Chapter 32

The moment Hinata pulled into the driveway at the estate, and the car was put in park, the driverside door was opened, and a tall, muscular man with a glare and a buzzcut tore her to her feet and pinned her arms behind her back while walking her toward a black van.

"H-Hey! Let go!"

"I expect you to focus solely on your studies and cause no trouble, Hinata."

The young woman's eyes widened when Hiashi Hyuuga stood near the vehicle she was being forced into, his arms crossed and a look of disdain on his face.

She was crying before she knew it, "I don't care what your expectations are. I'm leaving as soon as I graduate, and I hope I never see you again!" Another intimidating man was inside the van, holding her down to the seat while maneuvering a seatbelt over her.

To everyone's surprise, Hiashi interjected when the first man began closing the door, "Wait."

All three persons turned to look at him as he approached, sliding the door ajar the rest of the way as he bent to meet his daughter's eye line.

'What's he doing? Did he change his mind, or is he just trying to get the last word?'

Hinata's breath hitched when he suddenly pushed her hair behind her ears and began taking the earrings Hidan'd gifted her, first the right, then the left, "N-No, don't! Dad, please! Please give them back!"

The man's spine straightened once the jewelry was successfully removed, and he glared at his eldest daughter with a grimace, "Don't disappoint me again."

Then, the van's door shut, and Hinata was driven away as she sobbed. Once the vehicle was in motion and she was alone with two strange men, she didn't bother speaking or trying to fight. There wasn't a point.

At some point, maybe two hours later, the girl passed out, exhausted from crying and panicking so much.

When she next awoke, she was in a small bedroom. It had a small cot for a bed, a tiny desk and chair in the corner of the room, and a dresser for clothes. That was it. There wasn't even a window.

Hinata glanced down at her body as she sat up, trembling anxiously, when she realized she was wearing an unfamiliar school uniform. Someone had changed her clothing while she was unconscious, and that made her very uncomfortable.

'What if it was one of those men? Surely no school Dad trusts would allow such a thing….'

Then, her mind immediately went to Hidan, a painful weight clenching in her stomach. It was guilt. She knew what was waiting for her at home, but she still left him under the impression she'd be back before dark. She thought about how cold it felt in his absence, how hard it was to simply inhale. Unknowingly, the silver-haired young man had become one of the most significant pillars in her life. With it gone, she was in distress. 'I thought I could keep it together because I know we'll be together again in May, but…. I miss him already,' Hinata curled into a ball on her little cot, trying to control her breathing lest she succumb to a panic attack.

Days passed, days turned into weeks, then weeks became months. Four and a half months, to be exact. It'd been one hundred and thirty days since Hinata was unceremoniously stuffed into a van by strangers and pretty much imprisoned at the sad excuse for an educational facility.

Everything was gray, the walls, the floors, even the food. Students weren't allowed to interact, even if it was school-related. There weren't many girls at the boarding school, and the Hyuuga girl still hadn't figured out its location. In all her time there, she only saw six other students.

Their names weren't shared, either. Each student was given a number, Hinata being number seven. If one of the instructors addressed her, it was only by that.

In a sad attempt to spite her father, she caused as much trouble as possible for the first eight weeks of school. She'd curse at and fight the men sent to escort her to the small classroom each morning.

Once, the girl even managed to set fire to her blanket, which made the sprinklers and fire alarm go off. It'd been her best attempt at narrowing down their location because the building had to be evacuated, but it failed. The facility was surrounded by thick forest with only one road leading away.

That was when Hinata realized the school practiced corporal punishment on its most unruly students. She'd been bound by her wrists to a peg above her head. Her back was whipped until it was bleeding, and her shirt was in tatters. Then she was left there overnight to think about what she'd done. By the time morning came around, it hurt for her arms to be lowered.

The Hyuuga girl couldn't sleep on her back for weeks after that.

It wasn't enough to make her give up, though. No, she kept on causing trouble, praying her father was being notified each time she was taken to the punishment room.

If her back was in too bad a shape to be injured further, she'd be locked in a tiny room barely big enough to fit in at all. They'd leave her in there for hours, surrounded by darkness and so quiet that she could hear her own heartbeat.

