Clutchin' on deaf ears again, rapture is comin'
It's all prophecy and if I gotta be sacrificed for the greater good,
then that's what it gotta be - Pray For Me - Weeknd/Kendrik Lamar

Hinata walked a few paces ahead, giggling with her team, Akamaru keeping an eye on me, per Kiba's instructions. I thought about busting him back to size, especially since I was a jonin again. Instead, I just sighed and watched her be angry with me.

flashback

I walked into the hospital to find Hinata watching the tiny TV I'd bought after going out with her team the other day. She turned her face toward me showing a sunny smile. I smiled back as she got up and ran to me, throwing her arms around me. I closed my eyes, another thing I hadn't even known I'd been missing. I hugged her tightly. I was sure we weren't going to be hugging anymore in just a few minutes.

She stepped back, "What's wrong? You and Kakashi-sensei were gone for a long time, and now, you seem..." Her brow creased in worry, "You seem sad."

"I only talked to him for a minute or two actually." I stepped away and grabbed my duffel. At the very least, we were getting out of here tonight. "He told me that there's going to be a big announcement tomorrow. I spoke to the Hokage about it. About me, really. Then I went and bought a travelling cloak."

"Travelling cloak?" She laughed uncertainly, "Why do you need one?"

I turned toward her, she was holding her bag close, the TV already unplugged and ready for me to lug back to the seat. "I'm leaving."

"When?" Her bag dropped to the floor as a hand shot to her chest, "Why? Itachi, things will get better! Please, don't do this."

I smiled then, "We are both leaving, but you'll hear about it tomorrow. Although..." I paused. I really wanted to hold her, tell her about how much her presence had healed something I didn't know was broken in me. "I have a different destination than you, unfortunately."

She shook her head, I could see the gears trying to mesh, "You're a civilian. You shouldn't be going anywhere."

"Tsunade-sama..." I turned and picked up my bag, watching her do the same. "She told me war was near when I came back, asked if I'd be a part of it. I didn't want that. I thought..." I picked up the TV under one arm, "Get the door?" Hinata held it, "I thought I could just disappear into Konoha. Try and make the Uchiha name live again. Turns out, the kami still have work for me."

Hinata spoke briefly to the admitting nurses, and then held the outer doors open for me. "The kami?" She huffed, "I'm sorry, Itachi, but what are you saying?" She stopped and pinned me with those glossy eyes. "All of it."

She knows me too well. I sat the TV by my feet, "Fine. I wanted to tell you privately, but..." I hardened my stance, like I was getting ready to catch a kunai in the gut. "I talked to the Hokage about what I could do. What I would do, even with out her, or your, blessing if need be. She agreed. I'm jonin again, and though I walk out of here with you tomorrow, I will be hunting Kabuto and Sasuke. I think where I find one, I will find the other. How I know... I can't say." I watched her expression turn from horrified to saddened, "Hinata, you know I would..."

"Just be quiet for a minute," She inturrupted. "You do not have some destiny to get dead! You are back! Just stay here. I will go and come back even stronger! Let Sasuke fight this battle. Why!?" She shook her head, "Why?"

"He has to know. I have things to tell him. I cannot let him continue to come against the Leaf!"

She turned her back then, "Well, I suppose my mission is over. You can care for yourself." She bowed her head, "I thought we had something, Itachi." She took a step, then another before turning to face me again, "That was unworthy of me. I'm sorry. I don't want to be that girl. I'm going home. My home. I need to think."

"I love you."

She doubled in on herself, "You don't know how long I have waited to hear those words." She took one slow step, and in a second I felt her chakra stir as she literally jumped away from me.

end flashback

Kakashi ambled next to me, his eyes glued to a green bound book. "You stepped in it."

I looked around before realizing the other man was talking about Hinata. "I did."

Kakashi paused, and turned to take off his pack, "I have a book I think you should read."

I looked at the book he was reading, 'Make Out Tactics' by Jiraya. "Uh? No, that's okay."

He raised a different book, this one with an orange binding, 'Make Out Paradise', "I read them because I like them, but I think you might need..." he lowered his voice, "advice. Since my luck with women," he waggled the hand holding the book he wanted me to read to indicate a bad reception, "has been pretty terrible... I don't have any to give." He shrugged and held the book out. "Let's just say, maybe it'll help."

