Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Last time
Sasuke swore as he loosened his control on the chakra connecting that of the fireballs to his, effectively warping the jutsu's trajectory.

The mass of flames barely missed Hinata who was braced to receive the brunt of the attack. As it was, the line created by the fireballs separated into two as if Hinata's body cut it in half.

The dry ground on either side of her gave off swells of smoke as the flames hit it instead.

That was close. If the assault had connected with the Hyuuga –

"Bravo. That was an excellent display of control." Sasuke was unable to finish the thought as he felt a burning pain on his side. "But I'm afraid I have to kill you now."


Pathways
Chapter 6
Whispers of the Just


Hinata's hands shook as she realized that the jutsu missed her. Barely.

If ever, her demise would be her own doing and she felt very much chastised for it. It was really stupid of her to not dodge the attack when she had seen Sasuke do the hand seals. Kabuto, on the other hand, had his back turned and still managed to evade the onslaught originally intended for him. She can't blame her mistake on the drug he gave her because its effects had already thinned in her system.

How can she be so weak and useless? First she failed to protect her students and now she was relying on Sasuke to do all the fighting for her. She ran away when she should have stayed and she stayed when she should have run away.

Now, she can't will herself to open her eyes and look at Sasuke's face, afraid of the rebuke she might see there.

"Bravo. That was an excellent display of control." Hinata heard a voice, which unmistakably belonged to Kabuto and a gasp that she was sure wasn't his. "But I'm afraid I have to kill you now." Kabuto's voice continued.

"No…" Hinata whispered to herself as she finally opened her eyes just in time to see Sasuke cough up blood and fall to his knees, revealing the white-haired nin standing just behind him.

Kabuto's hands were engulfed in a bluish chakra.

Hinata's eyes widened as she recognized the jutsu. "Ch-chakra no m-mesu…(1)." It's an ancillary jutsu especially utilized by medic-nins for healing purposes. However, it could also be used in battle by anyone who can manage to control its wild temperament. The technique is quite similar to that of the Juuken in that it extends chakra into the target's body. While the Gentle Fist paralyzes tenketsu, the Chakra no Mesu cuts muscles and/or blood vessels without any visible injury.

Sasuke coughing up blood could mean that a vital organ, possibly the stomach or the lungs, had been damaged. She had some medical experience – being tutored personally by the Hokage before she became an Academy teacher – and she could tell that if she didn't do anything right away, the damage would be irreparable. It could cause Sasuke's death.

Right. She knew what to do.

Hinata glanced at Sasuke's figure, hunched in pain and spitting out more blood by the second, and then she glanced at Kabuto, who was watching Sasuke, looking like Death himself.

Still…knowing what to do and actually doing what she had to do were entirely two different things. Her fear that if she went any closer, what happened to Sasuke would also happen to her kept her rooted to the spot until she had to back away – because of that same fear – when Kabuto slowly advanced towards her.

"Don't worry," Kabuto said in a mocking tone, "that attack wouldn't kill him…at least, not in the way you think. However, it will momentarily render him incapable to help you." Kabuto raised his chakra infused hands as he neared her. "Are you ready to die, Hyuuga heiress?"

No…no I'm not ready to die…! Hinata knew that if she can't survive this, she must at least make it hard for him to kill her. She could do that but…Uchiha-san is so much stronger than me but then he… She looked at said Uchiha, just a ways behind Kabuto, hunched on the ground. If Sasuke ended up like that on the hands of Kabuto, what chance could she hope to have?

But then…Hinata remembered him. It seemed so long ago…a lifetime past…but his words still rang strong and true in her mind.

"I never give up!"

Always, he challenged the world that was so bent on putting him down. And he never failed to deliver. Hinata admired his fortitude, something she wished she had for herself. She had vowed to follow his example no matter what it took and it shamed her now that faced with death, she could easily forget. After all these years, she was still wishing…

"That is my ninja way!"

