Point Of No Return Chapter 11, a naruto fanfic

Ehh... This chapter isn't as long as the previous. So sorry! I know this story sucks; it's my first. You should probably read Perfect Heir, which will be a new story. Enjoy my shit!

She was blushing, completely embarrassed by his statement. Her dream wasn't about them having sex or anything! Yet a part of her actually wished they had intercourse in her dream.

Her face was stained a deeper red. He heard her moans. Itachi Uchiha heard her moaning.

Hinata fainted, not being able to handle this much stress. There were myriad subjects on her mind. Usually she was able to cope with it, but events like this always tipped her out of balance.

Itachi caught her as she fell towards him, securing her in his arms. He immediately rued his actions. Her temperature rose a few degrees. She was at about... 103 degrees Fahrenheit. She was showing every symptom in the medical books he memorized for his ANBU training.

He didn't know she'd faint. Yes, she's had a rather chaotic week ever since she joined the Akatsuki, but who knew she'd get herself so worked up like this? She's as fragile as the vase she shattered. Hopefully she wouldn't shatter, also.

"We need a medic-nin," he informed the jounin.

Momoko froze in mid-strike, her mind painfully aware of what was going on. Masa immediately took action, informing his other teammates. Itachi remained tranquil, smoothing down Hinata's hair.

"I-is Masami-nee-chan going to live?"

He remained silent. It really is possible that she could die, isn't it? She's under such harsh conditions, and she's so delicate...

She can't die, though. There's so much ahead of her, so much potential. He just met her a few days ago. Her old friends were just starting to realize how much she really mattered to them. She finally climbed up to where she wanted to be. Everything can't go downhill from here.

And it won't. He won't let it happen. Nobody will let it happen. Especially not herself.

"The medic's on her way," Masa informed them.

It'd be his fault if she died. Completely his fault. He's the one who accepted her into the Akatsuki, who let Konoha know that she still existed, who put all of this tremendous pressure on her.

How did this happen? Just yesterday, she was playfully chatting with Hidan and Konan and having a jolly good time. Just an hour ago, he was promising to himself that he'd protect her no matter what.

Things couldn't end now. Not like this. Everything was finally getting started. It couldn't end so soon.

She can't cross the point of no return.

"Satoshi-san?" Momoko pleaded.

Itachi took a deep breath, regaining composure. He couldn't be pessimistic or optimistic. He had to be realistic. Breathe in, breathe out.

"Worry either when she starts coughing up blood or her temperature rises to 108 degrees," he told her.

Momoko took that as a good sign, slightly relaxing. Little did she know that there was a lot to worry about.

As promised, the medic-nin arrived. Unfortunately, that medic-nin happened to be the same one that was supposed to be attending a dinner party with the Sand and Mist. Apparently, she snatched the wrong map in her hurry.

Itachi is in some real deep shit.

He only thanked the gods that she wasn't coughing up any blood, yet. He suddenly cursed the gods when she started coughing. He knew exactly where it would escalate to.

Shizune's glowing hands hovered over Hinata's chest, trying to find the source of her coughs. She continued coughing, despite the medic's efforts. Shizune's eyebrows furrowed in frustration and confusion.

"Do you happen to know what disease she has?" Shizune inquired.

"Masa-san, please take Suzuki-san somewhere else," he requested.

The jounin nodded, leading the young girl away. It seemed that he'd always be stuck with her in her times of deep stress. They both knew that Satoshi's answer must be a horrid one if he asked them to leave.

"She said the doctors called it Pulmonary Tuberculosis," he told her, his voice hushed as if Momoko had super-sensitive hearing.

"Her lungs are fine. Same with her heart and other organs."

Itachi showed just the slightest hint of surprise, which for an Uchiha, meant that he was utterly shocked. If it's not Tuberculosis... The coughs vanished, much to their relief.

"What is it, then?" he questioned.

"Her flow of chakra around her lungs is the problem. I have no idea what's causing it. I'm sorry, but I can't fix that."

Shizune scrutinized the woman's face. It reminded her of a certain stuttering Hyuuga. And a certain powerful Fujiwara.

"Has she been stressed, lately?"

"Things have been rather disastrous, recently."

The medic-nin nodded, understanding the conditions. Same with everyone else.

"Make sure she gets a lot of rest and that she eats. You might want to strip her so that she'll suffer less. The fever may get worse if she gets too stressed."

He nodded, accepting the advice. Strip her...? The idea of having her take her clothes off somewhat bothered him. He already saw her in nothing but a towel, but that towel happened to cover a lot. He didn't want to intrude on her privacy, but it was necessary if he wanted her to live.

