0oOo0
Insomnia haunted Hinata. It seemed as though endless hours of consciousness had passed, but of course, she couldn't tell in the darkness of the cave. Only the soft, rhythmic breaths of her comrades kept time. The sound of the rain outside was dull and muffled, becoming ambience that swam vaguely in her dreary half-sleep. Voices echoed softly in her mind, their words indistinct. Groaning softly, she rolled over on the clammy, unyielding stone. After a few endless minutes, she heard the rain soften. The drizzle soon stopped completely. Pushing herself up from the chilly earth, Hinata stepped gently over the sleeping bodies of Itachi and Hidan to the cave entrance.
The thin scent of fresh rain stuck to everything, filling the world. A few stray drops fell here and there, dotting the slow-drying mud. The soles of her black sandals squished uncomfortably into the muck beneath clear wet grass. Solemn strands of sinuous silver light pierced through the dense cloud cover. It appeared that the moon was full. Hinata let her back lean against the wet surface of the rock wall, and played with a bit of chakra in her palm. On a whim, she moved her palm slightly, creating diminutive designs of solid chakra in the air. A sad smile graced her face as Hinata remembered the first time she had used her Saikou Zettai Bogyou (Ultimate Absolute Defense).
"That was with my old team… and Naruto." She whispered. A tear rolled down her face as the memories of all the extensive training she had gone through for that move came rushing back.
"Maybe… for old times' sake." She muttered, thinking of a place to train.
'If I could find a spring…'
0oOo0
The brisk water enveloped Hinata; sending cool shivers across the surface of her skin. She allowed her body to become lax, and her arms drifted above her head.
'Oh, this is nice…' she thought, feeling a surge of joy. Swimming had always been a passion of hers.
A giggle escaped her lips as she resurfaced. Splashing contentedly in the deep, clear spring brought back melancholy memories of summer. She could almost hear the low buzz of heat, and the chirrup of crickets in tall grass. Pulling chakra to her palms, Hinata pushed onto the water's surface. Her bare skin became bumpy at the sudden chill. The girl ignored it, sweeping up the water with her fingers. After a few minutes of using her hands, she focused her chakra into a field around her, using it alone to manipulate the fluid. It flew in spirals around her, and it was then that she realized how much she had improved. Hinata panted heavily and the water fell away. Such techniques require vast chakra stores, and even then was exhausting.
Sitting chastely on the wet grass, waiting for the wind to dry her, Hinata wondered if what she was doing was right.
"Hinata. Never mention that name again. Uchiha Itachi is a menace to society. A simple-minded murderer who developed a taste for blood through Konoha." Her father had told her once. She murmured this quote silently.
The memory of Asuma was fresh in her mind. Hinata could remember walking by team 9 and smelling salty tears. She remembered Ino coming over for a visit soon after his death and crying on her shoulder.
"You're the only one I can trust!" Ino sobbed. "Sa-Sakura would g-gloat, a-and…" Her voice shook horribly. "And I don't know Tenten very well, and T-temari's in Suna and…" She inhaled hoarsely. "I just miss him too much!" And from there on, she sobbed loudly into Hinata's shoulder. After that event, Ino had treated her with much more respect.
"Hidan did that to him. Hidan made my friend cry. Hidan made Ino contemplate suicide." Hinata whispered. But she couldn't bring herself to resent the bright-eyed man. "Nor Itachi. Why can't I hate?"
She pulled the black coat back on, followed by her pants. Running her fingers through her hair, Kisame came to mind.
"What did he do, exactly?" she mouthed.
Kurenai used to tell her stories about fighting with Itachi and Kisame.
"He has a great sword that absorbs chakra. That's where Asuma's arm injury came from." At this Shino stepped forward.
"But I observed his wounds. The injury is not a cut so much as a very deep scrape. Over three inches."
Kurenai nodded.
"Samehada is made for shaving, not cutting."
Hinata cringed. How… disgusting. But what a sweet man. Hoshigaki Kisame. She found herself missing him, though only a day had passed. How quickly she had formed a relationship with these men. Then again, she won the affections of Team 8 in only three days of daily training. She won Kisame's affections in half a month's time, with no separation.
"And what of Itachi…" she queried aloud.
"What about me?"
0oOo0
"Itachi-sama! I didn't… I…" she stuttered.
"Stop stuttering," He sighed, sitting beside her. Though phrased as a command, it was said like a request.
"Hai." She swallowed nervously.
"What were you saying?" he asked calmly, turning his head to her. In the moment of silence that followed, his torso lowered to the ground, and his arms came up to rest his head. Hinata hugged her knees.
"I was wondering about everyone. The Akatsuki. I was thinking about you. And Kisame. And Hidan." She said quietly, the color of embarrassment tinting her cheeks.
"Hn. What were you wondering about?" he said, turning his ink-dark eyes to the stars.
"How—" She gulped, whimpering with embarrassment. "How m-much you all, uh…"
His eyes caught hers, and Itachi raised an eyebrow questioningly.
"How much I what?" he asked, genuine curiosity playing across his face.
"Like… me. As a friend." She finished timidly.
'Exactly, as a friend. It shouldn't have been that hard to say.' Hinata mentally scolded.
"Oh. I guess I'm a little cold to everyone. I like you fine, Hina." He said casually. "What are you doing out here so late?"
"Training." She muttered. Her lucid eyes tore away from his.
"I felt it. Your chakra." He mumbled. "Its aura is too pure. You've felt our chakra. Ours is tainted. Dark. You killed unintentionally. We intend to kill. You are the lamb with bloody horns, Hina. You just don't know how to use them."
She allowed this to sink in.
"In time, you'll learn. The field is not a place for emotions. The jobs that we do are not easy. You must be able to do things quietly, quickly, and efficiently. Nothing unnecessary. Though, it helps to be able to improvise. I can tell that you're not the kind of person who enjoys pointless death. This will take you far in our organization. You have the potential, but not the skills to utilize it properly."
Hinata caught herself staring at him. Such wisdom for a man so young.
"Arigatou. Honto Arigatou. Itachi."
"Iie. I just don't want to see you leave us so soon. And thanks for leaving off the honorary." His mouth pulled into a brief smile for her. For only her.
0oOo0