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Caged Birds	By : Aneue Category: Naruto > Het - Male/Female Views: 1330 -:- 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
- 1
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Disclaimer:
I don�t own Naruto or any characters from it. Even though, I
bring the two below home, in a New York minute.
That�s my first everything, so you�re warned.
Countless shades of withering leaves made even the Death Forest
look peaceful and welcoming. As u, wi, windy and cold days came with it.
Hinata opened the door of the small house, and wondered if
she really should go.
She had already finished her weekly hours at the hospital.
The walk back there would be freezing and feel twice as long as usual.
Her life had changed, in what she thought were totally
unexpected ways. Some times, even if without any good reason for it, she wished
it was a dream. She�d wake up to her old self and her old shyness, and all
would be back to what was normal and safe.
There was so much to do now. Some times, she felt scared, as
she always did. But she also was happy keeping her mind busy with her new
duties. Some times, she even felt proud of herself.
That morning, a bird had thrown itself against her window. It�s
dead there�s nothing I can do. Still, she opened her ow aow and picked it
up. It was alive. I know nothing of birds. But it kept stirring its
wings She noticed that the left one was broken. She did her best to put it back
in its right place and put the weakened bird in a makeshift-nest. That�s all
that I co There is so much I can do, Tsunade-sama.
She thought about Yakushi Kabuto, the man who saved her
life. The same man who betrayed Konoha and was responsible for so many deaths
of its villagers. She was someone of no importance, a little girl from the
Leaf. Why did he save her life? She�d never know. But what puzzled her was what
kind of ctorctor was he. Who could heal and kill, like he did. What made life
and death be the same to him? What she really needed to know is how strong was
her determination to live this new life she�d chosen for herself.
Her mind went back to when the Chunnin exams ended for her.
Then, life and death felt almost the same to her. Maybe death would have made
the pain in her heart go away. The pain her cousin caused her.
She looked at the streets of Konoha, unusually busy for that
time of the year but not even that could distract from her memories.
A simple decision
was making her heart almost stop again, much has it had almost stopped months
ago. She had hopped that the weather would have brought her right back inside.
But the wind cutting her face was actually taking her back to hos hospital. She
couldn�t run away. She wished she still had her favorite jacket. It had always
made her feel good. She could always hide inside. Now, she hated the way her
life had changed. Less and less she could allow herself to run away.
All around, people worked tirelessly to rebuilt Konoha. It
had to be reborn from the devastation brought by Orochimaru and the Sand.
They don�t have to think twice, do they?
Hinata felt part of Konoha, now. Maybe for the first time in
her life, shet net needed. She saw herself as a true Ninja of the Leaf, and she
was determined to become strong to protect the village she loved.
Yet, she couldn�t stop herself from feeling angry. Why on
earth going back to that hospital had to be part of her duty to Konoha? There were alternatives. If she went back there it would have to
be out of her own will.

�You would never be able to make your own decisions, you
can�t make decisions about your life much less any that would affect a whole
clan.� The words of her father
echoed on her mind. �You�re unworthy of the House of Hyuuga.� She was
useless, weak. Her little sister was better her her. Her cousin, a branch
house member, prisoner of the cursed seal, was better than her. She should be
like them; but she wouldn�t ever be like them.
She never would be anything.
Those words were making her shudder. She tried to shake them away from her heart.
Why think of that now, when she already had gone so far? Be more like her
cousin. The hell with her cousin. The arrogant heartless bastard. Her
father didn�t care if she was alive or dead. He had gone even farther. He tried
to kill her.
Again her thoughts went back to that day, and to him.
But killing her wouldn�t be enough. First he�d enjoy
breaking her in pieces, inside.
Hinata knew of his hatred. She�d felt it too many times. She
knew of the overwhelming emotions that burned inside of him. Jealousy, fear,
despair. She�d seen each one of them slowing taking over him along the years.
But up until the day she had no choice but to confront him, she didn�t know
that his all anger was aimed at her. No, she�d never wanted to know that.
It had been so unfair and it still was. Having to face,
not his strength, but the strength of his hatred.
It�s not my fault �I�d never
wanted that to happen to you�. It wasn�t my choice�I never would have let them
do that to you�I can�t stand to see you like that�I could never hat�
Yes, she could. During their
fight, she learned that she could hate him. And felt guilty� she couldn�t stand
to see herself ng ang anyone, even him.

