"Hiashi-sama's orders are absolute in this family. You know that Hinata-sama"

"Ot-t-tousama... Ordered?" Neji nodded.

"B-But who? Who will-"

"Me. There is no way to remove this mark, but there is a way to transfer it. Do you understand now?" Hinata nodded, scared and shaky as tears bubbled up in her eyes, blurring her brother's hands as they went through the necessary seals to transfer the brand from him to her.

"I am willing to live in this eternal cage for your betterment Nii-sama," She stated quietly, trying to convince herself that the words were true. She had abandoned any hope of becoming head of the Hyuuga when she left to participate in the shaman fight. And she hadn't wanted the title all that much in the first place. It was just something she didn't have to worry about anymore after this was over. Neji had always been the one who was more fit for the position anyways. That was what Hinata tried to convince herself of as tears boiled in her eyes and more seals were threaded over each other.

"Gomennesai. Hinata-sama" Neji stated, and Hinata felt something slightly warm and slick draw over her forehead, and a stray stream of the stuff flutter down her temple and onto her neck and under her clothing from there. Everything seemed to happen in an instant. Ren bursting through the bushes, wide eyed and panting as if he had run a long way to find her. Hinata felt her eyes widen with surprise and fall back to normal with happiness that he was okay, and not dead. Her first thought was to thank Jeanne for what she had done. Her second was to greet Ren, and to explain herself.

"R-Re-" She wasn't sure if the rest of his name was carried in the scream that issued from her as something white-hot ripped through her skull. Hinata always thought that the pain would dull her to what was happening around her, but if anything it made everything clearer. The movement as Neji dodged Ren's attack without so much as a scratch while holding her was like flying, even if her feet dragged against the forest floor.

"If you disturb my chakra now by forcing me to fight you, I do not know what type of damage will be caused for Hinata-sama" It was an infuriating thing, to be able to experience every part of her world so very clearly, but being unable to move a muscle. She could hear Ren's kwan dao rattling as he shook with something Hinata associated with when he was angry with Horo-Horo or Chocolove. And she could hear the footsteps of everyone as they stumbled upon her, and the gasps as Neji calmly explained that this was simply an order. And that disobeying orders from Hiashi meant death for the both of them.

That was the last thing she heard before she fell into blackness. She guessed she was groaning too much for Neji to be able to explain things properly, either that or he had knocked her out so that she wouldn't feel so much pain. Hinata hoped that it was the second one, because it would show that he cared for her, at least a little bit.

Apparently he didn't care enough to stay until she woke, for when she came to, she was alone in the stone rooms that were common in the patch village. Or at least she was almost alone. Ren was curled in on himself and sitting up against the wall, kwan dao held by his bent knees and crossed arms. Now that she had awoken she was all to aware of the splitting pain in her head, and the deep aching that was all over her body, and all to aware that Neji hadn't bothered to stay long enough for her to regain consciousness.

Hinata felt the tears bubble in her chest, and smashed her body into a ball and rolled over, trying to simultaneously crush and turn away from the oncoming saltwater, and in her movement she fell right over the edge of the raised stone platform that the bed consisted of, which caused enough of a noise to awaken Ren, who's body jolted and revealed that he hadn't quite meant to fall asleep. He sighed lightly at the sight of the curled up former heiress. Without hesitation he gathered up the ball of tangled limbs for the third time that night.

"You're going to have even more of a headache in the morning if you keep this up" He mumbled, not quite expecting an answer, but getting one anyways.

"R-R-Ren-kun?" Her voice was horse, and she coughed a little bit, making her seem even more vulnerable if it was even possible.

"Welcome back Hinata" She cracked a little smile.

"W-welcome back yourself" she shivered slightly, obviously quite unused to having the majority of her legs bared to the cold desert night. Which also made her realize she didn't actually own the nightgown she was wearing, or a nightgown in general. That combined with her damp hair made for a slightly confused, and uncomfortably cold Hinata.

"A-ano... W-who's night g-gown is this?" Hinata couldn't exactly tell for sure in the dimness of the room, but she could have sworn that the Tao's cheeks were painted red like the blushing dolls that took his country's name.

"Nee-san's. Her, Anna and Pirika changed your clothing and gave you a bath when we got back" Hinata blushed slightly as Ren set her down on the bed and pulled the blanket over her. But somehow she didn't feel much like sleeping anymore, so she sat at the edge of the bed, rocking and shivering as she gazed out the window.

"Hinata...Are... Are you okay?" He expected her to lie, or at least to try to lie about her condition just like always. When Lyserg left she had just cooked them dinner and curled up without even eating anything, but still insisted that she was just fine even though she obviously wasn't since they could see her shoulders heaving under her sleeping bag as she sobbed ever so quietly. Ren had so wanted to dry her tears that night, and he had cursed the British dowser to all seven rings of hell that night for making her cry, but somehow he couldn't bring himself to even attempt to comfort the distraught Hyuuga.

