Saving Us (NejiTen Fanfic)

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

My breathing ragged after running my umpteenth lap around the quadrangle even before the sun had started to rise. I needed to exercise more. I needed to put my head back in the game. That damn Hyuga was making me weird.

I slowed down my rhythm carefully to avoid any injuries since I was giving it my own. I needed the distraction. The feeling I felt after that kiss with Hyuga was simply just me being weak. It wasn't like it was my first kiss or anything so why did my heart jumped like that?

I came to a complete halt and bent down, putting my hands on top of my knees as I panted to catch my breath. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to run with all my might first thing in the morning. I dropped on the dirty ground and spread my arms on my side as I soaked in the heat of the rising sun. And I closed my eyes.

"Do you always run like this in the morning?"

The cold voice of Hyuga greeted me and I felt heat rose in my body. Which was very contradicting. I opened up one eye to see him in standing on top of my head, looking down at me with his usually unfeeling eyes. Yet—right now, there was certain rawness in them; certain vulnerability.

I closed my eyes once more, refusing to show how he could unnerve me so easily just by being there. "Hmm," I replied. "What about it?"

I heard him sighed but I kept my eyes closed. "Since we are going to be interacting with each other more despite you not wanting it, I just thought it would be better to at least be able to speak with each other normally,"

"Wow," I answered not interested. "That probably is the most I've heard came from you,"

He sighed once more before I heard him started to walk away. Wide-eyed, I jumped to my feet and ran towards him. Once I reached him, I tackled him to the ground. Hyuga grunted when he hit the surface hard. He tried to push me off but I shoved him down once more. I pressed myself closer to him and the boy beneath me finally stopped resisting.

A whooshing sound passed by the back of my head and a loud thud followed. I jumped up to my feet and looked at the direction where it had come from but there was no one in the field but us. I clicked my tongue in frustration at not being fast enough.

I looked back and saw a dagger embedded deep into the wooden desk someone was drying out in the field. I stared at it. It looked like any regular dagger, no engravement whatsoever in its hilt. Hyuga stood beside me wide-eyed in shock.

"Don't tell me you pushed me down because of this?" he asked; completely flabbergasted,

I shook my head as I pulled the dagger off the table. "Nah, I just like pushing people to the ground with no reason,"

He looked behind us. And then at me once more. "Thank you. You saved me again, I guess,"

Something in my mind clicked. "Yeah. . ." I slowly replied. "I guessed that made it twice now. But why?"

Hyuga shrugged. "They probably mistook me as an heir for the Hyuga. It's not like its anything new,"

I spun the dagger around my fingers as I thought deeply. For someone who's after such a big new to make such a mistake as to get the target wrong, I must be dealing with an amateur. And yet I couldn't catch him.

"Let's not report this," Hyuga said and I stared at him in shock. "Let's not make a big deal. Hinata will only worry."

I frowned at him but nodded nonetheless. "Well, if you're sure. But I get to keep this dagger,"

He rolled my eyes at him as we started walking back towards the dorm. "Fine. Just make sure no one sees that,"

I gave him a sinister smile. "Oh, that won't be a problem,"

~oOo~

"Hinata," I called as I sat down on my bed. "Your family are bigshots right?"

Hinata looked confused but nodded nonetheless. Sakura on the other hand, got curious and spun her chair around to look at us.

"Hinata's family are the Hyuga, you know. Aside from being all martial arts masters, they also run a big corporation," Sakura explained and Hinata agreed.

"So, have your life ever been threatened? With such a big family?"

Hinata gave me a sad smile. "Once. I was kidnapped back when I was a kid. After that, dad and uncle made it like Neji would be the one inheriting instead of me to keep me safe,"

"What?" I asked, shocked at this revelation.

Sakura sighed. "It's not really practically and not to mention cold, but Neji can definitely take care of himself even back when we were kids,"

Hinata's revelation could change everything. What if the assassin seriously thought that Neji was the one he was supposed to kill? Since the start, there wasn't really a threat to Hinata's life yet there have already been two attempts against her cousin.

And the boy seriously was so calm for the fact that someone had just tried to kill him.

My head was spinning with all the possibilities. I need a little confirmation. I excused myself from Sakura and Hinata to make a call. Once I was at the hallway, I looked for a secluded spot and dialed Itachi. He answered on the third ring..

I quickly told him of what had been happening and the fact that Neji was publicized as the Hyuga's heir instead of Hinata. Itachi promised me he'll call me back the next night at the latest and that he'll ask Sasori, who was the fastest at research, to do it.

"Thanks, Itachi. I own you and Sasori one," I replied.

"No prob, kid," I could hear the smile in his voice. "Make sure you stay sharp. Based on what you've said I could tell your stay at that high school have dulled you,"

I gave a laugh. "That's not true. Not everyone is a prodigy like you, Itachi,"

"Itachi?" a familiar voice repeated and I sucked in my breath.