My Angel
Author's Note: All reviews are appreciated. I wanted to try something different for Sasuke x Hinata. After Obito/Madara tells Sasuke the truth about Itachi, Sasuke's mind just can't handle it. So his mind suppresses everything about the massacre, thus giving him a really severe case of amnesia. Hinata ends up finding him and well we see how Sasuke would be different if the massacre "never" happened. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy the story.
Disclaimer: I own nothing and make no profit off of any of my stories.
Chapter Notation: This is more of an intro chapter. In the next one, the pace will pick up more.
Chapter One
"He killed his father, his mother, and his lover. But he couldn't kill you. Do you know what that means? You were more precious to him than the entire village." "Madara" asks Sasuke, who had just woken up after his final battle with Itachi.
"That's a lie!" Sasuke hisses at him.
It couldn't be true. It just couldn't be. He had spent most of his life hating Itachi for what he did that night. Despising him with a fury that was almost unrivaled for butchering every member of their Clan.
Yet, here was someone telling him that Itachi had been ordered to do it. That Itachi did it to prevent another potential Great Ninja War. And that the reason he had spared Sasuke was not out of a desire to test his limits against another Uchiha, but out of love.
"Yes, the truth can be difficult to accept. But accept it you must. Someone has to know the truth. You owe it to him to bare witness to all his suffering." Madara continues.
His mind just refused to accept it. To accept it meant that most of his life had been based on a lie. That he had killed the one person who was still living that he loved him for who he was and not who they wanted him to be. Sasuke roars in a rage and lunges at Madara, not having any other target to take out his anguish on.
"Hmm you are taking this about as well I expected. I'll leave you to digest it. Just remember the Leaf is the cause for all of your suffering and all of his." He says and flits off.
Sasuke didn't know what else to do. He ran. The last Uchiha ran as fast as his legs could carry him. He ran as if he was trying to escape Hell itself. It was as if he truly thought if he ran fast enough, he would find out that had all been a lie. That what Madara said wasn't the truth. That he hadn't murdered his loving brother.
He lost track of time. Sasuke vaguely knew that he had been running for at least three days straight, maybe more. The Sun had risen and set a few times. He hadn't stopped to eat or even drink. He just kept running.
Perhaps for that reason alone, it wasn't surprising when his legs finally gave out. He was almost delirious with thirst and weakened from hunger. He stumbled to the ground and sank into a blissful state of unconsciousness.
"Someone's collapsed!" Hinata informs the other members of Team Eight, who unbeknownst to them were only a quarter of a mile away from a Sasuke.
"It's really amazing what the Byakugan can do." Kiba marvels and Shino nods.
"Alright. We'll go check it out. But be careful. It could be a trick." Kurenai warns her only female student and they follow Hinata.
"It's Sasuke!" She cries out a few minutes later, when she finds him laying on the ground amongst the freshly fallen snow.
"Hinata, be careful! This has trap written all over it." Kiba growls at seeing the Criminal Ninja.
"Shino, what do your insects say?" Kurenai asks and Shino sends a few to check Sasuke's vital signs to see if his unconscious state was genuine or feigned.
"They are all in agreement. He's passed out. Likely from dehydration, hunger, and exhaustion. He might have frostbite as well." The insect lover murmurs.
"Good. We should just kill him and save everyone a lot of trouble." Kiba says.
"Kiba!" Hinata gasps horrified at the suggestion.
"Lady Tsunade wants him returned to the village alive. We are under orders. So unless our lives are in jeopardy, we can't use deadly force without defying our Hokage's wishes." Kurenai reminds Kiba.
Shino nods. He was inclined to agree with Kiba. But they had their orders, they'd bring him back to the Leaf and let Tsunade decide what to do with him.
"Yes, Sensei." The younger members of Team Eight all say together.
Hinata blinks. Sasuke looked so innocent like this. It was hard to reconcile the image of the "slumbering" man with the terror that she knew him to be on the battlefield. She'd never been this close to him before, she could understand why before he left, he had so many admirers.
