Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Jyuuken ❯ White Lies ( Chapter 5 )

Author's Ramblings: SQUEE! (Probably the most manly “squee” I've ever heard, mainly because I've never heard another guy “squee,” but that's a whole `nuther story.) DeGlace publishing some more chapters of Marrow has aided me in the Good Fight against my arch enemy; Writer's Block (shaaaaah!). I'm a little disappointed I'm not getting more reviews -I swear the are like kindling to my writing flare- but what can I do about that? Also I `aves me a job-senstein now- very much cutting into my writing time. And, WOW, it's been a month since my last update. X( Ok- here cometh the chappie, curve ball staiyal!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any characters therein. They are all owned by Kishimoto Masashi. And I should probably make these disclaimers more interesting! Look forward to it!

 

A lone dumpling, left all by itself on a skewer, weaved through the air awkwardly and without stopping. It may have missed its friends, now long gone, having been eaten while they were still warm and fresh. Now there was only one, and the one was alone.

A less poetic dumpling might have said it was “having a big `Waaaah,'” but how can you be less poetic than a cold piece of food, anyway?

The dumpling was at one end of the skewer impaling it, while the other end was in Tsunade's mouth. She was busily flipping through what was commonly referred to as a “tome,” and that as the best word for it, too. It was a large, leather-bound book with hundreds of oversized pages covered with neat, small script. It had medical notes and genealogical records of hundreds of families, and had somehow survived the Third Shinobi Wars. Tsunade had added her own notes in the later pages, but she was hunting for a specific record.

After Jiraiya and his new student convinced her to return and become the Fifth Hokage, everything was in disarray. With Orochimaru's attack on the village, it was paperwork after treatment after surgery after paperwork, with a little time in-between for a nap if she was lucky. She had dealt with the more serious injuries already, but another patient had piqued her interest. Not local, certainly not well-known to the medic-nin of the village, but this book could give her a clue.

The dumpling ceased its unsteady dance when she realised she had just flipped past the page she was after. It vibrated slightly with anticipation as she flipped back carefully, and was removed from her mouth entirely when she found the reference.

`The Kaguya clan, huh?' she said aloud, reading from a passage which made constant reference to a large, complicated family tree on the opposite page. As she read, she slid the last dumpling off the skewer and ate it, making a face at the unpleasant texture of the long-cold food.

Shizune -who was industriously sorting through a pile of ledgers, logistical information, and village mission requests- turned after considering the name for a few seconds. `The foreign boy in the hospital?'

Tsunade didn't answer immediately, still reading from the book. Shizune watched patiently, and tried to continue sorting at the same time- erroneously putting a mission request and an immigration request letter in different piles in the process.

All conventional information about the Kaguya clan was in general agreement that they had been wiped out some years previously after attacking Kirigakure for apparently no reason. Kimimaro seemed to be a contradiction to popular opinion.

More importantly, Tsunade had found a few records about their medical history.

 

-----

 

`Eh? Hinata?'

Hinata turned at the mention of her name, and discovered Haruno Sakura looking slightly perplexed and carrying some flowers.

`Ah, h-hello, Sakura-san.'

`Why are you here? I thought Kiba-kun was discharged a long time ago.'

`Ah, yes. I'm here visit-ting someone else. Who, who are you here to see?'

Sakura looked down, as though she was thinking about something slightly painful. `…Sasuke-kun and Lee-kun.'

`I…see…'

Catching Hinata's expression, Sakura shook off the anguish and smiled. `No, it's fine. How about we both go? It might be more fun that way.'

At this point, Hinata wasn't too sure of what to do, so Sakura decided for her.

She took her hand and dragged her onwards down the hall. `Come on, let's go.'

`Eh?'

Sasuke's room tuned out to be just around the corner, but the atmosphere almost visibly changed when Sakura opened the door. Sasuke was lying in bed, staring up at the ceiling darkly. He didn't pay any attention to them as they came in, and failed to take any interest in Sakura's questions.

After an awkward two minutes, Sakura decided it was time to leave, and Hinata breathed a sigh of relief at being away from such a heavy atmosphere.

`…Sorry about that…'

`N-no, I, um…'

Fortuitously, Lee's room was nearby as well. Before sliding the door open, Sakura took a deep breath, and smiled as though she hadn't just been totally ignored by one of her best friends.

`Hi, Lee-oh…'

Lee was sound asleep.

`Oh well, I guess this is fine too…' Saying so, Sakura made her way to the bedside table and replaced the flower in the vase there. No attempt was made to wake him, and since he looked so peaceful, they both left quietly.

`Well, that's everyone I came to see. Who was it you were visiting?' Sakura asked, motioning for Hinata to lead the way.

`Kimimaro-kun…' Hinata tried to get her bearings. The inside of the hospital all looked the same to her, and she wasn't used to being in this hallway.

`Kimimaro? I don't think I've met him. He wasn't at our year at the Academy, was he?'

Hinata shook her head, now having a pretty good idea of where she was.

`Kimimaro…ah' a look crept over Sakura's face. The best description of it, using only one word, would have been “sly.” `Hinata-chan.'