Determination filled her as those words, spoken long ago, reverberated in her ears. She saw Kabuto's face register surprise when she dropped into a battle stance. Clearly, he hadn't expected her to fight back. Satisfaction speared through her veins because she at least managed to conquer her fear of defeat if not of death – plus, she was able to wipe off the self-satisfied expression on the Medic-nin's face.

Hinata will not fall without putting up a fight…

A fight she planned to make as hard as possible.

Recovering quickly from the unexpected turn of events, Kabuto smirked again. "So you're not as docile as I took you to be." He also shifted into battle stance. "Very well, I could use the added experience. It would be a pleasure to be able to do combat with a member of the illustrious Hyuuga Clan, if I do say so myself."

Kabuto said this in a tone that implied that he would be honored to fight with anyone in her family, just not her.

Hinata caught his implied meaning but refused to take the bait. Pursing her lips, she adjusted her posture to that of the Hakke Rokujuuyonshou(2). This technique will allow her to compensate for whatever attack, or projectile for that matter, he would throw at her. Also, it would give her an opportunity to close off any of his tenketsu that's within reach. Hopefully, she will hit the right tenketsu and successfully disable the Chakra Scalpel he was using.

Specifically, Hinata would need to aim for the tenketsu located in his arms. But she won't be picky on whatever she can strike. With enough focus, Kabuto will be lying on the forest floor in a paralyzed heap in no time.

And she didn't plan to miss.

With this thought, she activated her Byakugan. Hinata was already reading Kabuto's internal Chakra Circulation system to somehow be able to predict any move he might make when she noticed dark Chakra emanating from Sasuke. A sense of something she had not felt before, zipped throughout her body. Kabuto probably sensed the change in the atmosphere too because he immediately jumped at an oblique angle, not behind her but far enough so that he could watch both her and Sasuke.

With the help of her Byakugan, Hinata examined Sasuke's Chakra Circulation and was unsettled to see a great mass of dark Chakra spread throughout his body. It was healing the damages made by Kabuto's technique. What was more disquieting was that this stemmed not from the usual center of Chakra but from a black, almost like a void, area on his neck. Hinata deactivated her Byakugan and clearly saw, in color, the outside effects of the crazy amount of Chakra she had seen.

Flaming orange and red marks started to spread rapidly everywhere on his skin that the eye could see. As for Sasuke, his shaking from the pain caused by Kabuto's attack had subsided, and was replaced by the quaking of his shoulders. At first, Hinata thought that the thing on his neck pained him but then she felt his joy and realized that he was not shivering from pain. No.

He was shaking with mirth, silently laughing.

As the last trace of flame colored marking vanished, leaving black markings on Sasuke's skin, his laughter finally subsided. After a while, Hinata heard him speak. "Did you honestly think that you can hurt me that easily?" He addressed this to Kabuto. "That attack didn't even come close." Now, Hinata knew that he was outright lying. Slowly, he stood up. "So, I guess you wouldn't mind if I try hurting you too." Sasuke lifted his face…

And Hinata couldn't, even if she tried, hold back the gasp that escaped her lips.

Written on Sasuke's face as he leveled a look in Kabuto's direction, was complete and utter cold-blooded merriment…and this expression frightened her more than any of his cold looks and heated glares. Dimly, she remembered what her old nursemaid had said about people like Sasuke.

"Serious people rarely smile because it is not in their nature to do so. However, when they do smile, watch out little one. It could only mean either of two things…

That they're extremely happy or…

Unconsciously, Hinata took a step back.

Extremely mad."

As that thought crossed her mind, Kabuto decided that he couldn't wait to be the one attacked and did the attacking instead.

With a burst of speed he had reserved, Kabuto attacked Sasuke with the Chakra no Mesu, thrusting it forward. Sasuke responded by sidestepping away from the attack and giving a swift knee kick on Kabuto's stomach, sending the Medic-nin hurtling backwards a distance away and crashing on a tree. Before the ninja's body even had a chance to slide down the trunk of the tree, Sasuke was on him, punching him relentlessly on the stomach until Hinata was sure he had made a hole in it.