"No" Her voice was crushed and horse.

"When I grow up I want to become kind like Kaa-chan, and a strong shinobi like Otou-sama"

"That was my dream when I was little" Ren winced slightly at her use of the past tense.

"And now?" Ren stated quietly, not quite sure if he even wanted to hear what had happened to the former heiress's dream.

"Now?" She whispered.

"I don't have one anymore. This seal means I've lost any chance to prove myself, as a shinobi or otherwise"

"Maybe should just do everyone a favor and jump out the window" She was careful to keep her voice low, but Ren still heard the young woman's words. He felt his eyes narrow as she took slow stumbling step towards the window, but he let her be somehow hoping he had misheard her earlier statement about jumping out of the window, which could kill her if she jumped the wrong way.

That was until she was standing on the wide sill and let one foot go completely off the edge as if she was trying to walk on thin air, closed eyes and a soft dazed frown set to her mouth. That was when he pulled her back into the room and pinned her to the wall.

"What... the hell... was that?" His voice was also low, but it carried a grim undertone.

"I-I... Ren-kun..."

"Do not dance around this Hinata" Ren's words were sharp.

"I-I w-wan-want"

"I w-want a place I can return to," Hinata whispered. Taking shaky breathes as she tried to hold back tears.

"A place you can return to?" Hinata nodded and sniffed, slipping slowly to the floor.

"S-someone once told me that t-the place where you have someone thinking about you... i-is home, and that's where you should return to"

"You have Jun-sempai, and you have China to go back to once this is over."

"Horo-Horo-kun has Pirika-chan and Hokkaido, Yoh-kun has his family, Anna-san and Manta-san, and he has Funbari,"

"Chocolove-kun has New York"

"D-d-demo... I... I don't have anywhere to return to... I-I'm too... I'm not..." she stated brokenly.

"I'm not what anyone wants me to be. I'm stupid and weak and selfish" Ren huffed.

"And you would jump out a fourth story window because of that?"

"Because you think that something is wrong with thinking about yourself and your duties to your family before everyone else for once?" Her lip trembled as tears rushed down her cheeks.

"G-Gomenasai" Hinata hiccupped as her hands found their way around him, and pulled him close so that her cheek was pressed flush against his stomach. Ren could feel her tears slipping down his bared midriff and wondered what the hell he was supposed to do in such a situation. Was he supposed to say something? Hug her back? Considering he hadn't much knowledge on what to say to a crying girl, he stuck to wrapping his arms around her loosely, which for him, was the closest he had ever come to actually hugging anyone.

"Gomenasai" Again and again she apologized and sobbed until she ever so eventually became quiet, and her shoulders eased up and down at a normal rate. She still was shivering, so Ren did his best to slide her tangled arms up a little higher so that some more of her body would be closer to him.

"R-Ren-kun?" He felt his cheeks boil.

"Body heat," He mumbled

"You seem cold" Hinata smiled lightly, and sniffled again.

"Don't you dare start crying again" He stated sharply, gaining back some of his normal strictness.

"I won't," she whispered, folding herself just a little bit closer so that she could hear his heart beating. It wasn't slow like she thought it'd be. She had always thought that since Ren was so closed and shy, that his heart would be slow, trying to keep quiet so that no one would stumble upon it and ask questions. But in reality his heart was loud and fast, thumping at a constant and quick pace.

"Hinata?" He could feel her nod against his chest. He wished so desperately that she wasn't listening so intently to his heart so that it wouldn't be so obvious that he was entirely smitten with her.

"Don't... don't do anything like that ever again" Ren mumbled.

"It's too early to give up" He muttered as he let his arms tighten just slightly around her.

"Love, sin, dreams, darkness. We all wear them on our hearts, even if we don't realize it. Not just you" Hinata nodded and gripped his arms. Ren lifted her head so that she was staring him straight in the eyes.

"Kiss Me," she stated hoarsely. Ren felt shock fall over his face at Hinata's request. Talking about such things was unlike her. The mere mention of kissing made her cheeks turn bright red. Usually she was indirect, but this... this was almost bold. Which was not something he knew the former Hyuuga heir to be.

"P-please." She whispered. Ren swallowed nervously, but detangled himself from her vine like limbs so that he was facing her straight on. He let hesitant hands wipe away hair that had fell across her round face with the up most of care. Every part of him was so very aware of how this looked to the outside observer. To sum it up quickly, he knew they both looked like blushing school children. A typical teen romance, brief but sweet.

