CHP 2

Author's Note: Why does my inspiration always come on at the wee hours of the morning? I attempted to proofread, but please forgive any mistakes. I hope this doesn't disappoint. =)

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Hinata's throat felt like it had clamped shut. It felt like her lungs had given out.

"He… he… had to…?" She whispered.

Looking at Sakura and the attendant, Hinata vaguely thought that it was strange how they continued chatting and giggling while her mind was in a chaotic whirlwind. She wasn't sure what she should do or if she should even do anything at all. If she tried to do something, would things get even worse? But she couldn't stand there and do nothing.

"S-sakura?" She peeped after a moment's silence.

Pink hair swiveled to face her, "Yeah?"

"Who… who did you hear that from?" Hinata swallowed hard. Her deceptive tactics were… well… pretty much nonexistent. Hopefully Sakura wouldn't read into it.

Scrunching her face in thought she replied, "Oh… well, naturally Ino told me. The big mouth…" Sakura trailed off, "…Oh, but she said she overheard Shizune talking about it with Shishou. Why?"

"Oh, n-no reason!" Hinata called back as she darted out of the hospital doors, the thoughts of volunteering floating to the back of her mind. Black hair floated behind her as her ran the few blocks to the Hokage's mansion.

But she stopped short at the door.

What in the hell was she thinking? She wasn't in any trouble and Kakashi had gotten off with little more than a warning. What did she think she was going to fight for? She wasn't thinking clearly. If she just went home and slept on it she was sure that she'd come to her senses.

Just then the outside door popped open, nearly smacking her shocked face.

Kakashi just looked at her as if she were just another of the plant life scattered around and stalked off.

Why was it so devastating that he didn't say anything to her?

Hinata stood there, dumbfounded. She questioned whether he had even seen her or not. She had just disappeared into the woodwork like she did at home.

With a fresh spark of determination, she stamped her way into the Hokage's mansion and didn't stop until she reached Shizune's desk.

Hinata was greeted with raised eyebrows, "And what has you in a tizzy?"

"Um…" Her old insecurities were back, "Shizune, I… I heard something about Kakashi-sensei…?"

"Mmm…" Eyes rolled, "Ino I bet,"

Hinata didn't answer. It would be best just to stay on course, "Who… who would threaten… I mean… well… What I m-mean to say is," Her courage was giving out on her fast. Her heart was racing. Her mind wasn't thinking. And, for the life of her, she couldn't get the words to form on her tongue.

But Shizune cut off her stammering, "Who would threaten someone as freaking legendary as Kakashi, am I right?"

Wide eyes only stared back. Hinata shook her head in agreement.

The medical nin shuffled through some papers, discarding some in the garbage bin as she did, and transferring some to another pile completely. Just as the Hyuga girl was wondering if Shizune even remembered she was still here, "Oh, here it is…"

Shizune read from the paper, "Souta," Bold eyes met Hinata's, "Look for a pompous ass named Souta. You'll known him when you see him,"

"Ah… um… th-thank you," Hinata started to back away from Shizune's desk and down the stairs again, only catching a passing glance of Shizune's all-knowing smirk.

She rushed down the stairs and, upon encountering a passing stranger, inquired about a man named Souta. He merely pointed up, "Third," He grunted and left her alone. She had no time to think about momentary rudeness as she dashed to the next set of stairs and made her way to the third level.

It was spotless, she noticed as she stepped from the stairs. A middle aged woman sat at a desk filed her nails. Hinata approached her and was greeted by a snarl, "Yes?"

"Um… I-I'm looking for…" She swallowed hard, her throat as dry as Suma, "Souta…?"

The woman's eyes went to the closed door next to her, then resumed staring at her nails as the file scratched.

She gathered up ever bit of courage she had left, took a deep breath, then stepped forward to the door. Hinata knocked. It was opened from the inside and she sucked in a silent gasp at what she saw before her. She realized that there was no way this man had opened the door himself for he was lounging in his desk chair, clearly breaking the barrier of three hundred pounds. And all fat no less.

"S-Souta…?"

He looked up at her. His eyes were as dark as night, his hair a greasy grayish black slicked back over his head. Folds of fat draped over other folds. Beads of sweat gathered on his face and neck, "What do you want? Oh… its you,"

"Y-you know who I… am?" Hinata squeaked.

"Of course, stupid girl. You're the Hyuga girl," He eyed her with distaste. He was obviously the man she was looking to talk to, "Leave. I know what you want to say and I have nothing to say in return," And with that he turned back to his paperwork.

She was more than a little let down about this sudden and inappropriate dismissal. She wasn't quite sure what she had set out to accomplish, but it was disheartening to be turned away without even attempting. Hinata turned to go home.

Over the course of the week, she had returned twice a day, every day, to Souta's office in the hopes that he would hear her side of the story. She had decided that she wanted to clear Kakashi's name. She wanted him to have his pay back; his name back, but each time Souta wouldn't even open his door to her.

One day, after another rejection at Souta's office, Hinata encountered Tenten, Sakura, and Ino on the way home.

"Why so down, Hinata?" Tenten asked her as they walked in the direction of the Hyuga's clan home.

Ino piped up, "I'll bet it's a boy! I'd know that sulky look anywhere,"

Hinata just walked quietly among her friends, her head sagging in defeat, "Well… I-I just don't know… what to do…" Tears blurred her vision. She wanted to make this up to Kakashi. He had risked his career and slandered his own name to keep her out of it and she was grateful for that, even if he stayed away from her.