By the time March rolled around, Hinata couldn't take it anymore. They'd successfully broken her.

Around this time, she'd been introduced to the warden, a stoic and terrifying man with gray hair. He was tall, muscular, and never once appeared without his mouth in a frown and his dark eyes glaring hatefully. He'd introduced himself by his first name only: Usotsuki.

"Do you think you're off the hook because you suddenly decided to behave? You've caused your instructors a mountain of trouble."

That was what he said when he walked into the punishment room, and Hinata had asked him why she was there, considering she hadn't done anything deserving at the time. Weeks passed, and Hinata's spirit was broken until she was barely a shell.

The nail in the coffin came one week before graduation.

The seven students were given their mail once a month. So far, the Hyuuga girl had only received a few letters from her father, warning her to get her act together. That was it. Nothing came from her friends or from Hidan. Hanabi didn't even write, either. She was sure it was because no one knew her location and tried not to let it bother her.

'They haven't forgotten about me. They just don't know where to mail anything,' she reassured herself as she stared blankly at the blackboard and listened to the other students open their mail.

Her focus was broken when an envelope was placed atop her old, worn desk. Hinata waited until the strict woman delivering it was further away before opening it with trembling fingers. There was no return label.

Her brow furrowed in confusion when she realized something other than a letter was inside. Turning the envelope upside down, the air left her lungs when the earrings she'd gifted Hidan fell onto her palm.

Eyes wide, she frantically unfolded the paper, 'What…? Why would he send these?'

If Hinata had one last strand of hope, it was shattered right then and there. The letter was handwritten, and she quickly recognized Hidan's penmanship. In it, he explained that he'd met someone else and would be leaving Konoha immediately after graduation.

It was as respectful as a break-up letter could be, and even the tone matched what the silver-haired man might say if he were doing it in person. At least, that's what Hinata imagined as she read the gutwrenching words repeatedly. The last few lines were what really tore her apart.

'I don't hate you, but I don't want to see you again. It would be a nightmare for both of us, so don't try to find me. I hope you find someone who can give you a better future than I can. You deserve that much. -Hidan'

After that heartbreaking day, life passed in a blur. Hinata felt numb to everything. All of their plans to reunite and face adulthood together…. It was all for nothing. She couldn't even bring herself to cry.

All she could do was think, 'I knew it was too good to be true.'

The Hyuuga girl soon received her diploma and consequently disappeared. It was too painful to return to Konoha, and her pride refused to allow her to contact her father, so she hitch-hiked her way to town, which she then realized was none other than Hidan's hometown: Yugakure.

'Talk about ironic,' she mused while sitting on a park bench, looking around at the small, religious town.

The clothes on her back were all she owned. Judging by the subdued glances those driving or walking by shot her, it was likely the citizens recognized the uniform and saw her as a troublemaker for being sent to such a school.

That was what she thought, and she believed that for the next two days when she was turned down over and over again while looking for a short-term job just so she could earn enough money for a bus ticket out of town.

An elderly woman took pity on her on day three and bought her a meal at a tiny, hole-in-the-wall diner.

Hinata was completely and utterly humiliated. She hadn't eaten or showered in days. The two other patrons in the small establishment kept giving her judgemental looks, but the woman sitting across from her only offered a serene smile, watching the poor girl struggle not to rudely stuff her face.

"What's your name, Dear?"

The Hyuuga girl lowered her gaze to the table, face warm, "Hinata."

The woman had long white hair, dark purple eyes, and an uncommon calming aura. She was likely somewhere between sixty and seventy and aging gracefully. When she continued to watch Hinata eat, there wasn't an ounce of negativity in her gaze or tone, "You've suffered a lot, haven't you? I can tell by your eyes."

The girl in question swallowed, unsure of how to respond.

"My name is Hira. I'm sorry if I've made you uncomfortable. It's just that you remind me of my daughter."

Hinata's voice had become incredibly weak-natured over the past five months, so it was hard to hear when she asked, "Daughter?"

