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Love's Misconstruities	By : Idleflame Category: Naruto > Het - Male/Female Views: 1431 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 24
- 25
- 26
Love�s Misconstruities

Author�s note: Okay, when
I wrote this I had run out of manga material by this point...so whatever
inconsistencies with the plot after this, oh well...if anyone has actually been
caring about it all along but me, that is.�
^^;� Perhaps
after they finish this extremely large story arc I will go in and edit a
bit...but until then, this is what I�ve got.

Chapter 24

�� By the time the
mission had ended and Hinata and the others had finally begun their return to Konoha,
she figured that she would be feeling much better.� After all, she�d had all this time and plenty
of distractions to take her mind off of her situation.� However, fate had other plans.

�� As they made their
journey back, Sakura had noticed that the other girl seemed a bit paler than
usual.� That, and after observing her
dropping back from the rest of the team only to catch up later on several
occasions raised the medical-nin�s suspicions and caused her to confront the
girl.

�� Oh, i-it�s really
nothing.� I think I may have just eaten
something that didn�t agree with me,� she explained.� �I�ll be fine soon enough, so please don�t
worry about me.�� But every day closer to
home they got, her symptoms stayed the same.

�� Hinata, come with me,�
the medic bid after dinner on the final night of their trip home.� Everyone else was settling in for the evening
and paid little regard to the two kunoichi as they strayed away from the
campfire.

�� What is it,
Sakura-chan?�

�� I need to give you an
exam.�

�� But-�

�� No, no �but�s this
time.� Don�t forget that it�s my duty to
keep everyone on this team healthy.� I�ve
let you have your way long enough, but you�re not getting any better.� Now you�re going to let me do my job,� she
stated, giving the other girl no room to argue.�
Hinata just nodded in compliance.�
�Take off your jacket,� Sakura instructed as she began.

�� Hinata obeyed Sakura�s
every command as she carried out her examination.� Throughout the entire process the medic had
kept a professional demeanor, save when she slowly ran a glowing
chakra-concentrated hand over her patient�s torso, stopping at her
abdomen.� Hinata watched as her green eyes
grew wide and she concentrated harder, like she was double-checking whatever
she thought she�d discovered.

�� Sakura-chan�what is
it?� Is there something wrong with me?�

�� The pink-haired girl
didn�t respond right away, pausing to reach for her leather gloves and pull
them back on first.� She then glanced
behind her toward the camp briefly, ensuring that their conversation would indeed
be private before she began.� �There�s
nothing�wrong with you, per se.�
And you�re right, you will get better�but in a
few months though, most likely.�

�� Eh?� What do you mean?� If there�s nothing wrong with me, then why
will it take-�

�� Hinata, are you late
this month?�

�� Late?� Hinata
questioned, not quite following.� Sakura
blinked at her, staring until she finally came to the understanding on her
own.� �Oh, uh...I suppose I am.� But that�s normal for kunoichi, especially
during times of stress, like this mission or-�

�� It seems that�s not
the case for you.�

�� What do you mean,
Sakura-chan?� Hinata asked, still not putting all the pieces together.

�� Hinata, you�re, well�pregnant,� she bluntly
whispered.�

�� Hinata froze in place,
forgetting for a moment even to breathe.�
�P-p-p�pregnant?!� But, h-how?!�
�Okay, I know how, but�we only had sex once!� And it was our first time!� Did we rush into things?� Yes, I am going to be his wife, but�should we
have waited until after marriage to�?�
Oh, this is no time to be questioning the past!� I have to think about the future now,
like�what Gaara is going to say when he finds out.� We never even discussed children.� I don�t even know if he wants any, least of
all right now!� I guess he doesn�t really
get a choice in the matter, does he, because it�s already happening.� But what if he�� What if he gets angry with me?� No, no�he wouldn�t�would he?�

�� Seeing the distress on
the other girl�s face, Sakura reached out and took the distraught girl�s hands
in hers.� �Hinata�I know that this must
be a shock for you right now�but you should know that you do still have
options.�

�� eh?� the girl
questioned, confused as she tried to push all of her worries aside and pay
attention to the kunoichi before her.

