Peace Never Lasts Forever [An AU Naruto RP] (Yuna & Malin's 1x1)

Suikoto Ashigawa & Hinata Hyuuga
スイコト アシガワ & ヒナタ ヒュウガ​

Really? So he's one also? It only made her feel a bit better in the sense of Suikoto seeming less .. out of place. Keeping her back turned, Suikoto had to bite her lip. Dear gods, does he whine this much? He had gone on and on for a while on how he was relieved that another servant was in the house .. and while she did take note of everything he said, a secret part of her wished he'd halt. As she finished pouring the milk into the cereal and grabbing a spoon, her teeth let go of her lower lip. There was no point in not trying to be civil, not lest he gave her an actual reason. So for now, she would try to keep behaving herself.

"Thank you though honestly, I was far more worried on not being allowed to remain - whether in here or Konoha overall - than being told I'm to serve the members of the house I somehow look like. And... no. It's fine. I will .. though not immediately. It'll take a bit more time. It's ... nice to meet you though I'm sorry it wasn't under better circumstances."

Hinata blinked a few times upon hearing the thought of Hissori being a double agent and thus more loyal to Hiashi than her. Her mouth even opened to protest .. but she stopped to think on it. He was supposed to relay pretty much anything to her father along with being her bodyguard. And if he wasn't being a double agent, the boy was doing a hell of a job balancing both tasks out. "I see ... " She finally replied, nodding slowly as the mere possibility hit her, as if it'd been Neji from all those years ago.

"I'll watch everything then; the roads and Hissori. I ... feel like my hair's temporarily gone blonde for not having thought on this. Thank you." Her smile managed to widen slightly at the image of her simile, knowing she'd look horrid with that hair color. "I'll be back in a few days, in time to give some sort of reply to Father." Even that, though, hadn't been something she'd completely finished figuring out. Then again, she did have time between the walk and the next several days away from the Manor.

And especially without anyone - mainly Hanabi - being able to bother her, it would help her think better as would the hot springs. Taking a look around and ensuring she had everything, Hinata's hands picked her bags up. While she didn't mind being spoiled every now and again, there were times she did prefer to have some independence. "Take care ... as will I." She promised, giving Neji a respectful bow of her head before gently walking past him and towards the front door to rendezvous with Hissori.
 

Hissori gave a small bow, as he left the room leaving Suikoto to the prep of dinner. He hadn't really meant to complain to her. Rather he was more greatful to have her around. Still he gave a slight bow. "Honestly, these were probably the best circumstances you could have hoped for. At least here your safe, and well." He gave his bow and took his leave before passing Neji in the hall and walking out to where Hinata was giving her a small smile. God he needed more confidence. Shaking his head he sighed lightly walking along side her to the exit of the town.

"You packed quickly." He said with a happy smile. As they walked he stopped for a moment a cold chill running through him as he looked off to the roof tops. Hunters instinct told him that something was wrong, but then again this was Konoha, No one would be so foolish as to try and start a fight inside the town, right? Shaking it off he walked past the exit of the town and started on the way to tanzaku quarters it was a short walk, not even a days distance by the worst of paces. If they took a run at it they could be out of there in only two or three hours. But unless Hinata said otherwise he was content to just walk along side her in silence.

Neji let out a low sigh grateful that Hinata took his advice. Walking out into the kitchen he saw Suikoto cooking, and was more then happy to just stand beside her. Neji was tired and hungry, they had all done so much work as of late. He was more then happy to relax for a few moments, and lean back. Sniffing the air as he walked into the kitchen he couldn't help but notice that Suikoto was already getting things started. "It smells delightful." There was an unfamiliar aroma in the air and it was one that he was more then willing to celebrate.

"What are you cooking for us?" Neji was happy that Suikoto was already running about on her feet, and it made sense with what she had told him about her own abilities, but he was still worried about her. It hadn't been too long ago that he had found her broken and bleeding on the ground outside the gates. he felt a small amount of personal investment in her, and heck if that was the quality of her cooking then he was more then happy to have her around. She was bound to improve the quality of life around here.
 
Suikoto Ashigawa & Hinata Hyuuga
スイコト アシガワ & ヒナタ ヒュウガ​

As a few more ideas came to Suikoto on things to make and saw they were in the Hyuuga Manor, she had everything she needed. "Take care." She'd reply to Hissori as he left. New footsteps made her glance back long enough to see Neji. A small smile crossed her face as she looked in front of herself once again, cheeks getting a bit red though she'd blame the heat in the kitchen. "Thank you. Teriyaki chicken and some rice." She replied, having already set the appropriate temperatures on the stove and placed the meat in a pan and rice in a pot. "About .... ten, give or take a few minutes and everything should be ready soon after."

"Yes ... though given it's only for two days, it was pretty simple." Still, the trip was otherwise a huge deal and Hinata was genuinely happy to have found a way out, even if only for a bit. Giving him a polite bow of her head, she began walking out with Hissori, noting his head glance over beside them. ".... Something wrong?" She asked, the words that Neji had just finished speaking to her ... were they correct? Was he a double agent? It pained her to even think of ... but ... given he was supposed to be Hiashi's eyes and ears, it was very possible.

And that alone made a slight shiver trail down her back.

Once Hissori resumed walking, she followed in toe with him, keeping her eyes and ears very alert. He didn't need to say that something was bothering him to at least know that. Now the better question was what? No, rather, it was did she want to know? Yes and not at the same time. But finally, she decided not to think on it, not lest whatever the outside factor was hinted itself. And if that bridge dared arrive ... hopefully, she would be ready.
 

Neji took a deep inhaling breath of the air. Enjoying the taste that lingered out in the air. He bowed lightly as she said that it would take ten or so minutes. For right now he was delighted to smell the fragrance. Even if it did make him a little more hungry then he was moments earlier. He sighed lightly, taking a small walk towards her. He put a hand on her shoulder happy to have her around for a moment. He didn't really know if hew was crossing any boundries or not, but he enjoyed the simple jester all the same.

"Sounds great, I can't wait to have it then." Neji said showing his gratitude. His stomach let out a low growl, and he let out a low sigh. Suikoto was right he hadn't eaten in a while, and while he wasn't going to complain about it, he was indeed hungrier then he would have liked to be. Waiting felt like it would take forever especially now that he could smell Suikoto's cooking. He took a moment to look out the window, only in passing, but had to pause and double check, for a moment he could have sworn that there was some kind of light on a near by roof. Shaking it off he didn't bother thinking on it for much more longer then it that.

Hissori nodded only so lightly as he was asked if there was a problem. The problem was that he wasn't sure if there was one or not. He didn't know if they should have even been taking this vacation or not. For the moment however he was happy to take this trip. He was for the most part sure that nothing bad would happen to them. "Just a little excited to be away from the estate for a few days is all." He said trying to re assure Hinata, she seemed oddly on guard, but then considering his earlier feelings she was probably having such thoughts as well.

Hissori had packed up his things and was for the most part overly happy to be away from Konoha, and it had been a while since he had taken a break. Though everything right now was about Hinata. He was worried for her, and as they walked his eyes occasionally drifted across the tree line, to see the roads around them. "Actually call it paranoia, but lately I've been feeling like people have been watching me." Hissori said with a small sigh, he was trying to imply something, but at the same time didn't want to go as far as to activate his eyes, he couldn't really do that without hand signs, and they would be to broad to not notice if they were being followed. "What about you?"
 
Suikoto Ashigawa & Hinata Hyuuga
スイコト アシガワ & ヒナタ ヒュウガ​

The gentle touch was ... different though welcomed all the same. Her smile widened as Suikoto resumed cooking, glancing up slightly as Neji seemed to do so. All she saw, though, was the outside scenery and the roof. Figuring at most it was the sun beginning to set that caught his eye, her smile widened more. "The scenery here is definitely better than anything Iwagakure had to offer." Her own stomach growled slightly. The hospital food had been ... so-so. But compared to what she was making, it hadn't been nearly as filling as it could have been. Her mind began to race as she tried to figure a way to break the silence lingering between them. And yet, she didn't want to come off as too .. personal or nosy.

