The Mission
Author's Note: Thanks for all the reviews. It seems that Tsunade's more assertive attitude is being well received in this story. For those of you interested, White Lace's final chapter was just posted. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter.
Chapter 10
"There is no game involved. I'm simply going to tell you the truth. What you do with it is entirely up to you." Hinata hears Konan say.
"I'm listening." The Hyuga woman replies and eyes the blue haired ninja warily.
"Do you not think it strange that a boy who clearly adored his family and was beloved by the village would wake up one morning and decide to carry out a massacre for no other reason than to test his own strength?" She begins.
Hinata sizes the woman up and down. She was looking for any hints of a weakness. Konan was in a talkative mood it seemed, but she wouldn't be first person to suddenly snap in the middle of a conversation. Still, as much as she was loathed to admit it, she did have a point.
"When put it that way, you do have a point." The Hyuga Heiress reluctantly admits.
"And if he did why would he leave someone alive? He had no issue slaughtering everyone else. Why leave a survivor to hunt him down later, if it was not because of guilt." She continues.
Hinata frowns. Itachi had to know that Sasuke would want revenge. Assuming he believed that Sasuke was worthy of sparing because he could present a real challenge later down the road, the question as why. Was it out of a sick need to prove his Sharingan superior?
He had already dispatched hundreds of clansmen and women. There was no need for that. Why wait years for Sasuke to mature?
"He could have left Sasuke alive because he wanted another pair of eyes to be available if he ever needed to replace his own." Hinata counters searching for the most logical explanation in her mind.
"Perhaps. But in that case why wait so long? Why wait for him to get stronger? He could have taken Sasuke's eyes with ease or even just properly stored the eyes of the deceased." She questions.
"…" Hinata was unable to find a decent answer to that question, so she nods her head to encourage the other woman to continue.
"Surely being a Hyuga, you noticed that the Uchihas were treated differently from the other clans. They were the only ones who specifically had a District set aside for them. True, most Noble Clans tended to stay tightly clustered, but that was by choice. This was not the case for the Uchiha. Did you ever wonder why that might be?" The blue haired woman asks a little too sweetly.
"I never really thought about it. I assumed it was because they occupied a special place in the village's history. They helped to found the Leaf." She confesses.
"Most people assumed that. It sounds logical and very proper. Most people never bother to look underneath that first layer of respectability." She replies.
"And what do you believe the real reason was?" Hinata asks.
"The Hokages and the Council were terrified of the clan. They wanted them all in one place so they could watch. If they isolated themselves by choice or not, that would diminish their ties to other Leaf Villages. That'd make it much harder for Madara Uchiha or anyone after him to try to gather supporters to insert an Uchiha as Hokage." She states as if it was all very simple.
"That sounds…possible." The lavender eyed woman admits.
"Isolation breeds fear. Fear breeds hatred. Hatred gives birth to violence. It was only a matter of time before either the Uchihas attacked the Leaf or vice versa. The Uchiha Clan decided to mount a preemptive strike, a coup. Somehow, the Leaf found out about it and inserted Itachi Uchiha as a spy." Konan continues.
"I don't understand." Hinata says.
"He was given a choice. He could side with his family and potentially watch the Leaf plunged into civil war or he could stop the coup in its tracks. If he sided with his family, the Leaf would have gone overcome by a Civil War. Other ninja nations would have noticed and they would have attacked while the Leaf was vulnerable. It would have led to another great ninja war. Itachi didn't want that. It was the hardest decision he ever had to make. In the end, he took hundreds of lives, but he likely saved tens of thousands." Konan finishes.
Hinata blinks. It all sounded so…true and logical when spelled out by the other woman. But was it really? Had over half of Sasuke's life been based on a lie told to him by his brother and the village?
"I know it is difficult to process at first. But I assure you that I speak only the truth." Konan says.
"And what good is the word of a stranger? You claim to be in love with Itachi, perhaps you just want to insert doubt into Sasuke's head so he'll hesitate when they fight." Hinata snaps at her.
"Clever. You have no reason to trust me and every reason to be suspicious. I imagine if Sasuke were to ask Danzo, he would confirm what I was saying." She states.
Danzo? Danzo was a Leaf Villager. He was on the Council. He'd been considered for Hokage more than once. She might not trust Konan's word, but Danzo's…certainly would carry more weight.
"Why are you telling me this?" The bluenette demands.
"Sasuke would recognize me as an Akatsuki on sight. He would never listen to what I had to say. You are more reasonable. As his lover, he would likely at least listen to you. Perhaps you can convince him, perhaps not. I only know that you are the only chance I have to save the man I love. So I had to take it. I dislike putting you in such an uncomfortable position. But I can not regret it." She says as she flits off.
