Chapter 17

On other platforms, I continued this story with a sequel, but I will leave it all as one large fanfic on this one so its easier to read. Thanks! Enjoy!

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Nearly two months have passed since Akatsuki's big fight against Orochimaru and his gang.

When Hinata returned home the next day with bruises and stitches, Hiashi assumed the worst: that she'd joined Itachi's super dangerous gang. When the bodies of Orochimaru, Kabuto, and six other gangsters were found at that abandoned gymnasium, and the news reported on it, he refused to hear a single argument.

She worried he'd fire or even retaliate against them, but he didn't get the chance because most of the Akatsuki members went into hiding in an effort to avoid earning police attention.

The only person who even showed up to school was Konan, and it was because she'd only just become a member when the incident occurred and hadn't been at the scene of the crime, anyway. The blue-haired girl reassured Hinata that the others were doing their classes online under the guise of having contracted an extremely contagious illness.

So nearly eight entire weeks passed, and Hinata didn't see her boyfriend or friends a single time. They talked on the phone a lot. In Hidan's words, she's lucky they even have that because, initially, the plan was to altogether leave Konoha once things with Orochimaru came to an end. They were only staying for her and Konan's sake.

The Hyuuga girl tried to see it as a good thing that everyone would eventually return to school, but it was difficult not to get down about it. Hiashi swore to send her off to complete her final semester of high school come January. It's already the first week of December. More than likely, she'll be gone by the time the others deem it safe to come out of hiding.

Things at home were as tense as can be. The poor girl wasn't allowed to leave her bedroom for anything other than to use the restroom and bathe. Even her meals were delivered to her door by the maids. Hiashi even forbade Tenten from socializing with her.

Hinata also counted herself lucky that her cell phone hadn't been confiscated. Her father had to know she was still in contact with everyone but didn't say or do anything about it.

'Maybe that's the extent of his mercy….'

"Hina, hey! Can I talk to you for a sec?"

The girl looked over her shoulder, pausing so Sakura could catch up in the hallway. Their final class just ended, and the pair was headed upstairs toward the lockers so they could put away their books and leave.

Bright green eyes shined warmly as the taller girl smiled pleadingly, "I have a huge favor to ask."

"What is it?" Hinata asked softly, not taking for granted that at least she had some good friends still around her at school. Sakura, Sasuke, Naruto, and even Ino helped her get through the past two months with her sanity intact.

Sakura put her hands together in a praying motion, "Karin left the cheer team, and we need someone to fill in for her at next week's basketball game. I'll teach you everything; it won't be hard!"

Hinata's disbelief must've been evident because the pinkette began spouting off retorts to excuses the girl may vocalize, "It'll only be this once! We'll find someone else afterward, I swear. And your dad's been punishing you for weeks now. I'm sure if you tell him its school related and that extracurricular activities will boost your college resume, he'll let you do it!"

'I have been going a little stir-crazy in my room every day. It can't hurt to ask, right? The worst Dad can do is say no.'

"I'll text you later to let you know what he says," she smiled sheepishly, face warming, "Are you sure you want me? I'm not exactly the cheerleading type…."

It was as though the second half of her response hadn't happened because Sakura squealed happily, hugging her tightly with a big smile, "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! You're the best!"

Later that night, after eating the dinner served to her room, Hinata finally mustered the courage to go to her Father's office and knocked on the door. It opened moments later, the tall man frowning at her sternly, "What is the meaning of this?"

Biting her tongue to hold back the irritated retort she instinctually wanted to offer, she bowed her head.

'If I want a chance of him allowing me to leave and do something outside the house, I can't piss him off right now.'

"I know I'm not supposed to leave my room or bother you, and I'm sorry for doing so now, but I have a school-related request."

Hiashi's anger seemed to fade slightly. He opened the door the rest of the way and crossed his arms, nodding once to signal her to continue explaining.

Keeping her head bowed, Hinata asked, "The sports team captain asked me to stand in for one of their missing members next Friday night for an important game. May I have permission to do so?"

"Absolutely not. I clearly said you aren't to do anything but go to school and go to your room."

Hinata took a calming breath, refusing to give up with just one attempt. She kept her tone submissive and respectful, knowing by now how he preferred to be addressed.

"I haven't forgotten. The only reason I'm asking is that my college resume is lacking in extracurricular activities for this school year. I'm sure wherever I'll be attending next semester won't offer any, either, so I want to take this opportunity to better my chances of being accepted into a respectable college."

Hiashi didn't immediately respond, so the girl lifted her head slowly. When their eyes met, the man rebutted, "Attending one event isn't enough to add to a resume."

"Actually, I was assured I'd be added to the official roster in all records of this year's team if I do this favor."

'That's a lie, but he won't find out until it's too late.'

Another long pause occurred before the man sighed defeatedly, uncrossing his arms, "You are only to attend this game and come home immediately afterward. Do you understand?"

It took everything in Hinata not to let her surprise show. She nodded, bowing once more, "I understand. Thank you."

