tampered | Log: Ongoing

Log: Ongoing

When; This afternoon
Rating; PG
Characters; Hyuuga Hinata

hyuuga_hime, Haruno Sakura

betterthanthen
Summary; Hinata moves in with her new flatmate, and the two kunoichi share some girltime
Log;

Pausing in front of the wooden door, the pale-eyed girl carefully set the carrier down next to the small suitcase she'd brought and raised a fisted hand to rap softly on the door. Stepping back slightly, Hinata let her hand drop and waited, one hand nervously tucking hair behind her ears. She'd let it go long again, the last few months, and it was still in that awkward half-grown out stage that made her feel self conscious. Well... more self-conscious then she already felt most of the time.

She'd been surprised to hear from Sakura. Both surprised and relieved, given the other girl's high level of proficiency with medical jutsu. Hearing that it had been Sakura who was able to heal Naruto and Sasuke had been little of a surprise. Tsunade's pupil was formidable, even now. And.... she was another girl, a female companion. Hinata had never really had the opportunity to grow very close to the other girls in the class. They were all prettier, more outgoing, smarter and stronger than her. Compared to them, she'd been the dark, quiet little wallflower. In a way.. she was glad to have this chance that the City was offering her.

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If she hadn't been so nitpicky, then maybe she wouldn't have spent two minutes fluffing up the pillows on her couch, and making whoever was at the door wait for longer. But she was Sakura, and since Hinata was going to move in, she wanted to give as good an impression as possible. I don't know how good of an impression my orange couch will cause. The pillows had to look fluffy, the rooms had to look clean, because for all Sakura knew, that was probably how things were, in noble houses like the Hyuuga's. She really wanted Hinata to like the apartment enough to stay for a while. Another girl around would be perfect, and it'd cheer her up.

Snapping herself out of her thoughts, she ran to the door, and opened it quickly. "Ah, Hinata-san! Hello," she said, smiling. Opening the door, she stepped aside. "Step right in. Need help with the suitcase?"

It was hard not to smile back at the blush-haired girl as she opened the door, seeming a whirlwind of energy in a way. Nodding slightly, Hinata scooped up the carrier holding Shiro and glanced at her back.

"If you like... but I don't want you to feel obligated or anything."

The suitcase wasn't heavy, not by any means, but she still felt a bit bad asking Sakura to carry it. After all, she'd been the one to offer Hinata a place to stay that didn't radiate loneliness and emptiness, Neji's presence seeming to leak from every spot in it.

Stepping inside, she felt a slight sigh of relief that at least this Sakura didn't seem too much younger than her. It was a bit odd with Sasuke, when she'd visit Naruto, to see the Uchiha so many years younger, knowing what she did about what the dark-haired man had become.

"Not at all, I don't mind!" she said, taking the suitcase. She'd been educated in good modals by her mother, which might've possibly been the reason to all her 'let me help you' attitude. That, and Hinata's suitcase was practically weightless. "Are you sure you packed enough? This is so light..."

Taking the suitcase inside, she left it near a wall, and rubbed her hands against her shorts. "So, should I show you around? There are two bedrooms left which you can pick from. The couch is comfortable, too, I fell asleep on it some times, and even if you wake up seeing orange everywhere, at least you don't get a pain in the neck," she said, smiling nervously.

Was it normal to feel this nervous around someone for her? Not really. But Hinata was...Hinata was good at what she did. Sakura knew that the Hinata she remembered was capable, better at mastering the Hyuuga fighting techniques, and Sakura felt a bit intimidated by the fact that she could fight well--probably better than herself. The Hinata she knew also had longer hair. "You cut your hair."

"You don't have to, I don't want to be a bother..."

Being shown around would have been nice, but it wasn't really necessary. Momentarily Hinata cursed her upbringing again, not because of anything it had done to her, but rather... because of the way it tended to make people treat her. Not unkindly, but.. it was as though everyone always acted as though they needed to be on their best behaviour around her, be extra polite and cordial. As though they expected her to feel superior to them, or that they or their homes or families or friends somehow weren't good enough, wouldn't measure up.