"What am I going to do?" Hinata sighs to herself when Konan is gone.
She had to tell him. He deserved to know. How though? Hinata didn't even know for sure if it was the truth. But if she kept this from him and Sasuke found out somehow, it would destroy whatever fragile trust he had in her.
Meanwhile, Sasuke sighs and sheathes his sword. He was exhausted, though he'd never let Orochimaru know that. To say the training session had been intense would be like saying Naruto enjoyed eating ramen. It'd be an understatement to put it mildly.
He flexes his shoulders and frowns at the stiffness he felt in his muscles. The youngest Uchiha decides it was nothing a hot bath wouldn't fix. He wondered if he could convince Hinata to join him.
She had once before, though they had been wearing towels and it was in a public bath. A personal tub felt more…intimate. Well at least it did to Sasuke anyway.
"Hinata?" He asks when he reaches their room.
"I'm here." Hinata says as she rounds the corner and Sasuke felt anxiety prickle at the back of his mind.
She hadn't said anything about training. Other than that he was at a loss for why she would leave the relative "safety" of their room. His eyes scan her from head to toe. She seemed uninjured, but anxious about something. Sasuke didn't like it.
"Something wrong?" He questions her.
"I'm not sure." She answers and bites her lower lip.
"That means yes. Well I was going to take a bath, but this sounds more important." He says.
"Oh you can still take your bath!" She says.
"I was going to ask if you wanted to join me, like before. If it makes you feel more comfortable, we can wear towels again." He offers.
Well…me being naked or almost naked usually puts him in a good mood. I guess I should go with it. Maybe he'll be more willing to listen, Hinata thinks to herself and nods.
"You can go first." He says and lets her head inside the bathroom.
She feels her face heat up. She was being ridiculous. He'd already seen her naked twice and once in a towel before. She quickly strips and wraps a towel around herself, after turning the water on. Hinata didn't want to lose her nerve. She had to tell him what she had heard.
Sasuke joins her a few minutes later. True to his word, he'd wrapped a towel around himself. He gets behind her and wraps his arms around his…girlfriend?
He wasn't really sure what to call Hinata. They weren't lovers. But girlfriend seemed like something an Academy student or a Genin would say.
"Remind me to thank Tsunade someday if happily ever after does exist." He murmurs in her ear.
Technically he was a Genin. He had left before he achieved the rank of Chunin. But he was successfully evading ANBUs. He was no fucking Genin!
"What do you mean?" Hinata asks in confusion.
"If it wasn't for her sending you on this mission, it's doubtful we would have ever noticed each other. In a way, I feel as though I owe her. She might have sent the only not annoying girl in that village to me." He says.
"Sasuke that was sweet, yet mean at the same time." Hinata muses.
"I never claimed to be nice." He says with shrug and places a soft kiss to her shoulder.
"Well that's true." She says and leans into his chest.
Sasuke smiles. He wasn't sure what had her feeling so anxious before, but she seemed to be relaxing now. Screw his sore muscles from the training session.
He had a beautiful, nearly naked woman in his arms. He wasn't dumb enough to risk doing anything that might get her pregnant. But that didn't mean he couldn't explore kissing more and maybe take things a little further.
She felt so good in his arms. Soft and warm. She smelled good as well. Lilacs were quickly becoming his favorite flower. He kisses her neck and slides his hands over her clothed breasts.
"You're beautiful." He murmurs into her ear.
She blushes. Hinata wasn't really sure how to broach the topic. He was clearly in a more…affectionate mood than usual. Hinata was loathed to ruin the moment.
"Thank you." She mumbles.
After he killed Itachi, he'd return to the Leaf with Hinata. They could have a real relationship there and not have to worry about a creepy Sannin or medic. He'd never really had the desire to be with someone before. Hinata was different though.
"Are you going to tell me what's bothering you?" He asks and lightly bites down on her shoulder.
Sasuke mentally rolls his eyes at the thought of writing love poems. No, he'd never be that sappy. But he was pretty sure he could get her flowers, go places with her around the village, and damn sure he was rather eager to get that towel off of her at the moment.
"I will. I just hate to ruin the moment. I don't know how to tell you. But I want to. I just don't know how you'll react." Hinata says.
He could be a good lover, if he tried. Boyfriend still seemed so…childish. Lover was better, more dignified.
"That…doesn't sound promising. But I told you, I'd rather hear the truth even if it's ugly. I meant it. Go on." He replies.
"It's about Itachi." The bluenette says.
OUCH. That was fast. He felt like ice water had just been thrown on his arousal. Those three simple words took him from being in a good, somewhat frisky mood…to wanting to kill something.
