I do not own Naruto. That would be Masashi Kishimoto.
The only thing that I own is the story line. Thanks.
In a vast, dark cavern hidden in the cliffside of a large ravine, nine shadowy figures materialized silently out of the ether. Their dark silhouettes flickered strangely, non-corporeal, and an ominous aura filled the air as they stood motionless, waiting.
The presence of one dark figure stood out above the rest. His cold, ringed eyes – the only part of him distinguishable from his cloaked shape – rose slowly to acknowledge the eight who had appeared before him. He cast his gaze slowly over each of them before speaking.
"What we anticipated to take three years has taken seven, because we underestimated the individual power of the jinchuuriki. The only two who remain are the Hachibi and Kyūbi, the Kyūbi will be most difficult to obtain, as it is the most powerful. As you all know, the Kyūbi has vacated Konoha and has remained elusive, the attempts to capture the vessel were all unsuccessful."
Crimson eyes narrowed in the darkness of the cave, several more pairs glancing in the owner's direction.
"Leader-sama, it has been confirmed that the Kyūbi, along with all others who had left years ago, have returned to Konoha."
Silence fell over the group of elite s-class shinobi, a few of them stealing glances at the ever silent Uchiha.
Their Leader continued acting as if he had not been interrupted, "Despite their reputation for being softhearted and weak, Konoha shinobi have been responsible for the deaths of three of our comrades in the past. The Leaf is not to be taken lightly. That leads me to other, relevant information. Zetsu."
The deep, raspy voice of the plant man echoed through the cavern, "As u said before, the Kyūbi container has returned to Konoha, along with the other members of the Rookie Nine. Also, Sasuke Uchiha has been spotted amongst the returned shinobi. Originally we figured Sasuke would be a hindrance to our plans, especially if he rejoined the Leaf. Though he will most likely aid in protecting the jinchuuriki, it seems he has lost interest in Itachi."
A pair of dark gray eyes glared openly at the plant-like man, she truly detested Zetsu, "I have also heard that both Sasuke Uchiha and the jinchuuriki are being placed under the guard of ANBU Captain Sakura Haruno and the Copy Ninja Kakashi Hatake."
Their Leader glanced at her from the corner of his eye but said nothing as she continued, "If the jinchuriki is staying in Konoha there is more shinobi staying within the city limits then you are telling us, Zetsu. I also know that the Toad Sannin Jiraiya has requested vacation time so that he can finish his books. And it has also been rumored that this Sakura Haruno has master a technique that is equal to if not more powerful than the Sharingan."
"Oh come on," groaned a silver-haired man, "What are you, a bunch of pussys? Why doesn't someone just drug that fox-kid while everyone is sleeping and drag his ass here?"
"Because getting past that kunoichi is next to impossible, yeah!"
"Afraid you'll end up as pathetic as your plastic partner, she-male?"
"You-"
"Enough Hidan!"
The air seemed to chill around them, and the cold eyes of the Leader narrowed dangerously at the half-cloaked shape, "You may want to mind your tone, Hidan. You have already tested the limits of my patience today."
"Leader-sama?"
"Yes Zetsu?" he asked, very annoyed.
"If what Konan-sama says is true then attempting to kidnap the jinchuuriki would be suicide for whatever team is sent after him, we would have to wait until they are no longer being watched so heavily."
"As I understand it, the Hachibi will be visiting Konoha in one year. It would be an opportune time to capture the remaining two jinchuriki," interjected a smaller shadow, his voice as smooth as the leader's was menacing.
"That would be the most opportune time," added the larger shadow, beady silver eyes staring balefully at the tall figure.
"I agree with Kisame and Itachi," said their Leader, "You are all dismissed."
Leader said nothing more, merely fixed his hawkish gaze on the only three who remained before his image flickered out, just like the others.
"Konan," he greeted plainly.
"Have you had any contact with her?"
The ever stoic Uchiha held her gaze, "Not since they have returned."