Hinata had never really given Sasuke much thought before. He was like the winter to her. He was cold, harsh, bitter, and very angry. The closest to him being happy that she could remember after the massacre, would be smugness. Perhaps it was fitting in a way that they had found him during a blizzard.
Yes, he had been attractive, but it was a cold "beauty." Like a glacier or the Moon. One could admire them, but trying to possess either was stupid. Now though, he looked…innocent. Peaceful, as if a great weight had been lifted off his shoulders.
"Hinata! Get away from him! He could wake up and kill you!" Kiba says.
"Kiba, he's in no condition to fight. Even if he wakes up, in his weakened state…Hinata could chakra block him and subdue him. He collapsed for a reason." Shino reminds him.
That's when Sasuke's eyes flutter open. In his confused state, half delirious from thirst and hunger, he thought he was dead. But he wasn't alone. There was a blue haired woman about his age standing over him, looking at him rather intently.
Beautiful. She was beautiful. His angel had long gorgeous blue silky hair that cascaded over her back like a glorious waterfall down to her wide hips. Her eyes were a stunning mixture of lavender and silver. They were framed by long, elegant lashes. She had creamy soft looking skin. That's when his eyes drifted lower. (He might be dead, but he was still a man.)
"He's awake!" Kiba shouts.
She wore a lavender jacket that had white sleeves. Her headband she was wearing like a necklace. Her pants were navy blue and covered her lovely long legs nicely. The outfit certainly wasn't designed to be provocative, but it didn't completely hide the outline of her ample breasts, her womanly curves, and her shapely backside. Due to his blurry vision and belief he was dead, he thought she had a pair of white angel wings behind her.
"H-ere. Shino said that you were dehydrated and stand by the fire. You might have frostbite." Hinata mumbles quickly, hands him a canteen, and uses a fire jutsu to make a campfire of sorts.
Sasuke cocks his head to the side in confusion. That was odd behavior for an angel. Did people drink water in Heaven? Did angels get frostbite? But still she was an Angel of Mercy. He couldn't deny that he was thirsty and freezing. He downs the canteen in a few large gulps and warms himself by the fire.
"Thank you." Sasuke says.
"He looks like Sasuke, but Sasuke sure as Hell wouldn't say thank you." Kiba says to Shino.
The quiet ninja nods. He was inclined to agree with his more boisterous teammate. Something was up. Sasuke was acting rather oddly. Why wasn't he trying to escape or fighting them? For that matter, why had he allowed himself to become so weak from exhaustion and the elements, that he had collapsed on the snow covered forest floor.
Hinata nods. She feels her face heating up in a blush. She might be shy, but she wasn't completely naïve. Sasuke wasn't hiding the fact that he was staring at her rather intensely and with…well an expression she couldn't really identify. But she knew it wasn't anger or fear.
"What's your name, Angel?" He whispers softly so that the others couldn't overhear them.
"Hinata." She answers, feeling more than a little dumbstruck at the label.
"What'd he say to her?" Kiba asks Shino and Kurenai, realizing that Sasuke was talking to Hinata.
"I'm not sure." Kurenai answers and his other teammate nods his head, he hadn't been able to pick it up either.
"And who are they?" Sasuke continues.
"That's Kurenai Sensei, Kiba, and Shino. Sasuke, are you feeling alright? And I'm not an angel." She asks.
"You must be an angel. You definitely aren't a demon and I don't think you are a ghost. Why are you calling me Sasuke?" He frowns in confusion.
That is your name. Sasuke, do you think you are dead?" Kurenai answers his question and returns it with one of her own.
"Of course I'm dead. I ran for days without eating or drinking. This is the afterlife, isn't it?" The last Uchiha demands to know.
"You aren't dead, unfortunately." Kiba mutters.
"KIBA!" Hinata scolds him.
"Oh. I guess that does explain why I was so thirsty and cold. I was wondering about that." Sasuke muses and chooses to ignore Kiba's comment, for the time being.
Sasuke had more important things to focus on. For example, where was he? Who were these people. And for that matter, who was he?