This is terrifyingly impossible, Hinata thought, her Byakugan once again activated. All of the Uchiha's attacks were phenomenally faster than before. She was only able to perceive it thanks to her Bloodline Limit, and even then, his movements appeared simply as blurs of Chakra. The white-haired ninja, she could tell, did not excel in rank because of his Taijutsu but because of the many supplementary jutsu he had in his arsenal.

Faced with Sasuke's superior Taijutsu, and now his drastic speed, Kabuto didn't stand a chance.

Horrified by what she was seeing, Hinata could only watch as Sasuke proceeded to pound Kabuto's already battered body, into a bloody heap. If it were anyone else, Hinata was sure they would already be dead, but it was Kabuto and she knew for certain that he was pushing Chakra at the forefront of the muscles in his body to serve as a cushion to soften the blows…somewhat. It's a simple trick all ninjas with medical training knew.

However, if this continues, he wouldn't stay alive for long.

Hinata didn't want Kabuto to die this way. It was true that he did bad things in the past…to her, to her friends, as well as to Konoha…but no ninja deserved to die like this. No ninja deserved to die by the hands of a half-deranged person who probably wasn't even cognizant enough to know what he was doing.

So with a voice she didn't know she possessed, Hinata shouted.

She didn't know what she had said but the sound echoed throughout the forest like some hollow gong. Hinata thought she heard something that sounded like 'stop' but she couldn't be sure.

And it wasn't really important as long as Sasuke halted – hopefully, for good – what he was doing. And he did. His body stood still, mid punch. The silence that ensued was so deafening that dull cricket sounds started humming in Hinata's ears.

She was beginning to think that Sasuke had forgotten about her but then he lowered his fists and slowly faced her, finally letting Kabuto slide down in a broken mass at the base of the tree. He stalked quietly in her direction.

Maybe it really was 'stop', Hinata wondered distantly as she watched Sasuke advance towards her.

He stopped walking when he was an arm's length away from Hinata.

Hinata didn't look at him however and concentrated on the ground. So when his black sandals entered the edge of her vision, she felt a sense of déjà vu(3), but she had no time to ponder on it anymore because he began to speak.

His voice was raspy, like that of one who had just wakened from a long sleep. "Why?" The question caught her off guard so she lifted her face to peer up at him. She was surprised to find that the black markings were gone, leaving his skin looking pale and sickly. His eyes, however, were intense as he stared down at her, seeming to ask the question he had previously spoken.

"Why don't you let me kill him?" He continued.

Does she really need to answer that? Hinata did anyway. "B-because…" She fought to keep her stutter out for she had a feeling it would make all the difference. "Because i-it wouldn't be fair to him."

He barked a cruel chuckle. "Fair? Was he even fair to you?"

True. Kabuto wasn't fair to her, or to anyone for that matter. But she stopped Sasuke from killing the man not only for the man's sake but…

"He wasn't fair to m-me…" Hinata admitted, "B-but letting you k-kill him…wouldn't be fair to you too."

Again, it was true. Sasuke was not himself a while ago, Hinata peered at his feverish gaze that was directed at her, and perhaps he was still not himself now. Killing Kabuto would not have been a free willed act if he went through with it. Although the possibility was doubtful, he may even carry it in his conscience.

And Hinata, in return, couldn't carry it in hers if she had let him kill Kabuto, knowing that she could have done something to prevent it.

Sasuke, for his part, didn't say anything but she saw him lift his hands up. Hinata recoiled instantly and waited for the impact of his fists striking her, eyes shut tight.

Instead, she felt cool fingers touch her cheek. Alarmed, she started to look up but froze instantly when his lips descended on her own.