"What about him?" He asks, all traces of playfulness gone.
"While you were training with Orochimaru, one of the Akatsuki members was here. It was a woman. She said her name was Konan. She didn't hurt me. Konan claims that Itachi was forced to do it." Hinata says and she didn't feel it was necessary to clarify what IT referred to.
"And you actually believe HER? She's an AKATSUKI" Sasuke spits out the word as if it was venom.
"I don't know. If it's a lie, it's a very convincing one." Hinata stammers.
"What'd she say exactly?" Sasuke asks and he tried to tell himself that he couldn't lose control around Hinata, it wasn't her fault some psychotic criminal had lied to her.
"That your clan had become isolated. They feared the village would turn on them, so they decided to plan a coup first. Somehow, the Leaf found out about it. They made Itachi into a spy. Itachi could have sided with your family, but he knew that it would lead to a Civil War in the Leaf. Other ninja villages would have seen the Leaf as weak and attacked. It could have triggered the next great ninja war. He decided it was better to kill those closest to him than watch possibly thousands, including some family members die." She says in a rush.
"You're telling me that she told you he did it to prevent another ninja war?" Sasuke asks in disbelief.
"That's what she said. Konan claims if you asked Danzo about it, he'd tell you the same thing." She adds.
"She's dragging Danzo into this? She wants me back in the Leaf for some reason. Maybe she thinks I'll be assassinated on sight." He mutters.
"I think I believe her." Hinata says.
"You what?! You actually believe her?" Sasuke asks and wonders if Hinata is under a Genjutsu of some kind.
"I'm not sure. I would like to see some proof. But it made a lot of sense the way she put it." She whispers.
"She's an S Class Criminal. Of course Konan is an excellent liar." The dark haired ninja states.
"Don't you owe it to yourself and your family to find out if she's telling the truth?" She asks.
"You're right. But if it's the truth…I don't know what I'll do. All this time he's been the villain. I can't just forgive him for butchering our family, but I can't hate him for preventing a war." He says with a sigh.
He wasn't sure if he hoped it was the truth or a lie. If it was a lie, then his mission was simple. Sasuke's life hadn't been based on deception since he was seven years old. If it was the truth, Itachi was the victim, not the villain. Sasuke wasn't sure how or if he COULD handle that.
"Whether it's true or not, I'll still be here." She says.
"Thanks." He murmurs and kisses her forehead, holding her against his chest tightly.
"Sasuke? That's a little too tight." She mumbles.
"Sorry." He says and loosens his grip.
"I'm not going anywhere, I promise." Hinata says.
"Good. You're the first person other than Naruto who made me happy since what happened. It's a different kind of happiness though. Naruto lacks your…curves." He states.
"SASUKE!" She eeps and blushes scarlet.
"Unless he's in the Sexy Jutsu. But honestly, I've never really gone for the dumb blonde stereotype. Besides, I like your breasts better." He says thoughtfully.
"I'll take that as a good sign that you can deal with this." She says.
"I don't know if I can. But the fact that you are here, well it makes it easier than it would have been alone." He tells her.
She smiles. Maybe things would work out somehow. Plus it was hard to be upset when you had a nearly naked Uchiha in the bathtub with you.
"Orochimaru trained with me all day. He's probably gone to bed. He's getting weaker. We can go to the Leaf, find Danzo, and take it from there." Sasuke says.
"You want to go NOW?!" Hinata asks in disbelief.
"Well obviously we should get dressed first. But yeah. That snake will notice if something's on my mind. I won't be able to concentrate. This is our best chance. If you want to stay behind though, I understand. It might be better actually. I don't want you to get hurt." He says.
"I'm going with you. There's no way that I'm going to have you face this on your own." She says firmly.
"I was afraid you were going to say that. Alright." He says, getting out of the tub, and heading into their room to change.
Hinata sighs. She gets out and changes. Was Konan lying? What would happen if she was telling the truth? She bit her lower lip, the bluenette realized she really didn't know Sasuke well enough to say. That disturbed her. She was sharing a bed (and a tub) with a man, she barely knew.
Sasuke heads off to the Leaf with Hinata. His heart was pounding in his chest. He could hear the blood rushing around his ears as his temples throbbed. It couldn't be true! Could it? Itachi had been forced to kill their clan.
"We have to do this without getting caught." Sasuke murmurs to her as they head inside Danzo's office.
She nods. That was easier said than done. Danzo might be old, but he was enormously perspective.
"Ah Sasuke. I see you have returned to the Leaf. For what purpose?" Danzo rises to his feet.
