Log: Complete

[hyuuga-hime.livejournal.com]

When; October 24 (yeah, i'm a lousy git and i'm always late with logs)
Rating; PG
Characters; Akimichi Chouji heavierthanlife, Hyuuga Hinata hyuuga_hime
Summary; Hinata goes next door to take some food to the sick Chouji, and ends up finding a friend.
Log; A small hand reached up to knock carefully on the slightly worn wood of the door, other hand cradling a wrapped basket. The girl on the front step shivered slightly as the slight wind gusted, blowing a few fallen leaves and sending them skittering across the cement that she stood on. Staring up at the crooked metal number staring coldly back at her, she knocked again before trying the knob. With a slight metal creak, the door cracked open. She pushed it ajar and peered hesitantly around it.
"Ano....Chouji-san? Are you here? I....came to check on you for Shizune-sensei...and..I brought you some soup..."
Chouji heard someone knocking on the door... but he couldn't figure out who it could be for the life of him. "Hello? *cough, cough* Wait, Hinata? S'that you?"
She carefully stepped into the apartment, shivering slightly as the frigid wind clawed at her through her parka. Closing the door behind her, she slipped out of her shoes and padded softly across the carpet, searching for the source of Chouji's voice. "Hai...I came with some soup....Shikamaru-san said you were sick...and he can't cook... Where are you at?"
The sound of bedsprings resounded throughout the small apartment as Chouji rolled over under the sheets. "Im in here," he tried to shout, he voice muffled by the layers of comforters and blankets piled on top of him.
Smiling slightly, she stepped around the stray takeout boxes and drink cans that had piled up in Shika's absence and knocked on the bedroom door before she pushed it open. "Konnichiwa, Chouji-san. I brought you something to eat." She set the cloth-covered basket down on the floor beside her and pulled the chair over next to the bed.
Chouji peeked out from under the covers, sure to keep his mouth hidden as to avoid getting his friend sick as well. "Hinata... thank yooo- *cough, cough*-ou. I really appreciate that."
She shook her head with a warm smile, reaching out to place a hand against his forehead. Chouji was a nice guy, and even though she didn't know him very well, he was always kind to her. Besides, it was nice to take care of someone who seemed to appreciate it. "It's alright, Chouji-san. It's not a burden at all. Besides, at least you ARE thankful for me to be taking care of you." She let her eyes drift to the window, staring slightly off into space. "Not everyone is that grateful..."
Chouji squirmed a little as Hinata's warm hand rested on his chilly forehead, before relaxing. He sighed and smiled (although it was still hidden by the blanket). "How could someone not appreciate it, Hinata? You're very kind, and you go out of your way to do such nice things. If someone didnt appreciate it... why would you continue?"
Her pale eyes widened for a moment, then relaxed, a slightly sad smile on her face as she shook her head. "That's very sweet, Chouji-san. But...if you love someone...then even though they don't appreciate it...how could you NOT be kind to them?"
Chouji's mouth scrunched up in thought. He did know what she meant, to some degree. "Well, yeah. I guess you're right. Di--*cough*-- Didn't think that one through. Heh. Is, ah, is there someone in particular you're talking about?
A faint blush coloured her cheeks and she glanced away momentarily before nodding slightly. "Hai, there is. I...do you have someone special too, Chouji-san?"
Chouji smiled, and blushed until his cheeks matched the girl who had come to take care of him. "Yeah... but she's never around anymore." With that thought, Chouji slowly slipped a little farther down into the blankets.
Hinata nodded. "I see...is she still back in Konohagakure? I think....sometimes that that would be better. If..if he wasn't here. But, at the same time, I don't think I would still be OK here if he wasn't. And....I can be close to him here, even if...it's not in the way that I want."
Chouji sniffled a little, part from his sickness, and a little bit of melancholy. "No... she's here. She just... she just ran away. But Shika said she's coming back soon! I really hope he's right, because I really miss Ino-ch---... I mean her."
Hinata nodded, tucking a stray strand of dark indigo hair behind one ear. "Ino-san. I see. She seems like a nice girl, even though I don't really know her that well. She...helped me when I needed a friend. And..she's kind to you. At least she talks to you and spends time with you. Neji...only does that grudgingly..."
