Yay! Another chapter! It didn't even take another year to do so... :) Thank you for the kind reviews so far...Guest-chan I'm happy you liked it. :) AND thank you to DAngel7. I appreciate your advice and I tried to fix it accordingly. The story moves along nicely in this one, and remember I absolutely suck at slow-burns so the relationship may or may not be paced faster as time goes by. I haven't written it yet so who's to say. My outline though is taunting me to power through. :) Enjoy!

As always, I own my soul and even then it's rented. ;)

Chapter 2

As the sun rose over Hokage Mountain, the Hidden Leaf Village had only just begun to shake away the sleep of night. Hinata, with Hanabi at her side, followed behind her cousin and father, silently taking stock of the mission ahead.

Mission, she thought bitterly, that's what my life has become. A mission to survive, to save my sister, free my cousin…

Is this really what her life had become? The sum entirety of her soul was meant for this? She sighed deeply. She had to achieve every one of those goals, no matter the cost, even at the expense of her own happiness. Her sister's future and her cousin's freedom were infinitely more important to her. All of that aside, Hinata had always been ready to give her life for the ones she loved. She had, once upon a time, quite literally died for that very purpose. She hadn't been strong enough to save Naruto—she'd been skewered by Pein—and yet, somehow the gods had seen fit to give her one more opportunity at life. She brought a slightly trembling hand to her side to dull the phantom ache of the scar under her rib cage. To this very day, the fear haunted her, always reminding her that she'd not been strong enough, useful enough or good enough to do anything for anyone. She slowly rubbed the fading pain and returned her hand to the large sleeve of her traveling kimono. Her life, her destiny, was on the path of those who had chosen to sacrifice for the good of others. She'd been given her life back and now had one more chance to make a difference and make good on her nindo.

She shook away the remaining bitterness and darkness from her thoughts and renewed her fighting spirit. Hinata was determined that this was the right thing to do. She'd always thought there would be a chance of an arranged marriage, but she'd not dwelled on it. Why spend your days dreading the inevitable? Her place in her family, strained as it was, was hers for a reason. She would find a way to change the course they were on, in favor of one that brought hope to the entirety of the Hyuga instead of only half of them. This was her path, her mantle. It had been given to her—chosen for her—by Fate and she'd use every opportunity of her second chance to make right what had been wrong for so long. Her clan was a noble one, a mighty one, but they were also human. For hundreds of years, and far more members than she could count, the Hyuga had enslaved half its people. She knew, down to the depths of her very soul, how wrong it was. She'd use her title and position as clan leader to do what needed to be done so long ago.

"You okay, Neechan?" Hanabi asked, her calculating eyes taking in her every move and reaction.

"I'm fine, Hana, just considering the journey ahead is all," smiling softly at her younger sister.

Hanabi was five years her junior but was at least a head taller than Hinata. Her hair, the same color as their father's, hung gracefully over her shoulders and down her back. She was dressed far more simply than the elder girl, but still befitting her position as the younger daughter of the Hyuga Head. Until the brand was placed on her forehead, she was still a Main House member and was afforded all the benefits and privilege that came with it. Her gray eyes still observed her sister intently, not fully believing that all was as well as she'd made it out to be.

"Hina, you don't have to be so…so together all the time. It's just me. You…you raised me, so I know when you're trying to be the mom and not Hinata."

Her lips were pressed into a thin line as she waited for her elder sister's response.

"Try not to worry so much Hanabi," Hinata replied with a light tone, "I'm really okay. Besides, I'll need your help with Lord Koichiro. I'll be too busy being diplomatic to really get a read on him. I'm trusting you to make sure he's as good as the Elders say, ne?"

Hanabi carefully regarded her sister for a moment longer before allowing her bright smile to cover her face. Her toothy grin reminded Hinata that the girl was still twelve, despite her height or serious demeanor. Regardless of how much training or formality the situation called for, Hanabi would still break her hard Hyuga façade to let the little girl shine through.

"Hai, hai! I can size him up really good Hina! I promise!"

Hinata nodded and smiled at the girl, "I'm happy to hear it."

