Adult-FanFiction.org : Naruto

When I'm Gone	By : tragic.violinist Category: Naruto AU/AR > Het - Male/Female Views: 2134 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: NARUTO and its respective characters were created and are owned by Masashi Kishimoto. No copyright infringement intended. I make no money from this story.

Chapter List
- 8
- 9
- 10
Chapter 9: Voodoo
A/N: please don't hate me for this one, I have to break Neji :( I don't want to but it needs to be done. Here we go time for the Chuunin exams.
   October thirty-first, Halloween, the children of Konoha were out in force, competing for who could collect the most goodies. Older teens and some adults were converging for their own parties, but for Hikari and her team, as well as other teams participating in the Chuunin exams, the night was being spent preparing for the task ahead of them. Sasuke and Naruto were gathered at Hikari's house to study for the written portion. A pot of coffee between them and several text books, it was slow and tedious work.
   “What are you reading?” Sasuke asked grabbing for the book.
   “Hey be careful with that, I have to return it later.”
   “This is a Jounin text book, why are you reading this?” He asked.
   “Because you never know when they might throw a curve ball at you, you guys told me yourself, that the first time they had questions that most Genin wouldn't know, so I'm only trying to be prepared.”
   “Where did you get a Jounin book from?” Naruto inquired.
   “I borrowed it from Neji, now give it back.” She snatched it back from Sasuke and found her place to continue reading.
   Naruto opened his mouth yawning widely, “I don't think I can take anymore,” he complained.
   Hikari looked at the clock it was going on three in the morning, “You guys should get some rest then,” she said as she caught Sasuke trying to hide his own yawn. “If you don't you definitely won't remember anything come morning. One of you guys can take the bed and the other the couch, I don't care who, I'm going to see Neji, see if he will let me study there for a bit longer.” They nodded and she left the house. Locating Neji's window she peered inside to see him laying in bed reading a book of his own. She tapped on his window and he looked over his shoulder at her.
   He got up to open the window, “Hikari what are you doing here, do you have any idea what time it is?”
   She nodded and climbed in, “Can I study here for a bit, I'm letting Sasuke and Naruto crash at the house, they're both exhausted but I'm just wired.”
   “Sure, I can't sleep anyway.” she took a seat at his desk and opened the book to keep reading, occasionally worrying her lip. She was compulsively tapping her foot. “How many cups of coffee have you had tonight?” He stepped up behind her to rub her shoulders.
   “Only five,” she said with a small smile, “I can't help it, I'm nervous as hell about tomorrow.”
   “Come sit on the bed and read, we'll see if we can do something about those nerves.” she smiled at him and joined him on the bed. He continued to rub her shoulders and neck as she read until he fell asleep himself, sometime after five Hikari crash and burned hard falling asleep next to him with the book on her chest.
   There was a knock on the door, “Neji-san it's time to get up,” a male voice said from the other side of the door. Neji sat up in a panic as he heard the door creak open, and he remembered Hikari was still in bed with him. The man poked his head in and his eyes widened in surprise to find an girl in bed with the young Hyuuga. Not a word was said as he closed the door and retreated down the hallway. Neji knew it would only take minutes for the news to reach Hiashi.
   Shit. He looked over at Hikari to find she too had woken up during the brief exchange. He could see the panic in her eyes. “Don't worry it will be fine,” he tried to reassure her though neither believed the words. He looked at the clock, “Come on you need to go, or you'll be late for your exam.” She bit her lip in nervousness. “I'll be there to meet you after your done I promise.” Finally she nodded. There was no point in trying to sneak out now, so he walked her out of the branch house and towards the compound's entrance. Hiashi was standing on the porch of the main house watching them with narrowed eyes as they met up with Naruto and Sasuke, “I have to go,” Neji told her, “Good luck, and I'll see you soon,”