"What's her name?" Shizune questioned out of pure curiosity.

"Masami."

"Surname?"

"Unknown."

"What village did she come from?"

"It's never been revealed."

"What's your relationship with her?"

"Spouse."

Such a secretive woman... There must be a lot of love in their relationship if he can cope with her. Or a lot of sex. Or a lot of money.

"Tell me if it gets any worse."

"Hai. Arigato gozaimasu, Shizune-san."

Shizune smiled before disappearing in a blur. Itachi sighed. He gently shook Hinata, as if she would shatter from the slightest movement.

"Hinata..."

She made a few small sounds before her eyes fluttered open, only to see darkness. She seemed in a daze, as if she couldn't figure out if she was still asleep or awake. He brushed a few strands of hair away from her face.

"Take your clothes off."

Once again, her face glowed with a red the same shade as their organization's clouds. She fainted, her eyes shutting just as quickly as they opened. Itachi almost face-palmed himself for his mistake. He liked her naturally shy disposition, but it was troublesome at times like these. I wish I told her about the soldier pills.

He shut his eyes as he began to remove her cloak. He then proceeded to remove all the items hidden in her sash before loosening the kimono. It was mostly money and weapons. He started to wonder what she kept inside of her bra, but bit his tongue before the subject moved to her bra size.

The Uchiha was lucky that she wore a fishnet shirt and denim shorts underneath. He wouldn't know what he'd do if she was just in a bra and panties. Well, he had a few ideas, actually...

The clothes were sealed away in a scroll for safekeeping. Itachi then attempted to wake the blind girl, again.

"Wake up, Hinata. I promise not to make you faint this time," he whispered.

No response. She only shifted on her side to get a more comfortable position. He decided that it'd be much easier if he carried her. He picked her up bridal style, sauntering towards where Momoko and Masa were.

The two looked very similar to an actual married couple as he carried her. He didn't expect to see a blond woman talking with the jounin. Momoko was obviously uncomfortable, fear showing in her eyes. Please don't be her relative. Please don't be her relative. Please don't be her relative.

"Who's this?" he questioned.

"Her aunt," Masa answered solemnly.

If only Itachi had the ability to switch bodies with Hinata. He'd give anything to just run away and let somebody else handle it. But he couldn't do that. It was a part of his OCD to clean up any mess in front of him, even if it isn't his.

The blonde woman smiled as innocently as she could, although the facade was instantly seen through. There was clearly a glint of mischief in her eyes as she directed her gaze to Itachi. A sexy man's life was never an easy one.

"Call me Madoka," she said.

"Satoshi," he replied, not striving for politeness.

It was apparent that an awkward, tense silence lingered heavily in the air. Madoka decided to ignore it, maintaining her fake personality. Hinata stirred, able to sense the pressure even in her sleep.

"H... Hatori-kun?" she mumbled.

At least she didn't say "Itachi-sama." Hopefully she won't blow their cover. Who the hell is Hatori, though? The name seemed vaguely familiar to him.

"Can you walk, Masami?"

He doesn't want to carry her around all day long. She's not that heavy, but he would rather assist her than having him do all the work.

"No... I'm dizzy... It's so weird being dizzy while blind..."

Sensations are heightened without sight. She must be living in hell right now. His mind randomly shifted to what she'd feel if she got drunk. Hidan would probably blindfold himself and drink a dozen bottles of sake just to test began to study Hinata's face.

"Is your friend–"

"–Wife. She's my wife."

Madoka surely isn't going to stop any future advances towards him, but he just felt the need to assert that. He really wasn't in the mood for any desperate girls seducing him. He'll try to be as nice as he can, but sometimes a harsh approach was necessary.

"Excuse me. Is your wife sick?" she corrected with more than a hint of irritation.

"You could stay at my house for the night, if you want," she offered with ill intentions.

"Hn..."

He was actually planning on leaving by nightfall, but it seemed that wouldn't be happening. Isn't the hot springs trip this Friday? Pein will probably extend the deadline since this is the mission that's supposed to be earning his money. If he wants money, he can get it by himself.

"Sounds like a yes to me," Madoka stated, a lame attempt at being humorous.

They entered the blonde's home. It had the sickening smell of a surplus amount of air freshener, as if they were trying to hide the scent of a corpse. Itachi was starting to have even more suspicions than he had before. The house was excruciatingly clean. Seems like Itachi isn't the only one with an OCD.

Masa found himself staring upwards. He had a strange habit of observing the ceiling whenever he entered a room.

"Nice chandelier," Hinata complimented before Masa even opened his mouth.

They stared at her with a look of curiosity and surprise.

"I thought she was blind," Madoka commented.

