SOLVING HINATA
Summary: A coup d'etat and broken hearts. A love he chose not to fight for. The love she left willingly. As for Hinata, what Naruto doesn't know won't hurt him. And she chose that over everything.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto
Rated: Mature: Contains sexual and violent / gore scenes
TIMELINE NOTE: AFTER THE WAR, SASUKE DID NOT COME BACK TO KONOHA. TSUNADE IS STILL THE HOKAGE. AND YES, ITACHI IS ALIVE IN THIS FIC STORY. (A/N: I am sorry if it was not cleared before.)
CHAPTER FOUR
A visual hallucination aroused by our desire to see some kind of change - After Dark
Seeing him beneath the shadows in masked stealth was planned, known, and secreted. Her heart clenched tight as she recalled having to go through a repetitive process to free him. It was beyond her how the elders could awake a dead, a powerful one - only for the sake of sacrificing him again. Hatred. She never thought she's ever capable of seeing and feeling such hatred.
Pooled by her feet are puddles of their blood, white robes and white eyes scattered like bleeding butterflies – only they aren't beautiful.
The old - scattered and dead - they refused to talk but their evil deed is done. They had to die - for all the right reasons, for all the wrong decisions.
They were selfish men who are greedy of power, lusting for supremacy, lusting to be above the mud...
Long silky hair swayed dramatically under the moonlight. It scared her how it felt right to gaze down on the corpse and the dying, of course she knew they deserve it.
Her breathing hitched, trying her fucking best not to let a tear escape as she pulled her sword from the latest wound Hiashi Hyuuga got from her, leaving him bloody and pale.
This should do it.
This is enough.
"It is done, father."
Together with the wind, without a trace, without a glance on their backs, they fled like the criminals that they are. Two bloodied – sheathed – swords tied by their belt, no drip – no clues.
Branch after branch, twig after twig, dust after dust – they fled. And Hinata kept her Byakugan activated – seeing the rise and fall of her lover's breathing.
It is done, Naruto. Good bye.
On the fourth day, the couple dressed themselves in simple civilian clothes – her hair kept down, black skinny pants underneath her long dark purple skirt, white long sleeves, with a brown duffle bag on her shoulder. Itachi watched how his newly cut hair underneath the grass, with his hair cut clean, eyes lenses honey brown – he looked like a normal civilian – only of course he isn't. He was donned in plain dark brown shirt and black pants.
Itachi sighed and looked over at Hinata whose eyes are surrounded with bulging veins – looking through miles away. "I am Hana Ichigo. You are Fugaku Fumizumi. We are from Konoha. We eloped. We are to travel to the Lightning Village."
The man only nodded. Must he really use his father's name?
"Let's keep going, Hana-chan"
Hanabi looked at her sister's room, her hands still trembling at its rest on the doorknob. It was still as she remembered it. It felt as if just yesterday that she crawled to her sister's bed, needing comfort from her nightmares. The walls are painted plain light lavender – really, almost just white in the dark. Her bed is still crisp and her linens are made with soft cotton and silk of dark purple, an outstanding orange pillow on the side which belonged to the Uzumaki. Hanabi can still remember how Hinata would embrace it to her chest, dig in her nose to smell her lover when he is out on a mission. Her love for the blonde was beyond the younger Hyuuga. It felt as if it is impossible to love someone as strong as Hinata felt, how she got the courage to fight Pain for Naruto – in exchange of her life?
Hanged on the walls are pictures, her team, her father, her, Naruto and Hinata's, akamaru's puppy collage, a smiling Kurenai, and a small portrait of their mother.
Her vision blurred with tears.
Hanabi's knees brought her stumbling on Hinata's chair. The drawers are searched just days ago, also her closet with properly folded clothes – exquisite kimonos hanging…
She couldn't take it anymore. Hanabi left the room as soon as she was able to stand back on her feet until the led her to their father's study.
The place she dreaded to go before. But there are no more elders to glare at her, all dead.
Long slender fingers traced the wooden table.
She needs to find answers. She will get back her sister wherever she is. In the deafening silence of the study, her erratic heart beating is the only thing she could hear. For days now she has been reading through and thoroughly the scrolls to lead her to anything.
The young Hyuuga never felt the desperation of having her father telling her what to do, what happened, or bluntly tell her a lead where to start.
Fingering through the papers, her eyes focused on words. Slowly her eyes roamed the room again, there has to be something.
Silver white eyes landed on a small package – pages from Hinata's diary, photocopies of its content… she re-read everything.
But something is missing.
Meeting?
What happened during the meetings? Come on Hanabi, you know this. You know this. You were there. What were their…arguments?
A lot or arguments. Right?
Her feet padded on their traditional bamboo floor rather fast, her heart now again loud. She reached the right wing of the mansion where her room is located. The young Hyuuga pulled out a white journal from her black bag.
Her eyes skimmed – yes, she wrote it. Of course, she has to have written the dates of tentative and planned meetings with the elders! She is organized, Hinata taught her to write the most important details, always… But why didn't she?
Her clean handwriting made her dizzy. Hanabi counted, fingering the brown paper - she had been sent out thrice from the meeting, thrice in one month! But she did not write why.
Why?
Did I trust myself to remember?
There had been a lot of arguments. But I can't remember what about.
A sudden panic attack crept in to her spine.
Her sandals dangled carelessly on her feet, her hair untied and flowing freely behind her back, her dark blue kimono almost mixed with the shadows… she has to find the Hokage. Frantic byakugan skimmed the village and unlike her previous hunch, the Hokage is still in her office.