   Hikari nodded and gave him a desperate kiss, terrified it would be the last one, she didn't like the look on face of Hyuuga head at all. She watched him walk away with a heavy heart. She looked down at the snake curled around her arm, now well over four feet long. “Watch over him, protect him as you would me,” she whispered to it, and watched it slither through the grass in the direction Neji had gone. She had to force herself to turn and follow her team mates, only accepting the thermos of coffee from Sasuke so that she had something to do with her hands.
"What's wrong Hikari?" Naruto asked.
"I don't want to talk about it right now, let's just get this over with." She took a large gulp of the black coffee, just the way she liked it.
They reached exam room where they were split up throughout the room. As usual it was the combined score of the team that mattered, something she was thankful for when she noticed what kind of test it was. At first glance it appeared that each question was worth a point, but really it was all in the wording of the instructions, that was the key to passing this test. Hikari wished she had just stayed home last night and went to sleep when the boys did. She could have done this test with her eyes closed, quite literally. The first words on the page were; read all the questions. She was fairly confident that Sasuke would get it, after all Uncle Orochi had given her an almost identical test once it would only make sense that he would have given Sasuke the same one. She wrote her name on the paper and turned it over to wait out the hour.
Once over, they headed over to the forest of death to begin their second test. Here they would have to three days to complete a mock escort mission. In place of the client would be a seemingly innocuous package, filled with knock out gas. If the package was damaged in anyway it would trigger the gas and knock the team out of the running. To make things more difficult, not only would they have to worry about other teams and the creatures in the forest, there were Jounin positioned around the forest lying in wait to attack them as well.
~meanwhile with Neji~
"Follow me, we need to discuss something," Hiashi said to Neji and began to walk away, knowing he would follow.
Neji knew it was unlikely for there to be a discussion of any kind, a punishment was more likely. He followed anyway, he didn't have a choice. Hiashi led him out behind the main house, without warning he turned sharply and back handed Neji knocking him to the ground. Neji made no sound it would only make it worse.
"I have been very lenient with you, turning a blind eye to your relationship with that little whore, I will look the other way no longer. You disgrace this family, gallivanting around with such trash. On your feet now!"
Neji did as he was told, he stood facing his uncle, not making eye contact, something Hiashi would see as disrespect. He was ordered to turn around, he clenched his jaw in anticipation of the blow that was sure to come. He felt the bite of a whip slash across his back tearing his shirt. Another and another, he refused to cry out, not wanting to give him the satisfaction. He lost count of how many times the whip had fallen, putting all his focus on staying on his feet, his shirt was shredded, each slash tore more skin, drawing more blood. Finally after what seemed like forever the hits stopped coming.
Then pain from the inside, one he had only experienced a few times in his life, succeeded where the whip could not, tearing a scream from his throat. His uncle had activated the curse seal.
The scream brought her running, Hinata was just returning from early morning training when she heard that horrible sound. She rounded the back of the house and stumbled upon the carnage. Neji lay on the ground holding his head, screaming in pain, his back raw and bleeding. Her father stood over him showing no sign of stopping. "Father stop you'll kill him," she yelled, running towards him with the intention of stopping him. She was shocked when he backhanded her knocking her back.
"Stay out of this Hinata!" He screamed at her, taking no notice of the small reptile slithering towards him. Opening its mouth wide and latching onto his ankle and injecting her venom into his blood stream. The effect was almost instantaneous, he grew pale and dropped to his knees.
Hinata screamed for help, rushing not to her fathers side but to Neji's, she turned him onto his back and he groaned in pain from the pressure it placed on the open sores on his back. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she mumbled, though he couldn't hear her, having lost consciousness moments before. He wasn't breathing, his pulse slowing, she screamed for help again before starting CPR. Don't die Neji, please don't die.
I'm not the one who's so far away