Glancing down at the ground, she bit her lip for a moment, noting the change in subject and grateful for an out. Reaching up, she fingered shoulder-length indigo locks with a small smile.

"Sort of... I cut it.. right before I came here. when I was about seventeen. I've actually been growing it back out again..."

"It looks nice like it is," Sakura said, honestly. "Maybe...maybe a bit longer--wait. When you were seventeen? How old are you?" she asked, her eyes wide. Then noticing the girl's uncomfortable look, she shook her head. "Not that it matters how old you are or anything, but I'm curious," she added quickly, hoping it would make her less uncomfortable. Still, the thought of Hinata being older...and yet, aside from the fact that she was obviously taller than how Sakura remembered her (which should've clued her in from the start), she hadn't really changed much.

"And anyway, you're not a bother. I've been wishing for a flatmate, myself, even though the apartment is connected to Naruto's home and all...still, three bedrooms are too much for just one person. But I didn't want to live with a guy just yet," she explained, lowering her voice conspiratorially, "Sometimes they really don't understand how a girl works or things, and then they end up with me hitting them, you know?" Grinning slightly, she straightened up, and grabbed Hinata's arm lightly. "Come on, you can pick up whichever bedroom you want, and then we can sit down and relax."

"...Am I talking too much?"

"I turned eighteen thispast winter."

She didn't mind answering the questions, or really even the way Sakura was prattling on. In fact, it was nice. A very welcome change from the emptiness and silence of her own apartment, broken only by Shiro's meowing here and there.

"I'm glad I'm not bothering you. And... that must be nice, to be so close to your teammates. None of my team are here. Kiba-kun was for awhile, but he left. Like so many people do."

Hinata giggled at the mention of hitting, especially as she could quite easily picture the pink-haired kunoichi doing just that. The fact that she'd seen Sakura lay into Naruto on more than one occasion only made it that much easier to envision the scene in her mind.

"You're right. Men just don't understand."

With a nod to Sakura, she shouldered her smaller bag and followed the other girl down the hallway. "Is there one with a big window? I like to look out at the City... And no, you aren't talking too much. It's... nice."

"Oh, good. Normally I don't prattle so much," she said, waving a hand dissmissively. "All have rather big windows. The apartment sort of...adjusted to my needs, and I love big windows, too. Here, this is the first one," she said, opening the door to a large room, spatious and very brigth thanks to the two large windows on the North wall. It was rather empty, since Sakura wasn't using it, so all the furniture there was a dresser and a futon. "It doesn't have much, since I didn't have the money...or the time, or the interest to buy things back when I first moved in. But you can bring whatever you like. The other room's the same, only the walls are a shade of purple."

Rubbing her nose, she frowned slightly. "As for having my teammates here, well...Sasuke lives next door, and Sai lives five floors up, but...we used to be more, yeah? When Naruto was here. And Kakashi-sensei."

She wouldn't admit it easily, but she missed the man's presence. The weeks they'd trained together had been something which she could use at this time. But maybe he was better off out of the City. At least there dead Akatsuki stayed dead.

Smiling at the room, glad to see the spacious windows, Hinata's face brightened at the mention of purple. "I'll take the purple one, if that's alright."

She liked purple, it was one of her favourite colours. Her room in her old apartment had been purple as well. Or at least, it had been purple until Neji had insisted she change it, or he would refuse to sleep in it. So it had been repainted to a soft blue that seemed to suit both of them.

Laughing, she set her things down on the empty bed, plopping back to stare upward at white walls. "My other room was purple too. Until Neji-kun said he wouldn't sleep in a purple room."

It slipped out, really. While she was by no means ashamed of her relationship with her cousin, Hinata knew what most people thought of the idea. It was common, normal for her, raised in the relative confines of the Hyuuga. Hyuuga clan members intermarried all the time, though almost never across the houses. Bunke to Bunke, Soke to Soke. What she and Neji had shared... was forbidden, even in the Hyuuga. And while she would never have changed it, never have let go of it, it wasn't something she tended to share. Other people...just didn't understand.