It was not a passionate kiss…it was pretty one-sided to be categorized as such…

But Hinata felt him communicate something through it. She couldn't say for certain, the message can be a quite number of things.

Vexation…? Possibly. To be honest, it was a rather stupid thing to show mercy for someone who wouldn't have shown the same.

Amusement…? Probably. Looking at it from another angle, it was somewhat odd to see a weak person show mercy for someone much stronger when it should be the other way around. The role-switching was quite funny if one looked at it from a cynical person's point of view.

Gratitude…? Maybe. Well, she did make him show mercy for someone weaker than him. And in a cynical person's point of view, with no role-switching involved, would make sense. Maybe he was thankful to her for giving a good boost to his ego?

But perhaps – Hinata's face heated as another theory crossed her mind, she truthfully didn't know where her thoughts were coming from – he just wanted to kiss her? She gave a mental shake. This guess was the most unlikely of all…

As if to disprove this thought, Hinata felt him nibble briefly at her lower lip. Being inexperienced, Hinata was at a complete loss on how to respond to his ministrations. Or if she should respond.

And it ended before she could.

He pulled away from her. After a moment of silence, he said, "I wouldn't have killed him anyway."

Then he promptly fell forward, unconscious even before Hinata caught him in her arms.


Hinata sat back and exhaled, her breath puffing out in white wisps. She blew into her shaking hands to drive heat back into them. It was becoming pretty cold as the day gave way to the night. All around her, the forest showed signs of retiring for the night. The leaves on the massive trees whispered a lullaby. Animals started scurrying for shelter and birds gave off last calls…warning against predators that thrive in darkness.

Amidst all these hustle, Hinata felt extremely alone. Here she was, by her lonesome in a forest, surrounded only by trees and animals.

She reclined, slouching as she hugged herself for warmth. Looking at the foot of the large tree in front of her, Hinata amended that she wasn't really alone…

Literally speaking, there was someone with her.

Although for technicalities' sake, that someone didn't count, not if he was dead to the world and probably would remain so for the next 24 hours.

Hinata glanced at the sleeping figure of Sasuke, looking for all the world like a day old corpse. If she hadn't been touching his chest a few seconds ago – only to heal him, Hinata blushed – she would have thought so. He was too pale and too severe for his own good. It seemed that these traits were carried over even in his sleep.

A cold draft blew over. Hinata shivered and looked again at Sasuke. Not for the first time, she regretted giving up her warm and comfy jacket to cover his sleeping form. She reckoned that it wouldn't have made a difference if she lent the thing to him or not. Sasuke was as cold as they could get in terms of personality. Hinata doubted if he would feel the cold…not when he was so used to it, it kept showing in his behavior. Maybe she shouldn't have lent her jacket.

But she did. And she was Hinata that way.

Although, she frowned, that doesn't sound like a very good thing at all.

She sounded like a pushover more than anything, even though no one was making any pushing. And that was really the worst part of it.

Hinata slumped back at the cold hard ground, wincing as rocky protrusions poked at her back. Making herself as comfortable as physically possible, she tried to ignore the pain jabbing at her back and concentrated instead on gazing up at the stars dotting the dark sky.

It was not long before her mind drifted off into random things.

Those stars up the corner looked like a belt. The other four, right up her forehead, shaped like a Tempura. All the stars looked so white from her vantage point that they could compare with the white eyes of a Hyuuga…

That thought made her pause.

Sasuke's eyes looked like that of a Hyuuga earlier…She had wondered what was up but then he had blinked and the illusion had vanished before she even thought up any possible answer for it. Or if it had really been there in the first place.

Was she only imagining it? The feeling of staring into her own eyes was too uncanny to have been a mistake…

Hinata's mind slowly drifted again. As she fell asleep, it was replaying all that had happened to her. Being captured and then being freed all by the same person.

The last thought that had lingered in her consciousness as sleep overcame her was the picture of that same person kissing her…Taking away her very first kiss.


