Chapter 4. The Uchiha Clan
Everything from that moment on happened so fast that if somebody asked him to retell the story later, Kenji wouldn't be able to say what exactly was going on in those few seconds after the two shinobi had gotten ignited. It was simply too blurry and chaotic for his eye to follow. But some things, he managed to notice nonetheless.
First of all, the third Kiri ninja sliced Hina's throat with a kunai.
Before Kenji could somehow react to it, the strangest thing he'd ever seen occurred. It was even more stunning than the devilish black fire that'd already ended the lives of the other two.
The remaining man suddenly disappeared, or maybe he'd shifted his appearance instantly – Kenji wasn't sure. Instead of him, there now stood a raven haired boy who was dressed in a black cloak with high collar and looked about the same age as Hina, if only a tad older than her. But more importantly, he was holding the deadly kunai just a fraction of an inch away from her throat! Apparently, he'd stopped the weapon a split second before it would've killed the girl.
At the same moment, he heard some woman gasp and shriek behind his own back, followed by a dump on the hall's cold stone floor. Turning around as fast as he could, Kenji realized why she'd reacted like this - the same shinobi that'd almost killed Hina was now lying just near the brown haired young woman's left foot with his skull pierced by a sword, his body slightly twitching as the last signs of life were quickly leaving it for good.
"Wha–what the...!" Both him and the female newcomer yelped simultaneously, turning their heads towards the boy and Hina in hope to get some explanation.
But then something else drew their attention.
If one thought by looking at their faces that what it were them who were truly utterly shocked and terrified at the moment, that would be a big mistake.
The one who was really dead scared was no one else but Gatō himself, who was desperately trembling as he tried to crawl back to the halls' ancient wall after he'd fallen on his butt in an attempt to avoid getting caught by the omnivorous black fire.
"Just–just who the heck are you, guys...?" Kenji mumbled to the beautiful, well dressed woman that was standing next to him, not really noticing that she was equally as terrified by the things they'd just witnessed.
"I–I'm afraid I don't know much more than yourself...," she barely managed to squeeze out these words, to which he frowned.
One didn't have to be genius to realize that what'd just happened to those shinobi was the boy's work then, seeing as the woman that'd accompanied him to this dungeon obviously had no idea what was happening. Therefore the guy was a ninja, too, just like Hina. It also meant that the woman and the mysterious shinobi most likely didn't know each other very well.
Meanwhile, said woman stepped forward hesitantly which made the teen bark immediately without looking in their direction:
"Stand still, Kura! Don't come close to the fire."
Kenji frowned and swallowed nervously, wiping sweat and blood off his forehead. Kura was her name, then. That wasn't exactly the most pleasant way to meet someone, but oh well... at least both of them were alive. For now, anyway...
He narrowed his eyes Hina. She didn't look scared as the boy turned his head and reached out for the ropes she was tied with, but her eyes were wide open as if he was the last person in the whole world she'd expected to see here. But other than that, she remained perfectly calm. Certainly way too calm for someone who'd almost died just a moment ago.
In other words, the boy and Hina probably knew each other, especially seeing as he'd acted so fast to save her and was untying her at the moment with a barely notable grin on his lips.
Beside that, he'd referred to someone named Hinata. There was nobody else alive aside from the four of them and Gatō around, so who on earth was Hinata...? Or maybe...?
It all finally clicked in Kenji's mind. Apparently, Hina's true name was Hinata. The boy'd been talking to her when he said it. And she'd also mentioned to Tazuna that she'd come to their country with a companion...
Wait a second! He gritted his teeth, moving his gaze to the ninja.
What'd this douchebag said about him there? He'd actually agreed with the ugly-ass shorty! He'd been surprised and seemingly disappointed to see Hina with him, Kenji, and he also considered him scum...
The injured man's face twisted angrily as he snarled, watching how Hina, or rather Hinata got back on her feet and was now rubbing her wrists, still staring at the boy with the expression that could be characterized as shocked and intrigued at the same time. It was clear that she was expecting him to say or do something. Perhaps to give her some sort of explanation? Maybe they were even a couple...? They looked pretty good next to each other, as much as he disliked to admit it...
But then Kenji sighed, looking away shamefully. What was he thinking anyway? The guy could do things beyond his comprehension – taking down those elite ninja effortlessly, within a split second... Naturally from his point of view, compared to him, Kenji was indeed just some scum. And although this was also hard to admit, perhaps the boy's words were justified to an extent, after all... but still...! It didn't make them hurt his pride any less. He'd tried to save the guy's girlfriend or whoever she was to him from getting raped and killed, hadn't he? But then again, could he possibly have saved her if this brat hadn't appeared just in time to do the job?
The answer was painfully obvious, so he just lowered his eyes, taking a deep breath and trying to calm down. Provoking these people wasn't an option, that was about the only thing he was sure about at the moment.
"Why are you here?" asked Hinata meanwhile, breaking the oppressive silence that'd fallen upon everyone in the dungeon a minute ago, the only sound breaking it being Gatō's pitiful sobs.
She didn't look surprised anymore. Actually, she was frowning, apparently displeased as the ninja avoided her eyes, on purpose or not. Instead, he gripped her chin, which made her flinch and gasp, and then took a closer look at her neck, apparently trying to see any signs of damage before letting her go a second later.
So they were in a quarrel or something like that? At least that made some sense. Taking away their amazing abilities, they were just two teens. Nothing surprising here...
"What do you mean?" he replied, sitting down on the altar to which Hinata'd been tied to just a minute ago.
His response clearly didn't satisfy her.
"You–you know what I mean... you've left me to deal with this situation on my own, I'm no fool, I saw it. You simply disappeared. I don't understand..."
So she was able to see, after all? Well, it made sense, too, considering the way she fought, but... how? Oh, damn it, never mind. Was this really any surprising after everything he'd seen today? Probably another stupid ass ninja trick or something like that...
A quiet cough to his left interrupted Hinata, making her close her mouth and turn at the woman's direction, frowning even more.
Kenji smirked. Great freaking job, dude. Now you're certainly in a big trouble... women's jealousy could be absolutely dramatic and nasty, Kenji knew it better than anyone else, he was sure.