"Well .... to be fair, we are in a clan that specializes in it." She replied, trying to lighten up the mood. Still, she got a more serious expression and thought about Hissori's reply. "Hm ... not to the point of being felt as if uneasy, no. Not counting when Father glared at me during the spar, that is. But since then ... no." Now it was Hinata's turn to worry. Even with Neji's concerns regarding Hissori, she could vouch one major positive thing about her bodyguard. When he brought up concerns, they were always valid.

And it was one reason she had a difficult time believing he would dare play the double agent card. He'd always done his protecting job damn well. Not say Hinata couldn't do so herself ... but additional assistance was always welcomed also.

Still, her head shook lightly as Hinata tried to avoid thinking that something might be amiss. Rather, her focus went back to the vacation they were continuing to walk towards. "I'd say this trip will do you as much good as it will me. You haven't had much of a break either." She added, giving him a polite bow of her head.
 

Neji smiled as suikoto mentioned the area around konoha. It was a great place to live for sure, and now that it wasn't simply a dust crater. After it had gotten pounded into the ground by pein it was good to see the forests return to the area. And the city had for the most part been restored to it's former glory. Konoha was strong once again, and it was indeed scenic compared to a torture chamber, though part of Neji was sure they had one of those somewhere. Hopefully it was a place neither of them would ever really see. "It makes for a great home, and I am glad you like the view. In the next few days I'll make sure to show you more then an old estate and a hospital."

Hissori nodded towards Hinata. she was right it was hard to not know that every one of your moves were being tracked inside the hyuuga estate. With their eyes it was nearly impossible to have privacy, and it was a bit of a house rule that you weren't really supposed to use your eyes during certain hours of the day. Even then it was impossible to know when everyone in the house had their clothing on. Hissori primarily trained at night, and even with his eyes being what they were he had seen things, some he had liked, some he had despised himself for seeing, it added a level of threat to everything they did, because it truly was impossible to know who was looking.

"Yeah I guess your right." Hissori said checking about the way honestly he hadn't felt anything for a short while now. Walking towards the road, he turned towards Hinata and walked backwards. He hadn't really felt watched since leaving the gates of the city, and passing into the forest. Giving a small sigh, he nodded. "It's not that bad, but your right it has been a very long time since I have been aloud a day off, but I have a request to make while we are on this vacation." He bit his lip, this was a question that was going to come off as slightly embarassing for himself to ask. After all he was her body guard.

"Could you train with me? I have struggled with the byakugan since I first activated it, and well I may not use the gentle fist all that often, but at least learning to activate it without all those hand signs like you, Neji and Hanabi do would be fantastic for me. I mean I know it's a bit of an invasion of privacy considering were going to a hot spring, but... do you think you would be willing to help me?" Honestly his question could come off as slightly offensive. They were going off to a hotspring, and hotel, and he wanted to practice a technique that would allow him to see well everything. It was also a bit of work mixing with the play, and he wasn't sure if Hinata would appreciate that or not. She was after all supposed to be on vacation to get away from training.
 
Suikoto Ashigawa & Hinata Hyuuga
スイコト アシガワ & ヒナタ ヒュウガ​

Any step - even a small but steady one - would be something Suikoto could look forward to. And that would include getting to better know Neji and Konoha in time. Finally turning the stove off and beginning to add food onto two plates she'd grabbed, her head nodded softly. "I look forward to that ... very much. Though I think after this, I'm going to get a shower in and retire sooner than usual." She'd had far too many IVs hooked into her for her own taste and about half of them had made her exhausted just from their own purposes, and some had been to keep her on the drowsy side as a pain reliever. Now that she had the ability to move and do things on her own, however, she wanted to make her own schedule. Well, as much as she could while obeying the rules of her staying here.

Setting the plates and then two sets of forks and knives down, Suikoto chose a spot across from Neji and sat down. Clapping her hands together, her head bowed slightly. "Itadekimasu." She murmured softly, grabbing a sliced piece of some of the teriyaki chicken and eating it. Every now and again, she snuck glances up towards Neji, trying to get a read off his face and see what he thought. Even if to him he wouldn't judge her for this, she feared the others would. And from what Suikoto could tell, he was one of the more important people in the Branch family.

So ... like the old saying went, first impressions really did matter. And she wanted to make a damn good one; to everyone in the clan but especially Neji.

It wouldn't be lack of appreciation that was the issue with Hissori's request. No, the problem was even simpler. Her eyes saddened slightly as her head shook no. "I can't. Father forbid me to do any training except meditation. But anything else... I'm not supposed to do. And I know he's not able to see me from here but ... he just has those odd ways of being able to know when someone has listened to him or not." It pained her to reply like that .. but she wouldn't dare test her father's wrath. She'd been lucky to get not much more than a mere scolding from nearly crippling Hanabi.

If she outright trained him ... there would be no mercy. Not that time. And she prayed like hell Hissori would be able to understand it wasn't that she didn't wish to train him but she literally couldn't.
 

Neji nodded and sat down at the table across from Suikoto. "Itadekimasu." He said lightly before taking up his chop sticks and taking his first bite of her food. He hadn't known what to expect from his fist bite of food from her, and what he got was a wash of flavor. It was delicious pure and simple, and for a moment he just sat back his eyes not blinking and looking at Suikoto. Maybe it was the fact that he hadn't had any real food for the last two or three days, but this was just too good some how. Neji's eyes never blinked, as he just looked over Suikoto's face and was unsure what to say, before finally swallowing his food.

"With cooking like this you are bound to make your future husband happy." Neji said bowing out of respect. He couldn't really cook, for all his martial arts training he hated spices, and his pallet was often not used to extreme flavors, so most of the meals he made were incredibly bland tasting. Shaking his head with his mind no longer focused on the food he caught the rest of her plan. "Sounds good to me, I will get you some fresh linen, and you can have an early night. We have a lot of ground to cover tomorrow so an early bed would be best for both of us." With that he went back to eating the food.

Hissori let out a small sigh he had almost forgotten the orders by Hiashi, which honestly would have been rather bad. Still the way Hinata reacted it seemed like he had just invited her to witness the end of the world. He let out a slow sigh as he looked at her face. "It's fine, I'll ask again later once we aren't under such restrictions." He said waving a hand. It was pretty obvious that she had no problem with the idea of training him, just that she was forbidden to at this very moment. Which though annoying was not the end of the world.

Hissori slowed his pace so he could walk beside Hinata on the path nodding slightly. It was kind of creepy just how much influence Hiashi had over them, and she was kind of right. If she had trained him eventually the truth would have gotten out. Nodding slowly he looked around there wasn't much around them now, Konoha was miles back, already and they were basically just on a dirt path in the forest. At this point no one could see them, and they were finally alone. Hissori walked beside Hinata, and looked up at the sky, and was a little less then shocked to see that the storm clouds were gathering.

"I'm gonna recommend we pick up the pace, because it will probably rain sooner then later." He sounded almost happy, in truth hot springs in the rain were fantastic, the mix of the colder air, and the hot water worked perfectly to make a perfect blend. That and thanks to all the training they had, they could get to tanzaku quarters before the rain actually started, he waited and braced himself as he prepared to go tree running. Honestly it had been a long time since he had traveled quickly, but it was one of those skills you never really lost as it was hammered into you since the academy.
 
Suikoto Ashigawa & Hinata Hyuuga
スイコト アシガワ & ヒナタ ヒュウガ​

Suikoto's cheeks almost instantly went red from the compliment. "I .. thank you." Although that was an interesting thought which came to her. Could people in the Branch even marry? Probably, though it was likely more strict and less of a deal than if someone from the Main branch were to. That could wait all the same ... probably tomorrow, in fact. And when Neji suggested there was still a lot of ground to cover in the morning, it only strengthened her resolve to wait. But honestly ... would there be a point to asking that?

