Fiat justitia, ruatcaelum

Making Promises - Part II

They walked from the administration district to a place on the edge between the tea house row and the market place.
“Iruka’s” Sakura hesitated outside the open air parlor, *As in Iruka-sensei?* From the street, one could see more young people than old, many laughing. *could it be…?*
Sakura stepped in out of the sun, a smile gracing her face as she pulled down the mask of wraps. She could almost taste the confections in the air.
She followed Hinata’s trail as it meandered closer to the noodle bar, the blast of spices from the more robust flavors making Sakura’s mouth water and tingle.
Behind the counter stood a man in an apron. He wore a smile as wide as the scar that creased his nose. Both worn with good humor and pride. He wore a mock headband, a steaming bowl stitched onto a gray field.
“Iruka-sempia!”
“Hanabi!” Iruka’s smiled widened, “Hinata! I don’t see you guys anymore! The usual?”
“Yes, please!” Hinata called back, “We’ll be at our table!”
Iruka laughed as a young boy bounced on his stool, waving a coupon in the air. *I wonder were around here Naruto is…*
“Pardon me, miss.” She looked down at a young man sitting at the table she was passing, “You ought to put away that mist sign.” He flicked his glance to a table of surly looking nin, ‘Some aren’t too keen on the mist nin in this place.”
Sakura pulled the headband off, rolling it up and saluting the table or brooders before stuffing it into a pocket.
“Why save me the trouble?” She asked quietly. One of the members from the table nodded to Sakura before the conversation resumed, one of them laughing.
The older boy laughed, “A friend of Hinata is a friend of us all.”
“Oi! Stop flirting around and get over here, billboard brow!”
“Later, friend.’ The boy took a draw from his glass, winking at Sakura.
“Thanks.” She winked back before she left him.
Hanabi scooted over as Sakura sidled into the booth in the back corner. The kanji for ash carved deeply into the table top.
Hinata glanced around the room quickly. “So you managed to find a way out of Konoha and back in. Did you find them?”
“It was easier than I had thought.” Sakura leaned back into the thickly padded seat, “And I came back to help you.”
Hinata raised one brow. “Why?”
Sakura shrugged, “Just things to settle.”
“Speaking of things to settle…” Hinata lowered her voice, “The paperwork Neji had me file was a formal claim of abandonment. If no one comes forward in two weeks to dispute your claim, the Uchiha Complex is yours.” She leaned in lower, “And the only Uchiha anyone has heard about in five years have been rumor.”
“Itachi’s gonna love that…” Sakura growled.
“Hinata…” Hanabi crawled under her sister’s arm, eyes locked on the entrance.
“What the hell does he want?” Hinata scowled.
Sakura pulled down her goggles. Neji had come in and strolled around as if he owned the place.
The laughter from the brooding table fell silent.
It didn’t take long for the one Hyuuga to spot the others. He came over, ignoring the daggers that sliced him from a dozen pair of eyes, and slid into the booth.
“Hello cousin!” He smiled as a crocodile, “So who’s your new friend?”
“Name’s Naru.” Sakura let her eyes glower. “You got business here, or you just bein’ nosey?”
Neji’s smile faltered, “I would ask the same as you.”
Sakura didn’t let up, “I’m looking for Hyuuga Neji. They say the best way to find a Hyuuga is through a Hyuuga.”
“And why would you be looking for Neji?”
“I’ve got a message.”
Neji renewed his smile, leaning back. “And what would this message happen to be?”
Sakura slipped a little lower in her seat, “You’d have to be Hyuuga Neji to find out.”
“He he ha! Neji is indeed who I am. And as much As I enjoy this game…” He lost the grin, “I don’t really have time to play around.”
“Good!” Sakura drew two coins from her vest pocket and rolled them across the table. “Some pink haired chick gave me these. Said if I could find you, tell you to back off and mind your own.”
Neji let the coins roll between his knuckles and lifted them.
“I knew Sukuri was a reasonable girl.”
