A Growing Affection

Chapter 94: Hinata's Worry

Hinata's silver eyes told her that the barrier containing her and  Kabuto was much larger than the one trapping Sakura with the remaining  Sound Four shinobi. She doubted it was a mistake on the part of Sakon or  Ukon; she decided it must be deliberate. What she was not sure of, was  why Kabuto was given more room than his three juniors.

Since the  barrier had ascended, Hinata had not made an aggressive moves. Yakushi  had thrown some kunai at her, to test her focus, but she simply blocked  the knives without changing her expression, or her careful observation  of him. Her behavior had started to grate on the renegade medic, and  when he noticed her glancing at his replacement limb, he thought he  understood her interest.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Kabuto asked angrily, "Is it the new arm?"

"It  doesn't look like a graft," Hinata noted warily, "Your skin and even  bones are unmarked, as if you had never replaced your arm in the first  place. I'm not a medical expert, but I would not have thought that was  possible, especially since Naruto reported you cauterized the wound so  you could escape."

"This might not be possible for medical shinobi  bound by the restrictions the Leaf imposes," he agreed, "But between my  medical jutsu, and Orochimaru's necromantic skills, we were able to  regenerate my arm."

"You used Naruto's blood, didn't you?" she prompted dangerously, thinking she recognized a lingering aura around the appendage.

"He  left enough of it on my clothes," Kabuto tried to pretend her insight  did not rattle him, "But that was only a small part of the overall  jutsu."

He formed a set of chakra scalpels in his left hand, to  show that the arm was fully functional. He darted towards Hinata  swinging horizontally with the three surgical blades, but she avoided  him easily. He stabbed and slashed with speed and precision, and still  she fluidly slid around his attacks. The Hyuga heiress hopped back,  still watching him as she had before, to his continued annoyance. She  continued to dodge his strikes without countering, while still studying  his face with her silver eyes. As he started to prepare a water jutsu,  Hinata suddenly spoke.

"Why did you do it?" she asked softly, as if afraid of the answer.

"Do what? Betray the Leaf?" he stopped, confused.

"No,  I know that your loyalty was never with us," she shook her head, and  placed her right hand over her left breast protectively, "Why did you  help me?"

Understanding dawned on him, and he smiled darkly.

"You  were already a wanted traitor, and you were preparing to invade the  Konohagakure," she continued quickly, "So why would you take the time to  help one injured girl, when your plans should have killed her anyway?"

"You  weren't just 'injured'," he informed her smugly, "You were dying. If I  hadn't interceded, you would have been dead in a week, ten days at most,  invasion or not."

"Why?" tears of frustration formed around the  bottom of her still metallic eyes, "I don't think it was compassion, not  after everything I've seen and heard of you. Was it some part of your  plans? Were you going to use me in some way?"

"Don't flatter  yourself," he barked a laugh, "What possible use could we have had for  you? You're a third rate ninja, and your father favors your sister."

"Was it for your experiments?" she pressed, "Last year, you told Naruto you wanted to study my eyes."

"That was a spur of the moment impulse," he shrugged.

"Then why?" she demanded. Though her outburst amused him, a small part of him was also unsettled.

"The  truth?" he said seriously, his eyes hidden by the sheen of his glasses,  "It was for my pride. There you were, the first daughter of the vaunted  Hyuga clan. And even though the best and brightest of the Leaf Ninja  Medical Corps had had over a month to fix you up, all they could do was  delay the inevitable. And in five minutes, I was able to diagnose and  repair the damage Neji did to your heart. I wanted to show them how weak  and ineffectual they were. I helped you, to prove that I was superior.  That's all."