"Neji?" Chouji tilted his head to the side. "I dont think I woulda guessed that one. But anywho... how could he not like you? Or at least give you the time of day... You're so kind to him, and everyone..."
The dark-haired girl blushed slightly, leaning down to rummage in the basket she'd brought. She hadn't realized he didn't know her feelings for her Bunke cousin. Sitting back up, she set the cloth-wrapped bento in her lap and began unwrapping it. "I...Neji-niisan just sees me as Soke, as the one who holds his cage.."
Chouji leaned up on his arms, and tried to peer into Hinata's lowered eyes. "Wait, whaddya mean? What do you have to do with Neji's cage? I didnt even know he had a cage... and your not weak, either. Don't let anyone tell you that..." He slumped a little, his eyes cast down on his stomach. "I know how that can be..."
She shook her head. "I..gomen. I didn't know if your family, being one of the noble clans, might be the same. I...in the Hyuuga clan, those of the Bunke have the juuin placed on them at a young age. It's..the seal. On Neji's forehead. The one that he always keeps covered. It gives those of the Soke absolute control over the Bunke, granting the ability to inflict horrific pain, even death, with a simple seal. I...even though I dont' want it....because of ME, his life is painful. I happened to be born Soke, while he was born Bunke. Even though his powers and abilities far exceed my own. B...because of me, he has always been held back. Never allowed to reach his full potential. And even though he should be the heir, is the one most fit to be it, that position is held by one like I, who is so much weaker then he is." She glanced up at him with a slight smile. "You're not weak, Chouji-san. You fought against Oto, like everyone else. You fought just as well as Neji-niisan. You shouldn't be ashamed."
Chouji smiled warmly back at Hinata, as she raised her head a tad. "No... no, I dont think our family has that kind of thing. And why do you think you're holding him back? He's gone pretty far, and been really successful, and so have you! You dont have anything to feel bad about... And you really think I'm strong?" His eyes shone a bit brighter as the words left his mouth.
She smiled slightly, nodding a bit. "I hold him back because, were I not here, he would be able to acheive so much more. He could even be head of the clan one day. If I didn't exist..." Chewing on her lip slightly, she worked her fingers into the twisted fabric, the knot eluding her for the moment. "I...I guess I don't know much about many of the other clans. I..I always envied you, in a way. Your parents are so..warm. So loving. Not like mine." She sat back slightly, finally getting the stubborn knot undone from the bento. "My mother was like that. But..she died when Hanabi was born."
Chouji shifted a little as Hinata spoke of his parents, and then her mother. Parents were something he supposed he took for granted... "Well... I know it won't mean much, but when we get back, you're more than welcome to come over to my house. My parents love company, you know, and would love to meet you, I'm sure of it!"
The girl turned slightly red, glancing down as she pulled the lid off of the bento, sending the tempting aroma of home-cooked food wafting through the air. "I...thank you, Chouji-san. It..it must be nice to have parents like that. Parents that hug you....rather then beat you.."
Chouji's eyes widened a bit, and leaned in next to Hinata. "Wait, your dad hits you? Does Neji know that?"
She shook her head, hand poised over the chopsticks. She wasn't really sure why she'd said anything. It wasn't as though she was very close to the Akimichi boy. But for some reason, she felt comfortable opening up to him. Maybe it was his earlier comment about knowing how it felt to be thought of as weak that had struck a chord in her mind. Either way, she felt that she could trust him. "Iie...I don't think he knows. But...Tou-sama doesn't do it all the time. Only when I anger him. Like the last time that I tried to get him to train me." Her eyes wandered, staring off into space slightly as she thought back. "He said it was pointless for him to expend the effort, since it would be futile. And when I kept asking, he got angry..."
Chouji's brow furrowed up. "Thats no excuse. A dad's supposed to be nice. And have patience, and help you when you need help with something!" His countenance softened a bit as he watched the Hyuuga girl fidget with her chopsticks. "I guess you're kinda glad to be away from him then, huh?"
