Hello new readers and welcome to the first chapter of this fan fiction ! This story was first uploaded in French (I've uploaded the whole story during the summer holiday so to all francophones, don't bother reading it in English, you will find it in French on my profile). After this, I noticed that it was quite appreciated and that I had a lot of fun writing it, so I thought I might translate it and share it with the anglophone community of this website so... Here we are ! It is called The Protecter With the Byakugan and it's about the SasuHina pairing (I'm not a real fan of this couple but I was inspired when I wrote it so here it is). I've only translated 5 chapters so far (out of 20) and will upload one every two weeks (on the Saturday). Forgive all my mistakes, if I made some. I hope the quality of the language will be good enough for you. I've said enough, have fun and enjoy this chapter !

Chapter 1 : After the war

- I hadn't been this calm in Konoha in years !

- Yeah, that's true, Ino.

Her eyes got lost in the dark of the hospital's corridor. « Calm… » she thought. It was true. Things had become calm, way more pleasant. And though, there still was this weight. Like a burden…

- Hinata ? Are you still with us ? Asked Sakura, getting closer to Hinata, examining her confused face.

The Hyûga sharply flinched.

- Yes of course, Sakura, so-sorry, my mind was… Wandering somewhere else, she answered, looking up towards her two friends and smiling at them with a shy and confused face.

- We were saying that it's a bit sad that everyone is so busy now, continued Ino.

She was filling a form, leaning on a commode in the corridor.

- Yes, I totally agree with this, added Sakura. First, Naruto and Sasuke are training all the time, then, Lee, Tenten, Chôji and Shino are now full-time teachers at the ninja academy, Kiba has become the leader of the Inuzuka clan, Shikamaru is the personal assistant of the Hokage and finally Sai…

Sakura sharply turned to Ino, frowning angrily.

- Oh, I know what you are doing ! She claimed with an accusatory tone. In fact, you were only talking about Sai, weren't you ?!

Ino blushed with a half angry and embarrassed look on her face.

- That's not true ! Even though… It's true that he's part of the « everyone » and that I haven't had the occasion to see him in a week…

- What is he doing now ? Asked Hinata, willing to help her blonde friend.

- He helped Kakashi-sama to eradicate the Root, this organization was way too harmful and uncontrollable, answered the young Yamanaka, smiling.

- Being a jounin is definitely not easy everyday ! Exclaimed Sakura. Anyways, we all knew what we had to expect when we took the exam.

Hinata largely approved with a great smile on her face. She was proud of the fact that she had become a jounin and after passing the exam, she would always wear her Konoha shinobi vest, just like right now she was wearing it on top of a light grey sweater. Passing this exam was a real accomplishment for her.

- Anyways Hinata, thanks a lot for giving your time to the hospital, instead of training. All the help you give us is crucial, added Sakura.

- It's a pleasure for me, answered Hinata, smiling at her friends, her wide eyes with white iris squinting with kindness. Plus, what's the point for me in being able to manipulate chakra and mastering medical ninjutsu techniques if I don't use them ?

- That's really kind of you Hinata… Started Ino.

- Let's come back to Sai if you don't mind ! Exclaimed Sakura turning to Ino, apparently angry.

- What's with Sai again ? Asked the blonde kunoichi with an embarrassed face.

- I was not finished ! It's very annoying to see you act like some mysterious girl. First, you tell me you're not with him, and the you talk about him aaaaaall the time !

- Oh yes and you're well situated to talk about it, you don't suggest any mystery by letting your enormous forehead clear and visible to anyone, you don't even try to hide it, that's the worse.

- How dare you ?! Shouted Sakura rising her gloved fist towards Ino. And what does it have to do with the subject ?

Ino laughed. Now, the situation was under control.

- And it's quite unfair of you because you also act like « some mysterious girl », added Ino, crossing her arms on her chest.

- I'm sorry ? Suddenly asked the girl with the pink hair, a bit lost and still angry.

- Yes, you know exactly what I'm talking about ! That boy you like, who's not Sasuke. You never want to talk about him or admit anything either, huh ?