She covered her mouth quickly with one hand, hoping the other girl hadn't heard the slip-up.

Blinking for a few seconds as wheels turned and dots were connected, Sakura stood still, before blushing. "Oh. You two are..." Clearing her throat, she poked her cheeks slightly. "Well, that explains why you call him Neji-kun with so much affection," she murmured, coming to sit on the bed near her.

Knowing that Naruto and Sasuke had something more than friendship was one thing, but hearing about this...it was still incest, even if intermarrying wasn't unusual in the noble clans in Konoha. Things like those, they still caused an impact. Deep inside, Sakura--and Inner!Sakura, too (though she'd been silent lately)--agreed that love was love, regardless of the age, gender or race. Love could surpass boundaries that man couldn't--even though it hadn't worked that way for her. And still, she couldn't stop but feel a bit...strange. And finding out. It will pass. This is Hinata-san...she's not dumb. If she's happy like that, then...then who am I to condemn it?

Coughing softly, she changed the subject. "I don't see why he won't like purple, it's a perfectly nice colour."

Hinata flinched visibly at the sudden shift in the atmosphere. That was how it always was... whenever people found out. They tried to shrug it off, to say that it was ok, that as long as she and he were happy, that it didn't matter. But... she knew it wasn't what they were thinking.

With a sigh, she shook her head. "It....it's alright, Sakura-san... you don't have to.... I know what everyone thinks of it.... I'm...used to it by now."

Sure, she knew. And maybe on some level she was used to it. At least, in regards to the fact that she expected it, wasn't surprised by it. But still... it was always a bit depressing to once again see that look of surprise and embarassed discomfort on a friends' face. Trying to just let it go, she forced a smile and nodded.

"I know, isn't it? But... we changed it to blue. And blue is nice too..."

Looking at her for a few minutes while she tried to figure out how to put it, Sakura honestly felt bad for reacting that way. It made the girl uncomfortable again, and she didn't like that.

"Well, it's always a surprise to hear things like those. I remember shishou told me that some clans intermarry, but I always thought those were arranged marriages, you know? That...didn't have a solid base based on love.

"I don't think it's that odd. You're cousins after all, not brothers...and honestly, I've seen even brothers come together in this place. But I'm not blaming it on the place, or anything. I mean, if...if it's not forced or anything, and...you're okay with it, then...I'll get used to the idea." She smiled in a way that was hopefully comforting.

With a nod, she drew her legs up to her chest, looping arms loosely around her knees. "Well.... a lot of the time..they are. But not always. And.... even then, Father still would never have approved. Neji-kun...is bunke. But...I don't care..."

She shook her head. "No, it...it wasn't forced. I...you know I loved Naruto-kun for...a long time, right?

It wasn't like she didn't expect Sakura to know. Hell, it seemed as though everyone had known, except the blond.

"I see."

Grinning brightly, Sakura nodded. "I think about everyone knew. Aside from him."

Nodding, Hinata couldn't help but smile. She really hadn't ever known, until after the fact, how obvious her feelings for the blond had been.

"I...it took me awhile to realize it, but...it wasn't really Naruto-kun that I loved. Not...not like I thought I did."

Reaching into her bag, she pulled out a battered and much-worn photo album. Setting the book in her lap, she flipped through it.

"Did you know? Neji-kun used to be a lot different... a lot like Naruto-kun, even."

She nodded, pulling herself nearer the girl, looking at the album with interest. An eyebrow raised. "Neji? The same Neji I know?"

"Uh-huh. When we were little...he smiled all the time. See?"

Turning the album around, she held it out for Sakura, the page opened to a slightly faded photograph of a young Hinata, probably only 3 or 4. She was sitting on a bench, wiping tears from her eyes with small fists, a young Neji kneeling in front of her and handing her a flower with one hand, and picking up broken shoe with the other, face set into a smile.