"She is blind," Satoshi confirmed.

Itachi laid Hinata down on the overly neat bed. He covered her with a cerulean blanket.

"Are we in a hospital?" she asked.

"No, we're in Madoka-san's house," Itachi informed her.

The temperature is so cold that it may as well be a hospital. It smelled exactly like a hospital, too. The only thing missing is a shitload of poisons and chatty, underpaid was a soft, hesitant rapping on the door. The couple instantly knew who it was. Itachi gave his approval for her to enter. The girl was dressed in new clothes and had a violin case clutched tightly to her chest.

"Ano... Is Masami-nee-chan alright?" she asked.

Of course, Hinata wasn't Itachi's only concern. Momoko was something to worry about, also. She looked just as tense as she was when they first found her. Normally people would be more comfortable in their own home. But she's not in her own home, is she?

"Physically, she'll get better. She just has a fever," Satoshi assured the child.

Physically? What about mentally? Hinata dismissed the thoughts. It's not like she could classify herself as sane. She made a "come hither" gesture towards the general direction of the Suzuki. The girl slowly approached, a bit afraid of catching what her teacher had. When she felt that she was close enough, which was a couple of feet away from the bed, she halted.

"You play violin?" she inquired.

Itachi would never be able to figure out how Hinata knew she was holding a violin. Her eyes weren't even open.

"N... No... I want to learn... It was my father's..." she answered softly, just barely loud enough for them to hear.

The teacher nodded.

"I see. Well, I don't see. Since, you know, I'm blind and all... Never mind."

There was a long silence, where nobody either had nothing to say or didn't know what to say. Hinata finally acknowledged the fact that she was only wearing shorts and a fishnet shirt. She didn't recall giving anybody a strip tease. She reasoned that it must have been Itachi who removed her clothes.

Itachi Uchiha stripped her.

Hinata coughed awkwardly to conceal her blush. Fever. It's just because I have a fever. She suddenly regretted hiding money in her sash. He probably stole all of it. Son of a...

"Do you... need anything?" Momoko asked after a while.

Masami cleared her throat, then started coughing. They weren't any fatal coughs, thank the heavens. They were regular coughs that any other person with a sore throat would get.

"Water would be nice..."

"Hai."

"Arigato gozaimasu, Momo-chan."

The door closed softly behind her. It's like she was afraid she'd wake someone. Such a timid girl... Was I like that when I was her age?

Careful fingers petted a particularly sensitive spot on the side of Hinata's neck. She closed her eyes, completely soothed by the simple action. Once more, he implored her to relax, and this time, she actually listened. Every muscle in her body loosened as she prepared to drift off to sleep.

She grew nervous as his fingers dragged towards her throat. She tensed, knowing that she wouldn't stand a chance against Itachi if she tried self-defense. She's sick and without weapons; completely vulnerable. An embarrassed flush painted her face.

"Y-you're not going to choke me in my sleep... R-right?"

He enjoyed those few moments of blushing and stuttering she gave him. Her assumption was quite amusing.

"I promise I won't choke you."

She literally sighed in relief. She didn't know why his words were trusted, but they seemed good enough for her at the moment. Usually she'd be more skeptical, though the way he touched her and his voice somehow changed her mind.

"No promises with smothering."

Wait, what?

"It'll be over quickly and painlessly. Just don't struggle."

Hinata laughed, knowing that he's only teasing her. Everyone who knows Itachi knows for a fact that he's not the type to go around killing people for no reason. That's more like Hidan's or Sasori's or Deidara's department. Itachi is a very serene man.

The blind girl soon returned to her peaceful state, the rise and fall of her chest at a steady pace. Itachi spectated her sleep. He admired the beauty of the sight, almost wishing it could be eternal. But that would mean she'd be in a coma, and he didn't want that.

He turned away from her. He's really becoming obsessive with her. Stripping her, holding her hand, letting her sleep in the same bed as him... Watching her sleep is definitely crossing the creepy level. He didn't want her to label him as some stalker.

Has she noticed how touchy he's been getting, lately? Hopefully not. They've only known each other for a week, god dammit.

Why is he thinking of this? He'd never thought that the day would come where he'd be wishing that he was sulking about how much a failure he has become.

"So we're not leaving at nightfall?"

"No, we'll leave tomorrow at sunset," he informed her.

Madoka let herself into the room, clearly not shy about intruding others' privacy. As long as the door isn't locked, she has the freedom to prance anywhere she wants to. It's her house, after all.

"I couldn't help but overhear you two speaking of some kind of activity this Friday. I'm curious, now. What might this be?"