When I feel the snake bite enter my veins

Never did I wanna be here again

And I don't remember why I came

Candles raise my desire

Why I'm so far away

No more meaning to my life

No more reason to stay

Freezing feeling,

Breathe in, breathe in

I'm coming back again

I'm not the one who's so far away

When I feel the snake bite enter my veins

Never did I wanna be here again

And I don't remember why I came

Hazing clouds rain on my head

Empty thoughts fill my ears

Find my shade by the moon light

Why my thoughts aren't so clear

Demons dreaming

Breathe in, breathe in

I'm coming back again

I'm not the one who's so far away

When I feel the snake bite enter my veins

Never did I wanna be here again

And I don't remember why I came
I'm not the one who's so far away

When I feel the snake bite enter my veins

Never did I wanna be here again

And I don't remember why I came
Voodoo, voodoo, voodoo, voodoo
I'm not the one who's so far away

When I feel the snake bite enter my veins

Never did I wanna be here again

And I don't remember why I came
I'm not the one who's so far away

When I feel the snake bite enter my veins

Never did I wanna be here again

And I don't remember why I came
Voodoo, voodoo, voodoo, voodoo.
Voodoo, voodoo, voodoo, voodoo.

So far away...

I'm not the one who's so far away...

I'm not the one who's so far away...