"Uh–Hinata-san...? I don't mean to interrupt or be rude, but your–ugh...," she looked at the boy perplexedly, probably wondering about their relationship's nature as well. "I don't know what happened between you and Sasuke-san, but... Just for your information, he'd chased Gatō's little army until he–well, freed me from them, I guess... Actually, he'd destroyed their base just before he headed to this place. He simply needed someone who knew Gatō whereabouts to lead the way, so I don't think there is anything for you to–"
"That's enough, Kura," the teen suddenly snapped, giving the woman a warning glare before turning back to Hina... or Hinata.
"We'll talk about it later. Right now, there are more important things at hand. Like Kura said, I've got rid of all of Gatō's lapdogs. However, it's not over just yet..." He jumped off the altar, slowly walking toward said man who looked like he was ready to wet his pants, unable to move his wide open eyes away from the doom that was closing in on him.
"What are you going to do?" asked Hinata quietly, gazing at Sasuke's back worriedly, but the boy just waved her off dismissively, coming closer to the ugly man.
"You," Sasuke squatted in front of him so that their eyes would be on the same level which made Gatō's tremor even stronger if it was even possible seeing as the man was about to lose his conscious out of dread. "I wonder... what should I do to you now? We have quite a few options here...," Kenji couldn't see Sasuke's face, but somehow he was sure that there was a grim smirk now on the boy's face right now. "You see, I've been talking to Kura about you and your business... if it happened anywhere else, I couldn't care less. However, by attacking Nami no Kuni, you've crossed our interests here. My interests, to be more accurate. By doing this, you've repeated your stupid father's mistake–" Gatō suddenly gasped, pointing at Sasuke's face with his horribly trembling hand.
"It's...! It was you...!" The man cried out wickedly, only to scream in terrible pain a moment later, the bones in wrist breaking soundly as Sasuke gripped his arm that happened to be right next to his nose, which the shinobi clearly wasn't fond of.
"Yes, it was me," said the teen, ignoring Gatō's anguished screams. "Don't move unless you're told to. And shut the hell up if you don't want me to break another limb of yours." Gatō's voice died off instantly, followed by Sasuke's satisfied nod. Apparently the man feared pain a lot more than death itself. Typical for his kind...
"I am supposed to decide what to do with your pathetic life now. Simply killing you would be no good, for I... try to avoid it nowadays. But I don't want to hand you out to Kura either. Even though we've come to an agreement, I still don't trust her enough." Kenji could hear how the woman swallowing nervously as she was listening carefully to their conversation. So, she knew Gatō... but at the same time, Sasuke didn't trust her. Who was she then, actually...? Gatō servant?
"But then again, I could make an exception and kill you right here, that would save us a lot of trouble, don't you guys think so?" He asked, his question clearly being purely rhetorical as he slightly turned his head towards them.
"No–no, please, don't kill me! I'm begging you!" Gatō yelped again, desperately sobbing.
The boy suddenly lifted up, turning to Kenji which made the man straighten the same moment.
"It's decided then. You live in this town, don't you?" Kenji nodded carefully, still a bit afraid to open his mouth. "Good. Then take this piece of shit and bring him upstairs. We'll let the citizens decide what to do with him."
Kenji smirked, taking a step to Gatō who was still shaking and crying, but a lot more quiet now.
Perhaps the boy wasn't that bad, after all?
Finally walking away from said piece of shit, Sasuke felt a bit uneasy about the upcoming conversation with Hinata. But what bothered him the most right now wasn't exactly what she thought about him leaving her before, no. What made him feel irritated was that he actually cared enough to think about it to begin with. And not only about Hinata, but this town, too. About these people around him. He wasn't used to care about anyone. Throughout the last few years, all that'd truly concerned him beyond anything else were the targets of his revenge. First his brother, then Konoha, then Obito and Madara, then Kaguya and Black Zetsu. Simple as that.
But now, things were getting complicated. And deep inside, Sasuke felt quite confused. He wanted to make everything right, but he was awfully afraid to fail. For the first time in many years, the consequences of his actions did matter to him. He couldn't allow himself to ignore the collateral damage caused by his actions anymore.
Back at the time, leaving Hinata'd seemed like a good decision. And now that he looked at her, he could see the consequences of his actions which made him feel a bit troubled, although they were mostly positive in his opinion.
Firstly, she'd finally changed her outfit. It wasn't that big of a deal in general, for he couldn't care less what she chose to wear, but it certainly was a solid first step in the right direction for her considering that she needed to change literally everything about her life if she wanted to grow up and get over her past. Besides, it would be foolish to deny that her new clothes suited her a lot better than her previous ones. And although he'd never admit it even to himself alone, she'd become a bit of a pleasure to his eyes, looking way more feminine now than before.
Secondly, there'd been a change to her attitude and behavior, too. She certainly had become more confident, her usual annoying stuttering was almost gone, and the Hyūga'd even dared questioning him after he'd freed her... That'd been rather cocky of her, hadn't it? And it also was exactly what he wanted from her.
Seems like everything is going just as planned, Sasuke thought as they were walking out of the hall with Kenji and Kura striding ahead of him and Hinata, holding Gatō together. The short man'd stopped trying to fight his imminent destiny by now and, apparently, simply waited for his execution to come, silently praying to whatever god such excuse of a man could believe in.
Passing by the dead shinobi at the doorway and watching Hinata's back while, at the same time, trying to decide what to say to her later, the Uchiha bowed down to retrieve his sword from the corpse.
He suddenly stopped and flinched then, noticing something on the dead Kiri ninja's body that definitely wasn't supposed to be there.
It was a small, barely visible tattoo on the back of his neck. Even with Sasuke's Sharingan activated, it was hard to notice in the darkness, but this symbol... he could recognize it anytime even if he didn't have his eyes at all.
It was the Uchiha Clan's crest!
"What's wrong, Sasuke-san?" he heard the distant voice of Hinata who stopped, too, looking at him with confusion and curiosity.
Carefully touching the mark, Sasuke cursed aloud, slamming his fist into the cave's rough wall.
One doesn't simply have this symbol on his body. Was the man an Uchiha? Perhaps some apostate that'd left the clan prior to the massacre? Or a descendant of one...?