"Yes, my daughter. Her name was Fuyu," Hira paused to allow her dinner partner to comprehend that Fuyu was no longer alive, "She died long ago, and you two look nothing alike, but somehow I feel like you would've gotten along."

For some reason, Hira took Hinata in. Not only did she give her a sofa to sleep on, but she lent her some money for clothes and said she could stay as long as she needed.

The Hyuuga girl was moved to tears, only accepting the cash so she'd have proper clothing to get a job. 'I'll pay her back first, then save up enough to leave.'

Two weeks passed, and the pair developed their own routine with one another. Hinata managed to get hired as a waitress at the very diner Hira had taken her to the day they met. Since Yugakure was a small town, there wasn't much business outside the handful of regulars and the occasional foreigner passing through. The owner, Shinjo, a bossy and rude man, paid her surprisingly well. In return, he worked her for long hours.

Hinata didn't mind all that much. More work meant more money. So, she'd go to work before the sun could rise to do food prep for the cooks, work all day with a short break for lunch, then close the diner around ten at night.

Hira cared for the nearly mute girl like her own child, ensuring she ate something before she went to bed each night and encouraging her when it was obvious she'd had a bad day. The Hyuuga girl appreciated the old woman greatly but was honestly too depressed to feel happy.

That was why she was open to working twelve or more hours daily. If she had free time, her mind would wander to Hidan and the friends she'd left behind. Sure, she was young and had never fallen in love before the silver-haired man came into her life, but it felt hopeless like getting over him was impossible.

'How do you forget someone who saved your life in more ways than one?'

Though he'd done exactly as she'd feared and found someone to replace her while she was away, she couldn't find the strength to curse him. When she'd lay down at night, the exhaustion was overwhelming, but sleep was even more challenging than before she'd been given anxiety medicine, which she was no longer taking because the school had forbidden it.

The heartbroken girl told herself each morning while showering, trying to convince herself to keep going, 'Once Hanabi turns eighteen, I'll go get her, and we'll figure things out together. Until then, I just have to survive.'

It was easier said than done. Her already weakened spirit seemed to fall further by the day.

One night, at the end of a particularly taxing day, Hinata cleaned the tables with one eye on the clock. The diner would close in fifteen minutes, and then she could go home and finally rest her aching feet. Shinjo had run her ragged today. She acted as a waitress, bussed tables, worked the register, kept the storefront clean, and even helped in the kitchen because one of the cooks had called in sick.

The one that was still working was a twenty-something-year-old man named Kosuke. With reddish-brown hair and crystal blue eyes, he was the only co-worker Hinata even remotely got along with, but they rarely had time to chat because they were both so busy doing their jobs.

As though fate was still working against her now, after she'd lost everything, the bell above the door rang as someone entered. Biting back an irritated groan, the girl turned and forced at least the defeated look to disappear from her face because she could barely manage a smile these days, "Welcome to-!"

It was someone she very much didn't expect to see: Kakuzu.

Her heart rising into her chest and her pulse quadrupling in speed, Hinata's eyes widened and frantically danced between his equally-stunned face and the door because if he wasn't alone, one person was more likely than the others to arrive.

'I can't! I can't see Hidan, especially if his new girlfriend is here, too!' Tears immediately slipped down her cheeks, and the broken girl turned and dashed into the kitchen, not knowing what else to do.

"Hey, what's wrong! Are you alright?"

Kosuke hurried over to kneel before her, a rag in hand as he'd been cleaning the counters. The door's bell rang again, meaning someone had, indeed, come along with Kakuzu, who hadn't said a word that either of them could hear from the kitchen.

"Fuck, this place is still a dump! Can't believe it hasn't shut down yet."

It was him.

"Hinata, what's-" "What do you think you're doing?" They both turned to see Shinjo glaring down at them.

Wiping at her tears, the trembling girl tried to remain strong, "I-I-" "You have customers. Go serve them."

Kosuke glanced between her and their boss with a furrowed brow but said nothing.

Hinata swallowed hard, "P-Please, Sir. I can't-" "If you won't do your job, I'll fire you and find someone who will. Get out there now, or don't come back tomorrow."