I'm not the one who's so far away...
~Forest of death second night~
Hikari was keeping watch while Naruto and Sasuke slept. She couldn't help but worry about what was going on outside the forest, was Neji okay? Would she even have a home to return to when she finished this task.
“Go get some sleep,” Sasuke told her coming to sit beside her. “Maybe in the morning you'll be able to get your head in the game.”
She scowled at him, “I'm not tired, and my head is in the game,” she retorted.
“You've been distant ever since we left to take the first test. Did something happen between you and Neji? Not that I give a shit, but if it's going to effect the cohesion of this team I need to know about it.”
“I fell asleep in Neji's room last night and someone saw me,” she told him.
“Were you naked or something?”
“No! No I was sleeping that's it.”
“Then what's the problem? You guys have been dating for months now, he's an adult, and you're nearly eight-teen, plus it's not like you were caught with your pants down or something.”
“You don't understand how things work there, he hates Neji, I don't know why but he does. He never stops trying to make his life hell, and I was a guest there and now...” she trailed off.
“Neji's a big boy he can take care of himself, and if you're worried about losing your place you can always take one of the houses in the Uchiha district, it's not like anyone's using them,” he offered.
Hikari's eyes welled up with tears, “Really?”
Sasuke sighed, “Yeah, it might take a bit of work to fix one up, but I have an extra room if you need it, just don't get all emotional and shit okay?”
   “Thanks,” she said wiping her tears away.
   “Now go get some sleep already.”
   “There no point, I wasn't kidding when I said I wasn't tired, I can go a few days without sleep.”
   Sasuke nodded, “Then let's get Naruto up, we're not far from our destination and most teams are probably still resting. Let's be done with it, and you can go see lover boy and stop worrying about him.”
   They woke Naruto up and got moving, it was just after dawn when they reached their target. They checked in with the proctor and were released from the forest with the promise of being contacted when the third task would take place and who they would be facing.
   Outside the forest Hikari found her Aunt waiting for her, but no sign of Neji. Tsunade had a troubled look on her face when she approached her. She felt a tightness building in her chest, “What happened?” she asked but terrified of the answer she would receive.
   “Hikari, I need you to come to the hospital with me, something has happened.”
   “It's Neji isn't it, what happened? Is he okay?”
   “Come with me and I will explain on the way.”
   “I want to know now,” she demanded but started to follow after her anyway.
   Tsunade sighed, “Has Neji ever told you about the mark of the branch house?”
   Hikari froze in terror, “No, no it can't be.” she took off running not bothering to let her finish. Tsunade chased after her. She got to the hospital first only to realize she had no idea where to go from here. Then she spotted Hinata walking down the hall, “Hinata!” she called desperation clear in her voice as ran to her. Hinata turned revealing a large bruise on one side of her face.
   “Hikari-san, I'm sorry I tried to stop him before it was too late, but I couldn't, and then the snake, and it...” Hinata stuttered, not really sure where to start.
   Hikari dropped to her knees, Tsunade was at her side a moment later, she helped her to her feet and led her to her office, beckoning for Hinata to follow. She was in shock, tears streaming silently down her face. Tsunade handed her a glass of water, she could barely hold it she was shaking so badly. “Is he....” she couldn't finish the sentence.
   “He's in a medically induced coma right now,” Tsunade explained, “his body needs to heal before we can bring him out of it.”
   She breathed a sigh of relief, he was alive, “What happened?”
   “His body has taken a lot of damage, Hiashi used a whip on him, he has severe lacerations all over his back but they will heal in time. The curse seal was also used on him. His heart stopped on the way to the hospital but we were able to get it going again. The good news is that because he was technically dead the mark is gone now.”
   “The good news? Then what's the bad news?” then it hit her, "his byakugan?”
   “That's right, but there's still hope, we have implanted another set of Hyuuga eyes in him, but we won't know until he wakes up if the procedure worked or not.”
   “I don't understand, how, who is the donor?”
   “They are the eyes that belonged to Hiashi Hyuuga, Hinata gave permission for them to be implanted in Neji before he was taken off life support.”
   “Hiashi's dead? How?”
   “He was bitten by your snake.”
   Hikari didn't know how to react, on one had this was the best news she could have hoped for at the moment, on the other hand she her friend's father had just died, because of her snake, but if Amaya hadn't done it then Neji would be the one that was dead. “I'm sorry Hinata,” it was the only thing she could think to say.
   Hinata placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, “Don't be sorry Hikari-san, your snake did what I couldn't, I tried to stop him but,” she motioned to the bruise on her face.
   Hikari nodded her understanding before turning back to her aunt, “Can I see him?”
   “Yes but there is one last thing, the other Hyuuga elders are calling for your removal from the grounds, Neji's too when he wakes up, he will still technically be part of the clan but as he no longer bares the mark they won't allow him to stay in the branch house and given the circumstances they don't want him in the main house either, both of your things have already been moved into storage.”
   “That will change though,” Hinata interjected, she had a new confidence about her that Hikari had been too per-occupied to notice before. “As of next month I will come of age and become the new head of the clan, and there are a lot of things I plan to change.”
   “But we still need to find you a place to stay in the mean time, Hikari I should have done this when you first got here but you can come and stay with me if you like.”
   “It's okay Aunt Tsunade,” she assured her, “I knew this might be coming, and Sasuke has offered to let me use one of the houses in the Uchiha district, and he said I could stay with him until the house is ready for habitation. Can I go see Neji now please?”