Sakura shrugged, “Whatever. I didn’t think I’d really find you.” *If this weren’t a public place, you damned… ARRHHH I can’t even think of a good insult!*
“Is that all, dear cousin?” Neji nearly drawled as he looked over Hinata and Hanabi. He let his eyes linger on Hanabi’s smirking as she cringed tighter to her sister’s arm.
He chuckled as Hanabi broke the gaze, burying her face in Hinata’s side.
“If you’re done tormenting my little sis-aahhh!”
Neji face had fallen into a dark mask, “Such a tone.”
Hinata fall against the table, her eyes crushed shut and her teeth squeaking as she ground them.
“That won’t do at all.”
Hinata blew out her breath harshly, sucking down another draft. One hand curled around her headband, the other clutched the table. The muscles in her jaw and neck began to spasm.
“Now what do we say?” His tone was false and shallow.
There was a dull, subtle crack from Hinata and she blew another gust of breath against he table, spittle and blood pooling.
“Gomen-nasia, Hyuuga-sama!” Hanabi didn’t release her sister’s arm, “Forgive her, I beg you. She didn’t mean to sound insolent!”
Hinata had yet to draw new breath. Her face was turning red and the veins had come to the surface.
“She was just trying to remind you… You had said you didn’t have time for games!” Hanabi had tears in her eyes, “Certainly your time is more valuable than to waste on one such as myself, Hyuuga-sama!”
Neji waited a half moment more before he waved his hand in dismissal, “I suppose you’re right.”
Hinata collapsed, trying to breathe and retch at the same time.
“Tell her she has half an hour. When she comes around.” Neji stood.
Sakura stood as well. “I don’t know the history…” she glared as hard as she knew how, “But I hear about this happening again…” Her hand ran over the kunai hilts near her hip. Behind her, Hinata struggled through a couching fit. *Well, she’s breathing.*
“If you want to threaten…” Neji’s eyes began to burn, “Perhaps we could settle that matter sooner rather than later.”
Sakura laughed in his face, “I know you can see all around yourself, Hyuuga. And now you know as well as I; we start the end here, it won’t be just you and I.”
Two members of the brooding table were holding a third in his seat and several other hands around the room held kunai and shuriken.
“Perhaps when next we meet.” Sakura slid back into her seat, “I promise.”
Neji’s lip pulled into a sneer. His hand flexed.
“That is enough!” Iruka’s voice crushed the room.
*Still has that listen-to-me tone that tamed Naruto…*
An anbu stood outside. Sakura suddenly realized how much chakra was loose in the room.
Neji turned, storming out. The anbu watched him go.
“We’re alright in here, sir.” Iruka called to the anbu. The masked face nodded and the man vanished.
“That was the dumbest thing I’ve seen anyone ever do.” Hinata spit onto a napkin, then dug around inside her mouth.
“I suppose chivalry pisses you off then?”
There was a subtle, slight pop. Hinata drew something from her mouth and dropped it onto the napkin.
“Another one broken…” Hanabi hugged closer, “Big sister, you haven’t got many teeth left…”
“My eyes will turn black before he breaks your teeth.” Hinata hugged her sister back.
Sakura scooted closer, “Let me heal that.”
Hinata just scowled.
“If they’re already gone, what harm can I do?”
“Just let her try.” Hanabi looked up into Hinata’s eyes, “You trust her a little, right?”
Hinata looked back to Sakura, “Right now, Very little.”
Sakura pooled the healing chakra in both hands and raised them to cradle Hinata’s jaw.
She could feel the pulse of the freshly broken tooth. A single, well lodged shard all that remained. Sakura focused, letting the rhythm of life set itself in her mind. Let it flavor the chakra.
And the old injuries came to light. Ten…twelve other broken off or badly cracked. One was infected.
Sakura let the fresh wound soak up the energy. She let the flow ooze further, seeping into the older wounds as well.
She sighed as she pooled extra chakra, “This is going to hurt. Maybe a lot.”
Then she forced chakra into the wounds, new and old alike.
Hinata’s jaw shocked in torment, and the feedback made Sakura’s stomach turn. And she pushed harder.
The resistance within the flesh gave way, the seeds of new teeth taking root by force.
