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Chapter Seven
"Isn't that Sasuke Uchiha?—I heard from Terumi-sama that the Uchiha's were good looking, but I never imagined how handsome he really is!"
"Mommy, that man's hair looks like a bird's nest."
"Honey, you have to stay away from that man. He's a very bad person—so bad—he kills kittens for fun—"
"—NO!—No one can be that evil!"
"Hey Pa!—why is that woman's eyes white? Is she blind?"
"Wait… isn't she a Hyuga?"
"What's a Uchiha doing in Kiri?"
"Since when did the last known Uchiha settle down and get married?"
Looks of shock and horror followed Hinata and Sasuke as they weaved their way across the busy streets of Kiri. The villagers were quick to realize that the famous renegade Uchiha was wandering the streets of their country. At the same time, youthful young women flocked to the edges of their windows or stood on their toes to get a better view of the handsome stranger. Several other villagers cast curious stares at Hinata as no one really bothered to keep their voices down when they gossiped about her.
"I haven't seen a woman with such clear, translucent eyes walk through these streets before," one woman remarked to her daughter.
Hundreds of eyes stared intently at the foreigners when they passed through the busy market streets. Under normal circumstances, Hinata's face would have gone scarlet with all of this attention directed, not only at her, but also to Sasuke as well. And oddly, with Sasuke by her side, she found herself not really bothered by what these women thought of her. Maybe Sasuke's personality was rubbing off on her because in his years of being fondled by fan girls, he never paid them any attention, let alone have their words hinder him. Of course there were certain civilians, namely the young females, who focused intently on Sasuke; while the testosterone-induced males focused on her. However, there were the occasional citizens who examined them—not individually—but as a pair.
Overwhelming looks of contempt followed Hinata as she passed a crowd of teenage girls, many of them mouthing hurtful words with hopes of being the one standing at Sasuke's side instead of her.
Sasuke took Hinata's hand and led her swiftly through the crowd.
At this, an uproar of jealous exclamations burst from the mass of boisterous ladies. Glares were thrown at the intimacy of Sasuke and the woman's interlaced hands. Their faces became scarlet in clear detestation as several of their heads looked ready to explode.
To make matters worse, Sasuke wove his arms around Hinata's waist, pulled her in closer, and gazed adoringly into her eyes.
The ladies screamed! Unable to contain themselves the swarm of girls dropped like flies—one by one, each red faced fan girl fainted against her friend.
Hinata giggled. For some reason, she knew Sasuke was only doing this to evoke those loud responses from the crowd of vibrant young girls. His actions were all just a joke to play with their feelings. It was cruel, but also… dare she say it?—amusing.
Only a few hours before, Hinata and Sasuke had been standing in the middle of the Mizukage's office, surrounded by dozens of her personal advisors and consultants. From the moment they set foot on the giant island of Kirigakure, they had been swooped away by several ANBU to make an appearance before the fifth Mizukage—Mei Terumī.
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-Day Three: pt. 2-
-A few Hours Ago-
"It's good to see you again Hinata."
A slender young woman in her thirties with ankle-length auburn hair wandered carefully between the two leaf villagers in her office. Her bright green eyes lingered on the sword hanging precariously at Sasuke's waist.
"Mei—I'm sorry, Mizukage-sama—"
"Hinata you can call me Mei. Don't bother with the formalities… we're both young women," said Mei, winking cordially at the Hyuga.
Hinata was vaguely aware of the Mizukage's sensitive feelings in regard to her growing age, and decided not to push it. "I've come personally to take care of a few… misunderstandings… between Kiri and Konoha about sending—"
"Are you referring to the raid in Otafuku?—we've already sent aid—"
"Yes—but, there are hundreds of refugees, and the camp has only received a dozen of your men."
"That seems more than enough—"
"No—it's not," said Hinata flatly, "Mei… it means the number of people in distress greatly out numbers the amount of aid we've sent."
The meeting between Hinata and Mei went on for several long hours. Quite a few of the scribes began jotting notes in their scrolls, occasionally tearing their eyes away from their work to cast looks of approval at their kage and apprehensive frowns at Hinata. Many of the citizens of Kiri were against sending aid to a country they had nothing to do with. Even so, Hinata remained persistent. She understood the importance of helping, and to her, all five of the great shinobi nations had to come together—as one—to do their part and help the villages that were struggling.