"Worried about the little Princess?" asked Kisame, sounding amused.
She gave him a pointed look that wiped that toothy grin off his face, "Yes, I have been worried about her, and so has Nagato."
Resisting the urge to comment, Kisame kept his mouth shut while she continued, "He believes that someone is leaking information to another organization, important information. Because of this he is very warry about anyone stepping foot inside of Fire Country, or even leave Amegakure."
"If I do not speak with her within seven days, I will be paying her a visit, personally."
Konan nodded in understanding, "Report to me immeditatly afterwards."
She flickered out and only Itachi and Kisame remained.
"It's been a while since I seen the Princess," said the shark-like man.
Crimson eyes regarded his partner, "It has been a long time for everyone, Kisame."
Sakura glared at the rather large wooden door before her, a door which lead to the house that was purchased on the Godaime's dime, mostly because Sakura simply refused to move elsewhere because of her former teammates. To her it seemed absolutely ridiculous, but thankfully each of them had their own respective rooms and that came with their own bathrooms, which she assumed to be a special request.
Finally opening the door, Sakura groaned outright, "What the fuck!"
The room was fully furbished, brand new furniture – including a beautiful charcoal gray leather couch. Suddenly remembering a very important detail about one of the men she was about to be living with, Sakura headed straight for the kitchen.
"Of course she even had the cabinets filled with fucking ramen," she practically hissed, slamming the cabinet doors shut, "Fuck!"
Slumping down in one of the three dining room chairs she glared at the oak table before her, at her reflection in the waxed wood.
"Why did it have to be them? Why the hell did it have to be them?"
Soft padding caught her attention and watched Shadow enter the kitchen / dining room, she smiled softly as he pushed back one of the chairs and leapt up onto it to join his master.
"What are you so happy about?" she asked, noting that he looked very pleased with himself.
"The beds they gave us are huge and so comfortable," he gushed, giving her his wolfish grin.
Sakura shook her head, "You silly."
Giving him an affectionate rub behind the ears, she led the way down the hallway and stopped before the room designated for her. Schooling her expression, she opened the door and her jaw went slack, the room was absolutely beautiful. Depicted around the room was the scene from the cherry blossom fields, soft pink petals dancing around the light sky blue walls and dark forest green carpet as the grass.
"I guess I could thank her… the room is rather cool," she muttered, causing Shadow to snicker.
"Just cool?" teased the knowing ninken
Sakura glared playfully at him, "Yes, just cool."
Shadow walked around, sniffing the carpet, like he always did while Sakura looked in her bathroom, "Where's Soul?"
"Dozing off in the Uchiha's room."
Sakura frowned at that and walked down the hall a little to find Soul sleeping on a small, but comfortable looking bed. His head rose the moment she peared inside the room.
"I'll keep guard on him," he yawned, while she shrugged her shoulders.
"It's probably for the best," she looked down at Shadow who now sat beside her, "You'll watch Uzumaki then."
"Whatever," replied Shadow, walking to the third room she hadn't seen yet.
Sakura frowned and returned to the kitchen where she began preparing some tea. She had been given enough time to have herself and ninken settled in, that way she was prepared if anything were to happen.
Four days had passed since her lunch with Hanabi Hyūga, in those four days she was supposed to be preparing this safe house for their stay. Clearly she had put everything off until the last minute, her own payback at her Shishou for putting her in charge of her former teammates.
Today was the day they were supposed to arrive and she couldn't help but think of what her and Jiraiya-sensei had talked about when they discussed her former teammates return. How he'd mentioned the similarities between Team Hiruzen and Team Seven, and how he envied that her teammates had come back of their own free will.
"Perhaps this is the universes way of giving you a second chance," she repeated, remembering his words, "A second chance that we had never been given."
The whistling teapot jolted her back to reality and Sakura continued through the motions until she felt that approach of familiar chakra, they were here. Setting the pot on the counter, she moved for the door where Shadow and Soul were already waiting.