But it didn't really matter now that the man was dead. He, Sasuke, had killed the guy who was very likely the last existing link to his family.
Oh, the irony.
And all this because a stupid girl that he'd decided to help... he was such an idiot!
The Uchiha roared in frustration. What was he going to do now? To use Rinne Tensei on the dead shinobi to revive him and get the answers he needed? Sasuke doubted that it would be possible. At least not in his current state. Even though he didn't show it and not that weaklings like Hinata could possibly notice it anyway, only a few days had passed since his fateful duel with Naruto at the Valley of the End, and the Uchiha hadn't completely recovered yet. In fact, he had access to only a little part of his full power at the moment, which was the reason why he avoided unnecessary usage of big moves which took significant amounts of his chakra.
That's also why he'd used the pretty exotic technique that he'd only tried a couple times before, Kirin, to wipe out Gatō's camp – because it took a very small amount of chakra to perform considering that it was pure nature energy manipulation, and the weather'd been on his side this time.
Truth to be told, he already felt pretty exhausted now after using Amenotejikara to save Hinata from the kunai and Amaterasu to kill the mercenaries at the same time. To recover completely, he would need another week or two in a bed without moving much, but he couldn't stay in Konoha any longer. At least not now. After what Madara, Obito, Itachi and he himself had done... people feared the Uchiha clan, and they feared Sasuke himself specifically. Their wounds were still very fresh, and they didn't trust him at all.
In his opinion, it was only natural that they didn't.
Besides, this was one of the main reasons behind the long journey he'd planned. That was also why he'd decided to save this town. Not because he really cared for these people, no. While the current corrupted system still existed, such things were inevitable, it couldn't be helped in general, so there was no real point in preventing a shot from reaching its target when there was the infinite barrage of such shots, constantly firing here and there. However, he needed his good name back. For himself and for his clan that he was planning to revive at some point in the future.
Of course, he did trust in Naruto and his ideals now, but it would be impossibly foolish not to grant his friend all the support the Uchiha could potentially do. And he, Sasuke... he was capable of lots and lots of things. But if he was to help people, these people needed to be willing to accept his help first, and right now they most certainly wouldn't want it. In order to make it happen, he needed to have a good reputation with the whole world.
It shouldn't be too hard, he assumed. After all, the former jinchūriki of Ichibi, Sabaku no Gaara, had managed to become exalted in his village after all the murders he'd committed. Moreover, he'd even become the Kazekage. Nothing was impossible, then. He simply had to try a bit harder than the redhead, but hard work never was an obstacle for the Uchiha.
That's why he was going to help everyone on his way as much as possible. And that included helping Hinata as well, of course. That's also why his departure from Konoha couldn't have been postponed any longer despite his weakened state. Besides, he assumed that he wouldn't be needing his full power anytime soon since the war was over and well, he was extremely strong even without it.
But then again, let's get real. Even if he was in his prime now, performing Rinne Tensei no Jutsu would most likely drain him out to the point where this very shinobi would just kill him rather easily the moment he would awaken. The technique would also take too much of his remaining vitality, most likely cutting his lifespan significantly if not actually killing him. Thus it was an idiotic idea, and he couldn't afford it anyway.
But then he suddenly smiled, sighing in relief as he came up with a solution.
There was a way to get the information he required, all wasn't lost yet. The guy certainly knew something about his clan, or at the very least about the nature of this mark on his skin. Sasuke merely needed to question him, and the man didn't have to be alive for the Uchiha to do it. After all, beside all the other flaws of this idea, resurrecting him would be a gamble even if he could do it now without such a great risk. What if the man actually didn't know anything at all? It would turn to be a total waste.
There was another, a much safer way.
"Hinata, give me some sealing paper," he ordered the girl who now looked even more confused and cautious, probably thinking that he wasn't all right with his head. Nevertheless, she came close and handed him a piece of paper without saying anything. He didn't notice how her hand twitched slightly when his fingers came in contact with hers when he took it, as if the touch itself was electrifying.
After soaking the paper with the man's blood, Sasuke put it down onto the floor and formed a hand seal. A few black lines covered the patch before turning into a curlicue on the now clean white surface instead as the blood vanished completely, sealed with his chakra. Carefully hiding the precious item in his pocket, the ninja got up, pulling the sword out of the corpse's head with a nasty sound, and turned to Hinata who was still looking at him, standing just a yard away. She seemed puzzled and slightly worried but, oddly enough, there was no sign of the fear he'd grown accustomed to in her eyes anymore.
The rest of their party was already out of the dungeon, so they were alone down there at the moment. It was a perfect opportunity to have the talk.
But the time for it had yet to come, he decided.
Giving her a light 'never mind' head shake he passed her by and walked upstairs to the exit. The girl who looked like she was seriously questioning the state of his mind right now after what she'd witnessed gave the mysterious corpse a final confused glance before following Sasuke after hesitating for a few seconds.
It was already deep at night out there, and the town's heavily damaged streets were still empty, the survivors apparently waiting for the dawn before they would come out of their shelters. Kura and Kenji were quietly talking to each other as he and Hinata appeared. They weren't moving an inch away from Gatō, although it wasn't really necessary as he simply sat on the cobblestone road and peered into the space before him, silent and completely defeated.
"I've changed my mind," said Sasuke, making the older couple flinch – for simple people like these two even casual movements of ninja were absolutely soundless. "I'll be taking Gatō. Should anyone ask what happened to him, you are to say that he's been burned down there along with those two."
Ignoring their baffled expressions, he bit his only thumb, slamming his palm onto the ground.
"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" A few concentric circles of seals appeared on the road, followed by a huge cloud of smoke filling the void street only to reveal something that made them all, even Hinata who was familiar with the technique, hold their breaths in awe.
"I'm at your service, Sasuke-sama." The immense dark-blue snake that was bigger than the whole quarter where they stood bowed its head down before the Uchiha, greeting him and awaiting for his command.
Sasuke nodded at Gatō who seemed to snap out of his inner world at the creature's appearance, looking at the monster his eyes wide open in fear and apparently expecting to get killed any second.