"Yo, is anyone even here?"

Hinata shook her head, chickening out once more. She couldn't face him, not after everything that happened. Her boss and coworker looked surprised as she shook her head, "I-I'll leave now, then. Thank you for the opportunity."

Bowing politely, she took off her apron and hung it on the hook near the kitchen door, only for Shinjo to snap out of his stunned stupor to yell angrily, "Is this a fucking joke?"

Kosuke, obviously realizing the man was likely to get violent, tried to get between them, "Don't! She's just-"

The bigger man shoved him to the side before stomping up to Hinata, who took a step back with wide eyes. It was well-known by the people of Yugakure that Shinjo had a short temper. He even had a long legal record of battery charges, some even customers who argued with him on the wrong day. It was plausible that he'd hurt her, so she became more terrified the closer he came.

"I took you in when you were living on the street, and you have the audacity to walk out on me?"

Behind her, outside the kitchen's swinging door and near the counter up front, she heard one of the two men out there say something but couldn't understand it because Shinjo grabbed her shoulders and shoved her roughly, "Get the fuck out, then, Hinata!"

The girl lost her footing and fell backward with a small yelp. The kitchen door slammed against the wall outside, and she barely managed to catch herself with her hands before her back and head could hit the linoleum floor.

Scrambling further away from the seething man, Hinata bristled and froze when Hidan's voice met her ears, his tone unbelieving, "Hinata…?"

Kosuke grabbed Shinjo's arm while he was distracted and pulled him back to step around him, blue eyes on the men on the other side of the counter while he asked the still-downed girl who was actively having a panic attack, "Do you know these guys? Is that why you were scared?"

His eyes widened, and he bent to grab her arm and pull her to her feet before guiding her behind him. That's when Hinata realized Hidan had hopped over the counter and was approaching with a look of unfiltered bewilderment.

"Get back, man," her coworker threatened.

Hidan ignored him completely, taking a step closer as his surprised expression morphed into rage, "You seriously can't even fuckin' look me in the eye, Hinata?"

The girl in question was barely keeping herself upright. He had only looked at her like that one time, and it was when he attacked her, thinking she'd betrayed him when he found those files from her father. It was terrifying.

He took another step before Shinjo stepped in front of Kosuke, sizing up the silver-haired man, "Is that you, Hidan? I thought a piece of shit like you would've ended up dead in a gutter somewhere by now."

On a typical day, an insult like that would have Hidan attempting to murder the man, but it wasn't a normal day. Her ex-boyfriend kept his hateful glare on her like a hawk, "Answer me, damn it! Don't just fuckin' stand there and cry!"

"Hidan, I think-" Kakuzu spoke firmly but was still cut off. "Take one more step, and I'll lay you out here and now, boy," Shinjo threatened.

Finally, Hidan turned his gaze onto him, the aura of danger around him flaring up wildly. One moment everything was tense and frozen, and in the next, the silver-haired man was on top of her boss with a handful of his shirt in his fist, "You really wanna fuck with me right now? I'll kill you!"

Kosuke stepped back, guiding Hinata to move away as he whispered, "Go through the front door. I don't think the other guy will be able to catch you if you run. I'll try to keep them from following."

As expected, the two men on the ground began fighting, and Hinata made a break for the exit, tears blurring her vision to the point that she could barely see.

Kakuzu turned his wide-eyed gaze on her, freezing from where he was about to hop over the counter to pull Hidan away, "Don't-!"

The Hyuuga girl didn't listen. No, she left the little diner and sprinted with all her might until she arrived at Hira's house. As soon as the door was shut and locked, she climbed under the covers on the sofa and buried her face in her pillow as all the angst and heartbreak that hadn't hit her when Hidan's letter arrived finally surfaced. Seeing him again must've broken whatever seal had been holding it back. It hurt physically.

A blazing heat and tightness were swallowing her chest like it was squeezing her heart of every ounce of blood. Hinata couldn't breathe. Even though he broke her heart by breaking up with her as he had, or at all, the trembling woman could only think one thing as she fell to pieces in a dark, quiet living room.

'I still love him.'