Can�t I ever stop thinking
about him, even for a minute?

It had nothing to do with it. It was just a matter of
doing her duty. It was just that she didn�t trust herself to do what she was
asked to do. Not because of him, but because she could fail. She didn�t want to
disappoint Tsunade-sama. For the first time, a human life would be in her
hands. And she couldn�t fail.
Damn it if it hadn�t to be his.

That morning, she knew he�d be back, even before she left
her bed. She didn�t need her white eyes to see that far. She could feel in her
bones how close he was. She knew she
would have to run away.
They brought him
around noon, right when she was getting ready to leave for the week. She saw
him by chance. He was being taking to a room.
She didn�t want to look at
him. She barely looked at him. He lay in there, motionless. She knew he was
alive because she could see the faint glow of his chackra. He seemed to be
wasting away quickly. That�s none of my concern.
It didn�t take long,
though. Tsunade called her.

She kept telling
herself that she didn�t want to see him, her shift was over, Shizune-sensei was
much better than her, and could take care of everything.
She didn�t have to see how he was. There was nothing she
could do for him. That was none of her
business. He was none of her business.
It just didn�t make any sense to care about him, to worry
about him. She didn�t have to stay there.
Right�

She ran away because she couldn�t see him suffering. She felt like she couldn�t do anything for
him, the only thing she would ever be able to do was to watch him die slowly.
It just didn�t make sense. She should be happy to see him
like he was. He really wasn�t the
all-powerful bastard who, even when she barely could stand up and blood was
dripping from her mouth, still went for the kill.
He�d found someone who could stop him, and maybe even,
forever. She should be happy.
He would be dead and her nightmare would be over.
Nah� she didn�t care even about that. Dead or alive, he
didn�t mean anything to her.

Neji-nii-san is none of my concern.

Because of him, her heart almost stopped once, and again, it
was almost stopping now.
Why did she have to keep thinking about him?
There was a time where there was no heir, no caged bird, no
Hyuuga�there were just the two of them. And it felt good to be together. For a
second, she saw him a child, she saw his smile, his soft hair, his eyes. Neji�s
eyes. They looked at her so unlike any
of those of any other Hyuuga�
One day, she realized what meeting her had meant to him. And
one day he pushed her away and said he hated her.

He hates me. That�s it. Hates. Has ever hated me. Why do
I care about a dying man who hates me? Who wanted to see me dead. Who almost
killed me. I should be willing to go there to see him die. To see him dead. To
make sure the last damn thing he hears in his miserable life is that I hate
him. Always did.
Hinata clenched her fists.
Always did.
She didn�t want to see him because she didn�t care. She
didn�t want to see him, because she cared too much.

Damn you, Neji. Damn you to hell, Neji-nii-san.

Yes, she would go there to tell how much she hated him. To
bring him back just so he could hear the same thing he had said to her, a long
time ago. No. He said it yesterday. He�s been saying that every time her heart
stops and she thinks about him.
She never hated anyone.
But she hated him. Always had. And she hated him even more
now. Now that he was like that. Leaving.
She was already walking. I wasn�t a question of making a
decision any more. It was a question of
how fast she could get there.
He can�t die, yet. He can�t die just like that.

He was lying in the hospital bed.

Not very far, was a quite bent out of shape Akimichi Chouji.
She looked at him, and told him that he�d be eating barbecue in no time.
Chouji promised her he�d start minding what he put in his
mouth from now on, even if it were small as pill.
She felt relieved. At least, she didn�t have to worry about
Chouji.

But then, there was Hyuuga Neji.
His life depended in so many things that were out of her
control�she wondered if she really was worth the trust her patients put in her.
She felt alone, and the only person to blame for his present state. Had her
decision about the Uchiha boy been the best? Neji had so much to live for. He
really didn�t have to be clinging to life as he was.
Tsunade sighted sat down in her office chair at the
hospital.
Shouldn�t she have treated Sasuke as the missing-nin he was?
She would have been better off dealing with his older brother. A S-rank
criminal didn�t seem as demanding, dangerous and annoying as Sasuke was.
After Shikamaru�s report, she decided that the best was to
have a cell and a thigh straightjacket ready for the young Uchiha. As the
Hokage, she had to do her best for each and everyone in Konoha. But she was
thinking if the Uchiha was worth all that sacrifice. Or if he was worth
anything at all, for that matter.
She just couldn�t fail. So far, she�d done her best to bring
him back and take him away from Orochimaru�s power. She sent her best Genins
after him and even her allies of the Sand.
She might have the power to free him from that seal. But, there was so
much even the Hokage could do.