I took it, glancing at the front. "I want Hinata to talk to me. Tonight. I don't have time to read it."

"Well. I do have one bit of advice. I found this out on accident, but if you flip though the book slowly with your sharingan active..."

I laughed, "Thank you, Kakashi." I activated my sharingan, and flipped slowly though the book, then handed it back.

"Put it in your bag, kid. I have my signed copy at home." He gave me his trademark wave and joined the group passing us. I smiled, and jogged to catch back up with Hinata, and review a book.

"We're stopping in the large clearing until tomorrow night." The nin who jogged by ran onward, passing the command. I settled my pack and thought about what I could do to apologize to Hinata. I wasn't going to be here for much longer. At the last village we'd passed, I'd found a man who had seen Sasuke. I knew he was telling the truth because he freaked out when he saw me. I frowned grimly. I had more to say, to do. How I wish I didn't.

The clearing appeared, a wide flat meadow where teams were already organizing and setting up tents and digging communal fire pits. I watched Hinata and her team run to the treeline where a woman I recognized as Hana Inuzuka was waving at them. I just sat and waited for them to finish setting up their camp. In my mind's eye, I reviewed the part of Kakashi's book I thought might be helpful.

After an hour, the sun had begun to sink, and I decided that it was now or never. I walked to where Hana's dogs were, allowing them to sniff me curiously. They let me pass, and Akamaru just watched from where he was curled behind a camp chair. Kiba noticed anyway.

"Hey!" He jumped to his feet, even as Hinata tried to get him to remain seated, "I told you I'd kick your ass if you hurt her, dobe!"

"I haven't." I corrected myself before Kiba could threaten me again, "I came to apologize, Hinata. Can we be alone?"

She stood, "Kiba-kun, it's okay." She tilted her head in that adorable way she does.

"Bring your sleeping bag," I asked, "Have you eaten? I have a surprise."

She shook her head, "A picnic out here? Okay let me grab my roll." She disappeared into the bigger tent, and came back with her bedroll and a canteen. "Where are we going?"

I gave her a small secretive smile, "It's a surprise. Come on."

We set out, and when I saw the creek I'd been listening to I dropped a small caltrop, attaching a thread of chakra to it. That would serve to act as a security alarm as well as the outer limit of the genjutsu I was going to cast to keep us hidden from view.

She watched it curiously, "What are you doing?"

"Making a place for us to be completely alone, even in the midst of an army." I stopped, "Go ahead and set out your bedding." I shrugged out of my pack, "Take it to the nicest place alongside the water, okay?" She moved off, and I made the hand seals for Hotspring: Dark Alcove, the only jutsu I learned from Hidan that wasn't awful. It replicated the background and ambient music of the creek while including an element that made people feel awkward around it, like they were trespassing on a lover's tryst. It was perfect for creating an intimate atmosphere.

I stole back to Hinata, "Sunset is so beautiful here."

"So..."

I lowered myself to the turned out bedding, "I am so sorry, how can I make it up to you?"

She considered, "Well, I am hungry."

"Done." I opened my pack, and withdrew a slim scroll that I'd carefully written out and stocked the night Hinata had left to go home. I smoothed it out, revealing five seals. I muttered the release for the first, and reached in to pull out a fat, warm, oozing cinnamon roll. I handed it to her with a smile, as she clapped her hands in delight. Next, I pulled out two ice cold canned sweet coffee. It was the best I could do on short notice. The third held my treat, an envelope with four sticks of dango, and the fourth, a plate with assorted Onigiri. I put the plate out, passing her one of the cans. "Dig in."

Her hand hovered over the roll, but she did the refined thing, and grabbed an onigiri instead. I followed her lead, eating the one with seaweed sprinkled on top. I watched her eat as she watched me.

"I'm sorry, too. It was just that..." She shook her head, "Naruto had been like taring off a bandage. And when I..." She blushed sweetly, "kissed you, I felt so at peace. When you said you were leaving, and that you'd gotten reinstated at jonin... I didn't know how to feel. Then, the war meeting? It was too much."

"I feel the same way." I touched her hand, and she curled her fingers into mine. "Let me take care of you for just a while longer? I promise, I will only be selfish one more time."

"Selfish?" She huffed, "You are the least selfish person in this entire army, Itachi. I mean it."

"Then you agree? I can have one selfish request?"

