Chapter 44 - Interlude 4: Hinata and Hanabi (1)

[Day of the Incident: Anbu Stalker Hanabi-chan]

After Kurama took Hanabi home, she walked in the direction she thought Hinata would be.

"Is something wrong, Hanabi-sama?" - a Hyuga woman asked.

"It's nothing, Sora-san... do you know where Onee-chan is?" - asked the little Hyuga.

"Hinata-sama? If I remember correctly she must be at her training ground doing breathing exercises" - answered Sora with curiosity. She honestly did not think something like that was useful.

"Thank you, Sora-san!" - exclaimed Hanabi as she ran to her sister.

"It is good that she wants to bond more with her sister" - Sora said with a smile. She was one of the few people in the Residence who cared about Hinata when she was treated like a disgrace.

* * * * *

Hanabi continued running until she finally arrived at the training camp in Hinata. She had obtained it after defeating some idiots who still thought she was the useless one from so many years ago.

"Hanabi-chan?" - Hinata was surprised to see her younger sister, after all, they hadn't spoken in years.

"Onee-chan..." - Hanabi muttered, not knowing how to continue their conversation.

". . ." - The two Hyugas were silent as they looked at each other, only to burst out laughing.

"It is good to see you, Hanabi-chan" - Hinata smiled.

"Onee-chan... I'm sorry I didn't talk to you..." - said Hanabi as she walked to her sister and gave her a hug - "I'm sorry I took the words of those decrepit old men as truth..."

"Don't worry, none of that matters anymore" - said Hinata as she hugged her back.

"Onee-chan... there's so much I want to tell you" - Hanabi didn't know what to talk about but none of that mattered anymore. She was talking to her Onee-chan again as she did when she was just a little girl of 3 years old.

"Hanabi-chan... I wanted to talk to you too..." - Hinata said as she hugged her tighter - "I'm sorry I was a bad Onee-chan..."

The two Hyuga sisters continued hugging each other in silence.

* * * * *

After a while, the two parted with a smile on their faces. They felt that they had finally got their sister back, not knowing that anyone was watching them in silence.

Hiashi could only watch them without being able to say anything. He always wanted this to happen but because of him it never did.

Hiashi was aware that he was hurting his daughters but this was the only way for them to get stronger and be able to defend themselves. He would not be around to protect them at all times and honestly, he did not want to experience again the pain of losing someone close... his wife and brother were more than enough pain.

He took one last look at them and quietly left because he felt that he should not get in the middle of his two daughters, despite how much he wanted to talk to them to mend their relationship.

* * * * * *

The two sisters continued to talk to each other until Hanabi could not resist any longer.

"Onee-chan, there is something important I want to talk to you about" - said Hanabi seriously.

"What is it, Hanabi-chan?" - asked Hinata with a smile.

"Kurama-san told me about how you were kidnapped" - said Hanabi with fear because she didn't want her sister to be angry with her.

". . ." - Hinata was silent as she looked at her little sister in surprise. She never thought Kurama would talk about it, especially not to her Imouto.

"Don't be angry with Kurama-san! He only told me because then we could go back to the way we were!" - Hanabi shouted as she prepared for the wrath of her older sister.

"I'm not angry, Hanabi-chan" - Hinata calmly denied - "I'm just surprised that Kurama-kun talked about it..."

"I'm sorry, Onee-chan" - mumbled Hanabi.

"Don't worry" - smiled Hinata - "Although I'm sure he didn't talk about everything... did he?"

"How do you know?" - Hanabi asked curiously.

"Because I know Kurama-kun" - smiled the older sister - "I'm sure he said something like 'if you want to know more, you'd better talk to your sister'..."

". . ." - Hanabi only remained silent because those were the exact words he said.

"I knew it" - Hinata nodded - "But knowing that you already heard about what happened to me when I was 3 years old... I see no reason to hide it..."