`Eh?'

`Don't tell me, he's your boyfriend?'

Hinata's mouth dropped open, and she stared at Sakura for the better part of ten second before the blood finally remembered what it was supposed to be doing, and rushed to her head. Almost instantly, her face turned from her regular pale complexion to bright red- so fast you wouldn't be surprised if you saw a cloud of steam erupt along with it. Sakura took this as an affirmative response.

`Really? He is?'

Hinata started fidgeting with her fingers and shook her head several times.

`Hm? He's not? …Aha, sorry. Forget I asked.'

Sakura hovered behind Hinata as she opened the door, not quite sure what she should have been expecting Hinata's friend to look like.

`H-hello, Kimimaro-kun,' said Hinata, stepping through the doorway timidly. `Are you feeling any better today?'

Kimimaro nodded after a slight pause. He made it very obvious that he was looking at Sakura, and then looked at Hinata.

`Ah, this is…a, um, a friend of mine.'

Sakura became aware that something was expected of her. `Oh- I'm Haruno Sakura. Nice to meet you,' she said, giving a warm smile. Kimimaro's expression didn't change.

`…Kimimaro Kaguya. Please excuse me for not standing.' Not having spoken to him before, Sakura didn't pick up on the subtle hint of cynicism at this comment. But with the sound of his voice, and his manner, she finished drawing a mental image of him.

He had a strong but gentle voice, jade green eyes with a thousand yard stare, white hair which looked smooth and soft, if a little ruffled at the moment, and he was fairly handsome, she had to admit. Kimimaro Kaguya, huh? Hmm? The first name and family name were around the wrong way. That was how people in some other countries said their names, wasn't it?

`Oh-um-uh, no- no, that's fine. Don't worry about it.'

Rather than saying anything, he blinked as though this was some outlandish indication of understanding.

`…Um, so…where are you from, Kimimaro-kun?'

For a moment, Kimimaro seemed a little surprised at being addressed so informally by someone he had just met, but only for a moment.

`…Mizu no Kuni.'

`Oh? What's it like there?'

 

-----

 

The three of them (mainly Sakura) chatted more extensively than any single one of them would have expected. Ultimately, what brought their talking to a somewhat abrupt halt was the entry of the Hokage, Tsunade. After being quickly shunted out of the room by the nurses flanking her, Hinata and Sakura were left outside, blinking confused and awkwardly at the closed door in front of them. Sakura was the first to recover, and took advantage of the situation to voice something that she had been wanting to say for a while.

`Hinata.'

`Eh, yes?'

`You said he's not your boyfriend, right?' Sakura stared at the door thoughtfully as she asked.

Hinata turned a few shades of red, started fidgeting with her fingers and looked floor-wards. `Mm.' she confirmed what she had said earlier, but she wasn't sure she liked where this was going.

`…'

`…'

Sakura turned to look at her and- `Why not?'

`…Eh?! Wh-w-w, uu, what do you mean?' Now that; she hadn't been expecting.

`Well, I mean, he's…' Sakura leaved closer and whispered in her ear `…he's totally hot. Don't tell me you haven't noticed.'

`A, ahn…umm, eh…' making strange noises and fidgeting more vigorously with her fingers, Hinata looked around the corridor as though trying to find an answer written on the walls.

Sakura watched her for a while before breaking out in a fit of giggles. `Hinata-chan, you're so easy to understand!'

`Sakura-san…'

Once more, they were interrupted by the sudden appearance, unstoppable passage, and disappearance of the Hokage, still flanked by two nurses. She had a determined and ponderous look on her face, and didn't seem to notice anything else in the hallway- like patients. Those too slow to get out of her way were hastily pulled aside by the nurses, who then fell back into pace with her. Sakura and Hinata were left blinking in confusion

`…Does that happen often?'

`…No…'

Sakura quickly made sure the door to Kimimaro's room was closed, and then whispered in Hinata's ear again. `So, why not?'

`Th-that is…'

`…' Sakura fixed Hinata with a long, evaluative look. `…You like someone already?'

Hinata's face flinched slightly, as though Sakura had actually reached into her head and confiscated the information.

`Hmm, so that's it…' a bitter look crossed Sakura's face. `…And that person barely even knows you exist, don't they?'

Hinata looked up, and saw the most troubled expression she had ever seen anyone make. It almost looked like Sakura was going to cry, but she shook her head after a second, dispelling whatever thoughts were causing her grief.

`Well, we can't help who we like' she said brightly, and smiled. It was an oddly…empty smile, obviously forced. She poked her head into Kimimaro's room and bid him good day, before gently shoving Hinata inside and closing the door, giving one last wink to Hinata before leaving.

Apparently, Kimimaro hadn't really noticed their presence since Tsunade had left. He was staring at his sheets ominously.

Hinata nervously took a seat by the bed, her conversation with Sakura still fresh in her mind. `Um, wh-what did Hokage-sama want to speak with you about?'

Kimimaro, still staring at the sheets blinked, as though failing to comprehend something, and looked up. Finding Hinata there, the question seemed to make sense.

`An…operation.'