"Someone told me that Itachi didn't carry out the massacre of his own free will. He was ordered to do it to prevent a war. Is this true?" He asks through gritted teeth.
"You do favor a more…direct form of communication than your brother. I told him it was foolish to spare you. But he wouldn't go along with it, unless you got to live. He sincerely believed you would kill him and it would wrap up the story rather nicely. You'd be the hero and he'd finally get to welcome death's embrace. Tell me, how did you find out?" He asks conversationally and Sasuke slams him into the wall.
"All this time, everything was a LIE!" Sasuke rages and looks dangerously close to strangling him.
"Sasuke you got the truth. Don't kill him. If you kill him, you'll never be allowed back home." Hinata warns.
"Don't blame the village. Most of the village was oblivious. The Council just saw straight through your clan. I knew that one day, you're being spared would come back to haunt us. Kill me, if you want. You'll seal your own fate and you're clan will die out with you. Itachi has at most a few months to live. I highly doubt he's sired any demon spawn in his condition." Danzo says coldly.
"What are you talking about?!" Sasuke demands.
"Oh, you didn't know. He has a disease. It's treatable, even now. But he won't seek treatment. He's prolonging his life with medication, until you are strong enough to defeat him. But if he doesn't go to a hospital soon, he'll die. The First Hokage was a foolish idealist. He should have ended your clan long before it came to this point." Danzo spits at him.
"I have something better in mind." Sasuke says and binds Danzo's hands and feet.
"What on earth do you think you are doing?!" He roars at him.
"I'm going to force you to tell the truth. The Leaf Villagers deserve to know what kind of monsters are truly leading this village and Itachi for better or worse, deserves to have his name cleared. I don't know what I'll do when I see him, but I'm not going to stand for this. I'm not going to let my clan's history be based on a LIE." He snarls and drags Danzo behind him.
Hinata blinks. She follows. Sasuke seemed to enjoy dragging Danzo behind him across every hard surface he could find, seeming to revel when he found rocky soil to drag him over. The old man now had bruises and cuts all along his skin. It was not a pretty sight.
"Sasuke?" Hinata asks.
"CHIDORI!" Sasuke yells and fires off a blue lightning into the sky, having it strike the ground.
Most Leaf Villagers weren't death and heard that. Some started coming out to see what on earth was going on. Eyes widen when they saw Sasuke Uchiha, dragging Danzo behind him. He found the podium in the center of the village that the Hokage would normally use to make special village announcements.
Sasuke was not Hokage. It was definitely against protocol for him to use that podium. Did Sasuke give a fuck? Absolutely not.
"Tell them what you told me." Sasuke says and holds a kunai to Danzo's throat.
"SASUKE, WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!" Tsunade demands.
"You'll find out soon enough. I think this village could benefit from a little honesty." He says and cuts the kunai into his throat deep enough to draw a thin red line across his neck.
"We did it to protect the village. The Uchihas were planning a coup. We had to act. Itachi Uchiha was ordered to kill his clan. He did it to prevent the Civil War that would have followed, had the coup been launched." Danzo says.
"Thank you, asshole." Sasuke says and kicks him hard in the lung, forcing him to cough up blood.
You could have heard a pin drop. For about thirty seconds there was stunned silence. Then suddenly the volume was turned up to an 11. Everyone was yelling.
"QUIET!" Tsunade says.
"I will have Danzo investigated by Ibiki to ensure that this confession was not coerced and is in fact, legitimate. The same will be done to Sasuke." She says.
"That's fine with me. I've never hidden my sins." Sasuke says and the implication hung heavily in the air, Unlike this village.
"Good. Well Hinata this wasn't exactly what I had in mind, but it looks like you successfully completed your mission." Tsunade says.
"Thank you, Lady Tsunade." Hinata says.
Hiashi's eyes widen at the announcement. He sees Hinata and races over to his daughter. He pulls her into his arms an almost unheard of show of emotion for stoic man.
"You're back! Are you hurt?" He asks.
"I'm fine, father." She says with a smile and hugs back.
"I can't believe she sent you on a mission of that nature!" He protests.
"I can't believe you are still questioning my judgment. I knew she was perfectly capable of conducting her mission successfully. She's returned to you home, safe and sound. Yet you still question my authority." Tsunade says in a voice laced with irritation.
Sasuke almost felt sorry for Hiashi. He allows himself to be led off to the interrogation room. This wasn't going to be fun. But he'd rather have the ugly truth be known, than everyone be delusional.
Itachi deserved for everyone to know what sort of sacrifice he'd made. Sasuke still wasn't sure if he could forgive Itachi, but he could understand his choice intellectually now. Now Sasuke was faced with his own choice. To forgive or to not forgive?