�� I�m not trying to tell
you what you should or should not do, but�when we get back to Konoha and if you
decide that it isn�t the right time to be having a baby, it is still early
enough in the pregnancy that you could abort,� Sakura informed her
matter-of-factly.

�� At the thought, Hinata
instinctively placed a hand over her flat abdomen.� �Abort?�� The word ran through her mind, creating even
more fear than the news she�d just heard previously.� In that instant, as her options lay before
her, she realized that there was only one path that she truly felt she could
take.� Tears stung at her eyes but she
warded them off as she managed a smile for her medic.�

�� Thank you,
Sakura-chan, but there will be no need for that.� No matter what happens, I will protect
Gaara�s and my future child.�

�� Sakura found herself
smiling as well, giving Hinata�s hands a squeeze before letting go.� �Come on, let�s get some sleep.� When we return tomorrow, I�ll prescribe you something
to help with your nausea.� Though I�m
afraid it won�t cure all of it, it should at least help.�

�� Thank you.� Oh, and Sakura-chan��
��
�� Hm?�

�� If we could�please just keep this between us?�

�� Of course.� You don�t
even need to ask.�

�� Though
doubt still lingered in the corners of her mind from the last bit of gossip that
had gotten around, looking into Sakura�s sincere and professional face made her
trust those words.

* * *

�� The next day, after
returning and being debriefed, Sakura made good on her word.� Hinata was finally making her way home in the
early evening, medication in hand, when she was approached by an anxious
cousin.

�� Hinata-sama,� he
called, jogging up to her from behind.

�� Neji-nii-san, how
have you been?�

�� There�s no time for
pleasantries, I�m afraid.� Your father�he
wants to see you immediately.�

�� What�what about,
exactly?� she cautiously asked.

�� His
decision.� Before you left, I
spoke to him on your behalf.� It also
seems like he received a letter from Gaara.�

�� What?!� she gasped,
recalling how she�d specifically asked that her fianc� not.� �Why would he disregard my request?� What if it just makes everything worse?� Father must be furious now, to have both
Neji-nii-san and my future husband bothering him��

�� Come on, he�s waiting,�
Neji softly urged, walking toward the direction of the Hyuuga estate.

�� No, uh�I�� Hinata
began, not following her cousin.� �Let me
go home first.� I promise I won�t be
long.� I just want to drop off my bag and
take some medicine,� she requested.� �You
can go on ahead.�

�� Your father requested
that I escort you personally�but I suppose he can wait a few more minutes.�

�� Thank you,� Hinata gratefully
replied, bowing slightly and continuing toward her apartment.

�� Were you injured on
your mission?� Neji asked, walking alongside her.

�� Injured?� No, not particularly.�

�� But you said you had
medicine to take,� he stated, subtly inquiring its purpose as they arrived at
their destination.� Noticing his cousin
clam up only made him even more curious.�
�Is there something wrong?� he asked as he watched Hinata struggle to
fit her key in the door and unlock it.�

�� N-n-no, nothing is wrong.�� He merely stared at her, an all-knowing look
on his face.� She wasn�t fooling
anyone.� She let them both inside where
they had privacy before responding.� �Please
don�t think less of me, Neji-nii-san�� she begged, setting her bag on the floor
by her bed before taking a seat atop it.