"Sakura," called an irritated sounding Kakashi, "Open the door."
With a frown and look of annoyance, Sakura opened the door, "Only because you're here, senpai."
"Hey, Sakura," said Naruto, sliding past her with his things slung over his shoulder.
Sasuke said nothing as he followed right behind the blonde, she noticed the remints of Hanabi's sucker-punch on his face and inwardly grinned.
"I've got a question," proclaimed Naruto, gathering their attention, "Which room is mine and when can I see Hinata-chan?"
Kakashi gave Sakura an exhausted look, which she understood immediately.
"I'll be okay, I can get them settled in."
"I'll be back to check on you around nine-thirty, okay?" he asked, silently thanking her, "Don't kill them okay?"
"I'll try, Senpai, but there will be no promises," she smirked, "Do you think you could bring some dango with you when you come back, please?"
He simply nodded before disappearing in a puff of smoke.
Taking a deep breath, Sakura turned around to face the wary pair. It had been years since the three of them were left alone. Suddenly it came to Sakura, the same realization that the other two seemed to have as well in that single instant: What the hell was Tsunade thinking?
Sakura knew they were waiting for some sort of instruction, for her to say anything probably.
"How's that shiner feel?" she heard herself asking, unable to hide her smug smirk.
Naruto now looked over at Sasuke, "I was meaning to ask you about that on the way here, who hit you?"
Sasuke glared daggers at Sakura, "Why don't you ask her," he hissed.
Again cerulean eyes fell upon the pinkette, waiting for an explanation.
"He was visited by an old friend, she took a little pent-up anger out on him."
Naruto frowned, "Why would you do that?"
Sakura's eyebrow rose, "It wasn't me, it was Hanabi."
His eyes widened in surprise.
"Why did she do that?"
Shadow snorted, "Because you took away her sister, dumbass."
"Yes," agreed Soul, "You are both dumbasses."
Sasuke looked between the two ninken and then to Sakura, who was watching him with that smug smirk she liked to wear.
"Could you please explain to us the situation," Sasuke demanded through gritted teeth.
Sakura could see that the usually composed Uchiha was having trouble adjusting to being told what to do, it wasn't in his nature, it never had been. Even worse was the fact that everyone was taking their anger out on him, not everything that had happened was his fault.
"Sure, teme, I'll even explain it real slow," he glare intensified, "You will sleep each night with Soul watching you. Each day, you will remain on the fenced-in perimeter. My bedroom is off limits unless you are invited in by me. When you're to go somewhere that isn't inside the fenced-in perimeter you are to be escorted by either Kakashi or I, no exceptions. Not even Jiraiya-sensei is allowed to bring you somewhere."
"I have a question," began Naruto, stepping between Sasuke and Sakura, "How am I to see Hinata if I can't leave this place?"
Sakura's met his evenly, "You're not."
Her brow furrowed in annoyance, "So I return home and I can't even see the woman that I love?"
Sasuke watched her instantly become rigid, "That is correct," she answered evenly, "Unless the circumstances change, you won't see her for a long time."
He glared at Sakura now, angered that she didn't fight for him to be with her and angered by the fact that she didn't seem to care. Mostly because she didn't seem to care. They had once been friends, teammates, and to hell and back together, for her to act so cold and uncaring towards him was aggravating.
"Sorry Naruto, this is the price you have to pay to earn back the Hokage's trust."
His gaze narrowed, "Her trust, or yours?"
Sakura closed the gap between the two of them, her body almost pressed up against his, "It's going to take much longer to earn back my trust, Uzumaki. You should be thankful I argued on your behalf, I was offered to argue against you."
The tension between them grew and Naruto rose to his full height, towering over Sakura, "Guess it's a good thing we had you on our side."
"But for how long," wondered Sasuke, eyeing the woman skeptically.
She now turned herself towards him, "You're one to talk about loyalties, weren't you the one to leave your teammate on a fucking park bench?"
His mouth snapped shut at the memory, recalling how her adolescent self-had proclaimed their love to him and all he did was thank her.