"Aoda. I want you to take this piece of trash to your realm. Hold him there for a few weeks, but be prepared to take him with you once I summon you again. Do whatever you want to him, but he must stay alive, so make sure he doesn't kill himself."
The snake lowered its head submissively.
"As you wish, Sasuke-sama. Anything else I can assist you with?" replied Aoda in an awkwardly polite manner. Everyone could see how strong was the giant snake's respect for the Uchiha.
"No, that's all for now. You are dismissed."
"I'm glad to serve, Sasuke-sama." The creature took the man who suddenly started screaming again inside its maw, disappearing with a loud pop in another big cloud of smoke right away.
Kenji and Kura seemed to be stunned by the show they'd just witnessed. Only Hinata remained relatively calm, and her slight nervousness was more likely caused by Sasuke's presence rather than by what'd happened to Gatō.
Finally breaking the silence, the Uchiha said casually as if they were in fact relaxing, drinking cocktails in some bar and not standing in the middle of total chaos and destruction:
"Alright then. You, what was your name...?" He glanced at Kenji, frowning.
"Huh? It's Ke–"
"No matter. I understand you're from this town, aren't you? Is your home intact?"
"Y-yeah, it is, we did–"
"Good. We need some rest before we leave this place. I also wouldn't mind a cup of tea... and some food. Do you have a wife to cook?"
"Ye–yes, I–wait, stop freaking interrupting me, damn it! It's not a way to behave with someone whose guest you're going to be!" shrieked Kenji angrily, pointing at Sasuke with his finger. Apparently, his hot temper was finally taking over his fear for the Uchiha, so he was getting back to his old cocky self.
"Hn," was the only reply that came from Sasuke who strode down the road without looking at any of his companions, readjusting the cloak on his shoulders.
Hinata gave Kenji a slightly sorry glance before sighing, trotting after the Uchiha while Kura smiled reassuringly, putting her palm on the man's back and suggesting to follow them by gently pushing him forward.
The rest of their way to Tazuna's house went silently. Everyone was too overwhelmed with their emotions and feelings regarding the recent events, although each of the four was preoccupied with their own thoughts. Checking them out stealthily from time to time, by the looks of their faces Sasuke assumed that Kura was deep in calculations for the future of her business which was only natural considering what kind of person she was, always looking for more ways to make profit even out of the nastiest situations. She didn't seem to be at least slightly upset about her husband's unenviable fate, and the Uchiha had serious doubts that it was due to her being a righteous kind person that craved for justice and wanted Gatō to be punished for his crimes. If anything, it was a very good riddance for her. But Sasuke didn't care about her true motives so long as their agreement was to be executed accordingly. To him, she was nothing but a walking bag of money he could use... even though a pretty one.
On the other hand, the man who'd accompanied Hinata before the Uchiha'd showed up now looked conflicted, lost and frustrated. He was being torn apart by a vast spectrum of emotions concerning this whole situation, and apparently the guy didn't know how to deal with any of them, which was no wonder. Seldom did the people of this country deal with real ninja, the last time probably being four years ago with Zabuza and Haku.
He was also significantly older than him and Hinata. The guy appeared to be approximately Kakashi's age, and being bossed around by a teen who could be his son was obviously not the most pleasant experience for someone like him, Sasuke understood it perfectly.
The Uchiha grinned slightly. Understanding it didn't make his reactions any less hilarious, though.
These two were too easy to read, so they didn't interest the teen at all. On the other hand, Hinata was currently an enigma he couldn't solve right away – her face wasn't giving away anything whatsoever, and that was quite unusual for a girl who'd always been so open and honest to everyone.
This was making it difficult to predict her reaction to what he was going to tell her. But, on top of that, there was an even bigger problem.
What exactly was he going to say?
It would be ridiculous at this point to deny that he'd left her alone on purpose. She wouldn't buy that unless she was an utter idiot, which she probably wasn't. And why would he lie to her anyway? He was the Uchiha Sasuke, the savior of this world and one of the most powerful beings that'd ever existed. Lying wasn't worthy of someone of his level, especially when there was little to no gain for him in doing it anyway.
But what to do, then? To tell Hinata that he'd left her on her own to put her in a highly stressful situation in order to drive her to the point of nearly breaking just to check how stable she was? It would probably be too much for someone as weak and fragile as her despite being the truth. In fact, it could negate all the positive effects of what'd happened, making her even more closed up and insecure than she'd been before. He couldn't show her that he had strong doubts in her even though he did have them. It was unacceptable to let her self esteem drop any further. Not when it finally seemed to be higher than zero for once.
There had to be a balanced option, a believable half-truth. There was no rush, of course. He could spend as much time thinking on his next move as he wanted, for she was absolutely dependent on him now. He could come and go as many times as he wanted, he could be as silent or even rude as he wanted, and she'd still follow him like a puppy, of that he was absolutely sure.
The teen signed. That was truly unsightly, and surely not something he wanted to see in her. However, that was the reality he had to deal with. Besides, it also made his position basically invulnerable, for even if she'd somehow find the willpower to defy him now, it would only mean that her case wasn't as bad as it'd originally seemed. It was unlikely to happen, of course, but still possible nonetheless. In other words, whatever he did or told her now would only make her stronger unless he crossed the border of convincing her in her own hopelessness. Actually...
He frowned, turning his head slightly to glance at the girl that was walking quietly next to him. The light breeze was slightly ruffling her hair which seemed to be completely black in the moonlight. Sasuke also noticed that it'd been damaged – probably by those ninja she'd fought back in the dungeon. That, alongside the bandage that was still covering her eyes, made Hinata look a bit wild. And together with her seemingly impassive expression as well as the set of clothes she'd chosen which, to his amusement, were quite similar to his own style, it almost made her appear to be something she most definitely wasn't – a deadly criminal and a powerful ninja, far from the joke she'd been until this day. On top of all these things, she'd come to realize that she shouldn't wear her forehead protector openly, after all...
Clearly, all these changes'd occurred only thanks to his actions. Then... perhaps going in the opposite direction was the key?
Looking up to the moon, he smirked at the idea. Yes, he knew what to do now. It was a perfect decision, after all. In fact, now that he thought about it, everything'd turned out even better than he could have possibly hope for, making it almost too easy for him.