Back at the Ninja Academy in Konoha, young aspiring gennins were thought that a ninja should always be aware off their surroundings, be they awake or sleeping. Hinata had learned this rule when she was still studying at the Academy and then later on relearned it when she was teaching at the Academy as a chuunin.

This rule was easy enough to apply…in theory. It was much, much harder though, to adhere to it on missions, especially when one was exhausted and wounded.

Which was why, when Hinata woke up, she was surprised to notice two things.

One was that the Uchiha wasn't where she left him last night.

Two was that said Uchiha was nowhere to be seen.

Hinata felt dismay and panic grip her heart upon this realization. Dismay because she didn't feel him wake up and leave when she should have. And panic because…

What would become of her now?

She knew she couldn't defend herself if ever Kabuto or worse, Orochimaru, came looking for her. This thought was depressing for her morale but she couldn't do anything about it because it was the truth. It was only because of Sasuke that she survived Kabuto's attacks yesterday and now without him…

Hinata's a sitting duck, waiting to be killed, plucked and roasted. She winced.

A thought struck her and she cried out in consternation. He had taken her favorite jacket too…Oh wait, it was still here, neatly folded beside her.

Slowly, she reached out to pluck the material from the ground when Sasuke emerged from the trees. Hinata stopped short, her hands outstretched. Sasuke seemed to become aware of her in this instant and he too paused.

The silence stretched. Hinata wondered why he came back for her or if it was for her really. Perhaps he wants her to perform another healing jutsu? Hinata took in his appearance. He looked a little worse for wear with his dark locks looking more limp than usual and his skin a bit paler too. There were smudges of bluish black under his eyes, a testament of a night's sleep gone badly. The blood stains on his clothes also added to his disheveled exterior.

Hinata reckoned that she didn't look better than him, in fact, if her past experiences were to go by, she should look worse. Maybe that's why he's staring at her like that now?

He frowned so suddenly that Hinata 'eeped', clearly intimidated by his glare. "W-why a-are y-y-y-ou-u…?" She was blushing furiously now, mortified that she couldn't even string a short question together without stuttering horribly.

Sasuke stomped to where Hinata was sitting and grabbed her outstretched arm. "Come on, we're going."

Hinata stumbled as he dragged her up. "W-where…?" He didn't answer but proceeded to pull her along. She worriedly glanced back at her jacket which was still lying on the ground. "W-w-wait m-my…!"

"We're going," he repeated again, glancing back to give her a penetrating glare, "now." He emphasized this with a sharp tug.

Hinata wilted under his fierce stare and could do nothing more but to gaze forlornly at the shrinking image of her jacket being left behind(4) as he dragged her away.

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To be continued…


A/N: That was a bit long. Again, for any questions, just mention it in your review and I'll answer it either by PMs or by including it in the next chapter. Thanks for reading!

(1) Ch-chakra no m-mesu – without Hinata's stutter, loosely translated as Chakra Scalpel. It was a technique used by Kabuto in his fight with Tsunade if you'll recall. Other than that, the description in the story says it all.

(2) Hakke Rokujuuyonshou Eight Divination Signs, Sixty-Four Palms of the Hand. This is a technique utilized by the Main House of the Hyuuga Clan, with the exception of Neji of course. If you had seen the manga or at least, the animation series, this is the technique mostly used by Neji in his battle with Naruto in the Chuunin exams.

(3) she felt a sense of déjà vu – Think Chapter 4 – His Reason.

(4) shrinking image of her jacket being left behind – I hope you readers will not get offended but I plan to discard Hinata's bulky clothing once and for all. Reason? Why it's because Sasuke wouldn't have enough motivation to jump her with it on! Fufufufu! (cough,cough…AHEM!) I'm only kidding of course. But seriously, the jacket will play a major role in the story…and I'm pretty sure there's a symbolism there somewhere…hmm…

Again, thanks for reading!

Please review!