At one point, a man stepped up and pulled out a map of the shinobi world, lecturing for hours about his plan. He had a wheezy, droning voice that was almost guaranteed to cause severe drowsiness. Sasuke had heard enough within the first 20 minutes of the meeting and went to sit at his favorite place, the windowsill to mediate—or in this case—sleep. No one bothered him, but a few ANBU were keen on keeping an eye on the man.
It felt like only a few minutes and all he saw beneath his lids were flashes of his tragic past. In the distance, he could hear Hinata's voice continuing her argument with Mei. An aching in his heart sent his mind on frenzy. But for the first time in many years, he didn't dwell on it. Just as soon as his memories drew to his family's massacre, he remembered the pleasant moments he shared with his family and friends. The memories with Hinata and Neji, the afternoons he spent watching his brother train, the missions he shared with Team Seven, and then of course there was the—
"Sasuke, you've gotten more attractive."
Regretfully, the remark woke him from his comfortable thoughts. He turned, and found the entire room, including Hinata, staring intently at him. She shot him a patronizing look that said, How could you sleep through the entire meeting?
Mei, who had been the one to throw him the compliment, came towards him as she smiled coldly, "—I can't honestly say it's nice to see you—here—in my country. This is not Konoha, and I'm not Naruto—if you do anything out of line Sasuke… I will kill you." She kissed his cheek lightly and turned back to Hinata, whose attention was focused resolutely at the exit.
"So, you'll be here for our water festival?"
Hinata nodded.
"Would you like me to set a place for you and your guest," Mei nodded towards Sasuke, "—at our international quarters?"
Sasuke answered for Hinata, with a simple flat "no."
"Where will you stay then?"
Hinata understood her motive in asking and expected such. The location of a dangerous man like Sasuke had to be known by the government while he stayed in their country. "The island to the south of Kiri is home, to a comrade of mine. And they have kindly offered to lend me a room during my stay," lied Hinata, her eyes fixed carefully on Mei.
From the corner of her eye, she noticed Sasuke's head turn slightly at her untruthful response.
Mei held her gaze on Hinata, expecting to catch a slip in the story. She wasn't worried about Hinata, not at all. As a matter of fact, she knew Hinata was a good and honest person. It was Sasuke she was worried about. Sasuke was the one that had wrecked havoc on any land he stood on. And as the protector of her own country, she had to be wary of his intentions. Even if the two of them were here just to enjoy the festival, security must be heightened tenfold because of Sasuke's presence. And if he really was here to be Hinata's bodyguard, she had better not find him wandering around without the Hyuga.
"I'm sorry Hinata, you must be exhausted," said Mei, now noticing the dark circles beneath Hinata's pale eyes. How could she forget, the woman had just traveled hundreds of miles? Immediately feeling guilty, she turned to Ao, her faithful bodyguard, "Ao, please take them to a nice Kiri restaurant and make sure they cross our town safely."
"Hmmm! In my day, visitors had checkpoints to pass. You're too trusting of kids these days."
A middle aged man with short bluish-gray hair with a patch over his right eye, stepped out from the crowd of advisors and frowned at Hinata and Sasuke.
"Ao… shut up—or I'll kill you," whispered Mei, her malicious threat hidden behind an artificial smile. Ao froze, looking angry and offended. "Just take them to a nice place to eat," she ordered.
The thinning of his lips became a discrete, unpleasant smile, as he straightened his posture and casually turned to the leaf shinobis. "This way," his said gruffly.
Sasuke's stoic expression became a distinct frown. Hinata inwardly scowled as she reluctantly turned to the man. Of all the people in the room, Mei could have chosen to escort them, she had to choose Ao.
"We'll see you again soon, I'm sure," Mei smiled brightly. Within seconds, Ao's rough hands had Hinata's arm in a strong grip, steering her briskly through the door.
In a flash, Sasuke pushed himself between Ao and Hinata, standing tall in front of the woman he was assigned to guard. Arms outstretched protectively across Hinata, his eyes burned dangerously in Ao's face, "Keep—your—hands—off—her," he growled.
