Chapter 47

-Hinata's POV-

"Konan, you're welcome to sit this one out if you'd like, but one other person will need to volunteer to sit out so we have an even number."

I was tempted to offer, but that would leave Sakura as the only female left. We're not guaranteed to face one another, but I refuse to leave her alone if she isn't going to opt out herself. The room was silent for a moment before Nagato gave in and raised his hand, a bashful grin on his face, "I'm not really suited for this type of thing anyway."

Yamato thanked the young man as he joined him and Konan on the small podium beside the boxing ring, "It's settled, then. These two will help me judge the friendly wrestling matches. His eyes narrowed in a half-serious/half-joking manner, "And I mean it when I say friendly wrestling. There will be no low blows, unnecessary violence, or things of that nature. Keep things clean and fair. This is a family friendly show."

The man then gestured to his waist, which I only just noticed had a red cloth belt tied around it into a bow, "Each person will have a belt like this. The goal is to take said belt from your opponent. If neither participant is able to take the other's within the allotted five minutes, my fellow judges and I will determine a winner. Does anyone have questions?"

A few murmurs sounded amongst us, but no one raised their hand or voice so Yamato continued, accepting a box with a small opening on its top from an assistant, "We've placed everyone's names in this box so opponents will be decided at random. Konan, would you like to do the honors?"

The woman obliged with her usual stoic expression, pulling out a slip of paper and reading the name on it with a monotone voice, "Kisame." The man in question stepped forward with an eager grin and Konan pulled out his opponent's name, "and Sasuke." Various sounds of excitement came from throughout the room as Sasuke stepped up to stand beside the taller man and accepted his friendly handshake.

A frown met my lips at the unfamiliar hard expression on his face as he tied the red rope around his middle. Whatever's going on with him, I hope it's nothing I did and I really hope it's nothing serious. Soon the two were inside the boxing ring with the rest of us surrounding it loosely. These two are notoriously competitive so it's bound to be an entertaining match.

Yamato spoke into the microphone, mimicking the cheesy way wrestling MCs speak on television with his tone, "As you can see, the ground is padded to reduce the chances of bruising or injury. If at any time you need to tap out or require help, please let us know. No one will judge you. Your safety is priority number one."

A few snickers came from the spectators and I didn't have to look to know who they'd come from. Instead, I chose to keep my eyes trained on Sasuke, who's back was turned as he stood facing Kisame as Yamato finished up his last minute rules.

Kisame's somehow taller than Sasuke, which is a feat in and of itself because the Uchiha man stands at a remarkable height already, but also has noticeably more muscle mass. That part doesn't surprise me because Kisame's made it known many times that he's trained professionally how to fight in many different styles and works out almost every single day, meaning Sasuke has his work cut out for him with this match. It makes me feel a bit guilty that I'm not sure if he's studied any fighting styles himself. That's something I'll have to remember to ask next time a chance arises.

When the bell rang to signal the match to begin, Sakura snapped me out of my stupor by cheering loudly, "Go Sasuke!" My hands clapped lightly, more out of an automated response than anything else. Violent competitions and sports like this really aren't my cup of tea.

Kisame immediately lunged at the Uchiha in question, hands almost clasping around his belt, but he jumped out of the way just in time. He's so fast! Over and over again, the taller man tried to get his hands on Sasuke, but he just kept ducking and dodging away.

The Akatsuki member's fun-loving grin was slowly sinking away into an annoyed frown as he continued to fail. Before anyone could react, Sasuke suddenly went on the offense for the first time and made a swipe at the larger man's belt and almost landed it, but Kisame caught his wrist in his hand at the last moment and managed to stop him.

The Uchiha tried to pull away, but it seemed as though the blue-haired young man had had enough of his escapes and refused as he tried once more to reach his opponents belt. Sasuke surprised us all by twisting his body around Kisame's in a quick and unexpected way until the two were in a stalemate on the padded mats, holding each other in a complicated lock where movement was impossible unless someone were to give up.

I was shaken out of a trance I didn't know I was in when Yamato spoke over the speakers, "Let go on the count of three!" They did as commanded and went back to their dance around the ring until suddenly Kisame seemed to have enough of playing around and finally tackled Sasuke to the ground and wrestled his belt off of him, not without the Uchiha giving a hell of a fight, of course.

The buzzer sounded again and Yamato spoke above the cheering crowd, "Kisame wins! One point to the Akatsuki!"