Kurenai blinks. Sasuke seem to remember Hinata or any of them at all. While she knew that Sasuke likely hadn't paid much, if any attention to Hinata at the Academy, he should still at least know her name. But he didn't seem to recognize her at all.
That's when it clicked in her mind. He might not remember anything at all. Sasuke could be suffering from amnesia. The fact that he was uncertain about his own name, lent legitimacy to her diagnosis.
"Sasuke, what's the last thing you remember?" Kurenai asks gently.
"Running." He answers simply.
"Do you remember why? Who or what were you trying to get away from?" The Genjutsu Mistress asks.
"No, I don't. Not exactly anyway. I just know it was horrible." The last Uchiha answers honestly.
"Sasuke, would you mind waiting here for a few minutes? My team and I need to talk." Hinata inquires as she hands him some more water.
Sasuke nods his head. He wasn't in a hurry to leave the comforting warmth of the fire. The dark haired ninja didn't have anything more important to do at the moment. Well maybe he did. He just couldn't remember. Still he was perfectly willing to grant her request.
"Thank you." She whispers softly and heads over to huddle with her team.
"He's got to be faking it." Kiba says.
"Why? Sasuke Uchiha is more than capable of wiping us all out if he really wanted to. He wouldn't need to rely on such methods." Shino asks.
Hinata glances back at Sasuke. He offers her a small, genuine smile. That couldn't be faked, could it?
"I don't think he's faking. I really think he's lost his memories." She says in amazement.
"Alright, let's say that's true. There's no way of telling how long they'll be gone. When they come back, he'll likely attack us." Kiba says.
Kurenai nods. Kiba had a point. Most amnesia cases didn't tend to be permanent. But there was no way of telling how long this one would last or how extensive it was. He clearly didn't recognize Hinata, but that didn't mean much. Kurenai doubted that they had exchanged more than a hello before.
"Hinata, ask him if he would consent to be chakra cuffed and taken back to the village, for his own safety? He seems to trust you somewhat." Kurenai suggests.
Hinata looks at her Sensei like she had lost her mind. She wanted HER to ask SASUKE UCHIHA if she could chakra cuff him? Well…he looked friendly for now. Maybe…
"Alright." She says, taking the chakra cuffs, drawing a deep breath, and heading back over to him.
"Sasuke, we think you have amnesia. So in case you have a violent flashback, it'd be b-est if you wore these chakra cuffs until we get you home. If you don't mind." She somehow finds the courage to ask.
He considers what she said. He couldn't remember anything. Oh he knew his skills. He knew all the practical knowledge he had before this. Sasuke realized that he was an extremely dangerous ninja. So Hinata had a right to be worried. Still it bothered him…
"You're afraid of me." He murmurs.
"I…well…I'm afraid of what you might do if you have a flashback. This is safer for everyone." She stammers.
He frowns. She was definitely afraid of him. Though it seemed she was either too polite to say it or worried about what his reaction would be if she admitted it. He couldn't remember anything past maybe three days ago. What had he done that would cause her to be so skittish around him?
"I'll wear the cuffs, if it will make you feel better." Sasuke says.
She smiles and nods. Hinata slaps the cuffs on his wrists. Sasuke idly mused that most situations that involved a beautiful girl handcuffing would have involved a bed and a lot more fun. But still, her smile made it worth it. She really did have a gorgeous smile. So innocent and sweet, kind.
He knew it was stupid to trust someone he just "met." But she had argued on his behalf, given him water, and warmed him. She hadn't needed to do any of that.
Judging by what had been said so far, he was an enemy ninja. So why had she been so kind? Was it all some sort of trick? Maybe they had him under a Genjutsu and it was a trap.
"Did he really just let her cuff him?" Kiba asks.
"Yes, he really just let her cuff him. I don't know what is going on in Sasuke's mind at the moment, but likely it has something to do with the fact he was probably delirious when we found him. He sincerely thought he was dead and now believes Hinata saved him." Kurenai observes, still stunned at this unexpected turn of events.
"I'm sorry for whatever I did to you." Sasuke says as they walk back to the others.