Ao took a heavy step back and held his hands high in defeat. He smirked broadly at the immediate tension between everyone. Through the door frame, Mei silently observed Sasuke's odd behavior—well odd to her, because really, she didn't know much about Sasuke.
Ao continued along the way, leading them through a corridor across the palace grounds that looked completely different from the Hokage tower Hinata and Sasuke were so accustomed to. Finally, they stopped in front of two large doors. Ao signaled a guard man to open the gates and quickly led the two leaf nins out. They immediately stepped into the busy market street Kiri was famous for. Collections of shocked and surprised looks flew from the villagers, as an uproar of murmurs and hectic whispers wove through the large crowd when the villagers spotted the Uchiha emblem on Sasuke's back.
Ao grinned slightly at all of the negative attention directed at the foreigners, of which he never liked in the first place. He turned and led them across the road.
Hinata jumped in front, stopping him from moving any further. "W-We're more tired than hungry, s-so there really is no need to take us to a restaurant," she said, as politely as her acting could allow.
Ao smirked, "if that is what you wish, I can take you to the southern island—"
"—No!—It's okay. We'll be fine," Hinata reassured, plastering a smile on her features.
"I understand," said Ao, and with that, he turned and gladly left the two leaf ninja at the entrance of the Mizukage Palace unattended and alone.
Hinata glanced at Sasuke, who looked at her with the same knowing frown. Neither tried to hide their obvious dislike of Ao. She pointed forward and they started walking towards the southern beach.
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Now, here they were, passing through the busiest street in Kiri, feeling nothing but anxiousness to get out of the public eye. The crowd of lovesick girls quickly began to grow as Sasuke's arm wrapped tighter around the giggling girl in his embrace, who seemed to be enjoying the little joke he was playing on his fan girls.
"He's holding her!—who is she?"
"Maybe they're married!"
The loud exclamations coming from the by-standers was becoming harder and harder to ignore. The smile vanished from Hinata's face and she tried her best to pretend she never heard anything.
Sasuke noticed this, and decided to quicken their pace. The sooner they got off the island the better.
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Back at the Mizukage office, Ao reappeared beside Mei in an instant. He remained quiet as everyone in the office watched the two leaf shinobi walk through parting streets. Numerous unapproving looks from the council and advisors were cast to the back of Mei's head as the same thought wondered through their heads, how could she let Sasuke walk freely through their land after the destruction he's brought to the entire shinobi world?
Mei's attention was focused on the sun, which slowly made its descent below the horizon, casting a spectacular orange glow across the island, until finally she drew her gaze to Sasuke's and Hinata's retreating figures. She turned her head slightly and Ao stepped forward, "…be sure to keep an eye on them," she whispered.
Beneath Ao's right eye patch, his stolen Byakugan activated to watch Sasuke and Hinata reach the sandy beaches of Kiri's border. For some reason, they stopped near the edge. He focused his single Byakugan eye to better see what they were doing.
In an instant, both Hinata's and Sasuke's Kekkei Genkai activated simultaneously. Their heads turned sharply and together Byakugan and Sharingan glared angrily at Ao's feeble Byakugan.
Ao stumbled back, startled by the force of their Kekkei Genkai capabilities. Beads of nervous sweat formed on his forehead, and he pushed himself away from the window, knocking over two advisors who angrily began scolding him. His shaking hands rose to his head focusing on nothing but the task of avoiding those glares.
The message was clear only to Ao. He can watch them all he likes, but his single byakugan is nothing compared to Hinata's trained and experienced byakugan, and Sasuke's legendary sharingan.
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—With Hinata and Sasuke—
Back at the southern beach, Sasuke and Hinata watched from a distance, the befuddling commotion stirring up in the Mizukage's office. Four men at either side of the frightened Ao, desperately tried to help him up.
For a moment, Hinata smiled as she watched Mei repeatedly shouting mutely at her incompetent staff, and was thankful she couldn't hear a word of it. She turned back to the beach and focused her chakra to her feet once more. Only a few miles to go and they could rest. Her foot splashed against the water's surface when Sasuke suddenly grabbed her bag and yanked her back to land.