She didn�t want to make mistakes. Everything, from her clothes to the way she performed her tasks
had to be perfect, or close to it. She couldn�t ruin this. It was what she
loved to do and what she did well.
When she had been in the hospital for the second time, the
doctors made her stay longer, until they felt she was totally healed. During
that time, she started to care for other patients, who weaker or sicker than
her. Tsunade acknowledged her effort and since then she had been training to be
a Medical Ninja.
She was deeply grateful to the Godaime, she simply couldn�t
disappoint her.

Damn you, Hokage-sama.
You can do without me. You said it yourself, Hokage-sama,
there are alternatives.
Since when the
Hokage of Konoha needs an apprentice like me? Damn, that you had to trust me so
much.

Hinata thought of Haruno Sakura, Tsunade�s first choice as
an apprentice. Her life had spiraled down after Sasuke left.
Unlike every other girl in Konoha, Hinata couldn�t care less
about him. Even as a child, she couldn�t stand the arrogant little Uchiha,
acting as if he were better than everybody else. As if he was the only one who
had ever faced tragedy in his life.
Why did Sakura ruin her life for somebody like him? Maybe
her life was like that with or without Sasuke. All she knew is that she wouldn�t
screw things up as Sakura did.
At first, Sakura was doing just fine. . Her control of
chackra had impressed Tsunade. Then, Sasuke left, and she gradually stop paying
attention to what she was doing. Finally, she was just unable to perform even
in the simplest tasks. Hinata wondered if she had become a Ninja just to be
close to Sasuke.
Damn, Neji wouldn�t do that to her.
She thought of Kurenai-sensei. She always felt better when
she thought about her. When her father
threw her out of the mansion, he flatly told Kurenai that he didn�t have more
time to waste with a runt like her, and she herself should think twice before
wasting hers. Kurenai, told her to pack
her things. Hyuuga Hiawas was
infuriated, but he couldn�t claim back someone who he had just called a waste
of time.
She started living with her sensei, and didn�t need to be
the heir of the Hyuuga anymore. She had been set free to be whatever she wanted
to be. Kurenai never demanded her more than she could give, but she would
always do her best for her sensei. Why
would she want to still belong to her clan? For her father, she was dead. And
for Neji, she deserved to be killed.
She was thinking of
him again. Thinking of Kurenai brought her back to the Hyuuga, and her last
name brought her to him.

Shd god gone to the
hospital twice, because of him.
Now she was coming back to the hospital for a third time
because of him.
Funny, the doctors
had said that coming back to the hospital a third time would be her death sentence.
She was there almost every day, but now it felt like her death sentence had
finally been pronounced.
To go back there now, on her own accord. She felt stupid and
useless.

He can�t kill me anymore.
He was the one who
was dying. She had no reason to fear him anymore. She didn�t fear him anymore.
There was only one thing that she feared now, to have to
give up the one thing that made her feel strong. And her cousin couldn�t take
it from her. Nobody could take her life anymore, because now she had a reason
for living. And that reason wasn�t someone called Hyuuga Neji.
But, couldn�t she still screw everything up, just like
Sakura?
She wasn�t like
Sakura. She wasn�t in love with him. She hated him.
He wasn�t Sasuke. He was powerful. His power still scared
her. He had meant pain to her once, and he still meant the exact same thing
now.
It all had to come back right now, hasn�t it? He
could still make her tremble, still make her feel small and powerless, a
spoiled child of the main house. He still had power over her. He still could
take her reason for living.
The image of Neji blocking her tenketsus and the pain she
felt then, came to her.
Who was she kidding? She still feared him.

Damn you, Hyuuga Neji.
I had enough of you.