"Look," he growled, "That happened a long time ago, we're back now. Isn't that what you wanted all along?"
Shadow and Soul disappeared in a small puff of smoke, Naruto looked from the spot where the dogs had been to Sakura. She looked extremely calm and it filled him with anxiety.
"You never even bothered to get to know me," her voice lethal and sharp, "You never took the time to get to know me, so how would you know anything about what I do and don't want?"
Silence fell over them and Naruto gave Sasuke a look that read: Shut up before I kill you.
Sakura was still upset about what was happening, that little fact clear to both of them, but there was more to her reasoning than met the eyes.
"Naruto, you're room is on the right, Sasuke, the left."
Opal eyes shot open the second she felt the familiar chakra signatures enter the building, though she herself could not use chakra.
"Father," she said tonelessly, surprising those accompanying him.
Hiashi Hyūga stared down at his elder daughter, "You have disgraced me far too often, I will not allow you to destroy the future of the Hyūga Clan like you have for yourself."
One of the three masked ANBU beside Hiashi snorted with distain.
"Do you have something you'd like to share?"
The woman turned her head slightly towards the head of the Hyūga Clan, "You're not worried about the Clan's future, you're worried about your own."
Hiashi narrowed his eyes with utmost disdain, "This is not about me. You're inability to understand such things is the reason you will never lead the Hyūga."
Without turning his glare away from the woman he spoke again, directed to the only male ANBU present, "Make sure there are no more problems with her, I have no time to deal with traitors."
He turned and strode quickly down the hall, Hinata watched him leave before her opal eyes rose to the remaining three before her cell. She noticed the woman who had spoken early was watching after Hiashi, the man seemed to notice this as well.
"Calm down," he said harshly, "Just keep quiet until things settle down."
Angry, she slid her mask to the side and Hinata's eyes widened, "Do you hear yourself, Neji? Did you not see the way he treated his newly returned daughter? He doesn't care and that doesn't fucking bother you even the slightest?"
Taken aback, Hinata stared speechless and wide-eyed at the pair before her.
"Hanabi, she defected from Konoha, you have to try and see it from his point of view," defended Neji.
"I will not try and see it from his point of view! If I were him I would be so happy my child came to her senses and came home, I'd be over-joyed and not have put off trying to see her until now!"
"Do not speak to me with that tone," he ordered dangerously, Hanabi held her ground, unafraid of her cousin.
After a long tense moment between the two, the third masked agent placed a tentative hand on Neji's shoulder while removing her mask. Opal eyes looked back to meet hers and after a moment his chakra stopped flaring. Hinata saw the small smirk form on Hanabi's lips.
"Don't forget why we have come here," she looked over to Hanabi, "Both of you."
Full attention was returned to the ever quiet Hinata – who until then was watching with wide and unsure eyes – uncertainty crossing all their faces.
After a minute Hanabi crossed her arms, "It's been a while, Hina…"
X
The last time she was woken in the middle of the night it turned out to be the worst night of her life. But now, when the soft rustling near her bed alerted her senses, she opened her eyes in dread only to find her sister crouched beside her.
"Hina? What are you doing?"
Hinata put a finger to her lips, "Shh. I don't have much time."
She sat up, "What?"
"I'm leaving, Hanabi. I can't stay here anymore; there is somewhere I need to be."
Eyes adjusting to the darkness, she could see her sister was dressed all in black, and armed, with a small pack on her shoulders and another at her waist.
"What?" she said again, barely keeping her voice down.
"Shh! Mariko has sentry duty tonight and she's promised to help me over her section of the outer wall."
"Where will you go? Why do you have to go?"
"I can't tell you that, Hana, I'm sorry."
"This is insane," she said while getting up and searching for her clothes.
"What are you doing?" Hinata hissed.
"Coming with you, of course."
"No!"
Hanabi turned, surprised by the vehement refusal. Hinata came up close to her, grabbed her hands.