- I don't see what you're talking about ! Not even a bit…

Hinata who had been listening to them the whole time laughed quietly. However, two patients were waiting for care, so she finally turned away from the two medical ninja. « Some things never change » she thought to herself with melancholy. Even though the little fight had made her laugh, she still wondered if what Ino said was true. Did Sakura really liked another man than Sasuke ? That kind of truth seemed hard to believe as Sakura had always loved Sasuke and she had never shown any sign that could prove the contrary.

Hinata quickly crossed the corridor that smelt like cold soup and detergent. She arrived in front of a door and entered the room. There, two patients were waiting for someone to heal them.

- Good morning Sasuke, she said with a happy tone, her long raven hair flying behind her while she was crossing the room to get closer to the bed.

She glanced at the person laying on it.

- How long has Naruto been sleeping ? She asked, orienting her eyes towards Sasuke's.

- I'd say ten minutes, he politely answered, looking up towards the Hyûga.

She approved with a nod. Then, she delicately put her hand on Naruto's forehead. No fever.

- We should let him sleep a bit longer, he just seems exhausted, she suggested in a soft voice. I shall examine you first if that's okay with you.

He didn't answer but that was not very surprising from Sasuke Uchiha. She smiled resignedly and came closer to him. Hinata noticed that one of his sweater's sleeves was ripped and burnt. She took his arm carefully between her hands and examined his skin with attention. This precise examination allowed her to notice several burns on his forearm. She kept on examining his skin, looking for any anomaly. The young man suddenly thought that her grasp was astonishingly strong for a woman with such soft hands. He rapidly evacuated this thought and his face seemed cold again, as usual.

- Did it happened to you while training together ? She asked, looking at Sasuke.

- Yes, it was an hour ago.

- Well ! Those cuts are scattered but pretty deep ! Remarked the young girl. Looks like Naruto didn't pull any punches, she added, smiling.

Sasuke suddenly flinched under Hinata's hands, his face loosing all trace of politeness.

- Naruto didn't do this to me. You probably think he's stronger than me, but this is not true, my own attack was concentrated in the palm of my hand. This is what caused the cuts in my arm, he answered coldly.

Apparently, he did not appreciate Hinata's joke. She immediately regretted it. Why would she even try to joke with Sasuke ? After all, they were not friends, they had never been, and their clans used to be natural rivals. What was she expecting ? She did not add anything, ashamed as well as annoyed and just healed the wounds and burns on his arm, silently. Her medical ninjutsu, producing a green halo, was concentrated between her palish palms.

- I'm done, she said. Did you get hurt, because of you and no-one else of course, somewhere else ?

Sasuke was surprised by the scathing tone of her sentence. It was quite unusual from Hinata. She was still kind and caring but different from the girl she used to be. She seemed stronger and… More determined. Even though it was quite surprising, Sasuke quickly got over it.

- No, I'm good, he simply answered, even more coldly than her.

Sasuke promptly got off the sofa and mumbled a vague « thanks ». His black pupils met the pearlescent byakugan of the young girl and he rapidly turned away from her. He reached the door in a few large steps and exited the room without a word for her.

Hinata sighed and put her fists on her hips. What did she do wrong ? All she wanted was to sympathize, couldn't he understand this ? After all, he had left Konoha and disappeared for more than five years. He had been called a traitor by Konoha's people and now that he was back and trying to repent, all she wanted was to become his friend and show him that the Hidden leaf village had remained his house. She looked at Naruto who was sleeping quietly. Apparently, he was not wounded.

- Did you get any of that ? She asked in a low voice to the sleeping ninja.

The young woman shook her head to clear her thoughts and went out of the room silently. There, she joined her friends who were approaching the end of their debate.

- Of course ! Spitted Ino. I'm always wrong anyways…

- It's over girls, let's have lunch, intervened Hinata, putting her hands on their shoulders.

Both of them seemed surprised.

- What do you mean « it's over » ? Asked Sakura, astonished. Did you take care of Naruto and Sasuke ?

- I didn't have to do anything for Naruto, he just needed some rest. Sasuke was superficially wounded but I took care of it. He left two minutes ago, muttered Hinata, still annoyed by the Uchiha's behavior.