She nodded, fingers lacing around the chopsticks and picking up a piece of fried egg. "It's not like that in my clan. Those who can't measure up are left behind." It was shameful, she'd thought at first. That one who was the heir to her clan should want so much to be anywhere BUT her home. But the Hyuuga estate wasn't really home to her. At least, she'd never thought of it as such. In a sense, it was more prison then anything else. "I...I am glad. Is...do you think that's wrong?" She held out the piece of egg to him. "Here, try this."
Chouji happily took the egg in his own chopsticks, and tasted it after looking it over shortly. "Mmm, thats good stuff," he smiled. "And no, I dont there's anything wrong with that, really. I mean, if this place is better for you than where you were, than why wouldn't you rather be here?" He smiled again, and reached his chopsticks back down into the plate in Hinata's lap.
She smiled at his enjoyment of the food. "I'm glad you like it. Since I'm not very good at a lot of things, I spent a lot of time in the kitchen when I was younger." She sighed slightly, nodding at his words. "I suppose so. But...there are other reasons why I would rather be here..."
Still listening, Chouji responded with a mouth full of the Hyuuga girl's cooking. "Yeah? Like what?"
She felt her cheeks heat up slightly. There were numerous reasons, and some of them she was a bit hesitant to tell, despite her newfound trust in the heavyset shinobi. "Well....a lot of it is...because of Neji.."
"About Neji? You gonna try to, umm... unbranch him here?" Chouji took another large bite of the meal Hinata had prepared for them... and it was good. Someone elses cooking was ALWAYS a fun experience for Chouji. He liked to see other people's approaches on his favorite dishes
Her eyes widened, and the chopsticks clattered from her fingers. Did he know? She glanced at the heavyset shinobi with a look of shock and apprehension. This could be bad. If he'd just made a lucky guess, it wasn't a problem. But if there were others that knew of her plans...
Chouji didnt seem to think it was much of a big deal, however. "You, uh, you dropped your chopsticks, Hinata..."
"H..Hai...so I did..." Swallowing, she reached forward, picking up the slender pieces of laquered wood. "Ne...what made you say that? About "unbranching" Neji-kun?"
"Huh?" Popping a dumpling into his mouth, Chouji tilted his head back to look at the ceiling. "Well, you seemed kinda upset about branching Neji, even if you didnt do it. Aaaand, you said staying here was about Neji. Or kind of. So, it kinda made sense. Well, to me anyways." Lowering his head again, Chouji craned his neck over the side of the bed, looking into the picnic basket to search for more edibles.
She took in a slow breath. At least that meant he had figured it out on his own. So that meant that Neji probably didn't know anything yet. "Hai..." She glanced up, smiling at him. "You know, Shikamaru-san was right. You're a lot sharper then people give you credit for. You're right. It DOES bother me about Neji-kun. But...that's not the reason that I want to stay here." She set the chopsticks down on the napkin. "I...I never told anyone this, but I've loved Neji for years now. It..was almost 3 years ago when I realized it. I've kept it hidden since then, because I knew he'd never share my feelings. But here...in this place...things are different. Even if he doesn't love me back, I can love him. I don't have to worry about my father hurting him because of my feelings, or what anyone else thinks about it. I..I don't have to hide it anymore..."
Chouji looked back up. "Your dad would hurt Neji because of how you felt about him? I... I really dont like that guy."
She shook her head. "It's...not quite like that. I'm Soke, Neji-kun is Bunke. It's...like being in a different social class. Like a prince loving a servant girl, that sort of thing. He'd punish me, definitely. But...because Neji-kun is Bunke, he would receive the brunt of the punishment. Even if he doesn't feel anything for me, if I DID anything...Otou-sama would treat it as if Neji-kun had coerced me into it."
Chouji's mouth scrunched up in the corner as he thought again. "I guess... I guess I can really understand why you'd want to stay here then, huh? Not much to go back to... and this place really isnt that bad, though. If I didnt miss my dad so much, I may be tempted to stay. I mean, I have Shika, and Ino-chan, and the rest of you guys. And I've made other new friends too."
She nodded, picking up a strawberry and taking a bite of the ripe fruit. "Hai, I've made friends here too. But...you were right about one thing. I DO wish I could take the seal off of Neji-kun..."