Sakura eased off, letting the residual energy repair the damage she had done. The pink iridescent glow in her hands faded quickly and she resumed breathing.
Hinata held her jaw, “That did indeed hurt quite a bit.” Her eyes scowled and her fist caught Sakura on the cheek.
“You’re welcome.”
“That was an impressive show.” Iruka stood beside the table, a tray of rice balls balanced on one hand and tea on the other. “Everything alright over here?”
“As well as can be in the wake of Hyuuga Neji. Bastard…!”
Iruka set the trays down and poured out the tea, the red brew steaming, filling the air with a sweet smell.
“Don’t let Neji press you into the mud.” Iruka slide each of them a cup and set down a thick handful of napkins for Hinata. “He’ll get it all back one day. Everything comes around eventually.”
Hinata actually smiled, “We can always dream, Iruka -sempia.”
“Dreams come true. Just believe in them.” The man Sakura saw anew as a teacher and mentor walked away, picking up dishes from a newly vacated table.
Hinata sipped her tea, wincing as the hot drink washed through tender flesh, “Believe and Neji will get his.” she scoffed, “About the same time the Exile becomes Hokage.” She took another sip. “If it weren’t my birthright to protect him, I would kill Hyuuga Neji.”
Sakura picked up one of the rice balls, giving it a nibble. It was spiced well and dusted with sugar rather than salt. “Why don’t you get away from him? Or turn him in to the elders?”
Hinata scoffed again, “The branch families are… Little better than slaves. And who would take the word of the girl that was nearly the heir over the prodigy of the Hyuuga Clan. If my father had been born first…” She huffed, “They were twins. Seperated by mere moments…”
Hinata pulled down the bandages that covered her forehead. Etched into the skin in darkest black. The oldest sigil for the sun bordered with a stark line on each side. “This means that no matter how far, or how fast I run, I’m still just twenty minutes and a foul mood from having my brains turned into soup.”
She began to rewrap her head, “If it got back that they seriously thought one of us meant to desert or betray Konoha or the clan in some fashion, it wouldn’t matter what kind of protection you had. Nothing stops the curse seal. Nothing short of death.”
Sakura pulled her own wraps back into place, “I’ll find a way.” She met Hinata’s eye, her raised brow, “I will find a way to free you and Hanabi from the curse seal.”
Sakura stood and turned toward the door.
“Hey, billboard brow.”
Sakura turned in time to catch something Hinata had thrown. Her headband shone in Sakura’s grip.
“Get out of here before I change my mind.” Hinata turned back to her teat, pouring the small cup full again.
Sakura made it to the street and looked around. She put the leaf headband in her vest and closed the pocket snap.
“Miss Naru.” The boy that had warned her about the mist symbol had come out behind her, “If I could have a word with you?”
“Depends on what you want.” *Do I really have time for this?*
The boy smiled pleasantly, “I couldn’t help but over hear your conversation at points. The man I work for was once a good friend of a man by the name of Itachi. But they have lost touch in recent times.”
Sakura sighed, “Listen. I don’t work for Itachi. And I’m not really into freelance. You want my services, take it up with Lady Hanuro.”
“My name is Miroko.” The boy pulled a headband from his pocket, flashing the kanji for ash before it fell back into his pocket, “If you should happen across someone who might run into Itachi, tell them that my lord supports him.”
Sakura shrugged, “Whatever, man.”
Miroko shrugged as well, “And if Lady Hanuro is interested in Konoha, she may want to know Lord Moerku as well. Whoever she may be.”
Sakura tapped her foot, “That all?”
Miroko stretched and turned to walk up the street, “If you have any sort of reply, I’m usually here.” And he walked away whistling.
Sakura looked back into the parlor. In the shadows, she could see the sisters arm in arm.
She put Iruka’s to her back and melted into the flow of daily traffic, letting it carry her like a river.
In two weeks, messengers and assassins alike would be out looking for ‘Lady Hanuro’. Each as welcome as the other.
Sakura tied on the familiar leaf headband, letting it hold down her hair. It was comfortable and familiar.
And she ravaged her mind, trying to recall everywhere she had uttered her name and who might have heard.