Killing Me

You must do the thing you think you cannot do.

-Eleanor Roosevelt

Killing Me

By boyarina

Chapter 8: Hyuuga Neji

Stalking is considered a crime in several villages. I am very much aware of that. In fact, I have proactively researched about this offense just to see if I am going to be committing a capital crime in Konoha and when I have found out that it actually IS a capital crime, I said to myself, To hell with that.

I am going to stalk whomever I want, whenever and wherever I chose to do it. See if you could stop me.

Just so that we clear things up, I am not stalking simply for the sheer fun of it. That is stupid. Rather, I am stalking to benefit the person whom I am stalking. Yes, it doesn’t sound right—not even by any convoluted standards, however, it is the truth. Coming from me, I bet you, there could be nothing truer than that.

No, I am not going to tell you who I am stalking. Then, again, it’s not as though I could keep it away from your prying eyes. The instant I slip, even if it is just a miniscule detail, I know you would guess who it is. This is why I am not even going to bother telling you.

Anyhow, I consider it as part of my shinobi duty to protect those who cannot protect themselves. This is partly the reason why I am stalking her. For the most part, I am stalking her because she is acting way too cheerfully for comfort after being bombed with such horrible news. I could feel that she is in the denial stage—that she is not fully facing the facts and would then fall in a grave depression. I want to make sure she would not be do something really stupid (something far beyond foolish than what she already did) when that time comes.

Speaking of stupid actions, that girl should have told at least one close friend/relative about her condition by now. But considering that she has not done so, no one is telling her now to take it easy, or get some rest, or go to the hospital to have herself checked, make sure everything is all right. Though given that I am the only who knows about her… physiological state, I am not entirely obligated to go and tell her what she absolutely needs to do. It maybe my duty to ascertain that she does not further harm herself, however, it certainly does not encompass mother-henning! Truly! Whosoever could imagine me mother-henning anyone, anyone at all, is spectacularly missing one very important bolt in their head!

Ahem. Moving forward. I would like to state for the record that this girl is just plain reckless. Never in my life had I seen expectant mothers do heavy physical labor and by heavy physical labor I mean HEAVY PHYSICAL LABOR (sparring, helping some old man with plowing his farmland, traveling from one of the village to the other…). She just doesn’t have the good sense to sit down and think what these activities might result to. Had I not known that she normally would not hurt a fly unless absolutely provoked, I would have come to the conclusion that she is trying to have a miscarriage.

(Bet you know now who I am referring to don’t you? Actually, I wouldn’t even be surprised if you tell me you had known all along…)

The one thing that I might consider as a consolation in line with all the horrible things that I am witnessing right now is the fact that someone at least is providing his assistance to Ino-san. Because of his constant hovering, I would even go far as to say that my aggravation over the absence of Ino’s immediate helping hand (due to a fault entirely of her own making) is appeased.

Almost.

I am just a bit peeved. Peeved at the way the man (Uzumaki Naruto) Ino was always with seemed not to miss a chance at grazing any of his body part onto any of Ino’s body part at every opportunity. To my estimation, he appears just about ready to attach himself to Ino’s hip… or worse. Good thing he doesn’t have anything that resembles an adhesive with him. For sure, he would have taken advantage of that and used it to glue himself to Ino’s side.

“Ino-chan, let me carry that for you!”

Can you see my eyebrow twitching? No? You’re obviously near-sighted then!

Honestly, did he really have to ask that? Seeing that Ino-san was merely carrying a pouch that any 5-year could carry, the ‘gentlemanly’ offer had not been necessary (absolutely not necessary!). A form of help though he might be at the moment, no one was really asking for him to be over-the-top-chivalrous.

“I can carry it myself, Naruto.”

Hmph. I was right, wasn’t I? She did not need any help with the pouch at all!

“Er, you know, Ino-chan, you have been on your feet all day. Shouldn’t expecting mothers be supposed to be taking it easy?”

Ino-san froze mid-step and turned to stare at Naruto.

“I am not expecting,” she said, obviously lying through her teeth. If not for the startled expression on her face, she would have sounded believable.

Naruto’s eyes narrowed, nearly in the same manner that mine had.

“Did the father take off when you told him about it?”

Ino-san made an irritated sound and sharply turned her head away from Naruto. “What are you talking about?”

Naruto clamped his mouth shut, as he took a sharp intake of breath. There was no telling what was going on in his mind, but the blond shinobi seemed ready to bolt.

“You didn’t know?” Naruto asked warily.

Ino jerked her head, apparently startled with what Naruto commented. A part of her mouth went to the side, but this only lasted for a heartbeat. Gears started cranking noisily in her head and even from the distance that separated me and Ino-san, I could feel a strong vibe of the plan she was brewing.

“Know what?” Ino asked in turn, brows creasing. Her voice was a little too high; I knew that she was trying to look and sound innocent. Naruto appeared to be in between decisions of whether to believe her or not.

“Look,” Naruto said, as he placed a hand on Ino’s shoulder and gently turned her to face him. “I am pretty accurate when it comes to these kinds of things. Do you want to go to old lady Tsunade? I can help punch out the guy who did this to you too.”

Ino frowned at him. “Did you fell out of bed this morning?”

Naruto crossed his arms, an offended look in his face. “I’m offering my help. You will have a child and that child ought to have a father!”

Ino quickly backed away from Naruto. Her jaw dropped and an unbelievable tint of pink colored her cheeks. She was uncomfortable; a bit more than just speechless.

I am feeling a bit speechless as well. Did I just hear Naruto implying that he is volunteering to become Ino’s unborn child’s father? In Ino’s condition, she just might accept his offer. Not unless I step in, that child’s future would be in great peril.

“I really don’t know what you are saying.” This breathless statement could not have rang more false.

Naruto took a deep breath and shook his head. “I really don’t know why you are denying it. Look, it’s not like Hyuuga is the father, right?”

To my disbelief, Ino’s eyes widened. Blush covered her face red—looking guilty as hell. I really don’t know what she is looking guilty about. I did not touch her. Ridiculous as it may be, but I am as virgin as they come! She, for the life of her, should not, SHOULD NOT be looking like that!

Naruto’s jaw dropped. He—as much as I was—utterly was gob smacked by her reaction. “Oh. My. God. I was joking! Ino-chan, I was joking!”

“And I didn’t say that he was the father!” Ino snapped back, a little too shrilly.

Naruto leaned closer to her with his hands on his hips. “You didn’t have to say anything at all! Your face was a dead give-away! And you knew you were pregnant, didn’t you!” The accusatory tone of his voce vibrated in every fiber of his being.

“Why are you so troubled by this?” Ino shoved Naruto away. Not as hard as I would have wanted for her to push him, but enough satisfy my need to see space separating them.

“Troubled? Troubled? I am hot and bothered by it! Why’d go and get pregnant by a Hyuuga?” Naruto lunged back towards Ino.

“I don’t understand you! Why are you so mad?”

“I am mad for very good reasons!”

“Which are what?!” Exasperation colored Ino’s tone.

Naruto let out an explosive breath and then a strangled yell. He stared at Ino long and hard. She glared right back at him.

“I can’t deal with this right now.” Ice crusted Naruto’s words. He straightened up, pivoted on his heel and started to walk away.

Ino threw her hands in the air. “I can’t believe you, you know that!”

“Fine!” Naruto yelled, not even looking back at her as he stomped off.

Naruto disappearing in the distance only appeared to signal the finality of this argument. I know better though. My guts were telling me that Naruto would be back. Personally, I have a few issues that I need to take up with her as well.

Primarily would be the fact that she did not refute Naruto’s crazy assumption that my sperms were responsible for her condition.