She narrowed her eyes playfully, "I hope I won't regret it."

"I hope so too." I smiled, "I didn't get to give these to you before we left. I wasn't just buying a cloak, you see?" I released the last seal, and withdrew a bundle made from the kimono she'd first said I'd looked 'amazing' in. I passed it to her, and she held it for a moment.

"It's your kimono." Her eyes lidded, "It smells like you."

I bit the inside of my lip to try and regain composure. "It was all I had to wrap a couple of things I want you to have. This being the eve of battle, after all." I gestured at the parcel, "Open it."

Hinata complied, and the kimono fell open, revealing a tattered scroll and a small cardboard box. She smiled, "More things to open!" Her quick fingers opened the box, spilling a ring into her palm. "It's beautiful, Itachi!"

"It was my mother's. I found it in Sasuke's deposit box." I pointed at the middle set ruby, "Red for our family. The diamonds are for her children."

"I-I couldn't, it's too precious."

I enfolded the ring in her fist, "I insist. I would like to see you wear it someday, Hinata."

"O-Okay." She took a deep breath in before putting the ring back in it's box, tucking it gently into the folds of the material. "I'm almost afraid of the scroll."

I touched it, "You very well should be. It's my summon contract with the crows. They're temperamental at the best of times, and only come to those they deem worthy. Although you should sign the contract and try to summon one..." I smiled, "It's a crappy gift, but they really dislike Sasuke. Keep it safe. Whether they come to you or not when you call, they'll want it back someday." I took the scroll from her fingers, and unrolled it to my name flanked by a dark brown fingerprint. "If you've never seen one, all you do is sign right next to me, and leave blood. It's simple." I re-rolled it, and then tossed it back into the kimono. I reopened the seal, "For you to retrieve this, just say your name and put your hand on the seal."

"I don't know what to say."

"Thank you?"

"Thank you, Itachi. But I feel like there's more to it then war time sentimentality."

I shook my head, and tried to smile in a way that said I was more confident than I felt. "I would have given them to you anyway. Besides, I fully intend on seeing you wear that ring later, right? So don't fret, and eat your cinnamon roll before it gets too hard and cold."

She began tearing off bits while I ate a stick of dango. I set the empty stick down, "Now, let me pamper you," I allowed my eyes to go soft, "Take off your shoes."

She frowned, but kicked off her sandals, "My feet are probably filthy."

I threw open my pack, rooting out the extra shirt I had. "Not a problem." I turned, dipping the shirt in the cold water. Wringing it out, I wiped each foot. Hinata bit her underlip, looking at me from under her impossibly beautiful lashes. I took one foot in my hands, rubbing the arch with long strokes.

"Oh!" It was a breathy whisper, and I looked at her again as she threw her head back. I worked the foot over and switched to the other, listening to her alternatively giggle and moan. It really was now or never. I leaned forward, running my hands up her slender legs, and she sat up.

"Those noises..." I sat back on my heels for a second, pulling off my shirt, exposing bare skin. She reached forward, her delicate fingers going to my chest. Her blush was still evident, but she moved with purpose. Running a thumb across my nipple made them harden near painfully. Her eyes questioned when she looked up, and I dipped my head. I couldn't have spoken. Her face became serious as she decided on her path. She licked over her bottom lip, making it glisten wetly for a moment before she came to her own knees and ran that hot, wet tongue across the pebbled nipple. I moaned. She took it for encouragement as I hooked the bottom of her shirt and tugged.

She sat back up, "Okay." I pulled the sturdy material off her, and she smiled up at me as I saw she was wearing binding. "Sorry."

Instead of untying it, like I should have done, I reached out, grabbing my katana in an explosion of speed and movement, tossing the wooden sheath to the side. I pushed the wickedly sharp point under the bottom of the binding, the mune against her skin as I sliced upward.

The bindings stood no chance. She faced me, her proud breasts heaving as her heartbeat sped. I smiled dangerously and allowed my sharingan to light. I would remember this for the rest of my life.

AN/ Apparently, Itachi likes seaweed onigiri, which I personally hope to never even see again, much less taste. Ugh. I like Cinnamon rolls and dango, though. Mune is the flat side of a katana. Sorry. I think I've officially written enough sex scenes. LOL Feel free to use your imagination. One more chapter and a small epilogue.