"He'd take care of me... make me smile when I was crying...play with me when I was lonely... like my prince on a white horse."

Her lips spread in a wide smile as she stared at the image of two, cute little kids, both dressed in their cute little clothes, with their cute little chubby hands. She almost squealed at the scene, but she'd promised herself she'd never squeal again...or something like that. "That's so cute," she said, pointing at the face of the boy. "I can't believe he's smiling. My mind's thinking it's a manipulation, but..."

She sighed. "He should fall back into that way of life, darnit. People like him are nicer when they're happy...saner."

Nodding, she turned another couple of pages. It was another picture of her and Neji, older this time. But the difference.... the happy smiles were gone, replaced on her part by a look of fearful trepidation, glancing slightly at him out of the corner of her eye while Neji stared straight ahead, expression solemn and hardened, bandages across his forehead covering the green brand of the juuin.

"I know... after... after my uncle died..he changed. I never saw him smile again. And.... he hated me. Because of what Father did. And I don't blame him for it. He deserved so much more, and they tried to hard to chain him down, to keep him from succeeding."

Sighing, she continued to flip through pages, pausing at one of her and Naruto, his arm slung around her shoulder, her face bright red as she pushed her fingers together in that typical habit she had.

"Naruto-kun.... was different. In a way, I guess... he was the way Neji-kun used to be. They're a lot alike. The same strength, the same drive, the same... heart, in a way. But the difference is that Naruto-kun's heart is open. While Neji-kun keeps his closed. And I guess.... that's what drew me to Naruto-kun in the first place. He..he's everything that I wanted to be, to achieve."

"I think I remember reading something about it in the archives Tsunade-shishou left about," she whispered, looking at the photo of the stern boy. Yes, that was exactly the Neji she rememembered.

"Naruto's like this warm tornado that sucks everyone inside. He gives you a speech, and you wonder how the hell he can be so insightful, yet so dumb at the same time, and then...one moment later, you're his friend. Bam! Converted to Narutoism," she explained, watching the photo of the girl and her teammate with something akin to jealousy blooming inside of her.

The only picture she had of her friends together was the old picture of Team 7, and the one she'd modified for Sasuke's birthday in the City. Just two. Two pictures is the only testimony I'll leave behind. The thought depressed her a bit, and it showed on her face, a slight frown settled upon it as she started to glare, in a way, at the photo. As if it were all its fault.

Hinata nodded, turning the pages again, finally stopping at one of the last pages. Fingers slid softly over the pictures there, a simple strip of snapshots, the sort that you could get out of any photo-booth. Five of them. At first, it seemed pretty normal, Neji with his usual half-glare, and Hinata looking shy like usual. But as the snapshots continued... Neji gave her a faint smile in one frame, slipped an arm around her shoulders, pressed lips softly to hers, and rested his head on top of hers with a contented expression on his face, the normal lines erased from features that too-often wore a scowl, forehead unbandaged and unmarred by the juuin.

"This was right after Christmas. After... I freed him from Father's seal. It's.... one of the last chances we got to spend together..."

Blushing slightly at the photos, Sakura nodded. Hey, it didn't take a genius to know that Hyuuga Neji was good looking--even though Sakura was a genius (maybe not Shimamaru's level, but about there nonetheless, if you didn't count the bloodlines)--and that that smile made him look even better.

"You two look very happy, Hinata-san," she said, smiling softly. "And you have so many pictures...I wish I had these many pictures..."

"We were...."

It was ironic, in a way. She'd spent the years collecting the pictures, compiling them into the album she kept so close to her heart. When she'd first come to the City, she'd missed her friends, and the loss of the album had been rather saddening. So much so that during one of the instances where she found herself back home, she'd taken to carrying it with her, so that should she be pulled back to this place, her memories would accompany her.

"We'll have to take some, then."

"Really? I'd like that," she said, smiling. "I'd be remembered as more than 'that pink-haired girl that was in a photo with those other genius boys, and do you remember how cool Sasuke Uchiha is?'"