�� Following her lead,
Neji sat beside her, watching her carefully.�
�What is it?� he cautiously asked, not sure what to expect.� She remained silent long enough to make him
wonder if she would ever tell him, but eventually she gave a weak smile and
came out with it.�

�� ...I�m pregnant.��

Neji found himself standing then, that news being the furthest thing
from his mind.� He walked across the
small room, finding himself by the door.�
�Whatever you may think of me, Neji-nii-san�I trust that you will not
tell my father.� He is already
disappointed in me enough as it is.�

�� Of course,
Hinata-sama, I would never�� the boy trailed off, malice absent from his
surprisingly gentle voice.� �I�m just
surprised�� Pregnant?� Are you sure?� he asked in somewhat of a
stupor.� Now it was Hinata�s turn to give
him a look.� �Sorry.� Of course you�re sure.� But...does Gaara know yet?�� She shook her head.� �Are you going to tell him?�

�� What?� Hinata quickly
responded, confused with her cousin�s seemingly-stupid question.

�� That medicine you�re
taking�what is it for?� he cautiously asked, wondering if his cousin had
decided to take matters into her own hands before consulting her future
husband.

�� For
my nausea.�

�� A small smile crept
onto his lips and he nodded, realizing that the Hinata he knew could never face
a situation such as this without seeing it through to its end.� �I see.�
Then you should tell him sooner rather than later.�

�� But, what if�he
doesn�t��

�� Doesn�t what?� Want a baby?�
He should have thought about that before he...before you two-� he
stopped, a slight blush creeping upon his cheeks as realized that he did not
want that mental picture in his head.� �A-hem.� Well, he
should have thought more about the consequences of his actions,� he finished,
though he saw it brought Hinata no comfort.�
Searching for something to say that would ease the girl�s suffering, his
eyes wandered around the room, eventually settling upon a small bulk in the
tiny metal basket under Hinata�s mail slot on the inside of her door.� Walking over and picking it up, he examined
it and smiled, returning to his cousin�s side.�
�I never thought I�d say this, but I have faith in Gaara.� He won�t do anything to hurt you,� he assured
with the highest confidence, handing her the small scroll he�d picked up.� �I recognize the seal that�s on this.� Hiashi-sama received one just like it from
your fianc�,� he informed, causing Hinata to stare intently at the object now
in her small hands.� ��I hate to rush
you, but you did say that you would hurry if we came back here,� he urged.� �Did you want to read this later?�

�� No,� she firmly
answered, quickly opening it and reading its contents.

Hinata,

�� I have been informed
of the situation regarding your clan.�
Though you asked that I not, I felt it necessary to write a formal
request to your father.� Forgive me, but
he must be made to understand that our marriage will only strengthen the alliance
between Suna and Konohagakure.�

-Gaara

�� It was so brief and to
the point; Hinata couldn�t deny herself a smile�especially as she read
onward.� Where the penmanship in the
first part of the letter had been neatly scribed, the last was more shaky and had small ink splatters mingled throughout
the words, as though he had held the brush above the paper after dipping it,
pondering just how to put his feelings into words and struggling with every
stroke he made.�

PS:� I look forward to seeing you
again�and never letting you go.

�� Hinata nodded in
response, though she knew he could not see it.�
She too could not wait.� She held
the small scroll tenderly in her hands, knowing that just a short time ago the
man she loved had also touched it.�
Longing for his touch now, she held the letter against her bosom in a
small embrace.

�� A-hem,� Neji
prompted, clearing his throat.� After he
had the emotional girl�s attention he stood.�
�Shall we?�

�� Hai,� she responded, setting
the scroll down beside her and reaching into the small bag that Sakura had given
her, pulling out the container within and quickly taking a pill.� The last thing she wanted while trying to
seem strong and resilient before her father was to become sick to her stomach.

* * *

�� As the two young
Hyuugas entered the large conference room, they bowed to the waiting figure and
it was only there that Neji left his cousin�s side, migrating to toward the
wall and having a seat, leaving Hinata standing alone in the center before her
father.

�� Hinata,� he called in
his deep voice.

