I Am Not a Secret to be Kept (A Neji Hyuga Love Story) - Book one [Discontinued]

Chapter 9

I froze. How had he found me so quickly? He cackled. "You shouldn't think so loudly, birdy." he said. Wait. That voice sounded so familiar! Who could it be? "You recognize me?" he said. "Heh, you're smarter than you look."

Something clicked in my brain. Yamauchi. Koi... chi. "You're Kei's older brother." I said through gritted teeth. I wanted to get out of here. "That's right." But he sounded different somehow. He sounded... corrupted. It might be silly to think something like that, but the way he was acting...

"Hah. What should I do with you?" Koichi asked. "How... am... I... supposed... to know?" I choked the words out. He'd put his arm around my neck and started suffocating me. "Ugh." I felt so lightheaded. Dizzy. "Stars." I thought in my stupor. "Stars are flying around."

"Nighty nighty." Koichi said. releasing me. I gasped for air. A sharp pain in my midriff gave me a shock. I looked down to see a kunai impaled in my stomach, but I didn't have the strength to cry out. "You make me sick." I whispered before becoming unconcious.

"Death doesn't come that easily, you know." A voice. Deep and dark but somehow powerful. I got up and looked around. This wasn't the dream dimension. This place was different. The only word to describe it would be... dark. Blackness swirled around me. I looked around to see where the voice was coming from, but in this darkness it was impossible to see anything.

"Where am I?" I managed to stutter out. I heard a noise of contempt. "You HONESTLY don't know?" I shook my head. "This is the shinigami dimension." Shini... gami? "What?" I said. "Isn't a shinigami a death god?" "That is correct." the voice responded.

"So, why am I here, then? I mean, if this is a place for gods, I shouldn't be here." I responded, confused. "You really are dense, aren't you?" I flinched. Any other creature and I would've been mad, but this... thing radiated power.

"You. Are. A. Shinigami." the voice said, as if speaking to a little child. It was still to much to comprehend. "And one more thing. That means you can't die." With that nice farewell message, I was jolted harshly back into reality.

"That was uncalled for." I said to myself. I realized I was still lying down, and tried to get up. The pain in my stomach stopped me. "Urgh." I said trying to pull the kunai out, but it was no use. I was dizzy from the lack of blood.

"I wish someone would kill me." I thought to myself. "The pain is too much." Then I remembered my "dream." Somehow, I had a feeling that it was real. "That means I can't die." I thought. "So I'm virtually invincible. But is it worth it?"

"Help." I managed to croak out, a feeble attempt to get someone's attention. Anyone. I didn't want to be left here for the rest of time. "It's over." I thought to myself. "There's no point in trying anymore." As I closed my eyes I heard rustling. My eyes flashed open and I looked at the spot where the rustling came from.

"Kazumi-chan?" I saw a familar face. "Hyuga-san? I didn't realize we were on a first name basis." I said, failing at an attempt at a joke. "Are you okay?" Strangely, he sounded worried. "Do I look okay to you?" I asked. "I'm bleeding. Everywhere."

I looked at my impaled middle and cringed. The blood was coming out faster now. Neji took no time in talking. He ripped out the kunai and I screamed. "What..." I gasped. "The... heck?" He looked at me. "It was just going to cause more damage."

I was still breathing hard. "Yeah.... but.... why did you.... have to.... pull... it... out... so fast?" I asked between rapid intakes of air. He shrugged. "To have you get it over with." he answered. "Darn you and your logic." I thought to myself.

"What now?" I asked. I was calming down a bit. "We bring you to the Konoha hospital, of course." he spoke to me as if I was stupid. "But I can't move." I said. "Much less walk." "I'll help you." he said, putting my arm around my neck and helping me up.

"By the way, how did you-" I stopped and bent slightly as the pain throbbed in my stomach. "-find me?" I asked, finishing my question, now breating heavily again. "Byakugan." he answered. "Now stop with the questions, we need to get to the hospital faster."

"Fine." I said panting heavily. The pain was worse than ever. As we loped down the road silently, Neji's arm bumped my wound slightly. "AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" I screamed as the pain overwhelmed me. I collapsed on the dusty road.

"Actually, wait here." Neji said. "I'm going to get help." "Oh yeah, because I can totally move right now." I said sarcastically. He ran off without a word and I tilted my head up to look at the sky. It was becoming overcast, the dark gray clouds taking over the sky. Like sleep was taking over me. Against my will, I fell asleep.

There were no dreams this time. Just... emptiness. Peace.

"Wake up." "Uh?" Bright lights shone in my face. "Wake up." I opened my eyes fully and recoiled at the harsh brightness. "Where am I?" I asked. "In the hospital." A voice answered. I looked over to where the voice came from- beside me- and saw a man in a doctor's coat with a mask on.

"Thankfully, you were out for the whole surgery." he said. "Surgery?" I asked. "I don't remember agreeing to that." He shrugged. "It was the only way to save you. Besides, your boyfriend gave us consent." Boyfriend? Could he possibly be talking about Neji?

My face went red on the spot. "Um." I said, trying to sit up. My body felt like jello, and I collapsed. "You shouldn't try to get up yet." the doctor said, leaving the room. "Ugh." I said. my brain felt woozy. "Just a bit more sleep couldn't hurt." I thought to myself, blacking out again.