The following week passed quickly. Hinata was so busy either studying or practicing the routines Sakura taught her during lunch each day to do much else. Only on Friday morning, the day of the big game, did she realize she hadn't spoken to Hidan or the others in days. When she checked her phone while waiting for Science to start, she realized she had a missed call from Deidara and Hidan, plus a handful of texts from them, Sasori, and even one from Itachi.

She glanced at the empty seat to her left, frowning. Their absence was something she might never get used to.

Before she could begin responding to the messages, Sakura plopped down into the seat on her right, "G'morning! I brought your uniform. Make sure to try it on before the end of the day so I can have Mrs. Sarutobi try to alter it for tonight."

Hinata smiled nervously, accepting a medium-sized shopping bag from the girl and peering inside to see a brand-new uniform still in the packaging. Before she could ask why they went through the trouble of ordering one, their new teacher, a strict and almost scary woman with dark purple hair and pretty brown eyes, entered the room. Her name was Ms. Mitarashi.

The class quieted instantly, having been yelled at one too many times for not acting accordingly in the past eight weeks, and the lesson began.

During lunch, Hinata tried on the uniform and found it a little tight in the chest area, but not so much that it warranted emergency alterations. She'd only be wearing it for one day, anyway.

Konan snickered at her when she arrived at the final class of the day, "I don't know why you're so nervous. You've done way scarier things than prance around in a slutty outfit."

The Hyuuga girl's mouth fell open as she blushed and tried to find a response.

Naruto laughed, sitting in front of Hinata, Sakura and Sasuke wordlessly sitting behind her and Konan, "For real, Hina. Don't worry. You're gonna kill it tonight!"

The word 'kill' brought her back to Earth.

Nightmares of what happened between her and Kabuto in that closet still plagued her almost every night. At first, the exhaustion got the best of her, but Hinata adjusted after a couple of weeks because she had no choice. Hiashi Hyuuga would never allow her to see a psychiatrist or doctor just because she had trouble sleeping.

Konan gave the girl a concerned look when she noticed her swift change in demeanor, but Hinata just shook her head dismissively while opening her notebook and preparing to focus on class. The blunette was the only person that knew of her nightmare issue. Though they were technically dating, Hinata still imagined Hidan's first response to the news would be to tease her, so she simply didn't tell him.

After school, Hinata drove home and immediately disappeared into her bedroom to prepare for the game.

Tenten snuck in, squealing excitedly when she saw the Hyuuga girl in the cheerleading uniform. It was red and white, consisting of a long-sleeved top that left the midsection bare, a tight mini-skirt, and bright white sneakers. Sakura also loaned her a pretty red hair bow, instructing her to put her hair in a high ponytail like Ino often wears hers.

As Tenten did Hinata's makeup, she beamed, "Babe, you look hot! I feel like you're my sexy little Barbie doll, and I get to play dress up with you."

The Hyuuga girl's face was bright red with blush as she pouted, "S-Stop it! Shut up!" She was pretty much trembling with anxiety. She knew all the routines by heart, but the fact did nothing to quell her unease.

Her eyes were accentuated with dark makeup, while a matte lipstick the same shade of red as the uniform made her lips appear full and soft.

When Hinata arrived at the school later that evening, she tugged at the skirt as she skitted into the gym and dipped swiftly into the girls' locker room where the rest of the cheerleading squad was waiting. It was dumb luck that Hiashi hadn't seen his daughter leaving in such a revealing outfit, or else he'd have had an aneurysm.

"There you are! We were starting to worry you chickened out!" Ino looked her appearance over with a satisfied grin, "Of course, it looks great on you. Sit down, you lucky bitch."

Sakura pulled a blushing Hinata over to sit beside her on one of the benches, laughing softly at her best friend's strong personality.

Ino addressed the entire room as the team captain, "Alright, ladies! This is Hinata. She's filling in for Karin tonight. Help her if she needs it, but leave her alone otherwise, or you'll scare her away!"

The gymnasium became louder and louder over the next hour, the seats filling with people there to watch the game. They practiced their cheers, whispering instead of shouting, to ensure everyone knew where to stand and what to do. Soon, the time to go out arrived, and glittery pompoms were handed out.

Hinata swallowed nervously, her fingers gripping the items tightly. When the door to the locker room opened, and the line of girls began jogging out to the floor, she took a deep breath before swallowing her embarrassment and hesitance and following the others' examples.

'You can do this! Konan was right. This is nothing compared to everything else you've gone through!'

So, Hinata did her best to match everyone else's enthusiasm for the next three hours. She flawlessly executed the cheers and did the beginner-level gymnastics Sakura'd taught her. By the time the game ended, the girl was hardly even nervous anymore because she'd gotten used to it.

Their school won, so all the fans, the team, and the cheerleaders rushed to the center of the gymnasium to cheer and celebrate the victory. Still a little bashful, she stuck near Sakura but found herself smiling happily as she joined in the festive mood.

'This has actually been kind of fun. I didn't hate it! I thought it'd be torture.'

"Hina!"

The Hyuuga girl turned in time to see blonde hair, blue eyes, and a blinding smile before Naruto hugged her, lifting her slightly off the ground. He and the others that sat together at lunch were on the basketball team, so he was still in his uniform. "You did awesome!"