"We can't both go, Hanabi. They'll hunt us down within hours. I need you to cover for me. Stall them as long as possible."
"Hinata…"
She was suddenly terrified for her sister. Hanabi was looking at her with wide, imploring eyes, like a young girl looks to her big sister when things are rough. She hadn't looked at her that way in a very long time, since they were small children.
Hinata threw her arms around her, hugging her tight. Her voice wavered slightly, "I'll find a way to contact you soon. I swear. Wait for it, and stay strong."
"You too," she whispered into her older sister's raven hair, "Please be careful."
X
Tears began to spill over and in seconds the door to her cell was practically ripped from its hinges as Hanabi rushed inside to pull her sister into a bone-crushing embrace. Tears streamed down both of their faces.
"I missed you, I missed you so much," she chocked back a sob, "I thought I would never see you again."
Hinata held her sister close, "I'm so sorry for leaving you, but I had to."
More composed than Hanabi, Neji nodded his greeting, "We're just glad you came back home."
"Well, everyone but Father that is," grumbled Hanabi, finally pulling away and wiping the moisture from her eyes.
Neji gave her a pointed look and Hanabi rolled her eyes, "You need to look at the full picture."
Sensing another argument between the two, Tenten intervened, "Should we be heading back to the Hyūga compound? It is getting rather late."
Hanabi snickered softly, "You're only saying that because you don't want to deal with Hiashi either."
Tenten merely shrugged and motioned for Hinata to come forward, Hanabi clinging to her side.
"What about the others, Kiba and Shino?" she asked, "I haven't seen them since we arrived."
It was the truth. She hadn't seen or heard anything about her teammates or anything about Naruto and Sasuke. She recalled overhearing a guard briefly mention something about Sakura, but they had spoken in hushed tones. She was worried about their well-being, as well as Naruto's.
"I don't know," Neji answered honestly.
"Our orders were to bring you to the Hyūga compound, we weren't told anything of your comrades," added Hanabi.
Hinata frowned; she wasn't surprised they weren't told anything. The separation that they were being put through was completely understandable and what she had heard from one of her posted guards, she should be thankful that she was in the cell she was in. She assumed that meant Naruto and Sasuke were far worse.
She was also aware that the present ANBU – Neji, Hanabi, and Tenten – were her assigned guards. One of them would be present with her at all times, which was the arrangement that had been made by the Hokage. Hinata remembered how surprised she had been when Sakura was present during her own trial.
"Are you nervous to return to the compound?" Hanabi asked, her arm linked around Hinata's.
"No, I would like to see how twisted it has become since I left."
Hinata was aware of her Fathers affairs, even if she wasn't present for them. His was selfish and judgment – some things never change – along with his ability to sweep anything under the rug that would reflect poorly on the Hyūga Clan.
When they passed through the gates opal eyes scanned her surroundings.
The compound was quiet, as it always had been, and the manor house was all but empty. The two servants they'd passed in the halls barely acknowledged her presence. Hinata looked to Hanabi, but she had already returned her mask to hide her face, clearly she held much dislike towards her own family.
Crossing the inner courtyard on the way to her room, she spotted her father reprimanding one of the servants, beside her she could feel Hanabi stiffen.
"Calm down," he breathed, knowing full well that Hanabi could hear him.
Hinata gently squeezed her sisters' arm, but remained silent.
"He is a tyrant," she hissed, "He's fucking abusing his power just because he can."
Hinata glanced over her shoulder, casting an unreadable gaze towards the man who was her father. Though that was not a word she would use to describe him, she doubted that he even knew what being fatherly meant.
"This is your room," Tenten informed her, opening one of the sliding panels, "One of us will be here at all times. Aside from us, there are other guards posted around the compound keeping watch. Attempting an escape would be futile."
Hinata gave her a small tight-lipped smile before saying, "I won't leave."
"Good," sighed Hanabi, "'Cause I'm dragging your ass back here if you ever do something like that again."