Not like you'll end up marrying ...

Or at least she didn't believe so, anyways. Suikoto ... how to word it. She saw herself as a kunoichi, no doubts about that. But as an individual worthy of an honor like marrying? No and especially not to someone as generous as Neji. That was truly pushing it. She was but a peasant and he was - even if not in the Main Branch - still very much like a Prince to the clan.

It'd never work. You're supposed to be his servant. Besides, how in the hell would you get Hiashi to approve? Oi, why in the hell are you even thinking of this at all?!

Her own head shook slightly, her smile widening all the same to hear an agenda had been figured out. It wasn't anything overly complex but it was still a start ... and that was all she'd wanted from the get-go. Keeping her own white eyes lowered towards her plate, Suikoto followed suit and continued eating across from Neji.

Hinata's smile widened and returned as Hissori understood enough. It was clear to hear he was as irked as herself. Before they had decided to head to the hot springs, part of Hinata had wanted to train. But now .... that was gone. And she wouldn't go against her Father. No sane Hyuuga would defy him, truth be told. He had his reputation for an array of reasons, all well-earned.

"Thank you for understanding. I ... I really wouldn't mind otherwise." Even though he had agreed to respect her wishes, that had been another habit from Hinata. She felt the need to prove or reassure others of .... almost anything, but especially things like her vows and words. Then again, with her having been stripped of power so suddenly, the views of herself were somewhat true. She did have a lot to prove .. and when she returned from this outing, her answer would likely make the poor young lady have to do so again, regardless of what she said.

The content tone coming from Hissori made Hinata snap away from her thoughts. Seeing his ankles tense, she followed suit and jumped up into a nearby branch beside him. "Alright. I'll be right behind you then." She reassured, giving him a light nod to signal she was ready to follow.
 

Neji felt slightly embarassed for having put Suikoto on the spot as he did, finishing his meal he got up from his seat, and walked to her side of the table. He didn't know what she was thinking about only that she seemed rather somber, and really she had a million reasons to be somber and upset. He couldn't really imagine what her life was like at the moment, only that it was probably chaotic, giving a low sigh he took the dishes from her when she was finished her meal. It really had been expertly cooked, and for the most part he was overly happy to deal with the dishes and clean up.

"Please allow me."

Gathering everything into the sink Neji stayed quiet mostly because he didn't really know what to say. As he started to wash the dishes he smiled towards Suikoto, trying to make her feel like this really was her home among them, and he wanted to make sure that she knew what that meant. Neji washed the dishes she used for prepping the food, and placed them on the rack to dry before turning to her. "Is there anything you need for your room? It's still only early evening, and I am sure I could help you get what ever it is you need." He asked wondering what else he could do to help her be more at home.

"It's okay my lady I understand orders are orders." Hissori's face flushed slightly as he and Hinata raced through the forest. He was happy to keep pace with her as the two of them started going at a quick pace towards Tanzaku quarters, the town honestly wasn't that far away from Konoha, but it was a rare place to actually go too. A lot of people used it like a vacation resort, or worse a mulls town, as it was one of those rare places that you really could get anything you wanted, but it was also a scenic place. Untouched by the wars, it's walls were one of the few towns that were still festive.

Hissori's mind wasn't focused on the future, rather he was more content to search for the here and now, and as the two of them raced through the forest from tree branch to tree branch there was a kind of adrenaline pumping through his veins. He felt happy, and for a little while he was able to push Hiashi to the side. That was what this vacation was about after all. Sure he was still a watch dog, but even a watch dog could take a little break from his masters leash once he had gone to sleep.

This vacation would help them both greatly and as they broke through the forest they came towards the entrance of the town, and found the small clearing where they had to once again touch the ground, but they had more or less arrived at their destonation. "Where do you want to go first? hotel to unpack? or do you want to test the waters, and then get to a hotel?" Either way it would probably be relaxing.
 
Suikoto Ashigawa & Hinata Hyuuga
スイコト アシガワ & ヒナタ ヒュウガ​

Suikoto's hands had gotten ready to push herself to her feet before Neji finally spoke up. The lack of interaction had at least hinted she wasn't the only one feeling socially awkward between them. At least she was pretty certain that had been what it was supposed to mean. Her mouth opened to protest him taking her dishes, fearing the warning from the Elder and Hiashi on being watched. But before the words could even try to form, he'd done so anyways. Sneaking in glances every now and again, her head bowed slowly in appreciation to the young man.

"Thank you ... "

She'd been ready to add more, something along the lines of apologizing for seeming as if making him do far more than he should. But Neji would have probably only dismiss the matter like he had of her using the suffix -sama for him. And regarding that, she made a silent agreement with herself. If she was alone with Neji, she could heed his words. But if any of the other Hyuugas were around ... she'd take the precaution anyways.

Hopefully, the morning would help her better figure out how to take up the new role. Finally standing up and stretching slightly, her head glanced up in thought. "Hm ... I think just the linens really and .... " A frown crossed her face as she glanced down at herself. " ... Hm. I suppose I'm eventually going to need new clothes." She added, her voice lowering in embarrassment. The outfit she was in now had been cleaned during her hospital stay, thankfully. But it was the only one she'd bothered to grab, a foolish gesture on her behalf.

Tch, way to go Suikoto. Just another way to look stupider ...

Her head lowered in a mix of annoyance and shame at herself. "... Aside from those things though .... nothing else I can really think on, no."

Hinata took the time while silence remained in between herself and Hissori to further thing on Neji's words. Was he really a double agent? The thought made her ... almost upset. She'd thought him to be one of the other Hyuugas whom the young girl could get along with. But if he did indeed side with Hiashi as much as Neji feared, she would have to reconsider at least a few things. Even still, she didn't have it in her to shove the boy away and force him to leave. It just .. wasn't in her, even at possible times like now. Poor Hinata had never had it in her to ever truly be angry at anyone, regardless of why.

Come to think on it, the closest you got was against Pein ...

She frowned at herself. Was something wrong with Hinata? Well ... yes and no. Not the woman, per se. Just her upbringing. It'd all been rushed and thus she hadn't really been allowed many chances to adjust, grow, or properly channel emotions and reactions.

When Hissori finally spoke up, however, she managed to push the thoughts aside as well. "Hm ... probably the hotel first if for no other reason to ensure we can get a room." She replied.
 


Neji gave a small bow as she thanked him. Thinking it over she would need new clothing soon, and it was understandable that she only had the one set of clothing after all she had just been through. Honestly with five days of torture he was surprised that her clothing wasn't in tatters at this point. Nodding he gave her a confident smile. "I'll take you into town tomorrow then." He said as he took her with him to show her the closet where they kept extra sheets, and bedrolls.

Neji didn't think much of what he was doing. He really only wanted Suikoto to feel comfortable living with a group of complete strangers. He couldn't even start to imagine what the transition had been like for her, going from a possible civil war, to a prisoner, to being here. There was an odd feeling of guilt he got from watching her now. If the Hyuuga's hadn't existed then Suikoto would never have been in danger. Call it survivors guilt, but he couldn't help to imagine how awkward and alone she must feel walking in a house full of people who must have looked like family to her.

Neji didn't know if he was being helpful or overbearing and it was forcing him into an awkward silence. He never would have been so helpful to anyone just a few years prior, but the war had changed a lot of the things he had thought about, and done. He was trusting now, and less cold and he had to constantly remind himself that those were good things. Laying out a bed for Suikoto he got up from her room. "If you want you can toss your clothing outside and I can have them cleaned again while you sleep."

He used to do the same thing for Ten Ten back when they had all been a team, and she had 'forgotten' to pack before a mission. Oh she brought bags of weapons, but did she ever grab a spare shirt? He rolled his eyes partly at the memory, and got ready to leave the room at her request. "That way at least they will be clean when we go into town tomorrow."

