Whether the elements were trying to set a darker mood or by sheer coincidence, it started to rain. Hinata rushed through the forest, her Byakugan activated, watching anxiously for Michiko.

"Michiko! Where are you?" she cried out desperately.

No answer. Hinata ran faster.

"Michiko!" she screamed.

Lightening cracked overhead. Hinata looked frantically for her daughter.

This can't happen. I won't let this happen. Kanaka took Masashi from me, she won't get Michiko.

"Michiko!" she cried again.

Hinata's foot hit a particularly slippery patch of grass and slipped out from under her. She fell on her face with a splat. She got up, covered in mud. Something on the ground caught her eye. A small silver object stuck out of the mud. She picked it up and wiped it off with a clean bit of her sleeve. Her eyes widened and it slipped out of her hands. She stared at it in horror. There, covered in mud, was a Konoha head protector. The cloth tie was visibly cut and there was a deep scratch through the insignia. She bolted ahead.

"MICHIKO!" she screeched.

Salty tears mixed with the rain water that now poured down her face. She charged ahead, terrified by what she might find but utterly determined not to stop. She ran full speed until she finally came to the desert. It had stopped raining by then but grey, ominous clouds still lingered. Hinata gulped air and looked around frantically. The sand was wet and spattered with raindrops. There were no tracks to be seen. Hinata shook her head.

"No..." she said at a loss.

She dropped to her hands and knees and stared at the ground blankly.

"She's gone…..my babies…they're both gone….." she murmured hopelessly.

She dug her fingers into the thick, wet sand. Her body shook with sobs.

"Kanaka-san! KANAKA-SAN!...I know you're there….I know that you've done all of this…..and you must be laughing at my pain now…" she sobbed.

She slowly struggled to her feet.

"But hear me now…..I won't give up…you can take away everything that is precious to me…..everything that I have ever loved…my friends…my family….my children….even Naruto-kun…."

She stood straight. Head bowed, fists clenched at her sides.

"But no matter what you do to me….no matter how much I suffer…I won't go back…..I won't go back to that dark, lonely, suffocating sadness…"

She lifted her head and defiantly looked at the sky.

"You can't break me anymore!"she yelled.

Michiko lay limp in the dragon's mouth as it carried her back to the Koizumi headquarters behind Masashi. Masashi should have felt accomplished. He had succeeded in his mission. The mission that he had trained for all his couldn't life. And, yet, he couldn't shake this awful feeling. Something felt wrong about it all. He couldn't put his finger on it. After all, everything was as it should be. Wasn't it? Naruto was dead. He was bringing his long-lost sister home at last. He should be happy. But that woman haunted him. Her eyes. They were so full of fear and love. Love for Naruto. Or so he had thought at first. But then, after Masashi had delivered the final blow and taunted the Hyuuga. That look was still there. It was directed at him. Fear, joy, love, sadness. He could read her as clearly as he could see her face. Another quality that haunted him. Her face. It was tender and sweet. Kind but sad. A mother's face. NO, that was impossible. She was just putting on an act. It was all false. Everything. He looked back at his sister. She had been so passionate in defending her "parents" that, just for a brief moment, he had almost believed it. But anyone would believe a lie if they were raised to think it was the truth.

"No Masashi. It's you who have been deceived. "

No! He had to be strong! He had to hold on to the truth! If he didn't believe his mother then he had just done an unspeakable thing. He was a Koizumi. That was the end of it. He looked lack at Michiko. She was starting to stir a bit. She would be fully awake in no time. There was very little time to waste.

"Pick up the pace. We need to get home before she wakes up." Masashi commanded.

The dragon growled.

"You are setting the pace here, human. Not I." he retorted.

Masashi clenched his fists.

"Well then, keep up! "He demanded.

He surged forward into a sprint. He was edgy and agitated. Probably not enough sleep. He would go home, reunite Michiko with mother, stop in to see Nagato and make sure she had blankets and clothes, and then put his feet up for a well-deserved nap. He would feel bitter after that. But, when he arrived home, he soon found that a nap would most definably not be in his agenda. As soon as he saw the lode on his mother's face, he knew that he was in for it. Kanaka glared at him.

"You didn't go back and make sure that Uzumaki was dead, did you?" she asked intimidatingly .

Masashi froze.

"There's no way. No way he survived." He said in disbelief.

Kanaka surged forward and struck Masashi across the face. He reeled bade, a look of shock on his face.

"That's impossible." He said in awe.

He looked at Kanaka fiercely.

"There's no way he survived!" he growled.