�� Yes, Father?� she
responded, her voice holding not a shred of fear.� She watched, for the first time, as her
father seemed to struggle for the correct words.� Before, he�d always seemed so sure of what to
say, but now she could see that he was under some pressure.�

�� It�appears that I
judged your situation too harshly,� he began, much to her surprise.� �I was not aware that you were speaking of
Sunagakure�s Kazekage when you informed me of an engagement with a�a
foreigner.�

�� Does Gaara�s position
really make that much of a difference to you, Father?� You�ve always despised Hyuuga members
marrying outside of the clan, no matter what the outsider�s position.� A shinobi from another village entirely would
be even worse to you.� �These aren�t your
words, are they?�

�� I�ve decided that,
though being unplanned, this arrangement will benefit both the Hyuuga clan and
Konoha by strengthening our alliance with Sunagakure.�

�� That sounds like
what Gaara said in his letter to me.�

�� And, regarding
sealing your abilities,� he continued, pulling Hinata from her thoughts.� �I see no need to implement such measures at
this time.� Our current Hokage has
requested of me that you remain intact.�
It seems that she cannot currently afford to lose your services.�

�� And when I do leave
the village, Father?� What then?�

�� To this question, he
thought a great deal before announcing his answer.� �It is the duty of the head family to assure
that the secrets of the Hyuuga bloodline remain.� �You are my first-born, Hinata�and as such, I
have decided to spare you the grief of being cast into the branch family as
tradition would have it under such circumstances...but on two conditions.�

�� Yes?�

�� Continue to grow
stronger�strong enough so that no one will ever make me regret this decision.�

�� Hinata, who had thus
far remained stoic throughout the entire meeting, smiled up at her father and
nodded.� �Perhaps he does love me in
his own strange way after all.�

�� Secondly, if and when
you have children of your own, if they inherit any traits of the Hyuuga
bloodline, they must be sealed,� he explained, causing a knot to form in
Hinata�s stomach.�

�� What?!� He cannot expect me to do such
a thing.� I refuse.� But I suppose that is a battle best fought at
a later date.� If I argue too much now,
he�ll suspect something.�

�� Now, I suppose it�s
time to deliver the bad news,� he began again.

�� Bad news?� she
repeated, glancing at her cousin for a hint, though he wore the same confused
expression as she.�

�� Have you and
your�fianc�set a wedding date?� he asked, still seeming to struggle with the
facts despite having come to a conclusion on the matter.�

�� N-no�we haven�t yet,
but it will be as soon as Hokage-sama is able to spare me from Konoha�s
services.�

�� That may be a while
yet,� he explained.� �Try to keep your
mind focused on your missions for now.�
It could be months or even years before we�ve graduated enough shinobi
from the Academy to add any significant talent to our troops,� he
explained.�

�� �Years?�� Hinata tried to wrap her mind around it, but
she refused.� �Father has just managed
to find it in his heart to forgive me��
If I have to wait more than a few months I won�t be able to hide the
pregnancy and he�ll lose all his faith in me again, and worse; he�ll do
everything in his power to seal my child should it need doing.� I�m not willing to chance that.� There has to be a way around this.�� To her father, she only nodded once
more.�

�� That being said, you
may resume living here.�

�� That�s alright,
Father,� she replied to his surprise.�
�I�ve come to like having my own small place.� I would prefer to stay there.�

�� I see that while I
may have forgiven you, the same cannot be said for my actions,� he coldly stated.�

�� Perhaps, but more
than anything, I am going to want more privacy now, with my symptoms and all��
she thought, though outwardly she remained neutral, allowing him to assume as
he wished.�

�� So be it.� Feel free to take whatever you need from your
room, should you need anything,� he offered.�
�I shall take my leave of you, then.��
And with that, he departed.

* * *

�� By the time she�d
returned home she could feel fatigue pressing heavily on her eyelids, but she
would not rest until she had completed one final task for the night.� She took a blank scroll and writing utensils
from her bag that she�d taken from her old room and sat down on the floor of
her scarcely furnished apartment to compose her letter.�

�� It took a great deal
of time, as she had much to say of the greatest importance, but when she was
finally satisfied, she bound the scroll and addressed it, setting it beside her
bag to be taken to be sent by courier bird the next morning.

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Love's Misconstruities