Hissori smiled and nodded. "Okay, lets see." He said happily taking a step, before jumping up onto a lamp post, his feet catching it as he walked up the vertical pole. Landing on the top he had a better vantage point taking a gander around them. Hotels weren't really that hard to find in a city like this one, but it all depended on the type of hotel they wanted to find. Sadly it seemed like they were in the wrong part of the town to find an over nighter. Sliding back down to Hinata he shook his head.

"I think we need to go that way." He said pointing. "Everything on the outskirts seems to just be by the hour places." He said a little less then half hearted. It made sense this was the town of sin for the land of fire after all. A place where anything and everything was sold on a day to day bases, and lets face it if your making an establishment like that you would want that kind of setting to be established by the get go. Walking in deeper into town there was plenty of food, and a few gambling holes, but no real decent hotels.

Sighing they finally came to a place that didn't look terrible. It wasn't great by any means of the word. Rustic was the first word that came to mind, well that or dusty Hissori wasn't really sure. He sighed it really seemed like the best they were gonna find that wasn't over populated. Walking up to the front room he exchanged a few words, before returning to Hinata, a small sigh escaping him.

"They only had one room left, and it's a single bed." He said lightly lifting up the key. It honestly seemed like the best deal they were going to get right now and for that at least he had to shake his head and let out a small sigh. He didn't snore or anything, and he was pretty sure that Hinata didn't either. She had always seemed like a sound sleeper back when she had those fainting fits. He shook his head trying to not think about those, he honestly didn't even know if Hinata got like that anymore.

Hissori's mind drifted to Hiashi was well, with all that was going on he wasn't sure where his loyalties were supposed to lay. In the past yes, he had been Hiashi's loyalist dog. Spying on Hinata from a distance when she disappeared for long hours from the estate. It was him who told Hiashi about Hinata's crush on Naruto back when he had been little more then an outcast of the village, and he who had been sent to fetch Hinata countless times in the past when she was needed. When he had first been chosen as Hinata's new body guard after the pein incident he had done everything in his power to keep Hiashi informed of every move she had made.

Now adays however he was slacking in his duty's. Little things escaped him, and he had grown a sense of mistrust for Hiashi. He had seen, and felt the cruelty of the man he had initially respected, and grown tired of being little more then a lap dog. He went off the record, and let some of the more important information slip his mind, but it was a fine line. At the end of the day a lot still had to be accounted for, and while a little treat or trip here or there could be skipped other activities and stuff that Hiashi physically asked about had to be handled with care. In the past Neji's fears of him would be valid, but Hiashi had grown complacent with Hissori, and Hissori had grown wary of Hiashi. there was a divide between the two sides of the clan, and it was starting to be filled with lies.
 
Suikoto Ashigawa & Hinata Hyuuga
スイコト アシガワ & ヒナタ ヒュウガ​

Neji wasn't the only one secretly amazed at Suikoto's clothes staying intact. She was also amazed they were in one piece, along with her purity having been kept. There had definitely been very real threats of that being taken soon after her eyes. But they'd never got to that part of their plan, thank gods. "That ... thank you so much." Even though she knew the girl wasn't actually doing so, Suikoto almost felt like she was making Neji do so much. And given the short time they'd known one another, it took her slightly aback. She was more of a stranger than anything, one that just happened to look so much like the others within his clan.

And yet, he was treating her like she did have the surname Hyuuga and the same bloodline. In fact ... that dawned upon her. What did the eyes do? There must have been a purpose with how hellbent and adamant the Kumogakure nin had been on trying to extract them.

Taking note of the closet to head to for new linens and sheets, Suikoto let her eyes lock with Neji's. "Um ... if you don't mind before leaving, can something be clarified. Why were the Kumogakure nin so desperate? What does your bloodline do?" It seemed like a fair enough exchange. He knew of her own and how it could be powerful in it's own ways. But then she also recalled how Hiashi and the Elder had feared her to be working with them .. and it made a twinge of guilt go through her.

"If that's too personal of a question, my apologies." After a quick look around, the bathroom adjacent and included in her new room was easy enough to find. Closing the door to it, she began stripping, remembering she was going to get a shower in before falling asleep for the evening anyways. It'd kill two birds with one kunai this way; to get ready for her night routines and put her clothing outside when finished to allow them to get washed.

When Suikoto walked back out, it was with slow and almost hesitant steps. A towel was covering her sensual areas, but that was basically it. One hand kept a firm grip - out of instinct more than anything - around the towel to keep it from falling off. The other held her clothes against her chest, ready to hand them over to Neji regardless of whether he wanted to answer the question on his own eyes or not.

"A-ah ... I see. Well, something's better than nothing." She replied, glancing from Hissori to the key and back to the bodyguard again. "Um .. which number then?" She inquired, ready to follow behind him into their new chambers.

There was a lot of Hinata's mind which wondered if it was wrong, to share a room with someone so close to her. Not only was Hissori close but family. Her head shook no as she thought it over. Even if Neji's worries on whether Hissori was a double agent or not were valid, he wouldn't ... resort to those kinds of tactics. Right?

Don't be foolish. Even if he did and Father found out ... it'd do him no good.

And it was one of the few things reassuring her there was nothing wrong with the idea of winding up sharing a bed. Awkward? Gods yes. But that was the worst extent of it as far as Hinata could see.

It hadn't been as often as prior to them leaving for the springs, but Hinata had tried to figure out her honest answer to give to Hiashi. She did like to plan ahead and also, two days tended to fly by quickly, very much so. Thus if possible, she did want to try to have an idea on things to say. But still, few replies had come to her. On one hand, she didn't regret it, but not from spite. It may have started out that way but Hanabi - all the Hyuugas - had been trained for worst case scenarios.

And while it was true that Hinata was obviously one of the last people anyone would have thought to nearly cut the muscles of an ankle and permanently disable someone, the task could be done by anyone. Well, any person with enough medical, anatomy, or both knowledge. And given the abilities of the Byakugan, Hinata definitely had anatomy for sure.

Her head shook again to temporarily make her leave her thoughts. And when Hinata did, she noticed something; she hadn't been the only one whom had remained rather quiet. "Um .. something on your mind, Hissori?" She inquired.
 

Neji felt a small blush come across his face when she walked out wearing a towel, but the moment she mentioned his abilities he took a step back. It wasn't that he expected a bad reaction, but how was he supposed to tell her about his abilities when she was wearing nothing but a towel. Taking an awkward breath he took her clothing. "Are you sure you want to know?" He said already knowing the answer to the question. It was a long explination, and at the moment he didn't really feel like simply showing her his powers. There were many reasons for that.

"The Hyuuga clan specializes in something called the gentle fist, and more to the point our eyes hold something called the Byakugan." It held a lot of implications, after all it was called the piercing eye, and it did work on that level. It was a form of X ray vision, and yet here she was in a towel. How was he supposed to explain that away? "Every member in our clan is born with it, it's a kind of vision, that when activated allows us to see in almost 180 degrees, but more then that it's real power is that it can see past things. Walls, fabrics, skin. It's not just the body we can see, but the inner workings, more then the obvious, every member of our clan can see you down to the chakra system. Some even deeper then that."

Neji sighed knowing that he had probably just freaked her out. The fact was that as long as she was on the estate she was never really safe from a peeping tom. Though such actions were punishable, there had been cases. It was impossible to not see some things when you had an ability like theirs and yet lived in such close quarters. To an insider it was an every day occurrence that you just got used too. To an outsider it was probably the worst invasion of privacy you could have, but the simple fact remained there was no privacy in this home.

"I'm sorry I don't mean to frighten your well being or safety. It is just something that we have to deal with. Every time one of us activates our eyes we can see everything there is to a person. It's something I try to not focus on." He said lightly as he took her clothing and opened the door to the room. He didn't leave right away, something told him to wait till he was dismissed.

Hissori carelessly tossed his bag onto the floor of the hotel room. He was lost in thought until Hinata spoke up to him, and he turned to her. He wasn't sure what he was needing to say in all truth He was just kind of stuck, and that's why he let out a long sigh. "Yeah I'm sorry Hinata, I'm just..."