Hanabi hugged her sister and ran to catch up to their father. She wasn't entirely sure why he or the Elders thought it prudent that she traveled with them, but she didn't question it. It brought her some semblance of peace to know she had her sister by her side throughout this whole ordeal.

The group continued in silence. Her father's strides were long and strong. Neji was also confident in his pace but would always remain one step behind her father. Her cousin was better suited for this than she was. There was no doubt in her mind that had her uncle been born first, their clan would've been different. Neji would be heir in her stead and she'd be free to live her life peacefully. However, she'd learned long ago to never mourn what was already lost, so she drew upon her own learned strength, raised her head higher and fell into step with him.

The Leaf was eerie at this time of day, with the fog of dawn still lingering and shops still boarded up from the previous night. Even in the early morning light, it still sent shivers down her spine to think of all the things these buildings had witnessed, had overheard, had seen. Her village was a remarkable place, but she wasn't naïve to its secrets.

Her journey had barely begun but the energy she felt around her kept her sharply observant. She knew that today would be the day that would change everything. She'd only been to the Land of Iron once before and knew just how brutal their winters could be. February meant the worst of the Leaf's winter was over and spring dawned on the horizon. However temperate Konoha may be this time of year, the Land of Iron would be the complete opposite. If the snow hadn't already covered the land in its entirety yet, it would and soon.

"It is unfortunate that I was not assigned to your escort, Hinata-sama. I feel on edge leaving your safety to others."

Neji did not look at her and his voice was barely above a whisper. She glanced down at his balled fists and wondered how many times those fists had come to her aid. Conversely, she also knew that he still held onto the regret of his past and kept a record of how often he'd wished his were the hands to cause her harm.

"I understand, Niisan. It would have brought me comfort to have you with me, but this is something I must do alone. Although I may not look like it right now, I am a formidable shinobi in my own right."

"Of course," he answered, "I have every faith in your abilities, considering I am the one who has trained with you to see them firsthand. I also do not believe you have any reason to worry over appearances…you look very nice today."

She giggled, watching him fumble over his emotions, remembering why it was that she'd loved him so much. It didn't matter what mood she'd begun the day with, he always had a way of helping her feel better, even if it was through her amusement at the embarrassment he so readily tried to hide.

"Thank you Niisan."

She offered him a genuine smile and he nodded; his ears tinged with pink. It didn't matter how often she'd told him she trusted him or how many hours they'd spent talking about life, he had never grown accustomed to how open she was with her feelings. He was always so stoic, and the slightest emotion threatened to crack his armor.

Hinata instinctively reached to her back to secure her weapons pouch but her fingers found nothing there. She felt naked without her usual shinobi garb, but she wasn't being sent as a soldier, she was being sent as a diplomat, as a bride. Her clan had bred her for this, groomed her to be the poised princess and face of their clan.

The kimono she wore was appropriate for the season, fabrics of deep amethyst, its stitching made of gold. She didn't want to know if it was actual gold because such opulence would make her uneasy. Her shoes, only slightly uncomfortable, were suitable for the long journey. While the Hyuga were affluent and didn't mind showing it, she had always preferred her modest tastes. Her hair was pulled back and pinned in so many places, her scalp had become numb. In her travel bag, was a shawl made of wool and fur, to shield her delicate skin from the harsh elements of the northern countries.

As they approached Aun gate, the meeting place for their travel party, she noted just how many people were hired to guard her. A flush rose to her cheeks. Twelve Jounin level shinobi and one ANBU? Seriously? Did they really find her that weak?

She sighed heavily once more and followed dutifully behind her father. On their approach the captain of the squad greeted them warmly, pulling her father aside to reassure him once more that his daughters would be safe.

The lone ANBU; however, did not approach Hiashi. He came straight to her side, an action that made Neji tense and the twitch in his eye to reappear.

"ANBU-san," he spat, "I assume you're here to guard Hinata-sama personally?"

A nod from the wolf masked man.

"Hn," he responded.