"Hey, where's my apology?! I was on the team that tried to rescue your ass!" Kiba protests.
"You don't get an apology. You said it was unfortunate that I wasn't died. You are annoying. She's not." Sasuke says.
"Memories or not, you are still a jerk. Weird that you are nicer to Hinata this way though." Kiba grumbles.
"I wasn't before?" He asks.
"Well…you weren't mean to her. But you ignored her. Well you ignored almost everyone and that was if they were lucky. Actually, forget it. It's not important right now." He states.
"Kiba!" Kurenai says warningly.
What was wrong with him before? How could he have ignored Hinata? For that matter, why hadn't he bashed the annoying fleabag's face in before? So many questions. He decided it didn't matter. He'd just start over.
"Let's get you home." Hinata says and smiles kindly at him, as they set off.
Sasuke had no real way to measure the passing of time at the moment, other than the Sun's location in the sky. But they must have been traveling for several hours because the Sun was just beginning to set when they came upon a large village.
"Sasuke, it's best to let me explain things to the Hokage first." Kurenai says as they head into the Hokage Tower and Sasuke shrugs.
He couldn't really argue with that logic. The place looked so familiar to him and yet not at the same time. Sasuke honestly didn't have any real idea what was going on. He knew that apparently had lost his memories and he must have done something horrible. Why else would four Jonin's be so frightened of him?
"Lady Hokage, I need to speak with you. It's urgent." Kurenai says, as she knocks on the door.
"Come in, Kurenai." Sasuke hears a female voice say.
The Hokage was a woman. Well that was unexpected. This didn't particularly matter to Sasuke. Strength and intelligence where what counted. Though in his mind it was a rare female ninja who actually focused on her career and not her looks, that wasn't insane. In defense of female ninjas in general, he had been dealing with mostly teenagers. So that was probably why. That and maybe there were some decent female ninjas he had encountered, but he just couldn't remember them.
"Alright. But don't panic." Kurenai says, opening the door, and escorting everyone inside.
"Sasuke Uchiha?" The busty Hokage's eyes widen.
"I'm getting that reaction a lot." Sasuke mutters in amusement.
"Well yes and no. We think he is suffering from a severe case of amnesia. Whether it's genuine or faked, I'm uncertain. Still he did come with us peacefully and even agreed to be cuffed." The Genjutsu Mistress summarizes.
"I see. I'll examine him and then have Ibiki do so for good measure. If he is just pretending, we will find out." She promises.
Sasuke didn't particularly care for the thought of anyone poking around in his mind, especially since he didn't know what was lurking under the surface. But he knew he wasn't getting out of this. He knew he was powerful and fast, but the odds of escaping an entire village seemed slim. If he did escape, he knew that there would be a massive manhunt for him, judging by their reactions.
"I'll cooperate with the mental probing." He says and glances at Hinata as he did so.
Thankfully, Hinata didn't notice. She was talking with Kiba and Shino. Well the bluenette and dog lover were talking. Shino was mostly listening and occasionally nodding or shaking his head.
Tsunade noticed though. Hmm that was interesting. Why was he focusing on Hinata? Was it because she was a Hyuga or had something happened during the retrieval? It didn't seem like there had been a fight. There wasn't a scratch on either of them and his expression was…almost tender? Oh boy. Please don't let this be what she thought it was.
"Great work all of you. You can take the week off." Tsunade says and Team Eight leaves.
"Sasuke, why did you agree to be chakra cuffed?" The blonde asks him once they were alone.
"It was a large symbolic gesture. At the moment, I have very little chakra in me anyway. The cuffs made them feel safer." He answers, not seeing the point to lie.
"For someone who supposedly has lost all their memories and is in an unfamiliar place in the presence of a Kage, you seem remarkably relaxed." She observes.
"If you wanted to kill me, you would have tried already. It's not completely unfamiliar. My basic knowledge is still intact. I know the layout of this village like the back of my hand. It's just…the people I don't remember." Sasuke defends himself.