To tell the truth Hissori was struggling with his own little conflicts and problems. He turned towards Hinata, and looked at her, she was his cousin, and more then that he was the most important member of his family. If she was on the right path then she would secure the future of their clan, and yet if she wasn't or worse the clan fell to Hanabi then they would end up walking the same path as many of the clans that had stepped up in the past and been washed out. It was a legacy he didn't envy.

"I'm worried about you. It's part of the reason that I brought you out here. I... I watch you, I guard you, and for as long as I can remember... I've always been terrible with words." He shook his head what was he even trying to say, hell what was he doing. They were sharing a room it was awkward enough with out his help to make it even more awkward. "I'm sorry I'm just putting my foot in my mouth, I should really just stop talking right now, and tell you that I worry Hinata. Not for me, but about you."

Sighing he turned lightly on his heels he felt like an idiot and he wanted to hide the redness in his face. He had nearly let slip far too much information and all because Hinata asked him what was on his mind. Walking up to the window that over looked the rest of the town. "I'm a terrible person."
 
Suikoto Ashigawa & Hinata Hyuuga
スイコト アシガワ & ヒナタ ヒュウガ​

Suikoto gave an affirmative nod though had to admit to herself that she was glad Neji wasn't only a stoic young man. She had taken notice of his own crimson going across his face and felt a bit better. The clan had come off as one that almost discouraged most emotions. But that very sight was more than enough proof that wasn't the case, thankfully.

The revelation did indeed shock her. And in fact, she realized that the warning on being watched was quite literal from both Hiashi and the Elder. "... I see." She replied softly, swallowing a bit as she gave a polite bow of her head. Anyone with enough basic information on chakra and anatomy could begin to understand why the eyes were so very valuable. And finally, she better realized why it had nearly been such a big deal to be mistaken as one of these people.

Her head shook no quickly as he apologized. "No ... it's like you said, a genetic thing. I can't be mad at something you were just born with. But lemme put it this way. You were somewhat amazed at when I told you of my own ... well ... now we're even." A small smile managed to cross her face and up until she saw Neji holding her clothes, Suikoto had forgotten she was in nothing but a towel. And that reminded her of what she'd been meaning to do.

Now that her right hand was free ... she gave a nod to herself. This was beyond risky to do, especially with everyone in the clan literally having the ability to see through walls. But fuck it. There was no harm in the next action, not in her eyes at least. Her hand slid around Neji's waist, giving him a half-hug from behind. "Thank you ... for everything." She whispered, letting the words sink in before moving away.

"I'll see you in the morning. I'm going to get the shower done now then rest up. Sleep well." Turning on her feet, she finally headed back into the bathroom, closed the door once again and turned the water on, stepping in once it'd gotten to a decent temperature.

The last words made Hinata unable to worry a bit. They repeated in her mind a few times even, trying to make sure she hadn't misheard Hissori. But sure enough, her ears hadn't deceived her.

"I'm a terrible person."

Her head shook no slowly as she set her own bag down. "If you're genuinely worrying about me, I'd say that's not true. Your words are ... contradicting. Is ... that all that's on your mind? Or is that asking for too much?" Walking into the bathroom while waiting for a reply, she came back with two towels and handed one over to Hissori. "Here .... I'd say you need this as much as myself. With any luck, these springs will do both of us some good. But if you were too horrible of a person as you're thinking... you would likely be exiled. So don't be so harsh on yourself, please."
 

Neji blushed as he felt her body press against him for however small a moment of time as that was. It was odd he hadn't expected any kind of affection from her considering her past, but the small hug was something that did not go unappreciated. He smiled as he watched her walk away. He stole a small glimpse of her as she hugged him, and the towel that wrapped around her body, but he wouldn't allow himself anything more then a glance while she was indecent. Walking away when she got into the shower he set up her stuff to get washed, but waited until she was out of the shower. The last thing he wanted to do was run a washing machine while she was in the shower.

While it was starting to get late, he walked out into the fading afternoon light. the sky was now a merky. grey and it threatened to rain soon and hard. Neji was okay with that however, and as Suikoto was in the shower, Neji practiced his stances in calm meditation. He didn't dare to activate his eyes, considering he had already told Suikoto they could be an invasion of personal space and privacy, and in truth though he wanted to see what she looked like in the shower, he hadn't tried peeping with his byakugan since he was a very young, and very stupid child.

Running through the motions in slow motion, he felt an easy and comfort through his practice and display. Honestly there wasn't much difference between what he was doing right now and Tai Chi. It helped him stay sharp and focused on the world around him. It was a relaxing way to practice when he had free time, after all not everything had to be like Guy Sensai and simply push it to your limit 100% of the time. Sometimes it was just good to unwind.

Hissori grabbed the towel and nodded as Hinata spoke feeling better, but also feeling slightly ashamed of himself for letting himself ramble like he had. It hadn't really gotten out of hand like he thought it had, and Hinata seemed to miss the larger part of the meaning once again. For once her vapid behavior when it came to matters like these seemed to pay off. Though He did feel a little disappointed. He just had to remind himself that honestly this was for the best.

"Right thank you very much." He said giving her a small bow. As they walked towards the hotspring it started to rain, which in it's self was not a bad thing. The air became colder and fresher thanks to the summer rain. His hair got wet rather quickly, but it was only a short walk into the hotsprings. Walking into the male change room he waved a small good bye to Hinata, as he stripped down.

Hissori was pale, and slightly shorter then Neji. His hair was untamed, and wet. His body was muscular considering his line of work, but he wasn't as physically strong as most ninja. He had the outlines for muscle, but not the actual muscle except for his for arm and shoulders, which he used to draw his bow. When he walked out into the hotspring it was with the towel wrapped around his mid section, and nothing else. Walking into the water he let out a long sigh feeling the hot water around him. Sitting down into the water, he waited for Hinata to come out.

Maybe it was the rain, but there were no other men or women around. Just them, and these were open, public co ed hot springs. Hissori closed his eyes feeling an uneasy tension. Was it wrong to feel so excited just for a chance to see Hinata in a towel? Most probably, and yet he was feeling an excitement burn through him.
 
Suikoto Ashigawa & Hinata Hyuuga
スイコト アシガワ & ヒナタ ヒュウガ​

Neji wouldn't have to wait more than fifteen minutes before the water would turn off. Suikoto would have been out sooner but she'd decided to take the opportunity and shave while she could. And she'd had to get everywhere, including in between her legs. However, to hide proof of this, she had made damn well certain to clean the tub thoroughly. Even with eyes on, there would be no detection of such an act having been performed. Suikoto knew it wasn't 'bad' or anything .. but she feared it being misinterpreted as a way to seduce some of the members or something of the like.

Her head shook as a low chuckle left. "You're really thinking far too much ... " She murmured, walking out soon with a different towel wrapped over her body. A slight frown crossed her face as she failed to see a hair dryer. But after contemplating on it, there weren't many women in the clan. Hinata had been the only one so far. It made her unable to help but wonder ... how were they keeping the clan going? Deciding that there were probably others she hadn't yet seen, Suikoto grabbed another towel and began manually drying her hair.

It was still a bit wet after five more minutes. But the young girl was getting a tad frustrated and worse than that, tired. It would do her no good to try to force her body to react faster, let alone to petty chores and tasks like drying her hair. Soft footsteps would be heard as Suikoto guided herself back into the bedroom. Glancing down to the bed for a few moments, everything began to dawn upon her. This was the start of her new life. She was still grateful for everything .. but ti didn't remove her feelings of anxiety. Would she be good enough to even do this?

"Only time will tell I guess .... " She murmured, pulling the covers over her body as her head rested upon the pillow. Rolling to her side, the only hint on her being mostly nude would be a bare shoulder that was still slightly revealed. Letting her pale eyes close, the young girl began taking steady breaths which soon turned into a deep sleep.