"You're not just that, Sakura-san. You....you're strong....smart... pretty. All the things....that I'm not."

She didn't really understand how someone like Sakura, someone who was such a wonderful kunoichi, such a strong person, could think she was nothing but window-dressing.

Blinking at the older girl's words, Sakura did a double-take, and smiled slightly. "Did you ever see the photo of Team 7 of back when we were kids? The boys look so cool, and Kakashi looks so...Kakashi, and meanwhile, I? I look like that annoying girl to the side, who probably only squealed over the hotter guy on the team, and was useless..." A pause. "Which...was mostly what I did, so it's true."

"And I resent that, Hinata-san! You're very strong and smart and pretty, too! I mean...I mean, you've grown, and you look great, and elegant and really beautiful. And we were on the team together, right? When we were sent on the look-out for Akatsuki? Obviously, you wouldn't be put on that sort of team if you weren't really, really strong and powerful. Plus, you know tons and tons of jutsus, which is more than I can say about myself. Ninjutsu is my weakness. Gimme a thing to punch, or make me do a genjutsu, and I'm alright, but ninjutsu? Pfft, fail." She waved a hand dissmissively. "The things I wouldn't do to be able to have a bloodline, or a special technique like you. I mean, up so far, the only technique I've developed is Punch Through A Wall. No Jutsu."

Snickering slightly at her own humour, Sakura was once more glad she had a girl around to talk to. Around the boys, she didn't allow her humorous side to slide out. She had to be the rational one, the one who didn't let them go out and do stupid things like get killed, and she had a lot of training to do for that to be successful. But around girls, she allowed herself to relax some more, and jokes like that slipped out of her mouth easily. Plus, she was trying to cheer Hinata up, convince her that she was so much more than she gave herself credit for, and what better way to do it that with a little humour? "And you have really pretty hair. All Hyuugas have awesome hair...it's so hard to have shiny, pretty hair when you're a shinobi, and you guys pull it off brilliantly. I know I sound like a ditzy teen, but do you have any idea how hard it is to get taken seriously when you've got pink hair?"

It was impossible to keep the giggles from erupting at Sakura's antics. Now that a few things had been smoothed over, it was so easy to relax around the other girl, so easy to enjoy the simple company of another female.

Laughing at the mention of Sakura's hair, she shook her head. "Want to know something? I tried to dye mine that colour, once. Since.. Naruto-kun liked you so much, I thought maybe if my hair was the same colour... that he'd notice me more. But.... it didn't work. It turned bright purple instead, and I hid inside for 3 days until it washed out."

"Really?" she asked, surprised over the matter. "Well I think genetics are something you have to live with. So if I've dealt with my pink hair my whole life, you could deal with yours...and personally, if I'd have known, I'd have told you that Naruto'd like you for yourself, rather than your hair colour."

Plus, she imagined his reaction could've been next to 'oh my god, Sakura-chan, did you grow breasts over night?'. Yeah right, highly impossible. I need to stop imagining these bad things.

"Yeah... you're right. And besides.... I don't want to change it anymore."

Flopping back onto her back on the bed, she stared up at the ceiling fan with a nod. "That sounds like something Naruto-kun would say..."

Sakura blinked, started. Had she said the last thing outloud? Or was she referring to the 'like you for yourself' part? She decided to go with the safe option, so "Well, Naruto's like that," she said.

"Anyway...uhm...do you want to get something to eat?"

"Sure."

Sitting up, she ran a hand through her hair, slipping off the sweatshirt she normally wore, leaving her in simple pants and a shirt.

"Do you want me to cook something? I don't mind.."

"Do you want to?" she asked. Not that she didn't like to cook--she really didn't, actually, but someone had to feed her and the boys--but if it'd make the girl more comfortable, then all was fair.

Nodding with a smile, Hinata made her way into the kitchen.

"I like cooking. Is there anything in particular that you'd like? I don't... really know what you have, so..."

"Well, I love sushi a lot, but I had sushi yesterday and this morning, so...a bit of rice would be cool."

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Log: Ongoing

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