Chouji reached down and rummages around, pulling out a handful of strawberries out for himself. "Well, how would you do that? Sounds kinda tricky."
Hinata nodded her head, bangs shifting slightly with the motion as she picked up another berry. "It is. Most people think that only the head of the clan can undo the seals. But that's not true. Any Soke member can, but it's not that simple. It requires a HUGE amount of chakra, not to mention the sort of fine-tuned control and concentration of it that some medic-nin don't even posess."
SomaCruz42: Chouji nodded, pulling one of the berries from the stem. "Is there any way I could help? Like, loan you chakra or something? OH! You could have one of the spinach pills! They give you lots of chakra."
The dark-haired girl smiled. He really WAS a kind person. She glanced at him momentarily, studying his open face. "Ne...can you keep a secret?"
Chouji's head cocked to the side. "Mhmm, I'm good at keeping secrets."
"Well...." She raised one hand, concentrating. Chakra surged around it, the blue glow roiling around her fingers. "I've...been doing a lot of training. Even Neji-kun doesn't know." At her mental command, the chakra intensified with a snapping crack, the soft blue light shifting into crisp white flames that deepened in intensity and sharpness as he watched. As they did so, a soft humming began to emanate from them, similar to that of Sasuke's Chidori.
Chouji's eyes grew wide, as he leaned in to get a closer look at the crackling blue energy. "Wooooww... thats impressive. REALLY impressive. I bet its really sharp..." With that, he lifted a finger close to it, before pulling back. Not the best of ideas. "That's... that's like, what? Almost triple were you used to be!"
She nodded, pale eyes narrowing slightly as she pulled her other hand up. Working a quick series of one-handed seals, the familiar veins pushed out on her temples. "Byakugan". As she activated the kekei genkai, he could sense her chakra take yet another leap in strength, as the flames sharpened even more, solidifying into sleek blades that suffused her hands with their icy fire.
Chouji's eyes were stuck on the fire in front of him. "...H-hina... how long have you been able to do that?"
She smiled slightly. "I learned it by accident, when I was studying my medical jutsu. At first, it was just the flames. They scared me the first time, I didn't know what was going on. I..I went to Kurenai-sensei, who explained to me that my chakra is linked to the fire element. She said that, unlike most shinobi, I have a natural affinity to combine my element with my chakra. That's why it turns to flames without much concentration on my part. As for the blades....I learned how to do those with my training over the last month."
"Wow... thats pretty neat! I bet it could come in really handy," Chouji commented with a smile, finishing off the strawberries he had pulled out. "But how's it gonna help with unbranching Neji?"
She stuck another strawberry into her mouth, chewed, and swallowed. "The seals to control the juuin are fairly simple. Every Soke member is taught them when we reach 10, so that we can make use of the Bunke, as well as protect ourselves. The seals to remove it are the same, up until the final sequence. The difference is in the amount of chakra that's required. To remove it not only requires absolutely perfect and concentrated control of your chakra, but it requires a large AMOUNT of chakra."
"Oooooh... and nooooow, you have that kind of control!" Chouji smiled brightly again, upon realizing what Hinata was truly showing him. "I really hope you're able to help him..."
She nodded, expression falling a bit. "You're right, I have the control. But I don't have the chakra yet.... That's what I'm learning. And...it's not easy..." She carefully rolled up her sleeve to reveal the bandages that ran all the way from her wrist to her shoulder. Gripping the end of the linen, she gritted her teeth as she slowly unwrapped it, hissing slightly as the colder air hit the blistered and scorched skin on her arm.
Chouji's expression fell to a blank gaze. "Hinata..."
Carefully, she rewrapped the bandages, grimacing at the sting from her damaged skin. She didn't say anything, as there wasn't really anything she felt she COULD say.
"Hinata... have you let Shizune look at those? I mean, does that happen every time you practice with that technique? You're really gonna hurt yourself if you're not careful..."
She shook her head. "I..can't bother Shizune-san every time it happens. Usually I can heal it myself, my chakra's just a little too drained right now. It's the...other damage...that I can't heal.."