"I want to know more, Onee-chan" - said Hanabi as she gathered the courage to talk to her sister - "Please... "

". . ." - Hinata was silent for a few seconds but slowly nodded. She could see how her Imouto wanted to make amends for their relationship that had been destroyed over the years - "Until what part did he tell you?"

"He told me until the part where you started training at age 4" - said Hanabi as she looked at her sister.

"I see..." - Hinata whispered as she motioned to her sister to sit next to her - "I guess I'll start from there..."

[Flashback]

POV Hinata

Since my little sister, Hanabi, came into the world, everything has been worse. Tousan has been making me train much harder to the point that my arms and legs end up bleeding. Even though I try to talk him into letting me rest a bit, he keeps telling me it's for my good.

Why should I suffer for my own sake? Why should I keep training even though my body hurts? Is it because I'm the heiress of the Hyuga clan? Does Otousan hate me?

The more I thought about it, the clearer it was that I had done something wrong and Otousan was just punishing me but I didn't know what exactly I did. Many times I tried to apologize but Otousan kept looking at me coldly.

Kaasan... I'm scared...

* * * * *

"Good Hinata-sama!" - said one of my teachers - "Today we'll do 5 30-minute sessions of Juken!"

A year had passed and my training had increased again. If it was painful before, now it's just torture.

Every day I had to train for more than 2 hours in a row in the style of our Clan.

"H-Hai!" - I said with all the encouragement I could muster but inside I just wanted it all to end.

Why don't you understand that I can't take it anymore?

Every day it was the same, training the Juken, meditation, basic knowledge and physical training.

Why is it getting harder and harder? How many times have I fallen unconscious? Why does Otousan do this to me?

* * * * *

It's been a few months and the training hasn't changed.

Okaasan has been in bed since Hanabi was born and even I could tell something was wrong. She was too pale and could barely eat.

"Okaasan..." - I murmured as I sat next to her. Today my training was over but it was nothing to be happy about because tomorrow would be worse, I was sure of that.

"Hinata...chan..." - said my mother as she looked at me with concern - "I'm sorry..."

"Why are you apologizing, Okaasan?" - I asked as I looked at her with concern.

". . ." - Kaasan was going to say something but after a while, she just shut up. She could only look at me sadly without me knowing why.

Did I do something wrong again? Why is Kaasan looking at me like that? Does she have a problem?

"Okaasan... Are you okay?" - I asked her as I held her hand, just to feel how cold she was - "Okaasan!"

"Relax, Hinata-chan... I'm just cold" - smiled Okaasan but I could tell that it wasn't cold I felt because she started coughing up blood.

"Okaasan!" - I cried out in fear - "Doctor! Okaasan is coughing up blood!"

"Easy, Hinata-chan" - smiled Okaasan - "I'll be fine soon"

". . ." - I could only keep silent as I looked at her in fear. Something told me that what she was telling me wasn't true but I still believed her because Okaasan had never lied to me.

She'll be fine because she promised me and Okaasan never lies.

"Go rest... Hinata-chan..." - Okaasan said as she looked at me with a smile on her face.

"Ok..." - I nodded as I gave her one last look - "Rest... Okaasan."

"See you... Hinata-chan..." - Okaasan smiled.

Why does it sound like a goodbye?

Don't think about it, Hinata. Okaasan is fine... there's no reason for her to say goodbye...

* * * * *

Liar...

The next day, after I finished my training, I went to Okaasan to check on her because she said she'd be fine.

Liar...

"I'm sorry Hinata-sama but Hiashi-sama said you couldn't come in..." - said a guard in front of Okaasan's room.

"Why can't I visit Okaasan?!" - I shouted in annoyance. I had trained tirelessly and visiting Okaasan was what helped me continue for another day.

"I am sorry Hinata-sama but orders are orders" - said the Guard as he continued to block my way.

"Did something happen to Okaasan?!" - I exclaimed in fear. No, impossible, she promised me she would be fine.