It was not Hanabi to panic – it isn't her to ram her way to the Hokage's desk without appointment, but her tear stained cheeks – pale from the cold wind, cold from the stress – it isn't like Hanabi. Her whole body trembled, a push and pull for her to stop and freeze, her gut twisting painfully as she tried her best to kept her bile off her throat. Her breathing is confined.
It is not her to not remember.
"Hokage-sama!" Green eyes looked at frantic byakugan eyes.
The Hokage stood in urgency, white envelope and a two page lette still in her tight grasps.
"I cannot remember – I..I..I, there is something wrong. I-I-I-I-I need Yamanaka-san"
Hanabi's frown ceased as her eyes rolled back before she was greeted by darkness.
It was almost midnight when they reached the borders of a small village. There are only three or four lights lit in the whole village – everyone must be asleep. No competent looking guards either.
What kind of village leaves itself vulnerable?
"There's a small hotel, we can stay there for the night" She half-asked Itachi. Her eyes looking tired and red rimmed. He nodded. Walking comfortably while checking if they kept their chakra hidden.
"Good evening – yawn – Sir, Ma'am. Please state the – yawn – purpose of visit. Also if you have identification cards and papers. We also have – " Hinata almost rolled her eyes at the guard. Itachi took a step forward, too tired to make it formal, and looked at the guard with his red eyes.
The guard nodded. "Yes, welcome Fumizumi-san, Ichigo-san. Welcome to the Village of Takaya. Here is your clearance" The man mumbled, his eyes on a daze.
"Arigato" Hinata mumbled as they made their way to the hotel.
The room has two beds and a rather spacey bathroom. "Do you mind if I use the bath first?" She asked, her eyes watching his back as he laid down his clothes and fixed the luggage.
"Go ahead" He slumped on the floor, legs crossed, sharpening his set of kunai and sword.
Hinata filled the tub. Slowly, she soaked herself in the bubbles – warm water soothing her sore feet.
Tomorrow before noon, they will need to sail from the village to the other side of the mountains before heading to the lightning village.
They must have started the search by now.
After the soak, she found Itachi looking by the window, his right hand gripping his chest. "We need to remove this seal before Uzumaki finds us."
Hinata's heart dropped. She fell on the mattress, feeling her clothes as they cling a little bit uncomfortably on to her slightly still wet skin.
"Hai."
Her head fell on the soft lavender scented pillow. Her palms rested on silk linen, her back absorbed by the comfortable mattress. Her breathing slowed and even.
She is too tired.
From the flowers of Konoha, to her home, to the people around her, her gaze shifted on the oncoming dark skies. Ominous.
Then Naruto, on his knees - begging her. Begging her to stop. Her brows creased, why? What is happening? Her deep pants worsened, there are people shouting all over. Why? Why?
Then as if on camera, all her eyes ever focused on was his widening blue eyes almost bulging out of the sockets as the Kyuubi controlled him over fury - escaping, killing her lover in the process. There was no help.
Hundreds of white eyes stare into hers as they chanted her failure. Itachi's chest marvelled under the night as a huge seal on his chest lighted up - his eyes long dead. Naruto's nose is bleeding. His eyes filled with tears.
Gore and violence spread throughout the villages. Screams and violence.
The Kyuubi stalks her, Naruto as its puppet - and she stops her feet from moving. Large bleeding flesh struck her abdomen. A baby cries.
"You failed. See what you've done? You killed all innocent people. It's all your fault-"
Hinata gasped for air as she choked on her own saliva, her small hands flying on her abdomen gingerly. She scanned the area and looked at Itachi's resting face.
She walked slowly to the bathroom and washed her face of the fear and the sweat. Slowly, she traced her reflection on the mirror. Her eyes red from nightmare tears, her lips slightly pale and trembling - her eyes scanned through her body, still her hands on her abdomen...slowly, slowly, with her byakugan, she senses a small chakra forming. There, almost a size of a peanut - alive and in her, white and peaceful.
Her head shook. Shoulders slowly going up from her hardened breathing. A low sob escaped her mouth. Softly she whispered comforting words.
Suddenly, it is becoming harder than she thought it would be.
Tsunade crumpled the letter she just received hours ago, her blonde brows creased and her fist tight. This is a total mess. Neat and pretty handwriting from the older Hyuuga, still crisp from writing. Tsunade's breathing hitched. Is it possible that Hanabi got a letter from Hinata too?
Tsunade never hated herself - not before, not ever - only now. She blamed herself - and no one but herself - when she passed out from sake...exactly three nights ago now.
That under a new pile of papers to be read and signed - lay a white Hyuuga envelope from Hinata.. dropped and sealed the night the Hyuuga elders were massacred.
And she only found it now. Now that the team has left for a retrieval operation - now that Hanabi Hyuuga is laying unconsciously on a hospital bed with troubled mind and tear stained cheeks.
Tsuande cursed.
Her eyes reading through the letters. Brows furrowed deep with wrinkles forming heavily. She has to decide. NOW.
Shizune can only stare at her troubled Hokage, hands intertwined and knuckled hard. Her soles jumped when she spoke,
"Shizune, call Yamato. I need him to take Naruto back to the village - "
"-I need you to call Ino Yamanaka to get in Hanabi Hyuuga's mind. Iruka, I need you to bring me all the sealing scrolls your squad can find in the Hyuuga estate -" A masked shadow nodded and left "-and Shizune, I want you to confirm Hinata Hyuuga's crime of killing the Hyuuga elders"
"Hinta Hyuuga is now a missing nin, a person listed on bingo book - she is no longer part of Konoha"
A/N: Ohhhlala, what did Hinata say in her later? Is the dream ominous? I really want to hear your comments and your questions. There will be a new clue next chapter, I am close to uncovering the reasons. Next chapter will be clearer, I promise. Please review! Thank you for the support and the follows, by the way!