The Uchiha frowned then, noticing a man at the end of the road they were walking. His silhouette seemed somewhat familiar to Sasuke, even though his face wasn't lit by the torch that he was holding, so the Uchiha couldn't recognize him.
"Hey! Kenji, my boy! Are you guys alright? And who is there with ya? Are they injured?"
His eyes widened. He remembered this voice! It seemed like the ghosts of his past were never going to let him go.
"Yeah, old man! We're all fine. These two helped us finish the attackers off, so the town is relatively safe now." Kenji's reply sounded too loud for the desolate place, both literally and not.
Helped you, huh? Sure...
"Oh! Then they are welcome to be our guests as well! Wait..." Tazuna's eyes widened as they came closer, stopping near the entrance to his house. The old man peered at Sasuke incredulously, obviously recognizing the Uchiha immediately.
"What's wrong, old man? Do you know the guy? Is he... dangerous?" asked Kenji as he noticed Tazuna's perplexed gaze, glaring at the Uchiha apprehensively.
"No, you idiot! It's–it's him! He's one of those guys from Konoha who saved our country from Gatō's terror years ago! Your name is Sasuke, right, my boy?" He looked extremely excited now, so the Uchiha could only sigh in defeat. There was no way to avoid it all now. He'd been busted.
Kenji gave him a long, incredulous stare before muttering:
"Well, I guess it all makes sense now if you're from Konoha... and Hina, too."
"Oh? So, Sasuke-kun is the boyfriend you've lost there, Hina-san? What a beautiful pair!"
The teen fought the urge to slap his face with his palm at the old man's babbling. For some reason, he felt a bit embarrassed now, especially looking at Hinata's rapidly reddening face.
"I'm not her boyfriend. Your name was Tazuna, wasn't it? In any case, we need a place to stay overnight. Some food wouldn't hurt, too. You're also not to tell anyone – and I mean it, anyone – that we're from Konoha. We're currently on a top secret mission, so revealing our origins would likely blow away our cover."
The bridge builder nodded a few times quickly, his face becoming dead serious at the Uchiha's words.
"I see... sure, sure, I understand. We won't spill a single word, I swear. Right, Kenji?" Without waiting for the man's reply, Tazuna stepped away from the doorway of his house, welcoming the newcomers. "Please, come in and be my guests. Make yourselves at home, Sasuke-san, Hina-san... and, uh–" He stopped, finally noticing the woman that was standing behind them. Tazuna slapped his nape, groaning.
"Please, forget my impossible rudeness, young lady! I was too absorbed by my nostalgic feelings, seeing Sasuke-kun again after all these years... please, be my guest as well, eh–milady...?"
"It's Kura." She smiled politely and bowed her head.
"Right, Kura-san! Please, please, get in... Tsunami will treat us with some nice late dinner."
The woman named Tsunami seemed to be very pleased to see Sasuke again as well. After finding out that the blind girl she initially disliked traveled with the Uchiha, her mood became a lot better than before as she was now placing the plates with various dishes on their humble table in the guestroom.
The whiny boy Sasuke could hardly remember was almost ecstatic to see him again. Apparently, he remembered that the Uchiha was a friend of Naruto whom he admired, and seeing as he also was a friend of Hina, the girl who'd saved him and his sister few hours ago, he was just too happy about his presence, and even his bandaged broken hand didn't spoil his mood at all. This effect was only strengthened when he found out that Sasuke almost single-handedly destroyed everyone who'd attacked them a few hours ago.
Sasuke and Hinata were mostly silent during their meal, not really listening to Kenji's colorful description of their little adventure, supported by Kura's jovial additions here and there. Each ninja was deep in their own thoughts, so they didn't notice how Tsunami's apparent displeasure switched its aim from Hinata to Kura.
Once they were finished, the family's matriarch that'd been trying to burn the brown haired woman with her eyes this whole time suddenly turned to the Hyūga girl, giving her a bit forced by still genuine smile.
"Oh, Hina-san! What's up with your hair? Did it get damaged in a fight? Please, come with me, I'll help you fix it in no time!" said Tsunami, getting up from the table.
Hinata winced a little as she sipped the warm tea, clearly not expecting such a generous offer from the woman, and then brushed her hair with her fingers, as if estimating the damage that she, it seemed, hadn't even noticed until now.
Watching the scene carefully, Sasuke had to admit that it was pretty smart of the girl who obviously could see her hair perfectly with her currently covered dōjutsu, but still acted in public as though she were really blind. Clearly, she was much more focused on her cover than before, constantly staying on guard. It was another good and inspiring sign.
Her hair, however, truly looked bad now that he bothered to check it. Apparently one of those shinobi he'd killed back in the dungeon had cut off a good part of it with a blade when they'd fought, making the left side of her once long, silky and smooth hair half as shorter than the opposite one, not to mention that it was now covered with dust, dirt and gore.
After a moment of hesitation, Hinata finally nodded, getting up as well.
"Sure. Thank you very much, it is very generous of you, Tsunami-san." The two of them moved to another room, closing the door.
Sasuke sighed, watching as they retired. Without stuttering, her voice didn't annoy him anymore. In fact, now it sounded a bit more mature a lot more pleasant with the little confidence she'd acquired. He had to get used to this new Hinata, even though he obviously approved the changes.
«Oi, Sasuke-san! Please, provide us the honor and have a drink with us!" Tazuna handed him a small glass with sake; a similar glass already was held by Kenji who was for once looking at him with slight remorse as well as high respect after what the old man'd told him about the ninja during the dinner.
He took the glass reluctantly as Tazuna got up, pledging:
"To our saviors, Sasuke-san, Hina-san and Kura-san here!" He winked at the woman who smiled warmly in return as they clinked their glasses.
The Uchiha couldn't help but wonder as he looked at them. These people seemed so genuinely happy now, even though outside of this small enclave of peace and tranquility was only hell and destruction of their homeland. Why? Didn't they care? Didn't they understand what exactly had happened to their people, to their very neighbors and friends? Didn't they understand how much time and effort would it take for everything to recover from this ordeal...?