She took a deep breath and entered the lobby.
People were walking
in slow motion. Things were happening just too slow for her.
She went straight to Tsunade�s office. She knew that Tsunade
wouldn�t judge her.
Hinata would be back. She was a good
person. Tsunade thought it would be enough to bring her back to care for her
cousin. No matter what had happened between the two of them in the past, her
good soul would bring her back. Her
feelings, whatever they might be, wouldn�t prevent her to do what she had to
do. Tsunade could bet on that.

p clp class=MsoNormal>
She�d never seen him like that. Completely helpless. Vulnerable. He was lying on his stomach; he
still had his jacket but it had been cut in half. How many daggers had
pierced his back? She had seen many of such wounds, made by kunais and
other small weapons, but never so many in only one person. The daggers had been
recently removed; she could tell. The wounds hadn�t started to heal.
But she couldn�t look at the two huge wounds on his body.
They were like deep round holes in his lower back and in his left
shoulder. Hinata instinctively turned
her face away from him, and start shaking.
Unlike early on, she had to look at him. She�d have to look at him every
day, from now on. She just hoped that Tsunade hadn�t noticed her reaction. She
put herself together the best she could.
She knew he was alive, she still could sense a small amount
of chackra inside of him. Just enough to keep him alive. But, for how long?

Damn it Hokage-sama. Why did you bring me here? He�s as good
as dead. Why do you want me to see him like this?
�He has enough chackra to survive for a few days,� Tsunade
said. �Maybe you can�t tell now, but he�s a Hyuuga and you people will never
die from the lack of it.�

You people�so what if he�s a Hyuuga? I don�t know
anything about the Hyuuga. I don�t want to know. Her last name weighted
like a curse right now, worst than his seal. She took a deep breath and looked
at him again. Damn. We have the same last name and the same eyes. And just
because of that I have to be here and look at your dying body, Hyuuga Neji. I
have to watch you dind Ind I can�t do anything to stop it.
�He won�t die right now. Even in the forest, he was able to
avoid instant death.
Shizune-sensei has already stabilized his chackra flow. I
checked his vital organs.
Tre fre functioning at their limit but not as badly damaged
that they cannot go back to normal. Neji-kun is truly a genius; even that arrow
in his lower back wasn�t fatal to him. I�d say his chackra is so low because he
concentrated it all on that spot, to avoid death.�
Neji-kun, genius of the Hyuuga. As if she hadn�t had
to listen to that enough times. Dying genius of the Hyuuga, that�s what he
is. Now, he looked so much like
her. Powerless, having to trust his life to somebody else. Genius of the Hyuuga, she thought
again. You look more like the runt of the Hyuuga, nii-san. You look a lot
like me.
Tsunade went on, even if Hinata had become lost in her
thoughts.
�He can live, Hinata, but there�s so much I can do. You will
have to stay with him, if we want to see him alive.�
If you want to see him alive, Tsunade-sama.

Hinata knew
exactly what Tsunade was talking about.
Actually, healing his body didn�t seem impossible. What would be
impossible was to put up with him.
Destiny?
Again, she felt like she had nowhere to run. Had that been her own
choice, or something inside of her, stronger than her own will, left her with
no choice at all?
I bet you could answer that, Nii-san. If you could answer
now, there is.
She knew she had a
duty to the Leaf, and Hyuuga Neji was a Ninja of the Leaf as muc she she was. A
part of the Leaf. And she had to protect him, no matter if it could break her
into pieces.
�You know what you have to do, Hinata-chan. I will come to
check him every day, but you will havestaystay with him. At least, until he can
be on his own and not having me worrying about him.�
�Hai, Tsunade-sama.�

Neji-nii-san.
As if I ever had imagined seeing you like that.
What did you know, nii-san? This spoiled brat has
power to keep you alive.

She got close to him and slowly turned his face
to her. It looked as he had been caught inobweobweb; the pattern of the cuts
sure matched one. What on earth could have done this to him?
If she weren�t sure that he was alive, she�d be now. His
forehead protector was gone. And she could see that the accursed swastika was
still there. She brushed his hair away
from the seal. Is that what has made us so different, Nii-san... What makes
you hate me?

She sighted. No one but herself had made her look at this.

She wouldn�t leave him. Not because of Tsunade-sama, but
because she didn�t want to leave. Did she want to watch him die? Or did she
want to do anything in her power to avoid that to happen? It didn�t make any
difference anymore. She was there for
him.
For that arrogant bastard.
cla class=MsoNormal>
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Caged Birds