   Tsunade nodded, “I'll take you to his room, take as long as you need, but when you go to Sasuke's have him contact me, he can let me know which house he is letting you use so I can make arrangements for work to be started.”
   Hikari nodded, “What of Amaya?”
   Tsunade smirked, “She's in there too, she had wrapped herself around Hinata's arm while she was trying to help Neji, and as soon as he was stabilized she made herself at home at the foot of his bed, she hasn't moved since. She is a very intelligent animal.”
   Hikari took a deep breath and entered the room. He was very pale, an IV of blood was attached to him along with a whole slew of other machines, monitoring his brain waves and his heart beat, a tube protruded from his mouth supplying oxygen to his body. His upper body was suspended a few inches from the bed so as not to put added pressure on his injured back. She pulled up a chair, held his hand and cried, she refused to move from that spot until visiting hours were over, even then she only left when Tsunade herself came in and threatened to have her sedated and left on Sasuke's doorstep if she didn't leave of her own accord. She could come back in the morning if she wished to.
   Hikari wandered the streets of Konoha aimlessly for hours, there was no one she wanted to see right now, she just wanted to be left alone. She came across the small park where they had shared their first kiss, she sat on that same bench a cried some more, until there were no tears left. That's how Sasuke found her hours later.
   “You plan on sleeping here?” he asked her.
   “I'm not in the mood Sasuke.”
   “Of course you're not, but sitting here sulking isn't going to change anything.”
   “Nothing I do is going to change anything!” she yelled at him.
   “Then move past it and do something useful.”
   “Like what, what can I possibly do that is going to make any difference?”
   “Come with me,” he told her “I'll show you what you can do.”
   She glared at him but followed in silence, she stared at the ground not caring where they were going until they stopped. She looked up and he pointed at the house next to his. “Focus your energy there. Decide what you want to do with it, and make it a reality, pick up a hammer, a paint brush, a goddamn broom for all I care, but do what you need to do to make this place a home you can share with lover boy when he wakes up. Or don't it really doesn't matter to me. Now come on, I'll show you your room.” he led her into his house and showed her the room she would be using. It was large with a king size bed and it's own bathroom, “Tsunade-sama already sent over a suit case of your clothes. I'll leave you alone now, do whatever you want.”
   She didn't even bother changing out of the clothes she had been wearing for the last three days, just crawled into bed and passed out, after so long without sleep her body didn't even have enough energy to dream.
   The next day Hikari stuck around Sasuke's place long enough for the contractors and decorator her aunt had hired for her to show up. Sasuke had told her he didn't care what she did with the place, she could tear it down and build a new one for all it mattered to him. They did a walk-through of the house, they pointed out that the foundation was sound, almost everything was intact. It was a generously sized two storey three bedroom house with two and a half bathrooms, a finished basement, attic for storage and large back yard. The main floor had a living room, formal dining room, eat in kitchen, half bathroom and a bedroom. Upstairs was a four piece bathroom, and two bedrooms, the master bedroom had its en-suite bathroom. The second bedroom had a damaged window pane most likely from a storm so there was some minor water damage. Everything else seemed to be in good working order. The bathrooms could use some new fixtures and new appliances throughout the house but all in all it was good. She requested all of the furniture that remained should be moved into storage, she didn't feel right about using a dead persons stuff.
   She wanted the downstairs bedroom converted into a study with book cases that ran floor to ceiling on three walls, the main feature of the room was a large bay window that faced the back yard, she asked them to install some window seating with storage there. She would leave the furniture, flooring, and walls in all the rooms, except the master bedroom up to the decorator. In the basement she wanted them to partition off a small area to be used as a laundry room and wanted the rest converted into a personal dojo. For the master bedroom she wanted plush forest green carpet, she wanted the base boards and crown molding painted sliver, with the ceiling painted to match the carpet, she wanted the dark wood paneled walls left alone. She requested a solid wood four poster bed with forest green silk bedding and pillow cases in silver silk.
   With her work there done there she left to sit with Neji. She would do this every day for as long as it took for him to awaken. He had a few visitors, Hinata always came by for a couple of hours. Ino, Shikamaru and Chouji all came together, as they had done for her. Naruto had come by himself. Lee and Tenten show up with Gai. Jiraiya had popped in to see how she was holding up. She didn't know what to say to any of them, she was just numb. When she was alone with him she would sing to him, it didn't matter what, just whatever came to mind. Aunt Tsunade had told her of some people who came out of comas to say they had been aware at least some of the time, and since he always told her he liked to hear her sing that's what she would do for him. Never again would she ever refuse him that.
   Her birthday came and went, she didn't care. Her first match for the final stage of the Chuunin exams would take place at the end of the first week of December against some young kid from Suna, she would take her chances. At night she would go into her new house and take in the progress, she took Sasuke's advice and picked up a paint brush and would work to exhaustion before going to bed.
   In the last week of November Aunt Tsunade came in while she was sitting with Neji to tell her they would be stopping the drug cocktail that was keeping him unconscious, it could take anywhere from a couple hours to a full day for him to awaken after that, she gave her permission to stay after visiting hours until he did. For which she was grateful.
   That day she sat by his side singing as she had been the whole time, just hoping he could hear her.
When life leaves you high and dry