Kanaka stepped forward.

"But HE DID!" she yelled.

She pointed at Michiko.

"And you had better take care of him or she will pay the price!" she threatened.

Masashi was taken aback.

"Why would you kill Michiko? After she's finally returned?" he asked in horror.

Kanaka chided herself. She had let herself slip. She quickly thought of a way to cover her blunder.

"Don't you think I know that? I don't want them to kill her either! But Uzumaki Naruto must not be allowed to live. And, as surely as she is my bastard daughter, Hidekai will kill her if he is." She said, making her voice falter toward the end.

Masashi gulped and nodded.

"I understand." He said gravely.

He paused a moment. Then he looked at Kanaka questioningly.

"Why does Hidekai want to kill Uzumaki-san so badly?" he asked.

Kanaka looked at Masashi gravely.

"He doesn't want this for him, Masashi-kun. He wants if for you." She said quietly.

Masashi's brow furrowed.

"What?"

Kanaka grabbed Masashi's shoulders and leaned down to whisper in his ear.

"Uzumaki Naruto…is the man…who killed your father." She whispered.

Masashi's eyes widened. Kanaka pretended to cry again. She pulled away from Masashi and wiped the tears from her face.

"Now you know…now you know why I've trained you for this…why I pushed you so hard…" she said in a cracked voice.

Masashi shook with anger. His blood pulsed through his body, rapidly growing hot. He looked down at the floor.

"Why, mother? Why didn't you tell me?" he asked trough his teeth.

Kanaka put a hand on his shoulder.

"I didn't want you to harbor such pain, my dear boy. You were already grieved enough knowing that he took your sister away. I didn't want you have to live with the weight of this burden too." She said comfortingly.

Masashi shrugged his mother's hand off of his shoulder. He walked over and put his hand on the wall and leaned his head against it. Then he roared loudly. He pulled back and made a fist. He punched the wall with all his might. The wall shattered and pieces of stone scattered everywhere.

"I'm going to destroy him!" he yelled.

Hinata stumbled back to the village, exhausted. Grief and sorrow constantly nagged at her heart, but she refused them. She was more determined than ever not to give up. It was all she had now. Naruto and her own stubborn resolve. She had to hold onto it. She couldn't let the pain Kanaka had caused her to drag her down never to be seen again. An image of a smiling Michiko flashed through her mind, as if Kanaka were controlling her thoughts and trying to get her to remember her pain. Hinata shut her eyes tightly and pushed it away.

Don't think of the sadness. Think of getting her back. Focus on getting her back. She told herself.

By the time she reached Konoha, she was too tired to walk anymore. She collapsed at the gate. The two guards came rushing up to her.

"Hinata-sama! Are you alright?" One asked, concerned.

Hinata nodded.

"Yes…I'm fine…I just need to rest…" she panted.

They helped her over to the side of the road. The one who had spoken before looked at his partner.

"Go get Tsunade-sama and tell her Hinata-sama just came back. Tell her she's fine but extremely tired."

The other man nodded.

"Right."

He ran off toward Hokage Tower. Hinata closed her eyes and took deep, even breaths. It didn't take long at all for her to fall asleep.

Hinata spent the next few days at the hospital with Naruto. Even with his incredible healing abilities, it was difficult recovering from such a strong, internal attack. Hinata showed Naruto the headband and told him about the night Kanaka had taken Masashi from them. Naruto grew increasingly mad and almost had an outburst. Hinata talked him down and smiled.

"Naruto-kun, I love you." She said sweetly as she kissed his hand lightly.

Naruto gave a half smile and looked at her worried.

"Hinata-chan…are you alright?" he asked concerned.

Hinata kissed his head.

"Yes. I'm fine, Naruto-kun." She said quietly.

Naruto reached up and caressed her cheek. She put her hand over his and smiled down at him.

"You are wonderful." He said gently.

Hinata's cheeks flushed red; perhaps her old habit resurfacing.

"I love you…so much….." she said, her voice cracking.

A single tear slid down her cheek and dropped onto Naruto's arm. Naruto brushed her cheek softly with the back of his fingers. He looked at her with that familiar determination in his eyes.

"We'll get them back, Hinata-chan. I promise."

Hinata kissed his fingers.

"I know, Naruto-kun. Together, we'll bring them home."

Sorry, it's taken so long to put this up. I just started college last week so, my schedule's been pretty hectic. I probably won't be able to post very often from now on. In fact, this might be the last you hear from me for quite a while. I'll try to write in my spare time, but those moments are few and far between so, no promises.