It hadn't gone unnoticed to her that Neji's tone held recognition, whoever this operative was, he was certainly putting her cousin on edge. She turned to examine him more carefully now, after all, she was the one who he'd be guarding.

Her eyes were careful to notice his rigid posture and his coal darkness beneath his mask. He towered over her; his arms crossed at his chest. Her eyes homed in on his hands. They were calloused and rough—as are many shinobi's hands—but these hands wielded and molded lightning chakra. It reminded her of Naruto's hands after training endlessly with Rasengan. She also noticed the katana strapped tightly to his back, its hilt showing through his travel cloak.

Her eyes widened, heart quickened, as the pieces fell together; the identity of her guardian becoming clear. It made complete sense now why her cousin was so on edge, as the two men's similar personalities often found friction with one another. Hinata couldn't say the same. She was entranced by the man, the way he stood, the way his arms folded neatly over his chest, the way the singular, violet hue of his Rinnegan seemed to illuminate his face behind the porcelain mask. She observed the scars that ran up and down his arms, in varying shapes, lengths and shades, and found herself pondering how one man could have received them all and lived to tell the tale. She watched the slight rise and fall of his chest when he breathed, coincidentally drawing her eye to the taught musculature underneath his shirt. The broadness of his shoulders and the sheer strength he exudes was enough to make her flush and her body grow warm.

At long last, his dark eyes met her own, and she felt the edges of her vision tremble slightly. Neji placed a hand on her back, steadying her and she returned the Uchiha's knowing gaze, acknowledging the fact that she did remember him. The blackness of his stare wasn't foreboding but, on a deep level, oddly peaceful. It felt as if he could read her every thought and the feeling entranced her, sending sparks through her nerves, alerting her mind to a familiar feeling.

It was Neji who broke her trance with the not-so-subtle clearing of his throat.

"Thank you for accompanying me on this journey, ANBU-san," she said softly, bowing slightly.

He nodded, motioning to her to follow him to where the others had gathered to leave. She nodded and turned to her cousin for their goodbye.

"Try not to worry, Niisan. It's only a week."

"A lot can happen in that amount of time," he said, warily exhaling a breath he'd been holding, "I'll always worry about your safety."

She smiled, tears pricking at the corner of her eyes, and wrapping her arms around him, she drew him in for a hug. She smiled, amused at how she knew his ears would be pink when she released him from her hold.

"Itterasshai, Hinata-sama," he said softly.

She nodded and turned to walk with her new guardian, Uchiha Sasuke.

.:.:.:.

"Ugh," Hanabi moaned, "why can't we just travel through the trees? This is so unnecessary."

Hinata shook her head at the younger girl.

"Hinata-sama is an acting dignitary, Hanabi-san, we can't risk her safety that way."

Hanabi rolled her eyes at Satoshi, the squad's captain, "Hinata is a shinobi, so she can handle it! Anyway, if her safety's such a concern wouldn't be better to get there sooner rather than later?"

The man laughed, "I see your point; however, we're under orders to treat Hinata-sama as we would any other member of civilian high society."

"Tch, fine," she huffed, crossing her arms.

Hinata giggled, "I'm sorry Hana, we'll be there before you know it."

"Whatever," she replied, "I'm gonna go bother Satoshi, and he's gonna be the one who begs us to go the faster way once I get done pestering him!"

She watched her sister trot up to the older man with a smile. Hanabi could be quite determined when she set her mind to something.

Another reason she'd be better suited for this than I am, she thought.

No. She couldn't think that way, if that were the case, then regardless of his personal feelings, her father would have chosen Hanabi as his heir. Hinata's old habits had a tendency to return to her, regardless of how much progress she'd made in getting rid of them. Insecurity and doubt had been her constant companions growing up with weakness and fear being the patron to let them into her mind. After the Chuunin exams, she'd spent countless hours with Neji training as hard as she possibly could, always trying to eliminate her past failures.

Her mind was on other things when she felt her guard jump down from the canopy.

"Don't allow them to make you weak," he said coolly.

"Pardon?" she asked, not entirely sure she'd heard him correctly.