I'll be at your door tonight

If you need help, if you need help.

I'll shut down the city lights,

I'll lie, cheat, I'll beg and bribe

To make you well, to make you well.

When enemies are at your door

I'll carry you away from war

If you need help, if you need help.

Your hope dangling by a string

I'll share in your suffering

To make you well, to make you well.

Give me reasons to believe

That you would do the same for me.

And I would do it for you, for you.

Baby, I'm not moving on

I'll love you long after you're gone.

For you, for you.

You will never sleep alone.

I'll love you long after you're gone

And long after you're gone, gone, gone.

When you fall like a statue

I'm gon' be there to catch you

Put you on your feet, you on your feet.

And if your well is empty

Not a thing will prevent me.

Tell me what you need, what do you need?

I surrender honestly.

You've always done the same for me.

So I would do it for you, for you.

Baby, I'm not moving on,

I'll love you long after you're gone.

For you, for you.

You will never sleep alone.

I'll love you long after you're gone

And long after you're gone, gone, gone.

You're my back bone.

You're my cornerstone.

You're my crutch when my legs stop moving.

You're my head start.

You're my rugged heart.

You're the pulse that I've always needed.

Like a drum, baby, don't stop beating.

Like a drum, baby, don't stop beating.

Like a drum, baby, don't stop beating.

Like a drum my heart never stops beating...

For you, for you.

Baby, I'm not moving on.

I'll love you long after you're gone.

For you, for you.

You will never sleep alone.

I'll love you long after you're gone.

For you, for you.

Baby, I'm not moving on,

I'll love you long after you're gone.

For you, for you.

You will never sleep alone.

I'll love you long, long after you're gone.

Like a drum, baby, don't stop beating.

Like a drum, baby, don't stop beating.

Like a drum, baby, don't stop beating.

Like a drum my heart never stops beating for you.

And long after you're gone, gone, gone.

I'll love you long after you're gone, gone, gone
   She felt his fingers twitch against her own, it was nothing new, just a subconscious muscle twitch Aunt Tsunade had told her. Still she liked to let herself believe it meant he could hear her.
   “Hikari?” she heard him croak, his voice rough from non-use.
   Her heart nearly leaped out of her chest, he was awake, “Neji,” he voice caught in her throat as she fought back a sob, “Oh God, it's so good to hear your voice,” she cried.
   “Why are you crying?” he asked concerned.
   “Because I'm so happy, that's why, it's been nearly a month.”
   “I want to see you,” he said and reached for the bandages wrapped around his head.
   “Wait, I need to get Aunt Tsunade for that, and we need to dim the lights, since it's been so long. I'll be right back I promise,” she gave his hand a final squeeze, kissed his cheek and ran out to track down her aunt.
   She found her in her office, “Aunt Tsunade.”
   Tsunade looked up at her in surprise, “Hikari, what's wrong?”
   “Neji's awake,” she grabbed her arm in attempt to hurry her along.
   “Slow down Hikari, I'm coming.”
   “We're back,” Hikari announced, she went straight back to her chair and took his hand again.
   Tsunade dimmed the lights and approached Neji, “I'm going to move your bed up now,” she told him, “I want you to tell me how much discomfort you feel when I do, you back may still be a little tender and I need to know if I need to prescribe you pain killers or not.” Neji gave a small nod and she raised the bed. “How does that feel?”
   “A little sore, but manageable,” he answered in his hoarse voice.
   Hikari stepped forward then with a glass of water, “Here drink this,” she told him, “Slowly now.”
   He sipped at it, “Thank you, I guess it's my turn to be pathetic now,” he said with a smile.
   “Not pathetic, remember?”
   He nodded, “Tsunade-sama, why do I have these covering my eyes?”
   Hikari swallowed hard while she waiting for her aunt to explain. “What's the last thing you remember?”
   “I remember my uncle using the curse mark on me, and Hinata-sama screaming at him to stop. I guess I owe her one.”
   “Yes but not the way you think, he didn't listen to her, so Amaya bit him," Hikari told him quietly.
   Tsunade picked it up there, “Neji there was too much damage done, your heart stopped before they could get you here, but we were able to restart it, unfortunately the mark had already done what it was meant to do. Your Uncle he was already too far gone for the anti-venom to be of use, your cousin requested that we put him on life support long enough to harvest his eyes and implant them in you. Once we remove the bandage we will know if the procedure was a success.”
   Neji nodded, “okay, let's do this.”
   “Neji do you understand what I'm telling you? This can go one of three ways, worst case scenario is that you will be blind. Best case is that it was a complete success and nothing will change. Lastly is somewhere in between, where you will still have your eye sight but the byakugan will be inactive. Are you sure you're ready for this?”
   “I just have one question. Does this mean the mark is gone?”
   “Yes is disappeared after your heart stopped.”
   “Then I can live with whatever the outcome,” he said and Hikari squeezed his hand as a show of support.
   “Alright hold still.”
A/N: I will post the next chapter tomorrow, sorry I had to end it here
Lyrics from Voodoo by Godsmack and Gone Gone Gone by Phillip Phillips
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When I'm Gone