pulling her along despite her struggling. She looked back to see the party house getting further away, but her throat felt tight and swollen, so she couldn't yell for help.

When they turned the corner, her panic heightened, and she tried to peel his fingers off her wrist. It was the one she'd recently hurt, so it stung to be maneuvered so roughly. He yanked her more roughly forward, causing her phone to slip from her hand. She reached to grab it but was pulled along before she could. It began ringing as they left it behind.

"Y-Y-You're hurting me. Let go!"

The man ignored her, forcing her to follow until they turned into the dark alley that led to her car, then her back hit the wall so roughly that it knocked the air out of her. She momentarily lost the ability to inhale, staring up at the white-haired guy with teary wide eyes. A familiar cloudy feeling began to circulate in her skull, and she realized she would faint if she didn't get out of there soon. It's been years since the last time it happened, but the sensation was unforgettable.

Fumbling to get her keys out of her back pocket, she tried to make a break for them, only for the man to catch her wrists and slam them against the brick wall, the keys falling loudly to the ground.

"Surely you've realized what's about to happen. What did you expect, walking around dressed like that with no escort? You must be an idiot."

Hinata was trembling but managed a glare, "D-Don't touch me!"

He ignored her, leaning in slowly with a grin. Just before he could kiss her, someone shouted from the end of the alleyway, "Hinata, are you here?"

The man looked that way, and the girl took advantage of the distraction to bring her knee roughly between his legs. He cursed loudly, stepping back to cup the injured area. Anger and humiliation met her chest, and she reared her hand back to punch him across the face with all her might.

He stumbled back, lowering into a crouch to stop himself from falling, eyes opening to lock onto her with a glare, "You fuckin' slut. I'll kill you!"

Hinata turned to run, but he grabbed her ankle, and she barely caught herself on her hands and knees. Then he was straddling her waist, trying to wrestle her arms down so he could hit her. Before he could manage it, someone grabbed the back of his shirt and yanked him forcefully off of her. The girl scrambled away, sitting up and breathing hard with tears in her eyes as she barely held onto her consciousness.

She realized who'd rescued her when she blinked a few times to clear her blurry vision. It was Hidan, of all people, and he was hitting the white-haired man with zero hesitation, the man landing a few hits as well.

Another familiar face came around the corner, Kakuzu, and he pushed Hidan away, "I've got this."

The silver-haired man cursed under his breath, wiping his bloodied lip with the back of his hand as he turned toward Hinata, coming over to kneel in front of her, "What the hell were you thinking? You're such a fucking idiot!"

Hinata's eyes watered more heavily, overwhelming relief washing over her because she knew she was safe, "Hidan…."

His enraged expression fell into a grimace before he sighed, offering her a hand, but his glare didn't falter, "I know, I know. Come on." The moment she was upright, blood came rushing to her head, and then she was falling downwards again. She fainted entirely before she could land.