Chouji stood up and walked into the kitchen as Hinata continued to speak. "Don't say that you can't bother Shizune... thats what she's here for, and you know it! She's more than happy to take care of us... and they just opened that hospital, too." The sound of running water drowned out Chouji's voice near the end of his statement before beginning again, walking out of the kitchen, holding wet rags. "What other damage?"
She smiled slightly. He really WAS a kind man, like she'd always heard. "The damage that I do to my chakra system. If...if I try to explain what I'm doing, it's basically trying to force more water through the pipes in a water system. Increasing the flow, the pressure, and the volume to thereby increase the power of it. Do you remember the Chuunin exam? That first one? The Otonin who had the airshafts in his arm, the one that fought Shino-kun. You remember how Shino-kun put the kikai bugs into the airholes, and the shafts exploded? That's...sort of like the damage that I do to my chakra system. It's like taking a system of tubing and breaking it all over, putting kinks and holes in it."
Chouji nodded slowly as he sat, and took Hinata's wrist to wrap her arms. He did know what she was talking about, because it had almost killed him... "I guess Neji really is that important to you... What do you think he'd do if he found out about what you're doing?" Chouji didnt mean to discourage the Hyuuga girl from what she was doing, quite the opposite, really. He thought it was admirable. He just wasnt that familiar with Neji, and wasnt sure as to how he'd react.
She flinched slightly, looking down. "He....I don't know. I..I know he'd think I was weak, and silly to try. He doesn't think that I'd be strong enough to do anything like this. And..." She took a sip from the cup sitting beside her. "I don't want him to get hopeful. I...may not be able to do this. And I think...that if he knew I was trying...that then it would be that much worse if it failed.."
"These too tight?" Chouji finished re-wrapping Hinata's arms, and ran back into the kitchen to get himself something to drink. "So what're you gonna do then? Is this kinda gonna be like a surprise?"
She smiled and shook her head. "No, they're just fine. Thank you. I'll be able to heal them myself later, once my chakra recovers. I haven't done enough damage to it yet this round to need Neji's help again." Her eyes shifted, as though in thought. "I..hadn't really thought about it. I don't know what he'd do if I asked. He might get angry, thinking it's just a joke. So I thought that...maybe I'd do it when he's asleep or something."
Chouji layed back on the bed behind him, arms crossed behind his head. "I guess that'd work... I just feel kinda wierd knowing you're hurting yourself doing that, you know?" He sat up again, hunched over, looking at Hinata. "Is there anything I can do to help? Make it easier?"
She shook her head. "Not really. The only problem that I really have is worrying about when Neji will find out. Since he's the only one who can heal my chakra system when I mess it up, he'll get suspicious eventually about what sort of training that I'm doing to keep injuring myself so badly. He hasn't seen the burns yet, so hopefully he'll just think I'm training my juuken too hard."
Chouji nodded a little. "Ask Kabuto. I bet he could help you train more efficiently. Have you seen that chakra knife of his?"
She nodded, stirring a little bit more sugar into her tea. "Hai, I have. But...it's not the blades that I need to make. I just chose that shape because it seemed the easiest one to form it into. What I really need to be able to do is compress it down into one small point. Almost like Naruto-kun's rasengan."
Chouji nodded, pouring himself a cup of the tea as well. "Ooooh.... but he's not here, is he... How about Sasuke? I think he's still here, and he has that Chidori thing, I think..."
"H..hai....." She trailed off at thoughts of Sasuke. She had heard that the Uchiha was in the City, and she also knew that he was apparently from an earlier time, when they were all much younger. But that didn't make it any easier for her. Of all the people that Hyuuga Hinata was afraid of, Uchiha Sasuke numbered right up there with them. Especially since he had abandoned Konoha and gone to Orochimaru.
"But he's kind of a grump too, so you probably wouldn't get much out of him..." Chouji took a sip of his tea, and sat it down on his bedside table, and laid back down. "Kakashi's not here, either... and Asuma-sensei..." Chouji's countenance changed rather quickly, a frown covering his face.
She nodded. She didn't really consider herself very close to any of the members of Chouji's team, but she remembered well the loss of the man that they'd called "sensei". Glancing away, she bit her lower lip, feeling badly that she had opened the door to painful memories for Chouji.