He lowered his eyes shamefully. It was because they could endure, the sudden answer came to him. They could endure the blows that fate landed on them, and they could still keep living, treasuring the small moments of happiness and the joy of each other's company, warming up one another in this hell they called their world.
He drank the sake with a single sip.
Understanding this, how could he possibly deny the old man's humble effort to forge a bond between him and them, even if it would only exist for a very short time? Perhaps this was actually what he fought to protect, after all? Maybe this was what Naruto believed to be the way to salvation...?
He wasn't sure, but he would definitely find out in due time.
She stared at the wooden wall blankly as Tsunami's scissors were working on her ruined hair.
Ever since the moment Sasuke'd come back to save her, Hinata'd been feeling uneasy and confused to say the least.
Somehow, this man'd managed to break her picture of the world only a moment after she'd finally forced her paradigm to shift. And now she didn't know what to think and feel anymore.
Of course, she was grateful to him. Well, how could she not be? Thanks to her eyes, she saw that he was still low on chakra aside from his physical injures after the war, and in spite of these things, he really had put some effort into saving her life... again. Of course, she didn't know what exactly had happened a few days ago while everyone'd been trapped within the infinite genjutsu, but she imagined that defeating a monster like Madara couldn't be easy at all. Therefore this night was the second time when Sasuke'd done it, and he never asked for anything in return which portrayed him as a noble person contrary to all the rumors about him.
It was still nothing for him, these ninja who'd almost killed her an hour ago. Even in his current state, they were absolutely no match for him. She realized that something'd happened to both him and Naruto during the war right after the Uzumaki'd supposedly been killed by Madara as the man'd extracted the bijū out of him. She'd seen his heart stop beating, and yet he'd been revived by some mysterious means shortly after, gaining incredible power in addition to his miraculous resurrection. Had something similar happened to Sasuke? It seemed quite plausible now that she thought about it.
Shortly after the war when she saw his left eye and asked her dad about it, she'd been told that according to the ancient legends, Rinnegan was supposedly the natural final stage of Sharingan's evolution, but she couldn't get rid of the feeling that there was something off with it, just like it was with Naruto's return from the afterlife. If that was the way of obtaining Rinnegan, then why nobody aside from Sasuke, Madara and Pain had ever awakened this dōjutsu? Why had it been considered a legend or even fairy tale for centuries prior to the recent events?
There was nothing natural about these eyes, her inner voice insisted.
Furthermore, only the Uchiha Clan's descendants were capable of awakening Sharingan, it was a well known fact. Pain most certainly wasn't an Uchiha, and yet he'd had the eyes. How?
All these points were leading the girl to the conclusion that Rinnegan couldn't be simply awakened. Something had to trigger it, just like something'd triggered Naruto's dramatic power growth.
But what? What had they done to achieve it? Was it the thing that'd finally stopped the feud between the two of them...?
Before the war, she'd been sure that Sasuke loathed Naruto. The conflict between these two had always been a hot topic between the girls of her age in Konoha ever since the Uchiha'd left the village.
But now Sasuke was different, and Naruto didn't seem to find it weird at all, so it could only mean that he knew for a fact why exactly had the Uchiha changed so much. Even though most people would say he was still the same – arrogant, mean and aloof – she could see it clearly. Sasuke was different.
She hadn't know him that well in their childhood, and of course she didn't know him at all nowadays. But she was a very observant person. She'd been watching him closely ever since he'd joined them at war, because he was important to Naruto, and she hadn't wanted the feelings of the blue eyed boy to be hurt again because of the Uchiha. Even for her it wasn't very obvious, but after spending some time with him she could say that Sasuke seemed... alive, once again? He was now a bit similar to the boy she could remember in those little fragments of her memories about those distant times in the Academy, prior to the infamous Uchiha massacre.
When he'd left her last evening, she'd decided that her perception'd failed her. It hadn't really surprised her, no. How could someone like her ever be actually sure in her own conclusions? And even putting that aside, she could imagine what he thought of her. Weak, ugly, boring, annoying, pathetic. She knew she'd been all of these things before, and probably still was. That's why she'd partly expected him to leave her soon. And by doing so, he'd only proved her own point one final time - nobody needed her and nobody cared for her.
She was alone in this dark, cruel world, and there was no place for weakness in her soul. Not anymore. She had to get rid of it once and for all if she wanted to survive, and she did want it.
But then he'd had to spoil everything, and now she was unsure what to do and think. She certainly didn't want to become what she'd used to be – after the insight Sasuke'd finally given to her, whether he'd done it on purpose or not, but it'd made Hinata realize that she'd never felt better before. So strong. So confident. So free from herself and her fears...
However, as frightening and pathetic as it was in her own opinion, she realized that it all depended on the Uchiha's reasoning now. Truth to be told, she was afraid that he'd say that actually pitied her and that was the reason why he'd allowed her to follow him and also why he'd come back for her. Because in this case, the seed of doubt would be placed into her mind and soul again – the secret hope that there could be someone who cared for her old self would return. In this case, it would turn out that she'd never been wrong to begin with, but rather the world was. She was deadly scared that this would cause her to hide in her own small world of delusions again, this time – forever.
The girl felt the single tear flow down her cheek slowly as Tsunami was babbling something cheerfully to which she responded automatically from time to time, not really listening to the woman.
So, it was all up to Sasuke, after all.
Back in the dungeon, when the Kiri ninja'd been about to kill her, she hadn't been afraid at all. She believed in fate, and if it were her destiny to die there like that, she would have considered it her final liberation from this joke of a life. Then the Uchiha'd come to save her, and even that wasn't what she considered so important. Her life depended on him right now much more than it had down there.
Her very soul was within his grasp now... at his mercy.
"So, you and Sasuke-san are such a cute young couple... you two look like a perfect match, if you ask me. How did you meet each other?" Tsunami suddenly snatched Hinata out of her swirl of thoughts and feelings by mentioning the Uchiha's name, making the girl flinch nervously.
A bit confused by the sudden question, the Hyūga girl mumbled perplexedly:
"We've known each other since our childhood..."
"Oh, how beautiful!" She could see the woman's broad smile that seemed to be sincere. "So you've been friends for years, and he's become your boyfriend at some point? This is so romantic–!"