He sounded concerned, annoyed even, that she'd been made to feel small.

"Your clan, this whole thing, I've seen it happen before. They recognize that you're a threat and they want to make you weaker. Don't let them."

He left her side to return to his post, leaving her confused and somewhat irritated.

Why would he say such things? Not to mention the fact that he'd had no contact with her clan for as long as she could remember. So how could he know their inmost thoughts? She didn't want to let his words affect her, strangely encouraging as they may be, because if she allowed herself to believe her clan—her family—thought so little of her, it would require so much more strength than she had to give to push back at them. The idea that she'd been chosen for her resolve and strength rather that despite her lack of the two was what propelled her onward. Family was what was most important, right? Surely, he, of all people, thought so…

The resolve she'd spent so long honing and strengthening was threatening to crack and she couldn't let that happen, not when so many others depended on her.

However, she couldn't help but think that maybe she was already at that point. Would she so easily allow them to break her spirit? Would she just roll over and let them walk all over her? She told herself that she wouldn't, but her deepest fear had always been that she was no stronger than the little girl her father sent away to be trained by Kurenai. Had she already succumbed to their staunch control?

What bothered her the most, wasn't the fact that Sasuke had taken liberties with her, but the fact that he could be right…and that her gut already knew he was. She wasn't naïve and she didn't think her father or the Council of Elders perfect beings, but she had to believe that they did what they did because they believed it would make her family better.

Perhaps that did make her naïve.

.:.:.:.

They'd been walking for the better part of two days now. Their camp sites had been modest and hurried so as not to draw attention to their party. Finally reaching the Land of Iron, the weather had grown dramatically colder. She'd added her traveling cloak to her garments the previous day and she was silently thankful for the Hyuga's hedonism.

Hinata, in need of refreshment, had walked the short distance to the creek they'd settled next to for the night. The mountain stream was bitter cold, but that was exactly what she needed. She splashed the water on her face over and over again. She brought a handful of the cool liquid to her lips and drank her fill. Watching the ripples fade back into the still, glassy surface of the slow-moving stream brought her a profound sense of peace. She watched her reflection smooth out and cringed a little at the person she saw. This wasn't the woman she'd worked hard to become. This was someone else entirely.

She let out a hard breath and splashed the reflection away. On a whim, she molded the water into tiny threads, likened to the strings of chakra puppet handlers used. With infinitesimal movements of her fingers, the threads of water began to dance lightly on the surface. They surged and flowed in a series of movements that caught the light in such a way it made rainbows dance on the trees and canopy above her.

.:.:.:.

Her ever present guard silently watched her from his perch. Sasuke had been intrigued by her quiet resolve since she'd met his eyes yesterday. Not many people dared to look him in the eyes like that and it fascinated him that the seemingly timid and quiet heiress would be one of the few.

He watched her intently, as she played with the water making it turn and twist at her whim. He hadn't pegged her to be so proficient with her elemental nature, as not many Hyuga even knew theirs, but he was learning, that there was more to this woman than he'd initially believed. Watching her on their journey, he had seen her inner struggle with doing her duty and being herself. She'd accepted her fate and while she was stronger than she let on, he knew the Hyuga were a bunch of spineless sheep, one following the other, and they would not tolerate anyone deviating from the herd. Hinata's very presence was a deviation from Hyuga tradition. She was not cold and calculating, nor did she strive to be the most powerful, most gifted shinobi in her clan. He'd heard her speak in passing about how she'd planned to change their caste system. He'd always thought that more of a fantasy than a goal, but she was continually proving how little he knew of her quiet strength. The heiress knew that her birthright gave her the leverage necessary to change things for the better. That is if her hell-bound clan didn't snuff out her spirit before then.

I guess listening to the idiot babble about her during training did have a purpose, he thought smugly.

He was entranced by her movements, and the patterns the light made in the trees. He lifted a hand to his face where the light touched it. It seemed to warm him through and through.

SNAP.

His head snapped to the right.

"Shit," he hissed, cursing himself for being distracted. He jumped from tree to tree in search of the pursuer.