In all honesty, Ren didn't want this to be brief. He wanted it to be forever. He was comfortable in this twilight of a relationship they had; being much closer then 'just friends' could ever allow, but not close enough to be 'together'. He enjoyed the soft smiles she sent his way, but didn't know what he'd do if he was actually her boyfriend and was expected to be all over her in public. It was embarrassing to think about, and if his father found out that he had affectionate feelings towards anyone... Ren didn't even want to think about what could happen.

He pressed his forehead against her's, ignoring the light sizzle that came from the sensitive seal and the faint burning that he felt within his own brain. Well; maybe faint wasn't exactly the right word, pressing himself against that seal was pretty damned painful, but he didn't really want to contemplate what Hinata had felt as she had fallen to the ground screaming out against this very same green seal. Ren focused more on her breath that was fluttering between them, and the calloused hands that were brushing against his face and neck and burying themselves within his hair, pulling at his scalp pleasantly.

He was completely focused on moving his lips against her's, seeking out her pleasure as well as his own until he could no longer function on the scarce oxygen that was in his body and he had to pull , he had expected Hinata to faint by then, but though her cheeks were definitely colored, she was in fact conscious, and smiling at him. Tears shining in her eyes.

"What did I say about crying?" He stated, wiping away a droplet with his thumb.

"I know." Her breath hitched before she continued.

"I-I'm just g-glad... I'm glad that you're okay" She wiped away tears with the back of her fists.

"I-I t-t-thought that...t-t-that I... that I'd lost you"

"W-when F-Faust-san s-said there w-w-wasn't anyth-thing that he c-c-could do to save you"

"I... I... I couldn't take it..."

"I b-b-broke down i-in front of e-everyone, e-e-even J-Jeanne and L-Lyserg. C-c-c-crying w-w-worse t-then no-now"

"Then you ran away because you couldn't stand looking weak" Ren finished Hinata's sentence, and she nodded, quiet embarrassment causing her to turn her head away.

"G-gome-" Ren shushed her.

"I'm fine so don't worry about me." He stated. Running a hand through her hair, Hinata nodded, gazing past

him towards the pale blue violet sky.

"The sun's rising Ren-Kun. Isn't it beautiful?" Ren scoffed.

"Go to sleep" He muttered, his muscles tensing and relaxing as he suppressed a yawn. Hinata smiled a little

bit.

"Gomen. I'm keeping you up," Hinata whispered.

"Wǒ ài nǐ Hinata, fùnǚ bǐ shìjiè shàng rènhé*" He whispered. That sentence was one of the many quirks that Tao Ren held near and dear. Every night before he slept, that sentence always slipped from his lips, and he quietly thanked whatever god there was that he had said it in Chinese, which Hinata didn't understand much of.

"W-what?" Ren felt his cheeks turn bright red.

"N-nothing" He muttered.

"I heard my name..." Ren sighed.

"Do you really want to know?" He muttered, his blush steadily becoming more visible in the dawn. Hinata nodded, and Ren gulped.

"I-I a-ano... I said..." Hinata clung a little closer, anticipation clenching her muscles.

"" He whispered quickly. Hinata blinked.

"Excuse me?" She stated confusedly.

"I said... I said that I love you more then any woman in the world," Ren muttered, slower this time so that he could be understood.

"And don't you dare faint on me" he piped up as he saw the color of Hinata's cheeks deepening.

"R-Ren...Kun" She whispered.

"I..." Hinata began. Her voice faltering in her throat.

"Yes?" Ren questioned, his hands absently playing with her short hair out of nervousness.

"I-I love you too" Hinata whispered, letting thoughts of finally catching up to Naruto and winning his heart leave her head. She had finally caught up to someone. Sure, it hadn't been anyone that she had originally intended but did it really matter much?

She had won someone's heart, and she hadn't changed herself or even tried to change herself to fit his ideal. She hadn't trained to become strong in Ren's eyes. She hadn't done anything especially for Ren's sake at all. She had simply been around him, they had bonded easily and without fuss, the way both of them preferred it. It was no epic romance filled with betrayal and sadness. In fact most all of her memories of him were happy.

He never called her weird, or dark, or commented on her shyness, but instead defended her from the teasing flirting of Chocolove and Ryu; in fact, he had pretended to be her boyfriend on various occasions to keep strange men from flirting with her as well. He noticed her, and she noticed him, which was all either of them wanted. She had blushed and stuttered and cried and screamed and laughed with him. It was him she rested on when there was no bed, when she was sad, it was his shoulder she cried on, and his hand that she held when she was scared. He didn't love her for what she tried to be. He loved her for what she was, and that was what made their romance beautiful.

"Promise me something Hinata?" Ren stated sleepily. Hinata nodded.

"Promise...Promise that I can be your place to return to" Hinata smiled widely.

"I promise," She whispered.