"He's not my boyfriend!" Hinata snapped, sounding a bit too expressive.
The scissors stopped moving as the woman's expression changed, making the kunoichi regret saying that the same instant.
"Uh huh?" Tsunami hemmed, "Then what is he?" her tone dropped down to the one Hinata'd already heard earlier this night. It was filled with jealousy. Was this about Kenji...?
It was hard to believe and it seemed quite ridiculous, but the girl decided that would be unwise to provoke the woman that helped them, since it was evidently very important to her whereas Hinata didn't care at all. That woman named Kura already did this job well enough, and they certainly didn't want Tsunami to be even more angered. At least Hinata wouldn't like her to be, especially considering that there was absolutely no reason for her to be mad.
But what to tell her now that she'd already said that Sasuke wasn't her boyfriend...?
Hinata blushed, feeling her hands beginning to tremble. There was only one option left for her to get out of this awkward situation... oh, gods, she was going to regret it.
"Y-yes. He is my husband."
She could see Tsunami's features relax right away, followed by a sigh of relief.
"Husband? Oh... well, that's a bit unexpected... I'm sorry, but you two look so young, and–"
"Ninja grow up faster than other people. I assure you that we're mature enough," said Hinata calmly, using all of her remaining willpower to prevent her voice from giving away her embarrassment, "Especially him," she suddenly added, unsure why.
"O-oh!" She smiled again. "Of course, mind you, I have no doubt that you are," said the woman as she continued fixing the kunoichi's dark hair. "It's just that, oh, please, don't get me wrong... here in our country, we're not used to ninja being around. That's why pretty much everything about your kind seems weird to us, you know? Especially your lovely husband..."
Lovely...? Hinata blushed even more now, suppressing the desire to chuckle. Uchiha Sasuke was anything but lovely, that's for sure...
"But we here were sure that all the ninja of Konoha went to the Great War we've been told about, which was the reason why nobody was left to protect us. Have you two participated in that war? Is it over now?"
"Yes. We have. And yes, it is." Her response was probably too calm and cold, because Tsunami decided to not push on the matter any further, so the woman just finished the haircut silently in a minute.
"And... here, take a look! Oh... I'm sorry...!" She wanted to give Hinata a mirror so that the girl would be able to check the results of her work, but apparently she'd forgotten that the Hyūga girl was 'blind'. But considering that Tsunami'd spent quite some time and energy helping her, Hinata decided to show some gratitude and take the bandage off her face after letting out a heavy sigh. Here in this house and with these people, there was no point in hiding the fact that she could actually see everything, especially after she'd already given herself away in front of Kenji and Inari during those fights they'd witnessed.
Her white eyes widened slightly as she gazed at her reflection. Actually, she'd expected it to look ugly, but it didn't. In fact, she liked the way her hair was now quite a lot! Her new haircut was similar to one she'd had a few years ago, in a way. It was shortened by half from what she'd had a few hours ago, or a maybe bit more than that, her hair only reaching her shoulders now.
Somehow, it made her look completely different. More... wild. Free. Adult. And it also went really great with her new outfit!
Hinata smiled widely for the first time in a while.
"Thank you, Tsunami-san! It looks splendid!"
The woman gasped, putting her palms on her chest.
"Oh, so you can–oh–I–I thought... anyway, so... you like it? I'm very glad to hear that! I wasn't sure you would, I'm not a barber by any means, but..."
"I love it," replied the kunoichi, making the woman clap her hands in joy.
But then Hinata's smile faded.
It was all great and inspiring, but she still needed to talk to Sasuke, and she couldn't postpone it anymore.
"I need to have a word with–with my h-husband before we all go to sleep, if you don't mind. And, Tsunami-san... once again, thank you for everything you've done for us," she bowed to the woman in appreciation.
"Oh... mind you, you're welcome, Hina-san! It was nothing, really! I was very glad to help!" She blushed a little, waving off dismissively as Hinata turned away and walked out of the room.
Sasuke had already gone. Kenji was sleeping on the table, snoring deafeningly, and Tazuna was talking to Kura who didn't look tired at all. Inari wasn't there either – probably had gone to sleep as it was probably already nearly dawn.
"Um, Tazuna-san... could you please tell me where is Sasuke-san?"
"Oh, Hina-chan! There, h'went to the backyard, said h'needed some fresh air or somethin' like that... we've drunk quite a few glasses, y'now!" He laughed merrily, pouring himself another portion of sake as Hinata nodded thankfully and strode in the direction the old man pointed.
So Sasuke was drunk now...? It was hardly imaginable, and she didn't know what to expect of him in such state. Would they even be able to talk while he was... like this?
But she decided to try anyway. It couldn't wait any longer, otherwise there was a huge possibility that she'd lose her sanity very soon.
Walking out of the warm and welcoming house she'd already grown to like, the kunoichi stepped onto the grass that was only lit by the moon on the cloudy night sky.
Sasuke was there, sitting in the lotus posture without moving, but she could only see his back as he faced the direction opposite to the door. Quietly coming closer to him but not wanting to break the rare moment of complete peace that surrounded him, she stopped, hesitating for a few seconds before clenching her fists, deciding that there was simply no other choice anyway.
Clearing her throat, she uttered quietly:
"Sasuke-san... there, back in the town, you said that we would talk later. I–I think the time is now. There is nobody to interfere here, so..." She didn't finish the sentence, lowering her eyes timidly and waiting for his response.
He didn't reply at first, making her wonder if he was actually awake as he remained silent for a good half a minute that seemed to the girl like a whole hour in the oppressive silence of the night.
"I know," he finally said, his eyes still closed.
There was another long pause before she asked cautiously:
"So... why did you come back, Sasuke-san?"
He sighed uneasily. Was she so bothersome to him?
"I wanted to test your capabilities," he said reluctantly, not adding anything to it and thus only confusing her even more.
"Excuse me...?" she babbled, frowning. How could he test her capabilities without even being present to witness anything...? That didn't make any sense at all.
"If you died there, I wouldn't care much. That would only mean that my initial impression of you was correct and you're just a weakling who can't defend herself even from trash like those who attacked this town earlier today. I was going to come later to see how you're handling the situation on your own, without any help from me, and the outcome was supposed to be the deciding factor." He sounded absolutely serious, and there was no notable sign of being drunk in his voice at all, so it was safe to assume that he was being sincere.