As Hissori walked off to the changing room, she went in the opposite direction for her own. It was slightly ... nerve-wracking. Like a true virgin, she felt unsure on what the hell to do. Hinata had heard that it was like going into a shower; just one that could - depending on circumstances - be more public. So after a bit of hesitation, the poor girl swallowed nervously and stripped. The annoying sensation of eyes being upon her was felt .. but she shook it off. It had to be from having been in the house too long, right?

It has to be. Hissori wouldn't resort to such things ...

Wrapping a towel around her, Hinata carried her clothes with her in one hand. She wouldn't have minded leaving them in the changing room .... except for the fact she had no idea whom else was here. And with no guarantee some idiot wouldn't attempt to steal her clothes, it made her feel better to bring them with her. Taking slow steps, Hinata headed towards the hot springs.

Upon arriving, the young woman saw Hissori in a meditating like stance. Or it seemed that way with how his eyes were closed. Not wanting to interrupt, she set her clothes down in a nearby chair, the towel leaving her body and draping over it. The soon sounds of water being broken would finally hint the nude Hinata joining Hissori in the hot springs. He seemed to have the right idea on how to go about things and since Hiashi hadn't said no to meditation, her own eyes closed as she began trying to do so herself.
 

Neji waited till he heard the water turn off, and returned back inside the house using a towel to dry himself off as he walked back into the house. Letting out a long low sigh as he started the washer. It was an average quiet night, that much seemed certain enough. As he walked past the window however he caught a rather familiar noise coming from the outside. Neji twisted himself around entering a quick 180 rotation and throwing up his chakra like a shield just as the walls of the estate exploded as several paper bombs were used at once.

Neji himself was thrown from the explosion but his fast movement and shielding technique had saved his life. He coughed as he inhailed some of the smoke, and activated his eyes so that he could get a view of what was going on. In that moment he could see everything, not just the extent of the damage, but the entire estate, and the nine or so attackers that were pouring in. An assassination squad, dressed in dark blues, and with no village markings.... Like they could hide which village sent them any way. Hanabi was already up, along with Hiashi, who was going to defend the elder. That only left...

Neji ran into Suikoto's room as quickly as he could taking off his shirt and tossing it to her. "Get up now, and stay behind me, were under attack." He tried his best not to panic, he had been in worse situations then this, and frankly he was now incredibly thankful that Hissori and Hinata were gone. The last thing a group like this needed was more targets. The assassination squad had weapons drawn, and were moving quickly through the house one cornering just behind Neji and entering the room.

Hissori let out a small overly content sigh as he felt the rain mix with the hot water, all of it was very relaxing, and that was when he saw Hinata come out, at first he thought she would simply keep on the towel, and He opened his eye a crack unable to resist a peek, but that was when she actually discarded the towel. His eyes cracked open in full, his face turning incredably red as he almost jumped out of the water as Hinata walked in. He felt himself stammer for a word or something to actually say, before his vision started to fade.

Hissori must have jumped to his feet, trying to protest or something because the next thing he remembered was him falling over. His head making a resounding impact on the hard concrete outside of the Hot spring as he fell over, and his own towel, soaked as it was simply falling off at some point allowing Hinata a rather comical if not slightly pathetic view of himself.

A fainting attack... Hissori couldn't even begin to describe the amount of shame and embarrassment he felt with himself over this. If he had been able to hide his crush on Hinata before, considering he just acted like she had back in the days when she had spoken to Naruto, he doubted he could brush it off now. Even as he laid sprawled out on the pavement outside of the actual hot spring his skin being soaked and cooled by rain water, and his mind only semi concious as it started going through the process of rebooting, he could feel the redness of his face, the slight drool at his lips, and the overall stupidity of it all. He had to wonder, was this what she felt like when she went through these things?...
 
Suikoto Ashigawa & Hinata Hyuuga
スイコト アシガワ & ヒナタ ヒュウガ​

The explosion alone had rudely woken Suikoto up. Her eyes quickly blinked as she looked around. That had been a dream, right? She truly didn't want to have an attack upon the same house that had been generous enough to take her in . And especially not after insisting to Hissori that they'd be safe enough. But the sight of Neji running in along with his words had hit the poor girl, as if she'd been slapped hard. Her head lowered, disbelief and fear quickly trying to overwhelm her.

... No .... no fucking way ....

As fabric landed upon her skin, she realized it wasn't her outfit but Neji's shirt. Her mouth opened to protest but there was no point in doing so. She could hear in his voice they were limited on time. Quickly pulling the fabric over her, she adjusted the towel slightly. Now it covered everything from the waist down as opposed to only her torso.

The sight of one of the assassins trying to sneak behind Neji finally got her attention. "Behind!" She whimpered, barely above a whisper as she pulled Neji back and away, albeit slightly confused. Hadn't he admitted the eyes could see?

... No. He said almost 180 degrees. There's ... a weak spot?

If that was true, it seemed to be literally right behind him. No .. that didn't matter now. Her eyes quickly glanced around, looking for an alternative route. But unless she was missing something, it only appeared to be able to go through the man now in front of her door.

"... Hissori?!" Getting deftly up to her feet, Hinata's arms wrapped around her cousin. The impact from the hard floor alone could have done quite a bit of serious damage and if worst came to worse, he could have died. It was concrete after all so.. it wasn't impossible by any means. Her eyes quickly went to his head, ensuring it wasn't bleeding -- or if it was, that it wasn't too severe. And yet now that she was so close to him, Hinata had noted a few other things.

His pulse... it was faster than it probably should have been. Was he ... scared? Some sort of emotion did appear to be fueling him on, regardless of what it may or may not be. Also, his face was red. And while it made sense the water likely contributed, she couldn't help but note there seemed to be more than the mere temperature of the liquid. It was a slow process .. but she was trying to put two and two together.
 

It wasn't that Neji hadn't noticed the attacker he just simply hadn't had the chance to react as he was quickly pulled out of the way of the attacker, turning as he was pulled backwards he sent out a heavy handed palm thrust that created a whirlwind like vacuum. Much stronger then even the one Hiashi had used before he watched as the attacker was not only thrown back but several of his vital spots were hit by razor sharp winds pressing down on his chakra points, blocking and restricting the flow of his energy temporally cutting him off from his jutsu. "Thanks for the heads up." He said truth fully. Just because he could see someone comming didn't mean he always had time to react.

"On the bright side others will be here to assist with the clean up, but for right now take my hand, and don't let go." Neji said outreaching and grasping Suikoto's hand. "We..." He paused for a moment as he could see other area's of his home, in particular the pillars that sustained the majority of the weight of the Hyuuga estate now had bombs strapped to them. "We have to get out of here now." Neji said slightly understanding the plan that was going down now.

Neji charged forward pulling Suikoto with him, Turning a corner as one of the assassin's tried to thrust a spear through him. Neji's hand knocked it out of the way, passing him, but not before his hand touched his shoulder, with what must have looked like a gentle tap, but practically crippled his arm, and then slapped him across the face hard enough that he was knocked to the ground. "Do you think your strong enough to fight now?" He asked as two more came to corner them. They seemed to want only to delay their exit out of the building, and they were positioning themselves for this. Neji felt stupid if he had just activated his eyes earlier this could have been avoided entirely.

Hissori's eyes snapped open as he felt Hinata's arms around him as she checked him over, not really noticing that at the same time she was pressing her body more and more against him. To say he was uncomfortable was something else, but at the same time he didn't really mind. Part of him wanted to continue to fake being unconcious, but hearing the concern in Hinata's voice he slowly came more and more awake pulling back from her as he rubbed his head. Nothing was broken, or bleeding for sure, but there was bound to be some kind of bruise he had hit the ground hard after all.

His face was embarrassed and red, and he didn't know what to say how to say it or even how to move. Suddenly His eyes could only move in any place that wasn't towards Hinata, and he simply turned his body away from her. Not wanting to exist anymore. ~Can she really be so... Vapid?~ It was actually starting to hurt. Hissori didn't know why it hurt him. He knew that if she actually did realize what was happening nothing good would come from it, but he couldn't help but feel a little more shame then anything else. "I... I'm sorry." His voice stuttered for a moment as he found himself too caught up in his emotions to really think about anything.