Neji nodded in agreement, "Tenten will take first watch."
Hinata's brow knitted together, she was really hoping to spend some time with her sister.
"I have something I need to do before taking over her watch," answered Hanabi, sensing her sisters' hesitation, "I'll be back soon."
"Alert me when you have returned, Hanabi," requested Neji.
She rolled her eyes, but nodded, "Later!"
Rolling over in his bed for what seemed like the hundredth time, Sasuke let out a long and exhausted sigh. He still couldn't fall asleep. Getting out of bed he eyes fell upon the framed photograph on his nightstand, a photograph he had carried with himself over all of these years.
Silently walking down the hallway Sasuke intended to make some tea in the hope that it would calm his restless mind. It was sometime around midnight, he guessed, and the rest of the house was silent. However, there was a dim light up ahead. Someone was in kitchen, onyx met jade the second he entered the room.
"You're up rather late," she observed quietly.
"Hn."
Silence fell between them, and although it was rather thick, it was not awkard like he would have expected it to be. She sat alone at the table, at an angle in her chair, one knee drawn up to her chest with an elbow resting atop the table. She looked different somehow, younger as she sat there in the dimly lit room. She wore a maroon sweatshirt and short pink boxers and somehow it reminded him of when she was younger, when she would always wear that red dress.
"I couldn't sleep. I was going to make some tea," he murmured.
"I've already made some."
His eyes fell upon the steaming pot in front of her, alongside a plate of dango. The dango struck him as odd; for some reason he couldn't picture someone like her liking it. Apparently he was wrong, but then again, he didn't really know much about her at all. Sensing his hesitation Sakura gestured at the tabletop tiredly, "You can join me, if you'd like."
Completely taken aback by her suggestion, he silently eyed her as if it were a trick of some sort. She looked calm, holding no malic or ill-will towards him in this particular moment. Finally he took a cup from the cabinet and sat down across from her. They sat there in silence until he finally cleared his throat, "May I ask you something?"
She thought for a moment before nodding.
"Why did you argue on our behalf?"
Her eyes remained fixated on the steaming liquid in her mug, for a moment, he thought she wasn't going to answer.
"I don't want to be the deciding factor of whether you live or die. I had enough piled upon my shoulders because of you; I didn't want another added on."
Sasuke watched as she swirled the contents of her mug around, lost in her own thoughts.
Her eyes rose from the tabletop and she looked him square in the eyes, "Why have you returned?"
She didn't look angry or upset in any way; she just looked tired and aged beyond her years.
"There were many reasons, everyone had their own."
"What was you and Naruto's reasons," she asked calmly, almost seeming lethargic.
"He needed to know if you were okay, if the rumors we'd heard about you were true or not," Sasuke's gaze dropped to the table now, "And I'm sure it had something to do with Hinata as well."
Sakura nodded slowly, "I assumed his reasoning's revolved more around her, that would make the most sense," she looked back into those onyx eyes expectantly, "And what was yours? Why have you returned."
It was a statement, not a question.
"I had nowhere else to go," he said evenly.
She quirked an eyebrow, "Or you were curious if I had severed my ties with Itachi and were going to try to find him through me."
His expression tightened, but he didn't deny or agree with what she had said. It was partly true – he admitted to himself – but it wasn't the only reason for his return.
Sasuke watched as she drank from her glass, the way she held it and swished the contents around. He was rather surprised that she had said as much as she had, he was grateful for it. He could remember the girl he knew years ago, her long hair and maroon dresses, so different from the way she dressed now. No longer a child but a grown woman, capable of making her own decisions. She no longer possessed the naiveté and emotionally biased judgments she had during her adolescent years. He could tell that she was still soft-hearted and emotional, but also that she wasn't easily frightened. Unlike her adolescent years when she would hide behind her teammates, now she put herself before them, protecting them.
"Sakura," she stopped swirling the tea around and met his gaze, "I'm sorry – honestly I truly am sorry."