Liar...

". . ." - the guard just kept quiet without even looking at me.

"Okaasan!" - I shouted as I tried to get in but the guard wouldn't let me pass - "Let me pass! Something's happened to Okaasan!"

"I am sorry, Hinata-sama," said the guard, but in a slip of the tongue, I managed to get through on because of my size.

"Okaasan! Okaasan!" - I shouted as I reached Okaasan's bedside but she didn't answer me.

"Hinata-sama..." - said one of the doctors but I didn't pay attention.

"Wake up Okaasan!" - I shouted as I held her hand but this time it was not only cold but a little stiff - "Okaasan!"

Liar...

"You told me you'd be all right!" - I cried out with tears in my eyes - "You promised me!"

Liar...

"Hinata-sama please leave the room..." - said one of the guards as he took me - "It's Hiashi-sama's orders..."

Liar...

"Okaasan!" - I shouted as I tried to free myself from the guard's grip - "You promised me!"

Those present could only see all this in silence.

"LIAR!" - I screamed as I cried uncontrollably - "YOU PROMISED ME!"

"Enough, Hinata!" - I heard Otousan's voice.

"Otousan..." - I murmured as I looked at him, only to see his cold look, the same look he always gave me in training - "Why..."

". . ." - Otousan just kept quiet.

"Why did this happen to Okaasan?!" - I shouted as I cried again - "Why do so many bad things have to happen to me?!"

Those present remained silent as they watched everything unfold.

"Did I do something wrong?!" - I shouted as I looked at Otousan - "Why do you keep punishing me like this?!"

Every day they made me train until I lost consciousness.

"Why?!" - I shouted again.

Every day they made me fight with kids much older than me.

"Why?!" - I shouted once more but nobody answered me.

Every day they made me exercise until my whole body hurt.

"Why?!" - I shouted one last time as I fell to my knees on the floor with tears in my eyes - "Why did the only person who loved me have to leave me?!"

"Why did you lie to me... Okaasan..." - I said as I continued to cry.

"Hiashi-sama..." - one of the elders muttered but at this point, nothing mattered to me anymore - "I don't think Hinata-sama can handle the training now that she' s in this state..."

"No..." - denied Otousan - "She will continue to train and now it will be 20% harder than before"

"But..." - the old man tried to refute but a single look from Otousan silenced him - "Okay..."

From that day on everything got worse...

Okaasan was gone and with it, the only person who loved me for who I am and not for what I was. Everyone saw me as the heiress of the Hyuga Clan and that's why I had to strive to be the strongest in the clan but I didn't care.

The training, as Otousan said, was much harder than before but nothing mattered to me anymore. I had given up.

Why should I continue to train so hard?

My teachers answered that to be the heir to the prestigious Hyuga Clan.

Was being an heiress that important?

If you were not, I would be disrespecting your Okaasan, that was the response of the elders.

"Okaasan..." - I whispered as I went back to training.

"Okaasan..." - I told myself every time I was beaten by older kids.

"Okaasan..." - was all I could think of when my body was hurting.

"If you're a good heiress, your Okaasan will be proud."

Those words always ran through my head when I wanted to do something, but no matter how hard I tried, it was all in vain.

The training was getting worse and worse and my body was no longer able to resist as it used to. There were times when not even our clan's medicine could help me, but I kept going, just to make Okaasan proud.

"Okaasan... I promise I will be much stronger..." - I told myself at night where I could barely move.

Why don't I give up?

That thought always crossed my mind but it quickly disappeared because I remembered Okaasan's smile.

"Okaasan... I'm going to make it... it's a promise I'm going to keep" - I said as I looked at the picture where I was standing next to her - "I promise..."

* * * * * * *

my work went to shit, so tomorrow I'll go back to upload chapters and rewrite for *******... I just wanted to say that... although this time it'll be like my reboot from Origin... of only 1500 words.