Everyone watching, including me, cheered for Kisame's job well done, but I noticed a red tinge on Sasuke's face as he shook his peer's hand before stepping out of the ring and accepting a bottle of water from one of the aides. He stood near Gaara with a barely-masked frown on his lips. I could tell he was struggling to keep his professional façade up and that he was embarrassed to have lost.

I could barely keep myself from smiling at his cute expression, finding it similar to that of a pouting child, but was pulled from my thoughts when Konan read the next name, "Hidan." I squeezed my eyes closed and prayed. I prayed with all I have for it not to- "and Hinata." The very blood in my veins ran cold and I tensed up, eyes shooting open as Sakura nudged me toward the steps leading into the ring.

"In preparation for a boy vs girl match, we've come up with a handicap. Hidan, you may only use one arm at a time. You're allowed to switch mid-match if you'd like, but you cannot use both arms at the same time, understood? …and just try to go easy on her, okay?" The man in question nodded, smiling smugly when I gingerly shook his hand.

Bile rose in my throat as I accepted a belt from the nearby aide who offered it and began tying it around my waist. These people that are offering me good-natured encouragement from the sidelines, they don't know what he's really like.

They don't realize just how terrified I am of him, but he sure does. The excited glint in his eye says it clear as day. He won't have to say a single word during this match to taunt me because he knows how disgusted I am at just the thought of him being near.

My limbs trembled slightly as we moved to stand on our own ends of the ring. Adrenaline crackled within me and I let it, grateful for its arrival since it almost always chases away my anxiety and hesitance. That's it. I'll focus on my anger and adrenaline. I may not win, but at least I'll show him I'm not some scared little girl he can bully.

As soon as the bell dinged, everything outside the ring dimmed and all that I could see was the man suddenly towering over me. A gasp of surprise passed my lips as I ducked out of the way, turning around quickly so he couldn't try something while my back was turned.

One of his arms was behind his back. He's making a big deal about showing he's only using one. All he had to do was keep it at his side, but he's choosing to be dramatic instead. Then an idea popped into my head. If he breaks the rules, he'll lose by disqualification. If I can get him to use both arms, I'll win. Better still, if I can do it quickly, the chances of him gaining the upper hand and making me even more uncomfortable will lessen.

Hidan lunged at me again and I barely dodged, but his fingers managed to grasp my hair and he either pretended to or truly wasn't able to release it quickly enough and ended up yanking me to the side. The ponytail snapped, making my hair fall loose around my shoulders as a cry passed my lips and I raised a hand to the side of my head that hurt, taking a step back as he looked over at Yamato, who was warning him not to do that again or else he'd be disqualified.

Tears in my eyes, I let the slight throbbing fuel my anger and the next time Hidan came for me, I circled around after dodging as quickly as I could and jumped onto his back before holding on for dear life, my face buried in the back of his shoulder with my eyes squeezed closed. Just as I expected, he tried to get me off without being as violent as he wanted because so many people were watching and when he couldn't, he unintentionally grabbed my leg with his other hand and then the bell rang loudly.

I released him in an instant, moving to the far end of the ring as I wiped at my tears, shaking like a leaf but proud of myself for being brave.

"For using both arms, Hidan has been disqualified. Hinata wins!" It was like a barrier was broken and I could finally hear and see the others as they cheered.

After returning the red belt, I climbed out of the boxing ring and went to stand beside Sakura again. She grabbed onto my hand and gave me a knowing look as I wiped away the last of my tears. Somehow, I got the sense that she knew it was more than having my hair pulled that had me so worked up and I appreciated her silent support.

Kakuzu and Yahiko then fought, with Yahiko surprising us all by coming out on top. Then both Sakura and I got extremely tense. There are only four names left in that box: her, Gaara, Sasori, and Deidara. There's a one in three chance she'll have to face the very man that hurt her in a way she'll likely never fully recover from. There's also a one in three chance Gaara will have to fight him, which might be even worse because I've all but come to the conclusion that he knows the truth.

"Next up is Sasori." We squeezed one another's hands in anticipation. The next ten seconds felt like hours, but Konan finally read out the second name, "and Deidara." We glanced at one another in relief before looking over to see Gaara glaring at the other redhead who was making his way to the ring. It was obvious he was hoping to get a swing at him.