The two kunoichi calmed down and glanced surprisingly at each other. When they understood how determined the girl with the hair black as a raven's wing looked, they simply followed her outside the hospital.

—

Several days after the incident at the hospital, Hinata was training in the courtyard of the Hyûga's sumptuous residence. She was standing on a little wooden bridge that straddled a pond. Under the surface, numerous fishes, white, grey and pink, were lazily swimming. Focused, Hinata was preparing a new jukken technique that she had been working on for over a month. With time and practice, she could feel that she would soon be able to achieve it perfectly. She carefully placed her legs and rose her hands to her chest, palms towards the outside. She launched her byakugan, hereditary power of the Hyûga family that gave her these special pearlescent eyes. Several veins appeared around her eyes. This power allowed her to distinguish any flow of chakra energy circulating in anything, even a very low flow. Her byakugan also allowed her to greatly enlarge her field of vision. It enlarged it so well that she could have a 360° vision. She suddenly focused her eyes, calmed her breath. She had to be focused, she was about to master this jutsu that he had passed on to her… Once more, her heart felt heavy and broken and she put her palms down. It was the same thought as usual. The same thought that came to her mind every time she pushed the door of this house : « It's a lot calmer here without you, Neji ». « And a lot less happy without you… » she mentally added. She shivered.

It was approximately nine in the morning, the sun was rising at last, more lazy with the coming of winter and though, Hinata felt heavy, she wanted to go back to bed : « What's the point ? ». She broke her position and stopped the exercise. She grabbed the little bridge's handrail and closed her eyes. Her cousin was dead during the Fourth Great Shinobi War that had ravaged the population of Konoha. Neji had bravely sacrificed to protect them, Hinata and Naruto. Once more, she saw under her closed eyelids the silhouette of her cousin rising between her and the danger. Neji was dead for her, but also for Konoha. His voice echoed in her mind.

« Because of your life, depend a multitude of others, Naruto »

She couldn't help feeling hurt, deep in her heart. Then, her thoughts went to the trainings that she used to follow with her cousin. He was considered as the genius of the Hyûga clan, and she knew it and even though he was seen as a genius and her as a burden, he never let her down. He believed in her when Hinata's own father, Hiashi Hyûga had more esteem for Neji and her little sister, Hanabi. Her father would see her as a being without any talent, too nice and too kind to be a real kunoichi and to become the leader of the most powerful clan in Konoha and even maybe in the entire country of fire. She felt the regrets tear her heart apart. There are so many things she should have told Neji, and she realized it now, too late. To her, he was the hero of Konoha. She gently pushed one of the glass doors of the courtyard and went back into the house. The young girl walked slowly and without much convictions towards the stairs that led to her room.

Suddenly, at the moment she passed next to the entrance door, someone knocked. She flinched, surprised. Her eyes were still humid and she hadn't done her hair. Plus, she was not wearing the proper outfit to meet a visitor as her clothes were closer to pajamas than a real outfit. Too late anyways. She arranged her bangs on her forehead, quickly straightened her hair, wiped her tears away and approached the door.

When she opened, she found herself face to face with a young man, a bit taller than her. He bent down with respect.

- Good morning, said Hinata politely. What can I do for you ?

- Good morning miss Hyûga, I am a messenger of Konoha. The Hokage's assistant sent me to deliver an important message.

- Okay, I'm ready to hear this message, she answered with an encouraging smile.

- You are invited to go to the Hokage's office this afternoon, to take care of a hugely important problem, at two.

Hinata's heart jumped inside her chest. After weeks of inactivity, without being assigned to any mission, and just training alone or helping at the hospital, she was finally needed for something « hugely important » !

- Alright, she approved.

A huge smile had appeared on her face.

- Do you know what Kakashi-sama wants to talk to me about ?

- Well… Hesitated the young man. I've heard that the Hokage has a mission for the Konoha's Twelve…

Voila ! I hope you enjoyed the first chapter, I really do. I also hope the language is good enough and the story readable. Don't hesitate and tell me what you think about this overture, how you think things are going to be and what I should change in my writing. It's the only way I can improve my English writing skills ! Enjoy your weekend and see you soon.

- Maude-chan