A slightly amused smirk grew at the corner of her mouth, "I would hope so, after leaving me on a fucking bench over ten years ago."
He winced, "Sorry-"
"Stop apologizing," she interrupted irritatedly, "You're Sasuke Uchiha. The most arrogant, self-centered, pigheaded man I have ever met in my entire life. You apologizing is like snow in hell. It just doesn't happen."
At this Sasuke couldn't help but smirk.
"Now go back to bed," she said firmly, "You and Naruto are safe here; I'm not going to let anything happen to you."
He froze momentarily, picking up on the undertone of her words: she had their back. Slowly he rose to his feet and turned back towards her once he stood in the doorway of the kitchen, "Goodnight, Sakura."
She merely nodded and waited until he disappeared down the hallway before jade eyes lazily looked over towards the shadow of the room, where a masked ANBU agent stood. The faintest of smirks crossed her lips and she motioned for them to take a seat, which they did while removing her mask.
"You two looked rather cozy," she remarked sarcastically, causing Sakura's smirk to widen slightly, "Have a change of heart about them?"
"No," she answered quietly, "I just know what it's like after being rouge for so long, to sleep and not have to be concerned about someone having your back or not. It was more of a reassurance than anything."
Hanabi nodded slowly, recalling the two-three years Sakura had disappeared. Her integration back into the lifestyle here had been very challenging, especially when testosterone-filled agents decided they would test their luck against her. The hospital had been over-flowing for quite some time.
"I get it…" she poured herself a cup and was quiet.
Sakura understood and knew the girl before her better than anyone; she knew that when you pressed her – a lot like herself – you wouldn't get to the source of what was bothering her.
"We brought Hinata home today…"
"Did your Father come with?" Sakura asked sourly, neither caring for the current head of the Hyūga Clan.
Hanabi nodded, "Motherfucker."
Sakura smirked, "He's worse than the Uchiha."
At that Hanabi giggled.
Sakura continued, "Have you spoken with Hinata?"
Her opal eyes lowered to the table, a worried frown on her lips.
"What if – what if I'm not the girl she remembers… I've changed a lot over the years. What if she doesn't like the me I am today?"
"Then you don't need her," Sakura said flatly, "I will always be here for you Hanabi, but right now Hinata needs to know you're there for her. You're sisters; you're supposed to be together."
"When did you get to become all ways Haruno-sama?" she teased.
Sakura stuck her nose in the air, "I've always been wise, you just never listen."
Both woman giggled softly before Hanabi rose to her feet, "I should probably head back, I just came to make sure you didn't kill them."
The corner of Sakura's mouth turned down, but she said nothing. Sensing her uncertainty, Hanabi hesitated, "Did something happen?"
"No, it's nothing," she looked up at Hanabi and smiled – a fake smile the Hyūga knew – and didn't press the topic, "Within the next few days, we'll bring the two together. It's hard to find a happy ending in our line of work, we should at least let them have one."
Hanabi's expression softened, "Of course, goodnight Sakura."
"Night, Hanabi."
The younger Hyūga disappeared into the remaining night and Sakura finished her tea silently.
Finally she walked down the hallway to her room, the noticed the window was still open and frowned, trying to recall if she had closed it or not. Jade eyes did a quick scan around the room, looking under the bed and inside the large closet and bathroom. She found nothing out of place until her eyes fell upon the windowsill again. A crow sat there waiting, a small letter in its mouth.
Her expression twisted into something between concern and annoyance as she went to the window to retrieve the letter from the bird. Her fingers lightly grazed across its smooth black feathers before it took off into the night.
Carefully she opened the letter and began to read:
Dear Sakura,
I must speak with you, soon.
Meet me at the Memorial Stone in three days time.
-Itachi
(1) - Cover Photo – Created ByStray Ink 92, title "Never Alone"
(2) – Created by Theos-Kengen, titled "Ryokugan"
(3) – Hinata/Hanabi 's appeance, visit Cynchick at Deviantart. Will of Fire.