Chouji rolled over onto his side, facing Hinata. He had his time to mourn, and it wouldnt do much good to feel bad about it here, either. "Well, I know he'd've been glad to help you if he was here... I guess he could still show up, though, huh?" Chouji forced a smile, which looked rather out of place on the same face as his sad eyes.
She nodded, forcing her own smile. She reached down beside her chair and picked up a red plastic thermos, unscrewing the lid carefully. "Ne....Shikamaru-san said that you liked miso soup, so....I made some for you."
Chouji's eyes opened a bit wider, his smile becoming genuine. "I love miso soup... you made some for me? T-thank you, Hina-chan!"
She blushed a bit at the nickname. Not because it was coming from Chouji, but simply because it had been so long since anyone had used that sort of friendly endearment towards her. It was...nice. Pulling off the cap, she upended it and poured some of the soup into the cup before handing it to him. "I hope it's good. I made it the way that Neji-kun likes it, because I didn't know your preferences"
Chouji nodded happily, taking the cup from the Hyuuga girl. Taking a sip, Chouji couldnt help but comment. "This... this is the best miso soup I've ever had in my life. My LIFE!" The boy was obviously excited... probably more so than anyone ever should be over soup.
The girl turned bright red, unused to that sort of enthusiasm over her cooking. "R..r..really? I...the recipe is my mother's. She...left it for me in a book with other recipes before she died."
Chouji nodded as the girl told him of the cookbook. "Your mom must have been a really good cook... what other kinds of recipes are in there?"
Hinata nodded. "I....I think she was. She died when I was 5. Having Hanabi. So I don't remember much about her. But...I know that when I was younger, when Otou-sama was kind, he used to say that she loved to cook. And I guess he was right, because there are all sorts of recipes in the book. All the way from simple things like rice up to huge multiple-course meals."
Chouji's eyes widened, his jaw slacking a little. "H-huge meals? Do you think you could teach me some of them!?"
"I..I guess I could...." She seemed slightly surprised at his enthusiasm. "But..I thought your family were known for their appetites and their taste in food. I...I'm sorry. I just assumed that you knew how to cook all sorts of things far beyond what I can cook."
Chouji nodded a little. "Well, we are. We're Akimichi! But that doesn't mean we know how to cook everything... I'd love to see your take on dishes!" Smiling brightly, Chouji shifted around on his bed again. "You said something about Hanabi...? How come she was never around? I don't think I've ever seen her even once."
She smiled and giggled a little bit at his energy. "Hanabi is my younger sister. She....doesn't think highly of me. Even though she's five years younger, she's stronger then I am. Much more what a Hyuuga should be. Even when we were small, she's always viewed me as a stepping stone. Otou-sama will likely make her the heir to the clan. She wants it, unlike me. I...if I could give it away, I would give it to Neji-kun. He's the one who I think truly deserves it."
"Aww, you're gonna have to stop saying that, Hina-chan. You're a great Hyuuga... and, personally..." Chouji leaned in, a bit, closer to Hinata. "I like you a lot more than Neji, anyways." Leaning back, Chouji's smile could be seen across his face, wider than it had been all day.
The girl in the chair turned red and started twiddling her fingers momentarily in an accustomed way before she mentally forced herself to stop. No, she couldn't revert back to that. If she wanted to ever prove to Neji that she wasn't weak, she couldn't let herself be so shy. She smiled at Chouji, though the redness on her cheeks didn't go away. "Th...thank you. But...don't hate Neji-kun. I..I know he's hard to deal with sometimes, and he can be cold and distant. But..the clan made him that way." She cocked her head to the side with just a hint of slyness in her smile. "Wanna know a secret?"
Chouji smiled again, and leaned back in. "Yeah!"
She smiled and nodded, folding her hands in her lap. "When we were little, Neji-kun was totally different. In some ways, he was even a lot like Naruto-kun"
Chouji was a bit taken aback. He'd known Naruto... and he'd known Neji. And he ALSO knew that there weren't two more different people on the face of the gods' good earth. "You're kidding me..."