"I..." Hissori let a long breath escape him as he tried desperately to force himself to calm down before getting up. "I shouldn't be here." He said harshly. Hissori got up and wanted to leave desperately run back to the hotel when suddenly something caught his eye off in the distance, and he suddenly turned towards Hinata in time to hear a loud thunk, as an arrow cracked against his left shoulder blade. "Fffff....So that's... what that feels like."
 
Suikoto Ashigawa & Hinata Hyuuga
スイコト アシガワ & ヒナタ ヒュウガ​

As Neji seemed to turn in time with Suikoto's movements, she couldn't help but notice and even admire how smooth his footwork was. He was faster than one would immediately assume, much like herself. And the intriguing jutsu which soon caught her eyes proved that much alone. Another creepy similarity was soon hinted as she saw Neji use what had to be a wind technique. While Suikoto did have mostly Earth chakara, she'd found it easier to control the Wind and thus used that more often in offensive Ninjutsu. Nothing more than a mere nod was given upon hearing Neji's suggestion of not letting go of his hand.

Though then again, she didn't want to just yet. He was her guardian at this moment and Suikoto was terrified on getting separated or taken away from him. She wasn't sure if these people were from Kumogakure or not. But if the latter .. were they really being so bold as to outright attack the Hyuuga manor? It seemed as much.

As the spear was thrust forward, she pulled her body back though still kept a hold of Neji's hand. As two more figures came into view, Suikoto bit on her lip.

Why? Why now?

Her heart couldn't help but sink, unable to feel like this was somehow her fault. Another nod managed to leave her head as she finally spoke up. "... Yes, I can." Strong enough? Definitely. In the correct attire? Not exactly but the hell with it. In order to be able to help Neji out with fighting, however, she had to let go of his hand. Soon, her own began making a set of completely foreign hand seals.

"Kaze Ken No Jutsu ... "

It was more like a dagger than an actual blade ... but it wouldn't matter much. A gust of wind had formed in both hands, though mainly the right, as she hurled a barely visible air blade towards one of the assailants across from them. The mix of the chakra and feeling of something that was a weapon yet not tended to not only cut the opponents up but mess with their minds. Why? Because it was almost like an illusion despite actually being ninjutsu.

So to feel something that you knew wasn't technically there .. yeah. It could really mess with someone weak-willed enough.

"... Huh? No, Hissori it's fine. Really ... " But that was as far as Hinata got before soon an arrow - not from her cousin at that rate - flew into the young man's shoulder. Her hands covered her mouth and muffled a whimper. For what felt like a long while, everything had gone still as if time had stopped.

Huh? What ... what is this? Why? What's happening?

An attack was the obvious answer. So that left the 'why'. Her head quickly shook. That didn't matter at this moment. Only the evident hints did. And right now, both herself and Hissori were in clear danger.

Pulling herself out of the hot springs, she darted towards her towel, wrapping it quickly around her torso. Veins emerged around the sides of her head as she activated her eyes and began trying to look for the source, helping Hissori move. Standing still would be one of the worst things for him to do, especially with an archer nearby. And until she could pinpoint where the assailant was, they both needed to keep moving.
 

Neji watched for a moment as Suikoto took up arms. It seemed like everyone in the family was fighting as strong as they could, and he twisted himself around one of the two attackers. He didn't bother with multiple strikes, rather he just knocked the mans arms aside and struck out his palm against the center of the assassin's chest, hitting home with the gentle fist hard enough to stop his heart for a few seconds, the jump was enough the throw the man off his feet. He would live at least until this building came down which it was bound to do any second.

Hiashi was trying to get to the elder out but the old man moved incredibly slow. Hanabi had already managed to get herself out of the house, and somewhere safe, that was good enough for Neji. He had his job, and they didn't seem to have another choice at the moment. "Your going to have to forgive me for this." As he spoke he grabbed Suikoto and threw her as hard as he could out the window quickly following. It was a dumb move, and she probably lost her towel in the throw, but it was the only one Neji could make as a moment later the bombs went off.

The Estate had already been crippled in key locations, and then the final bombs went off attached to the supports, it only took a few seconds for the entire estate, the home where Neji had spent his entire childhood and life to go up in rubble the roof collapsing and smothering the fire. Even with Neji's eyes it was impossible to see through the thick and twisted debris of the house. Too much smoke clouded everything, and for a moment he was worried that Hiashi and the elder didn't make it.

That was until rubble started to move, and then fly apart as Hiashi used the rotation ability to shield himself... The elder on the other hand hadn't made it by the looks of things. Too old and too broken his heart had given out. Hanabi returned to stand beside Neji, and Hiashi walked up towards them. Neji shook his head, "What... the hell just happened?" There had been nine attackers still inside the building even as it had collapsed. Nine testimonies they would never get. Nine answers no one would have.

Neji's fists clenched, as he looked over the damage... He was speechless, all of them were. Hanabi turned to the other three. "Who could do such a thing to our home?"

The only answer Neji could give was simple... "Kumo."

"I'm okay Hinata, it's not the first time I've been shot with an arrow before." In truth Hissori had shot himself once or twice. Every archer had at least once when learning to use the bow. It was awkward, a right of testament, and Hissori still had the scar on his left foot to prove he had passed. Reaching back He snapped the wood shaft of the arrow but left the metal head in his body. The Arrow hadn't hit nearly as deep as the archer had expected mostly because the archer hadn't been aiming at hissori. Taking some of his blood in his hand he started to do do a few easy hand signs.

"Summoning Jutsu." Hitting the ground with his hand, there was a puff of smoke, and a moment later, a small red ferret was at their side running up the side of Hissor's body to his uninjured shoulder he jumped and transformed into a red bow landing safely in Hissori's hands. "Hinata I need you to be my eyes. I can't activate my byakugan right now with my hands focused on shooting, so tell me where to aim."

At the same time as he was doing this he was still acting the part of the body guard, and as an archer he knew how this would go down. Twisting he heard the twing of a bow and the whistle, his leg kicked out and struck Hinata in the side throwing her back into hot spring as an arrow passed where she had been standing and imbedded it's self into the stone. "Stay in the water, it will slow down the arrows." His shoulder was burning like all hall, but it hardly mattered, all they needed right now was to find the direction of the archer. God he wished Neji was here, some how that bastard had managed to increase the sight radius of his byakugan in a way no one else had replicated. Compared to him Hinata, and Hissori's eyes were nothing, and this archer was being a bloody pain in the ass.
 
Suikoto Ashigawa & Hinata Hyuuga
スイコト アシガワ & ヒナタ ヒュウガ​

Indeed, Suikoto did lose the towel. But between that or her life, she'd gladly keep the latter in any given second. Her hands raised, shielding her face and eyes from the glass. It at least did keep her sight intact, though some shards did find and embed themselves in her skin. But given what she'd endured during her torture sessions, it was merciful honestly. Rolling a few times, Suikoto looked up in time to see the once proud Hyuuga Manor quickly collapse. Her head slowly shook, disbelief and sorrow overwhelming her. Even if the girl wasn't an actual Hyuuga herself, she suddenly felt as if she were one. It was like her own home - one that she'd resided in for as long as Neji had - was taken before the girl's orbs.

The devastation alone was more than enough to make her forget that the lower half of the look alike wasn't concealed. The only thing that even reminded her was an abrupt breeze that blew across her skin. And when she glanced down to see why she was so cold, Suikoto crossed her legs quickly. It likely wouldn't do much good ... but she tugged on the shirt, trying to make it a bit longer than it'd originally been made.