She turned to him with a questioning look, her Byakugan straining to stay active.
Sasuke merely shook his head.
He dropped to the ground, bit his thumb, performed a few complicated hand seals, and smeared his fresh blood against the sand. The summoning jutsu required him to offer his own blood in exchange of aid. In a sudden burst of smoke, Taka, the giant hawk he made contact with years ago, appeared beside them. Taka flapped its wings majestically and Sasuke jumped on its back as the sea breeze ruffled the bird's giant feathers. Then he leaned forward and offered his hand to Hinata.
She looked back at him apprehensively, her Byakugan fading in and out because of her depleting chakra supply. There was no saddle on the bird and Sasuke only stood there.
"Let's go," said Sasuke, already noticing her obvious fatigue. He could see she barely had enough chakra remaining to focus her Byakugan straight. There was no way she could make it to the island on foot.
"Why didn't you summon Taka earlier?" asked Hinata.
He crouched to his knees and gave her brooding look, "I'm your guard… not a chauffeur. Besides, earlier you were so determined to make it here—on your own," he said, reminding the girl of her loud protests when he generously gave her a free ride on his shoulder.
"Oh yes," said Hinata, her heart sinking horribly, "the island's lunch… when you kidnapped me."
"What? I—I didn't kidnap you!" he shouted.
Hinata giggled, and slowly she reached her arm forward, putting her trust entirely in Sasuke. He grabbed her hand and hoisted her up, just as Taka took flight with a sudden jolt.
Hinata shrieked and laughed, finding the experience both exciting and startling at the same time. She buried her face in his collar and her arms flung around his neck tightly. Barely able to keep her footing on the giant bird, Sasuke's grip on her tightened as he held her closer. He wrapped an arm around her waist and steadily sat her down. His own chakra was focused at his feet to keep him securely on the bird. All she just had to do was hold on.
After a few seconds, Taka began soaring at a smooth cruise. The initial take off was rough, but once they were in the air, everything seemed… peaceful. She released her grip on Sasuke's shirt and showed him she could sit on her own. The last time she remembered flying, was on one of Sai's painted birds. Sasuke released his hold on her and stood to look at the surroundings below them. He crossed his arms unsure of where exactly they were headed.
"There should be a small cottage just along that beach," said Hinata, already reading the question on his face. She pointed to an island directly ahead, a few miles out.
The two of them sat silently. Hinata welcomed the comforting winds that brush across her pale cheeks. Then she suddenly remembered! The last time they ate was on the miniature island, Sasuke must be hungry now. Her insides flooded with shame.
"Sasuke… I'm sorry I refused dinner for us. I answered selfishly without considering your needs," she apologized, looking up at the man beside her. She was the one that refused dinner. She was the one being selfish.
His gaze was focused on the island just ahead. "I understand. You don't like him," he added flatly. "It's clear you don't want to be near him longer than necessary."
Hinata sighed. There he goes again, knowing more than he lets on. She was about to ask him how he knew but stopped herself when he turned to look at her.
As if reading her mind he answered, "Ao, he has a byakugan." His eyes searched hers for some sort of reaction, any sort of inner hatred or animosity towards the man. But she merely stared at him. "Ao killed a Hyuga, and stole the eye. That's the only way he could have gotten it. I already know, from Neji, the strict security your family goes through to keep the Byakugan protected—you seal them."
Hinata's gaze faltered slightly, he was right.
She hated Ao for what he did to one of her family member. She hated the type of person that kills and steals for their own gain. The Hyuga's were a powerful family with strong bonds. For the protection of the Byakugan, the entire second branch had to seal their Byakugan. For the family, everyone had to do their part.
Hinata turned back to Sasuke, "I know you don't like him either..."
He smirked, "I don't like a lot of people."
"But you do dislike him. Why is that?"
The smirk on his face quickly disappeared and his face fell. Memories of his cursed family, rushed back to him. A surge of near uncontrollable emotions flooded him, his brows furrowed, fists clenched tightly, he was reminded of his past all over again.
"I'm sorry… I didn't mean to pry," Hinata whispered.
She was being foolish to ask such a personal question. Now wasn't the time to get on Sasuke's bad side, especially when she was flying hundreds of feet above water on his bird. He could just as quickly change his mind about protecting her. And if she kept pestering him, she was sure Sasuke wouldn't hesitate to kick her off his giant hawk.