The Hyuuga heir giggled, shaking her head and running a hand through dark indigo bangs. "No, I'm not. When we were little, before Neji-kun really understood the meaning of the juuin, he was happy. He smiled all the time, and laughed and played like any other little boy. We were always together. We'd even sleep in the same futon at night. When it was stormy and I was afraid, he'd tell me stories or sing to me until I fell asleep." She blushed slightly, fiddling with the edge of her shirt sleeve. "He...when he was 4, after he really met me for the first time, he even told his father that he wanted to marry me so that he could always protect me like it was his duty to do...."
A small grin and happy eyes crept onto Chouji's face. "Heh... sounds a lot nicer than the Neji we have now. Not that there's anything wrong with the Neji we have now! It's just... what made him change?"
"The juuin....that's what did it. Seeing the way that the Bunke live their lives without freedom. Without choice. Without even the chance to choose a way to die. Growing up knowing that someone else can end your life with a single seal."
"I... I think I get it now... and you want to get RID of that Juuin, and make Neji like he used to be. Am I right?" Chouji crossed his arms behind his head once again, and layed across the bed.
She nodded. "Hai. Though...not for me. As much as I'd like to see him be kinder to me again, I just want to set him free. I don't want to see him going through life with that hatred anymore. Feeling as though no matter what he does, he'll always be living his life on a leash."
Chouji nodded slightly, his reclined position remaining the same. "You're really a kind girl, Hina-chan... and I hope Neji sees that soon."
She smiled. "You're a kind person too, Chouji-kun. I'm sure that Ino-chan will see that." Leaning foreward, she laid a hand against his forehead for a moment. "Your fever seems to be coming down. Here." Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a small bag. Pulling it open, she took out a packet of some sort of powder and poured it into a cup of tea. Stirring it in, she handed it to him. "This should help with the symptoms a bit. I brought you enough for a few days' worth."
Chouji nodded, and took the cup, sipping on it softly. "Thank you, Hin--... Wait. How do you know about Ino-chan? Did I tell you already?"
She nodded. "Hai, you mentioned something about it. I..just inferred from what you said. Gomen, it's not my place to say anything."
Chouji shook his head. "Nonononono, you don't have to apologize! Nothing wrong here! I just didnt remember if I had told you... I hadn't really told many people, really... Shika, Shizune, Ino-chan, .. and well, now, you."
Hinata smiled and nodded. "Drink your tea, Chouji-kun. And..don't feel badly. I...aside from Tenten-chan and Shizune-sensei, you're the only person I've actually told about Neji. Though..I think most people already know. Because of what happened that one curse day..."
Chouji laughed a little, and drank from the tea cup. "Yes, maam. And what curse day was that..? Was I here?"
She shook her head. "No, I think it was before you got here. Well...sort of. It started before you got here, on the day when everyone's wishes were granted. I..." She looked down at her lap momentarily. "I wished that Neji would feel for me as I feel for him. And..it came true."
Chouji blushed a little was well, seeing Hinata's reaction. "Oh... Doesn't sound like much of a curse to me, though. Well, until it ended, I guess. S-sorry if that's something I shouldn't have brought up..."
She shook her head. "No, it's ok. But you're right. At first, it was everything I'd ever wanted. And Neji-kun...he wished to be free. So, for just a day, the juuin was gone." She shifted in her seat, cheeks reddening. "We had a perfect day together. And then when we got home, we...." She trailed off, glancing out the window. Swallowing and clearing her throat slightly, she continued. "He...the next morning I woke up to the sound of him smashing his fist through the mirror..."
Eyes dimmed a little, Hinata's discontent was becoming more obvious. Chouji reached out a hand nervously, and patted Hinata on the knee. "I...I'm really sorry about that, Hina-chan... It's ok, you dont have to talk about it if you don't want to..."'
She smiled and shook her head. "No...it's alright. It's in the past and there's nothing that I can do about it." She straightened up, swallowing a mouthful of tea. "After that, things were so awkward between Neji-kun and I. He'd been under a curse and I hadn't been. I felt like I'd taken advantage of him in some way. You remember when you were kidnapped, Chouji-kun? The day before that was another curse day. A day when we were able to see the people we might have become. I...I was a member of Akatsuki. I..I didn't understand how the City worked, and I...I killed a lot of people. It was a few days after that, I just thought I couldn't deal with it anymore. I left a note for Neji-kun, telling him how I felt, and climbed up to the roof. I was going to..." She swallowed. "Tenten-chan talked me out of it, and I was finally able to tell someone about everything. But...by then I think most everyone knew how I felt about him."