And suddenly, another realization dawned upon her. This was far worse than she could have ever realized and not just because the manor was gone. The Elder and Hiashi had both feared she may be working for Kumogakure. So when that dreaded name passed Neji's lips, it made her tremble. Everything looked completely against her. Mere hours after they took her in, the entire house was taken away along with the Elder's life? The only reason she could prove her innocence was simple. Neji had been with her most of the day. He would have easily seen her place the bombs.

But would Hiashi believe her?

Before she could even stop herself, tears fell silently down her face. The same guilt she'd been feeling since Neji had come to her room and gotten her out only strengthened. Maybe the bombs weren't her doing ... but the rest of this truly was her fault. She'd run from the Kumogakure nin and all but teased and taunted them with her escape. And now because of that, she'd dragged them here. Not only into Konoha but the entire manor!

Suikoto's head bowed as her body shook. She didn't even begin to know what to say or do. All she could resume doing was pray, hope like hell the first reactions that Hiashi had weren't to try to blame her anyways. It'd be easy ... but would he actually do it?

As the same sounds caught Hinata's ears, she turned to try to pinpoint where it was coming from. But before she could speak up, Hissori kicked her back into the hot springs. When her head emerged, she saw the arrow and realized it had been where she'd been standing. Her heart instantly sank, guilt overwhelming Hinata. That first arrow .. it hadn't even been for Hissori. No, that had been for her. And now ... he was wounded.

Her head quickly shook no though. Now wasn't the time for pity. She had to focus, to be his eyes. Letting her gaze stay on the arrow stuck in the stone, she looked outside of the hot springs. While she herself wasn't an archer, she had been around Hissori long enough to self-teach herself a few things. And right now, the angle the weapon had landed at suggested they weren't even inside, trying to keep themselves concealed from the outside.

Yet ... she wasn't seeing a figure. Not yet, anyways. Were they keeping themselves cloaked somehow? Her head slowly shook. "I... I'm not seeing anyone yet." Using the ledge, Hinata pulled herself slightly up but not out to try to get a better look.
 

Hanabi leaned down beside the now crying and pantless Suikoto placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. She looked down at the look a like ninja, and shook her head small waves of her frayed purple hair falling as she looked at her with a small amount of kindness in her eyes. "It's okay, this wasn't your doing. If anything it only supports the fact that you are needed here isn't that right Neji, Father?"

Neji let out a small nod as leaned in over Suikoto. No one would blame her for this tragedy that was for certain, and though he didn't usually trust or agree with Hanabi he had to admit she was right about this one. "This proves that your in danger still, and thus our home is the safest place for you." He looked out over the estate. The building its self was something to rebuild, and would take time, until then however there were places they could go, rooms they could take.

Hiashi simply nodded. There was suddenly a lot more to focus on then just his daughters rebellion, and Hinata would certainly have a lot to answer for when she got back. She knew that their family was bound to be in danger, and yet she and Hissori both left deciding on a vacation. He didn't voice these thoughts, but he knew them, and oddly held no real feelings towards them, but it was Hanabi who was here to fight along side them, and help them in their time of need.

Neji sat down next To suikoto wrapping an arm around her and bringing her chin to rest on his shoulder. "It's okay, your among family now." He said lifting her up. His hand brushing her cheek dry as he held her until a small group landed out infront of the four of them. One of which was a figgure often spoken of, but rarely seen out of his office these days. His long jacket wore a wave of orange flames, as the hat on his head marked him as the sixth Hokage.

Naruto wasn't really smiling as he walked up, the four ANBU were more or less his personal guard. He looked over the destruction and bit his lip. "Is everyone okay? Where is Hinata?" He had drifted from many of his friends, but to see the Hyuuga's estate like this, he was worried for his friends, and more then that worried for his city. Even if this was the first time that Naruto had been seen in public for a long time he had to come out when he saw something like this. Eyeing Suikoto he paused for a moment... she wasn't a member of his villiage, and she wasn't a hyuuga he had on file. "I'm sorry, but... who are you?"

Hissori scanned the area. the shots were coming from different directions, but both required a constant hightened elevation, and that left very few places. The walls were designed so that no building could see over the hot spring to prevent some kind of peeping tom. yet the arrows were being shot from above them, first his shoulder pointing down, and then the cement pointing down. The arrows tragecteries were different so the archer had to be moving it was that simple.

Hinata couldn't see anything, and he couldn't either, so few jutsu could actually keep something concealed from the hyuuga's eyes, but it wasn't impossible... It just took a lot of study and a group with the right kind of information could do it. Little doubt about it this had to be the work of Kumo. Still maybe... He paused. "Hinata along the walls, check for any place where the rain isn't hitting!" They find the moving dry patch, they find their shooter. At the same time he searched for the next shot, but this time it seemed to be working. The assassin was re evaluating his tactics.

One way or another the third shot this assassin fired would be his last, and that worried him plenty, As much as Hissori's shoulder stung it was nothing compared to the amount of pain he would suffer through if Hinata actually did get shot. He wouldn't allow that to happen.
 
Suikoto Ashigawa & Hinata Hyuuga
スイコト アシガワ & ヒナタ ヒュウガ​

As an even younger voice spoke up, Suikoto took the opportunity to study the source. It was a girl who didn't look to be even a teenager just yet. But she was damn close, maybe eleven or so. And going off how she addressed Hiashi, the female was apparently another daughter. It was only slightly odd just because Neji hadn't brought her up. But what was by far the more nerve-wracking issue was her words. The meeting she'd had with the Elder, Hiashi, and Neji had seemed to be similar to one that was very confidential. So why would her first thoughts have been that this wasn't her fault?

... I can't be that easy to read, can I?

She didn't want to believe so but then again, her mind was a wreck. There were a few facts that Suikoto was damn well certain about and none were at all pleasant. The girl was right with one thing, if nothing else. This attack proved that she truly did need help and protection. "Thank you ... errr .... we never got to meet before now. Suikoto and you are ... ??"

Her tears hadn't at all ceased falling but they were trying to slow. Her eyes closed instinctively as the figures all soon arrived. Suikoto stood out ... she knew that perfectly. But she still wanted to be left alone, even if only for a bit. But of course, the one speaking had to ask a question that was clearly for her.

So now she turned to glance back, first upon all the ANBU and then the man with the jacket. The symbol was similar and yet different but still enough to suggest this was the person leading Konohagakure. That plus the bodyguards beside him suggested that even though she didn't want to repeat her story again, it would be best to anyways.

Taking a deep breath, Suikoto forced herself to make contact with the new man, looking into the foreign set of blue eyes. "Suikoto Ashigawa, a kunoichi from Iwagakure. When rumors of a civil uprising in Iwagakure went around, I chose to leave, not feeling like getting caught in the wreck." Had it even actually wound up happening? Even now, she didn't know. But the rumors had still been enough to scare her. "So I headed here to begin a new life. Konoha has always had one of the best reputations, especially for a nation to reside in. On the way here ... "

Her teeth gripped her lower lip. Goddamnit all, she really didn't want to continue on. Taking another deep breath, she forced the sentence to resume. "I got ambushed by Kumogakure nin. They mistook me for a Hyuuga." Hopefully the boy wasn't too blonde and would ask on why. The reasons were literally in front of his eyes. "Neji found me yesterday, rather recently after I escaped from them. I'd been ... with the Kumo for five days. Please.... I don't want to say much more on the matter though. I've had to relay it several times already ... and I feel sick to my stomach as it is. My back - body really - spells out what happened if you really want an idea, though."

And true, it was hidden by the shirt Neji had given her. But even with the white top, scars could easily be seen through the cloth; quite a few of them too. In fact, if he paid close attention to certain non-sensual areas, he'd see the same markings on and around her shoulders, arms, and even legs.


Giving a quick nod, Hinata glanced up towards the walls. Her body was still shaking, unable to believe this was even happening at all. But finally she saw the silhouette her eyes had been seeking. Raising a hand diagonally upward, it would point to a very discreet but noticeable set of rafters above the hot springs. "There!" She cried out, letting her hand stay in place for a while before ducking in the water.
 
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