Maybe this is for the best. It'd be different if all this wasn't being recorded and if so many people weren't around, but at least Sakura won't have to fight a man she's not comfortable around. Even Deidara might've traumatized her after what she's gone through.

The match was fairly even for a while before Sasori seemed to grow bored and gave up trying so Deidara got the win. When the bell rang for Gaara and Sakura to begin fighting when their turn came, the redhead stood still and just let her take the rope away rather than defend himself.

Her face went bright red when she realized what he was doing and I could tell it was taking everything in her not to cry at his thoughtfulness. It didn't surprise me, though. Gaara would never lay a finger on her, everyone who knows him can tell you that in a heartbeat.

He wouldn't lay one on me, either, but he has a soft spot for Sakura. Sasuke, Tenten, Ino, his siblings, and I all know it. The others even say he's in love with her and I can't deny I get the vibe that he at least likes her, but he's never gone out of his way to make it known or else she would've told me immediately. So maybe he sees her as his closest friend and wants to protect her. There's nothing wrong with it, either way, and I find it both admirable and cute.

At the end of the day Akatsuki was in first place with six points, Kisame earning his team three for coming in first during the obstacle course and each wrestling match win being worth one. Prestige was awarded second place for the first challenge, being given two points, so we sat in second place at four points. That left Konan's team in last with two points, one for coming in third in the obstacle and they were given one by default for having two members sit out during the matches.

After announcing everyone's standings, Yamato called for an end to our first day of shooting and began explaining sleeping arrangements. Despite a very large room being designated for us to sleep in, only about a fourth of it was separated from the rest by a thin paper wall with a sliding door for us women. To Konan's blatant disdain, we were simply given some large sleeping bags.

I glanced over at the angry glare on the rockstar's face as she changed into the pajamas we were provided with Sakura and I doing the same nearby in the women's bathroom (we didn't bring any because we weren't aware of the fact that we'd be staying overnight). The woman could probably tell both of us were uneasy with her negative attitude, but also didn't seem to care.

Sakura, luckily, was able to ignore the dark aura around her and spoke casually with me around her toothbrush as we brushed our teeth, "It sucks we're not in first, huh?"

I nodded, a small smile dusting my lips as I remembered the boyish pout on Sasuke's face earlier after losing to Kisame, "It's alright. We can try to come back tomorrow." She nodded in agreement, rinsing her mouth before running her toothbrush under the faucet water.

A scoff distracted us and we turned to see Konan had her arms crossed over her chest as she frowned, "There aren't cameras in here so there's no need to keep acting all wholesome."

My bandmate responded well, laughing lightly as I all but crossed my fingers in hopes things weren't about to get awkward, "We're not acting."

The blue-haired woman stared at us in silence for a moment before sighing and letting her arms fall to her sides as she rolled her eyes and turned to leave, "How exhausting." Sakura and I shared an amused look before following her lead.

As soon as I crawled into my sleeping bag, I rolled over to verify my phone was plugged in and charging before curling up on my side when I realized I had some notifications. Sakura was lying to my left with Konan on her other side, closest to the sliding door. My pink-haired friend was also on her phone trying to wind down before bed by browsing xstagram with a blank look on her face.

Someone on the other side of the thin wall was already snoring softly and the amusing sound brought a smile to my lips as I tried to imagine who it was. It sounded like either Kisame, Kakuzu, or Deidara, but I couldn't be sure.

Most of the notifications on my phone were from social media, but some were texts and missed calls. There was a message in our group chat with Tenten and Ino, with the former announcing she'd finally closed on a house and would be moving in soon with a party to follow. I sent a short congratulatory reply, reading the others' responses since I'm the last to answer.

Then I realized a text and missed call were from Hanabi and began to worry. To this day she hasn't tried to contact me seriously since I left home so the serious tone of her message made me uncomfortable. I read her text twice just to be sure I wasn't misunderstanding it. "Call me asap. Dad collapsed and is in the hospital. I don't know how bad it is yet." The message was sent first, followed by two missed calls about an hour apart each after that.

Concern urging me along, I slid my slippers onto my feet as I climbed back out of my sleeping bag. Sakura looked up from her phone with a curious expression and I pointed at my cell phone so she'd relax and she did. I shuffled carefully out of the room, sneaking through the men's side as quietly as possible. Then I went through a few hallways before finally finding a back exit door that led directly to a set of steps outside.