She blushed, patting his back softly so he'd put her down. When he did, she nervously fidgeted but congratulated him with a smile either way, "You, too! You won!"

Rather than offer the cheerful expression she expected, Naruto seemed momentarily surprised. Then his smile slowly began to sink away as he became frozen, his hands still on her sides as he stared at her.

Hinata's grin disappeared, too, and she glanced down at her outfit while touching her ponytail to check that everything was where it was supposed to be, "N-Naruto…? Is something wrong?"

"Get your fuckin' hands off her before I break 'em, Blondie."

Both she and the blonde boy in question turned to see none other than Hidan standing there, Kakuzu beside him. His magenta eyes were dark, his expression threatening as he glared at Naruto.

Though she disagreed with how Hidan spoke to him completely, she was too overwhelmed with relief to finally see her boyfriend after weeks of waiting. Tears in her eyes, she pushed past Naruto's arm so she could step closer to him, "H-Hidan! What are you…?"

His gaze turned onto her, softening only slightly as his lips tugged into a smirk, "What am I doin' here? I had to see what was so damn important that you can't call me back, Princess."

'Every word that's left his mouth so far has been irritating, but for some reason, I'm not angry like I should be!' She couldn't find a single word to say and simply stared up at him in disbelief, the tears in her eyes getting closer to falling.

Her eyes danced over his appearance, relief heightening when all of the little cuts and bruises he'd had the last time they were together were gone. His hair was slicked back, and his clothes were a bit loose-fitting, like usual. It was like everything that'd happened never did.

"Y'know, I expected a much better welcome than this. Are you just gonna fuckin' stand there?"

Kakuzu rolled his eyes at his friend's cockiness, but Hidan's words broke Hinata's daze. His name left her mouth again, softer this time, and she hugged her arms around his shoulders tightly.

A chuckle rumbled through his chest as he returned the embrace, "That's more like it. Damn."

When they pulled away and met one another's gaze, it was like no one else was in the loud room to Hinata. The ever-present smirk on Hidan's lips threatened to turn into a smile as he grabbed her jaw and turned her face slightly one way, then the other, as though searching for something.

All she could do was stare, still having trouble grasping that he was here.

He released her jaw, instead taking her hands and stepping back to look at her body, a brow lifting sharply in response, "A cheerleader?"

Hinata's face warmed further as she groaned, tilting her head with a frown, "Just this once. They needed a stand-in."

"Only tonight?"

She nodded, leaning into his touch when he uncharacteristically cupped her cheek, pinkish eyes studying her every move.

"...Do you think they'll let you keep the uniform a little longer?"

Another humiliated groan left her mouth, and Hidan laughed, finally leaning in and kissing her. Her fingers clutched his shirt, the other hand holding his shoulder as he pulled her more firmly against him to deepen the kiss.

'I missed him so much…. Can he tell? Does he know? Has he missed me, too? Will he make fun of me too much if I ask?'

"Jeez, get a room, you two!" Hinata's eyes opened, and she turned to see Ino, Sai, Sakura, Sasuke, Kiba, and Naruto standing there, the blonde girl being the one to interrupt them. Everyone appeared surprised to various degrees, but the two girls seemed less so. After all, They were the first to find out about her feelings for the silver-haired boy.

The blush on her face suddenly quadrupled in temperature, and Hinata tried to pull away from Hidan, only for him to hold her still. Absently fighting for freedom, she sputtered, "W-W-We were-" "Look away if it bothers you, Bitch."

The Hyuuga girl looked at her boyfriend in shock, opening her mouth to yell at him for talking to Ino that way, but the blonde in question surprised her by laughing loudly, her grin widening mischievously, "Drop the hard-ass act. You can't be all that bad if someone like Hinata tolerates you."

"Tolerates? Listen here, you-" "Hidan, Yahiko's calling me." Everyone looked at Kakuzu, who'd been forgotten amidst the hassle.

Hinata's brow furrowed, and she fought to hide her disappointment, 'He's going to leave again, isn't he? I wish we had more time.'

"Get the hell outta here, then, Geezer. Thanks for the ride."

'...Huh?'

The tall man nodded curtly, offering her one as well before excusing himself from the noisy gymnasium.

"What d'ya say we head out, too? I bet Daddy's waiting up," Hidan asked mockingly.

A little confused, Hinata said farewell to everyone, retrieved her bag from the locker room, and walked out to the car with the silver-haired man in tow. She waited until they were inside the vehicle to ask, "You probably need to get back to the others, right?"

He'd wordlessly insisted on driving and pulled out of the parking lot leisurely before speeding onto the highway toward her home, "Nah. I've got other plans."

Nervously fiddling with the hem of her skirt, the Hyuuga girl mumbled, "Like what?" Her spirits were a little low because she didn't want to say goodbye to him so soon after reuniting, but she couldn't just come out and say that because the reason for their separation was understandable.

She felt him glance her way and looked over to see a smirk tug at the corner of his lips, "Your bedroom windows don't have bars on them, right?" When Hinata was left speechless by his shameless flirting, the young man laughed but said nothing else as he continued driving.