"Fight," Was all Ino said. It was said without hesitation or uncertainty. She said it as though she understood everything that Hinata was feeling and that was the most obvious and correct answer. "Hinata, I don't know what's going on, but all I can say is… just fight for him,"

Ino may never have known it, even to this day, how that one word impacted her friend's entire life, but it certainly had. Suddenly Hinata felt her fear and doubts melt away. She knew what she had to do, but first she needed to find him.

"G-guys? Can you do me a favor…?"

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…

Kakashi was lounging in the hot springs, downing more than his fair share of sake alone, when a door burst open and raven hair fell around a familiar face. His shock must have shown in his only exposed eye and he shielded himself, though she had seen everything before.

"What…? What in the hell…?" He sat up to get out.

"No," Hinata held up a small hand to stop him, "I just… I just have one question. A-and I need an honest answer. If you could…" She stared into his covered face, mentally withdrawing his mask and hitai ate to gaze into his eyes, "If you could… would you… would you still be with me?"

He faltered a moment, unsure of his words, "I… Hinata, you know this could never be,"

"If… if you could…?"

"I…" He couldn't bear to look at her face. He knew that it would mean a demotion for both of them. It would kill their reputations. Her father would kill him, "I… would,"

Her eyes sparkled, but with tears or happiness he couldn't speculate. Then she turned and was gone like a dream.

One quick text message to Ino sparked it all from there:

"Tell everyone."

In just an hour, nearly half of Konoha knew that the great Copy Nin Hatake Kakashi had had an affair with Hyuga Hinata and it was consensual. The market was buzzing, the streets were whispering, and the Hokage's mansion… well…

Souta finally opened the door.

Hinata, Souta himself, and Tsunade were in the Hokage's office. Tsunade was gulping sake like it was water, trying to make sense of it all while Souta sat, folds drooping, in a large leather chair.

"This is an outrage, Hokage-sama! An outrage!" He shouted directly at Hinata who sat, hands crossed in her lap, "This impudence should not be tolerated and should be punished!" He continued to shout, the fat around his face and neck vibrating with every syllable, "Immediately!"

Tsunade slammed her fist on the desk, cracking it in places, "Now you just shut it!" She sighed as she rubbed her temples, "Hinata… honest to god… what the holy fuck were you thinking? Do you realize that Kakashi's sacrifices are totally useless now? The whole damn village knows,"

"You've brought shame to Konohagakure! Shame!"

"If I tell you one more time, Souta, I swear…" Tsunade growled through gritted teeth, "You may be head of Internal Relations, but I won't think twice about punching your damn face off, got it?"

Souta sulked in his seat as Hinata rose from her's, "Hokage-sama… I-I… I just want to say…"

At this time Kakashi practically kicked the door in, Shizune scrambling after him to 'stop!'.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing? Do you have any idea how this just ruined your life?" His face showed more sadness than anger; more frustration than disappointment.

"I-I… I just…" Her tongue was tied again. She thought she was brave enough o do this, but the sight of him only made things worse. He tied her stomach in knots. He caused her throat to dry up. He made her heart flutter.

As she felt these things, more voices chimed into the chaos.

"Hokage-sama! We can still convince everyone it was a rumor."

"I can't believe you would do this, Kakashi! Why didn't you talk to her so she wouldn't do something like this?"

"…Should lock you up for this! We should lock both of you up for this! Its disturbing the peace, I say!"

Yelling turned into screaming and gradually everyone's faces grew closer. But Hinata stood in place.

The realization hit her like a boulder. He made her feel warm. He made her feel wanted. He shared talks with her about petty and meaningful things. He laughed with her. He held her when she cried.

She took a few small steps toward the cluster of screaming voices, "Wait…" She muttered.

"Wait…" She was trying to find her voice buried deep beneath feelings of second-rate and no-good-at-all and un-loved.

It was there.

Somewhere.

"Quieeettt!" She screamed, well above those of her superiors. The three of them fell deathly silent, pale with shock at this uncharacteristic act.

And without one stutter or pause, Hinata spoke her peace, "I came here with a purpose, but none of you seem to want to know what it is, " She met each one in the eye, "I want you to give Kakashi whatever he lost back. He's done nothing wrong and whatever happens to my name and reputation is my fault and my problem, "She sighed, "I… love Kakashi. And there's nothing that can change that."

She sat down casually and refolded her hands in her lap.

Jaws dropped. When Tsunade regained her composure, she sat down too, "Well, Souta," She began as she crossed her fingers in front of her, "This was quite a pickle, but if they are both willing to accept the sacrifices… I'm sure Hinata's father would like a grandchild with, how should I say this, prestigious blood. …They are both over legal age and, quite frankly, I'd like to say," She turned to him with an oversized grin, "You can shove it,"

Souta crossed his bloated arms in a huff and leaned back into his chair.

Hinata couldn't take her eyes off of Kakashi. And he the same. It seemed they stared at each other in silence for eternity.

"Hinata, I…" He moved to her and cupped her cheek, "I don't want this to ruin you. You have everything in front of you, I don't want to take that away,"

She smiled up at him, "You are everything,"

He pulled her to her feet and kissed her like they would never see each other again.

"I love you," Kakashi murmured between kisses, "I love you. I love you,"

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…

It took nearly two years for the whispers and rumors to die down in Konoha. Of course, it was the biggest story since hearing that the last surviving Uchiha boy was homosexual. Hinata moved out of her father's stuffy house into Kakashi's small apartment. But it felt like home more than her father's ever had.

This particular morning, they lay naked in bed together, warm under the covers after a long, but enjoyable night, as usual. Kakashi stroked long, raven locks of hair as he soaked in her scent.

"I'll always love you," He breathed.