The girl gasped as her eyes widened at his words.
So... she'd been right, and at the same time, she'd been wrong in her judgement of his actions. He didn't want her old self around, but he'd given her a chance to prove herself worthy of joining him. Besides, without even realizing it, he'd also given her a chance and, at the same time, a great motivation to change. To become better not for someone else but for her own sake. Because she wanted to! No... he'd made her want to! It was all thanks to him, Sasuke!
Hinata took a deep breath and closed her eyes, trembling as she was trying to suppress the desperate desire to yell victoriously and to cry in happiness at the same time.
She wasn't wrong. Fate was driving her to follow this so contradictory and mysterious man who was now the only light remaining for her in the world of darkness.
"I see," she said, unsure what to do next as she suddenly realized that there still were many unanswered important questions left. Was he satisfied? He said he'd been going to come back to check her anyway, so that alone didn't really have mean anything. So why...?
"But why did you save me? Haven't you just said that you wouldn't care if I died there?" she uttered quietly, biting her lip nervously.
That was when opened his eyes, finally raising up and turning around to meet her anxious and curious gaze.
"Because we're in the same boat."
Her heart began racing as she felt her lips curving into a happy smile. Did he mean that...?
"So... does it mean that you are satisfied with my abilities?"
"No. You're weak."
She felt something breaking inside of her the same second.
"But your will is strong. It means that you can become strong as well. If you receive the necessary training and education, that is. Nothing in this world comes out of nowhere."
For gods' sake, this man was going to drive her crazy, giving her hope one moment, destroying it right away and repeating this cycle again, and again, and again...!
"Train me, then!" she suddenly blurted, tightening her fists.
He blinked, looking into her white eyes that were filled with such incredible resolve for the first time so far as he'd seen.
"Come again?"
"Please, train me, Sasuke-san!"
He eyed her up and down impassively before finally replying in a few seconds:
"How am I supposed to do that? I've never trained anyone before, and we're the same age. We were in the same class in the academy. Doesn't it feel wrong to you?" he asked carefully, slightly narrowing his eyes at her as if expecting a certain answer.
Hinata smiled sheepishly, clasping her hands in front of her and rubbing her palms against each other.
"Well... we're not exactly the same age. You're seventeen, and I'm only sixteen." She almost giggled at the way his brow cocked skeptically at her words while his expression changed slightly to a surprised one. Apparently the Uchiha hadn't expected her to have the ability to joke, but it was actually mutual, she thought remembering the episode in the forest near Konoha the other day. "Besides, you're one of the strongest shinobi alive. You're a dōjutsu user just like me, and not only that, but you're also a ninja of incredible skill. Compared to you, I'm a weakling indeed. But I don't want to be one anymore. So, please... train me to become stronger!"
He stood still, gazing at her thoughtfully for a while, and Hinata noticed to her own amazement that for some reason she wasn't so afraid of him anymore, and waiting for his reply wasn't as intimidating this time either.
"Fine. I agree. But it won't be a walk in a park, so be prepared. You'll go through the same training I received years ago from Orochimaru. But before we come to that, I want you to answer my question, and you must be honest." She nodded eagerly, feeling herself ready for absolutely anything.
"Why do you want this?"
She frowned, biting her lip again and thinking.
And really, why? Was she doing it so that she could prove herself to someone? To her clan? To Hanabi? To father? To Naruto...? Maybe to her friends?
Or to him, Sasuke?
The girl gritted her teeth and clenched her fists vigorously.
No. None of these was correct.
"I want it for myself," she voiced her conclusion, meeting his mismatching eyes fearlessly.
But then he smirked, getting up from the ground.
"Very well. We're going to start it tomorrow while we're on our way to the next destination. Now go and have some sleep, you will need to be rested."
Next destination...?
"But where are we going?" said Hinata curiously. It was only now when she was beginning to feel more less relaxed in his presence, after he'd finally accepted her for real.
"The Land of Sound. I need to meet some old friends."
Next morning, they found out that the damage caused to the town turned to be mostly material. Over eighty percents of its population had managed to survive the attack, and now Hinata and Sasuke were standing before the cheering crowd, ready to depart from the country through the Great Naruto Bridge.
"Take care, Hina-san, Sasuke-san! We'll be missing you so much, please, come back to visit us sometime later!" Inari smiled, looking at the two shinobi.
"Absolutely. You'll always be welcome in these lands, we owe you our lives." Tsunami nodded, bowing down in respect.
"Y-yeah... they are right, of course. Thank you, guys," uttered Kenji, clearly feeling a bit uncomfortable around his wife who still appeared to be mad at him.
Tazuna came close to the two ninja then, putting his hands on their shoulders.
"I don't know how to thank you, my friends. Especially you, Sasuke-san. It seems like you're our guardian angel whom gods sent to protect us. We'll never be able to repay our debt for you and Hina-san, but at least know that this is a place where you and your friends will always be able to find a refugee if you ever need it."
The Uchiha nodded in appreciation.
"Thanks, old man." He then turned to Kura who was standing a bit away from them, smiling shyly at the teen.
"You better follow our agreement. Don't make me regret sparing your life."
The woman nodded quickly a few times, her smile only widening at his warning.
"Of course, of course I will! But please, Sasuke-san...," she came close and lowered her tone so that only he and Hinata could hear her. "Make sure that Gatō never comes back."
Giving her a short nod, he turned away, walking to the bridge with Hinata following him a moment later.
"Wait a second, Sasuke-san!" Tazuna suddenly yelled, waving his hand at him.
The Uchiha stopped, turning around and looking at the old man questioningly.
"All these people who've come here today to thank you, they would like to know who is their savior... to tell this story to the next generations, you know, and all that... so, how exactly should we call you?" he asked pointedly, remembering that he shouldn't mention their allegiance to Konoha to anyone.
Hinata looked at Sasuke perplexedly as he paused, deciding what to say as he eyed the immense crowd thoughtfully for a few seconds.
And then he replied before turning away and striding forward:
"The Uchiha Clan!"