Then I called my sister while sitting on the top step, my knee bouncing with anxious energy as I clicked the "speaker" button so I wouldn't have to hold the phone to my ear. She picked up almost instantly, "Hinata! What took you so long? I've been calling you for hours now!"

I tried not to feel irritated at her lack of patience or understanding, "I'm sorry. I've been filming all day and haven't had my phone. What happened? Is F-Father alright?"

She paused for only a moment before explaining, "He had a panic attack or something and fainted. He's still in the hospital."

Despite all that man's done to traumatize and intimidate me, the thought of his health declining still puts worry in my heart, "Is he going to be alright? What did the doctors say?"

"They said if he doesn't start taking it easy, he's going to end up having a heart attack. Neji says he thinks Father will be forced to retire soon."

Tears welled up in my eyes as I stared down at the slippers on my feet and wrapped an arm around my body to try and fend off the extremely chilly breeze, "Is it serious? Should I come to the hospital or do you think he'd…?" I trailed off, knowing she'd be able to understand my concern. If I show up, it might just stress him out more and anger him, which will do the opposite of helping his condition.

Hanabi paused for a long time before replying in a venom-laced voice, "It's not serious enough that you need to take time away from your precious celebrity life, if that's what you're asking."

Guilt rushed through me, "T-That's not what I-"

"Look, I know you never wanted the life he planned for you, but he's still our dad. The least you could do is pretend you care. I'll text you if anything happens, but don't call me again." I opened my mouth to reply, to stop her, but to my surprise Hanabi hung up on me before I could manage a single word.

My lips closed and I sighed in defeat, clicking off my phone's screen and staring down at its black surface with a frown. She wasn't around for a majority of Father's abuse. If it was at home, she'd be in lessons or after school activities and if it was away, she'd be at home. It makes sense that she's never been able to understand me or why I am the way I am. I'm sure Hiashi's attitude toward me doesn't help, either. In her eyes, I'm probably a spoiled brat who doesn't appreciate all the opportunities she's been given.

"Harsh."

I nearly jumped out of my skin when Sasuke suddenly spoke softly at my side. He gave me a weak attempt at a smirk when I looked over at him with eyes as wide as saucers and a hand clutched to my chest. Once I overcame my shock, I nudged him lighty in the side before allowing my shoulders to sink and sighing once more, "Y-Yeah..."

Then I looked over at him again with a silent question about what he was doing out here. He remained silent for a moment, pointedly avoiding my gaze to glare at the concrete steps below us, before admitting in a barely audible voice, "My mom died before my audition."

It felt like my heart stopped pumping in my chest as I stared at him in disbelief. Mikoto Uchiha is dead? Why didn't I know that before now? There were no news headlines or anything! Oh, God, there were a couple times I managed to get him to talk about her, too. I never would've pried if I knew she'd passed away, and recently at that!

"I-I'm so sorry, Sasuke…"

He stared down at his hands with a blank expression and remained quiet for so long that I almost felt inclined to reach out and touch him, but then he finally responded, "It was a year ago today."

When my mouth fell open in shock, he finally looked over at me and a heartbreaking expression met his face before he moved to get up, "I..I don't know why I came out here like this-"

I grabbed onto his arm and pulled him back down, holding it firmly between both of mine with tears in my eyes as he stared at me in muted surprise. "I-It's okay. Thank you for telling me." He's been acting strangely all day long and now I finally know why.

His brows furrowed and he reached over with his other hand to gently push my face away, in the opposite direction of him as he grumbled under his breath, "Don't cry, you damn baby…" I wiped at my eyes and leaned over to rest my head against his shoulder, realizing he was likely talking to the both of us and that he doesn't want me looking at his face right now since he's feeling vulnerable.

After a moment, we both seemed to calm down a bit and he bent his arm between mine so he could interlace our fingers. For some reason it felt more like a demonstration of trust than anything else, which brought me back to how much I love and appreciate him as a friend.

Without a doubt it was hard for him to come clean and tell me what's been bothering him, especially when it's something so serious, but he still did it. Sasuke went out on a limb and chose to trust me with something so special to him and that touched my heart in a way nothing else has before.

A breeze stronger than the others hit us after a few minutes of silently sitting like that and I squeezed his larger hand, "L-Let's go back, okay?" His face was stoic when we glanced at one another, but he nodded and released my hand as we got to our feet.

I turned to open the door only for it not to budge. My expression fell and he reached around me to try himself, but instead confirmed my fears.

We'd been locked out.