"And far more open. Normally, you would hold your cards a lot closer to your chest. I'm going to conduct a basic mental probe now and then send you to Ibiki if you pass that. He is our head interrogator." She continues.
Sasuke nods. He didn't like it, but it was really his only option at this point. And he knew fighting a Kage without chakra was a bad idea. So he doesn't resist.
Tsunade probes Sasuke's mind. She saw him wake up and blinks, at the explanation that Sasuke had come up with in his delirious state. He had seriously thought he was dead and that Hinata was some sort of angel. Well that explained a lot.
"I'm going to go a little deeper now. Don't fight me. It will be very painful if you do." She warns him.
"Alright." He says and Tsunade nods in approval as she continues searching.
He had run for days. Sasuke had forsaken all his physical needs. He hadn't slept, ate, or even drank anything. Tsunade had never seen anyone run like this before. What could have caused him to flee or chase after someone like this?
That's when she came to a large door. It was locked shut. The Hokage marveled at the intricate locks and seals. Apparently, whatever had caused this behavior in Sasuke was lurking behind the door.
She shivers at the utterly ominous and forlorn feeling radiating from it. She didn't want to mess with it. Ibiki would be better suited for such a task.
"At first glance, it looks like your condition is genuine. But Ibiki will know for sure. You aren't going to fool him. So don't even try." The woman informs Sasuke.
"If you want to intimidate someone with threats, you are talking to the wrong person." He says simply and follows her to the Interrogation Room while Tsunade ignored his response.
"Ibiki, we believe Sasuke may be suffering form a severe case of amnesia. All his practical knowledge appears to intact. It is his personal knowledge that seems lacking. I did a basic probe and so far the amnesia theory does check out. But I want you to confirm or disprove it. Thus far, he's been surprisingly cooperative." She explains.
Ibiki nods. He straps Sasuke down. A mental probe that was this invasive would likely cause physical reactions. And knowing what Sasuke was capable of, he didn't want to have to find a new building to conduct his work in.
"Alright, kid. Here we go. This isn't going to be pretty." He states and begins.
Ibiki completely skipped over the most recent memory and straight to the running. What could evoke such a reaction from a fearsome ninja like Sasuke? Curious he heads in the opposite direction of Sasuke.
Soon enough he found the door. He tried all his techniques to unlock it or even blow it up. But he wasn't getting anywhere. There was such a feeling of sadness and rage coming from behind that door. He finally manage to get something. Just two words. Itachi and truth.
"His amnesia is genuine and appears to be linked to a truly traumatic event. Simply put, something shocked the Hell out of him in a big way and his mind "defended" him by shutting down." Ibiki explains.
"I'm standing right here. I can hear you." Sasuke growls.
"How long do you think it will last?" Tsunade asks.
"It's hard to say. This is potentially the worst case that I've seen. It might not ever go away or his memories could come back at any times, triggered by something. I just don't know." Ibiki says.
Tsunade sighs. That's what she was afraid of. This version of Sasuke could be worked with, it seemed. But she didn't know how long he would last. The second his memories came back, he'd likely attack. Still she couldn't punish him for crimes that he didn't even remember committing.
"For now Sasuke, you are going to be under heavy watch of the ANBU. I'm going to contact Hiashi. Perhaps he'll let you stay in his Estate." She mutters.
"Who is Hiashi?" Sasuke asks.
"He's the head of the Hyuga Clan and Hinata's father. Hinata was the blue haired woman on Team Eight that brought you here." She clarifies.
"Oh. I think I'd like to stay there." Sasuke says.
"Good." The busty Hokage replies.
Sasuke was at the very least grateful to Hinata for her kindness. So maybe it would be good for him to be around her. There was also the fact he'd be in a home with hundreds of ninjas who also possessed a powerful bloodline. If he flipped, they might be able to restrain him until backup arrived. It seemed like the best plan she had at the moment.
Her earlier suspicions were confirmed by the hopeful look on Sasuke's face. Scratch that. He wasn't just grateful. Sasuke Uchiha had a crush on Hinata Hyuga. Damn it. This might not end well.