They soared for several minutes, and soon the sky became luminescent as twilight disappeared below the horizon. The only light provided to them was a beautiful opaque glow from the shining moon. Taka, the hawk, made a very smooth landing on the sandy beach of a small island. Hinata, anticipating a rough descent, braced herself and instinctively grabbed onto Sasuke for support.
He allowed it and helped her down.
The giant hawk disappeared in a wisp of smoke, knowing its purpose was completed, while Hinata led the way down the deserted beach where she remembered the house to be. The grainy sand crunched beneath their feet and they walked along the peaceful shores with Sasuke following closely behind. Silence hung between them while the restless hums of nature played on, crickets chirping, trees swaying and the occasional sounds of crashing waves hitting the shore.
Unexpectedly, Sasuke took Hinata's arm and whirled her around.
"Ao fought Shisui Uchiha."
Hinata froze. Her mouth opened but no words came out.
"Shisui was my brother's—Itachi's best friend," Sasuke explained. "Fifteen years ago, he was killed. He was one of the first Uchiha's to die at the hands of Itachi."
Hinata watched him and tried to catch his eye, but he purposely turned away.
"Look, I don't know Shisui well enough to judge him but…" his voice trailed and he released her arm. For a moment he stared distantly at a dark corner, his mind deep in thought. "If Shisui was strong enough to defend himself, Itachi wouldn't have killed him. He wouldn't have died and Itachi wouldn't have gotten stronger. If Shisui was strong enough to kill his best friend before Itachi could kill him, I may still have my family and things would have been different." His voice was filled with hatred and longing to gain back something he wish he could have kept—his family.
Hinata remained silent and listened carefully.
"Shisui was weak. He couldn't even kill his best friend!"
She stumbled back frightened, "Y-you don't mean that…you w-wouldn't kill your best friend. You d-didn't kill Naruto."
"I TRIED TO!" he shouted, "—and, I'll try again! Naruto stands for everything I don't believe in!"
Her lips quivered, why was he saying this? Naruto and Sasuke were best friends. "Sasuke, you're an ANBU, you're suppose to protect Konoha—"
"—protect! Are you serious Hinata?—I hate Konoha! I hate everything in that god forsaken village! I only agreed to be ANBU because I can kill whoever I want without anyone knowing," he laughed wildly.
"Shut up. Shut up!—SHUT UP! How could you say that!—Naruto trusts you... You were his best man at the wedding—you two were best friends!" Hinata shook her head desperately. What he was saying was everything she didn't want to hear. Why was he harboring such hatred for the village they both grew up in? Konoha is her home—Konoha is their home!
Her tear brimmed eyes glared defiantly into his, "Sasuke you can be so arrogant at times, but I know you're not this wicked."
He wrenched her arm and forced her to look at him. "Listen!—I'm not the little boy you remember!—you're forgetting, I don't have to listen to Naruto!—I can do whatever I want. I don't have to protect you. I can just as easily change my mind and kill you!" For a fleeting second, he felt a tug at his heart.
"Then do it…"she challenged, sounding braver than she felt.
They glared at each other. His grip on her arm tightened. Their faces dangerously close, both were determine to—
"—Hinata?"
Sasuke and Hinata froze. They stopped arguing and despite Sasuke's earlier open death threat, he instinctively pulled Hinata behind him and held out a protective arm. His attention drew away from the defiant girl and his eyes turned towards the high cliffs along the beach where, in the distance, he could make out a woman's figure.
Hinata followed his gaze.
A cool ocean breeze blew past ruffling their hair and clothes. Everything became quiet. The air was silent and still. Only seconds ago, all she felt was anger and fear but now, none of it seemed to matter anymore. Her heart thumped feverously against her chest, while no words escaped her lips. And as though Sasuke could feel this, he released her arm. Ever so slowly, a smile crept across Hinata's lips and her eyes gleamed with tears of happiness. At long last she spoke the words she had longed to say for years, "I've missed you…"
Above the cliff, standing beside two overgrown shrubs stood the silhouette of her living, breathing "…mother."
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