Chouji finished off his cup of tea, and laid his hands on his stomach. "Yeah, I remember hearing something about that... I hated that whole week. Alone... and now hearing what else went on that week..." A frown slid over Chouji's mouth.
She nodded. "Yeah...it was a bad week. Neji-kun didn't talk to me for days after that. But then, on that one weekend where all of the curses seemed to hit at once, he did. I..on the first day, I was...turned into a boy. And I was hiding underneath the sink. But Neji-kun, he came and talked to me. REALLY talked to me, kindly. And...it was nice. Then...the next curse was the one that took away everyone's inhibitions and....things happened....but it was different this time. That curse can't make you do something you don't want to do. It just...makes it easier for you to give in to it. So that means that, even if Neji-kun doesn't love me, at least he doesn't hate me either."
Chouji reached up and rubbed his forehead. "Oh yeah. I remember that no inhibitions thing really well... and that gender swap thing... oi."
She glanced at him, a somewhat confused look on her face. "Really? Did it happen to you too?"
Chouji turned his head to face the puzzled Hyuuga. "Ah... no, uh, no, not me. Not directly anyways, but..." Chouji's face was as red as a beet now.
Pearl-white eyes narrowed with concern. "I..I don't understand. Did something bad happen to Ino-chan or Shikamaru-san?"
Chouji clenched his eyes. No, no, not bad at all, he thought to himself. "Well, umm... you know how Ino-chan really hasnt been around too much lately...?"
The dark-haired Hyuuga nodded. "Hai, I thought she lived with you and Shikamaru-san, but I never see her around."
Chouji could feel his ears burning now, as his throat tightened up. "Well, you see... on the no inhibitions day... ah... Ino-chan.... kind of... er. Ino-chan... kinda 'went at' me... and Shika. At the same time." And Chouji felt like he was about to die.
If she had been red before, it was nothing compared to now. Pale white eyes widened impossibly as the flush crept up from her chin. Even the tips of her ears seemed to glow red. She glanced away and coughed slightly. "I...I see...th..th..that would be a..a... problem..."
Chouji caught his breath momentarily, before losing it quickly again. "And as for the, ah, 'genderswap'... Shika got turned into a girl. A, um, very good looking girl. A very good looking, drunk girl."
She looked apprehensive for a moment. "And...what happened..?"
"And... I was drinking a lot too, really... we were both worried about Ino-chan. Thats what we were meeting about, really... and then, ah... I think Shika misunderstood a question of mine. And... clotheswerelost. And then it got dirty." Chouji suddenly wished he could have kept his mouth shut.
Her delicate dark eyebrows hit her hairline. "So..you mean you.....w..with...S..Shikamaru-san..?"
"He was a girl! A good looking girl!"
"H...hai...I guess...if it's ok with you....and with...Shikamaru-san....then it's not bad..."
Chouji turned to Hinata, who was still obviously struggling coming to terms with what she had just heard. "B-but he was a girl... Please don't tell anyone else... Shika's the only other one who knows about..."
She nodded. "H..hai. I won't tell anyone, if you don't tell anyone what I told you. OK?"
Chouji sighed a breath of relief. "Fair enough..."
Chouji turned and smiled to his guest/physician. "Hina-chan... I really appreciate you coming over. It's nice to have someone new to talk to once in a while"
The girl nodded. "Hai. I...don't have many friends. There's Kiba-kun and Shino-kun, but they're not here. And Naruto-kun isn't here either... It's nice to have someone else to talk to."
Chouji smiled. "Well, you can always come over here... the door's usually unlocked, and I always enjoy company. And besides, you owe me cooking lessons."
She nodded, getting to her feet. "Hai..I should probably be going now. I'll come by tomorrow and check on you, ok?"
"That'd be good. I think I'll be here all day... and thank you again, Hina-chan."