.:.:.:.

She had been straightening the pins in her hair when it happened. A flurry of movement accompanied by a snapping of twigs to her right. Her ANBU guard would never be so clumsy as to break branches on the forest floor, but she knew he was already observing the situation. She stopped, stance turning defensive, Byakugan activating.

"Whose there?" she commanded, standing to her full height.

There were no other sounds that came from the direction of the twigs, nor could she see anyone immediately in front of her for miles. She stayed in her stance, using her eyes and their power to observe her surroundings.

She landed on the intruders at the same moment her sister's battle cry was heard. Whoever had been stalking her, had attacked the group. Her body flew into action as she raced the short distance to the clearing where they set their camp. As she did, she noticed the weather change even more frigid, snow falling in heavy flakes all around her.

There was movement everywhere, all available shinobi rushing to arms. Her sister was valiantly fighting off three men while the other Jounin rushed to help her, fending off attacks left and right. The rogues were dressed in black, hoods covering their faces, even her Byakugan impenetrable to whatever jutsu had been used to conceal their identities. There was a swarm of them, seemingly enough to overtake them all.

"There's the target!" cried one of the attackers, and all the robed men rushed her at once.

Her Byakugan watched as they surrounded her, leaving no opening for escape. She slowed her breathing and focused her chakra on her hands. Neji had trained her for this and she was going to make him proud.

They charged her, giving her a narrow opportunity to lock them in her family's signature jutsu.

"Eight Trigrams: Air Palm!"

She pushed her chakra from her core and out through her fingertips. The men rushing her to the front were instantly shoved backward, over the reinforcements hurrying to her aid. She went to strike the men coming at her from both sides with her Divine Rotation but was stopped by the masked ANBU. Jumping in front of her, he swung his lightning infused katana in a large sweep, incapacitating most of the assailants.

"Squadron," Satoshi cried over the din, "activate scatter plan!"

"Yokai!" came the resounding response.

In shinobi fashion, the Jounin split into two groups. The first was to counter the attack of those assassins still fighting, the second flanked Hanabi and with a disgruntled, "HEY! I CAN TAKE THEM!", quickly took her away from the fight, presumably to safety.

That just left…

"Come," he said, urgently, "I need to get you out of here."

"But I can't leave my—"

He didn't give her an opportunity to finish her statement, having picked her up into his arms and was now flying through the trees at break-neck speed, in the opposite direction of where her sister had been taken. In the middle of it all, his mask had fallen off and to the ground, cracked in two.

"She's being taken care of, that group was assigned to get her to safety, and back to the Leaf if necessary. My job is to get you to safety, but we're going to take a detour."

Her eyes widened in embarrassment when she fully understood her position. She was being cradled by Uchiha Sasuke. The heat bloomed over the entirety of her features and she was annoyed that she wasn't in better control of herself. Not to mention the fact that this was entirely not the time for her body to betray her. Why was she so flustered? This was his job, after all.

"I can run myself," she countered, earning a sidelong glance and a smirk from her guardian.

"Hn," he responded, his grip on her tightening.

He pounced, limb to limb, skillfully avoiding the accumulating ice threatening to send them both to early graves.

"Damn it," he hissed, "there's more ice than snow and its falling too heavily. Use your Byakugan and see if there's any shelter ahead."

She nodded and scanned the area. The Land of Iron was notorious for its freak blizzards and now, they were in a race to seek shelter before the elements claimed them. No matter how powerful you were, even the greatest of shinobi was still just flesh and bone. In the distance, a little more than a kilometer away was the refuge they were seeking.

"There," she pointed, "just ahead is an abandoned cabin."

He nodded and sped impossibly faster toward the shelter, Hinata clinging to him tightly, her arms around his neck. She knew today was going to change everything, she just hadn't bargained on the turn it would take when it did.

Soooooooo...whaddaya think? Let me know, 'kay? Also, have I told you how remarkable you are lately? Because this world just wouldn't be the same without you. Seriously. Which gives you all the more reason to be kind to yourselves, yeah? Until next time, Lovelies!