She was a bit disappointed to see that neither of them were surprised by her sudden entrance. The two S-rank criminals wanted to scoff at the idiotic attempt. A mere citizen catch two skilled shinobi off guard? One of them is a sensor, for crying out loud. They really wished people would stop doing that.

The only one that managed to astonish them by a sudden arrival is, weirdly enough, Hidan. He isn't even good at infiltration. No, he just had good luck and perfect timing. Perhaps it's the loud and dramatic yelling and slamming doors open that really shocked them.

She seriously wasn't in the mood and Madoka's voice just pissed her off. Plus, why would she pay any respect to someone who abused a child? Despicable.

"Visiting," he stated.

He sounded so honest that Hinata wondered for a moment if they really were visiting. Madoka bought it without hesitation, mostly because she didn't even care.

"So sorry for eavesdropping. I just wanted to know how long you two will be staying," the blonde woman apologized.

Long enough.

"You're welcome to stay as long as you want, though."

That comment was directed towards Itachi, and Itachi only. The blonde batted her eyelashes a few times before showing him a smile painted with coral lipstick. Itachi tried his best to ignore the fact that she was obviously trying to seduce him. And that coral is totally not her color. That hot pink low-cut top and black mini-skirt was enough of a sign for anyone. Especially the way she moved her hips on the way out.

He liked Hinata's style so much better. It was classy, simple, and not too slutty. Anything short she wore wasn't too ridiculously short, just short enough. From the way she dressed, you already know that if you want to see more, you'll have to work for it. And he doesn't mind working.

Yes, she had rather large... accessories... but she never flaunted them around. She doesn't need to. A petite frame, but not too bony. It's not a surprise that people named her a goddess.

Damn it. Why the hell is he checking her out?

She didn't notice, though. How the hell would she notice, anyway? She's blind. Vulnerable, yet at the same time, dangerous. The combination suited her well.

He decided to sit on the edge of the bed. Standing gets tiresome after a while. Hinata yawned, her eyes drooping sleepily.

Itachi gazed at her as she drifted back to sleep. He really doesn't feel like sleeping alone tonight. A certain woman is going to slip into bed with him, with much less innocent intentions than sleep. Why do women try to rape him all the time?

Kakashi gazed at the paper in his gloved hands. There's no way that crap was true. Perhaps he didn't read it correctly. He handed it to Kurenai. She stared at it incredulously with similar thoughts. This can't be...

"The deadline to bring Sasuke and Hinata back has been... taken away. We have... as much time as we need," she slowly announced.

The teenagers stared with disbelief. It sounded way too good to be true. Shinobi were taught that if such a situation were to ever occur, then something was probably up. Naruto was the first to snatch the paper to see for himself.

Much to his amazement, the paper was official. It even had the Konoha Council Seal. Their prayers have been answered. Naruto grinned.

"Looks like the old hags finally got some sense knocked into them by Baa-chan!" he commented.

After the wave of shock passed by, everyone was smiling. This is definitely a good omen. Kiba yelped in joy. They celebrated blissfully and ignorantly, avoiding the one question they should all be asking.

"Shannaro!"

"Yahoo!"

"We'll definitely bring them back, dattebayo!"

What made them change their mind?

Itachi descended down the stairs, finding two of Madoka's children arguing over why there was a jounin in their house. One was a boy with dirty blonde hair and green eyes aged at about 14 , and the other was a girl with wavy brunette with dark grey eyes about 12 years old. The girl reasoned that the jounin is going to take the "Rotten Peach" to another home. The boy debated that someone is getting arrested because Momoko ran away for a reason. They both went dead silent by the time Itachi was at ground level with them. The girl had hearts in her eyes as she spotted the handsome man in their home.

"'Sup?" the boy greeted nonchalantly.

"The sky," Satoshi automatically responded.

The boy grinned, nodding once in approval of the answer. He could tell right away that he wasn't one of those guys who think they're so damn cool and just ignore children. The guy in front of them is cool in his own way. The girl giggled, smiling at the cool guy in front of her. He's so handsome! The boy was obviously disgusted by his sister's behavior. Drooling over a married man.

"You and your wife spending the night here?" he asked, although he knew the answer.

He just felt the need to proclaim the fact that he has a wife and doesn't need any other woman. The girl frowned in discontent. He smirked at her anger.

"Hai."

"She's ugly."

Her brother glared at her.

"You're ugly! You and Mom! I bet you don't even know what his wife looks like, you dumbass!" her brother snapped.

The sister conjured up fake tears, playing the role of the victim. The brother made a noise of anger, clenching his fists tightly. He knew exactly what was going to happen. Their stupid mom would conveniently enter at this stupid time, take his stupid sister's stupid side, and stupidly punish him. He was so sick and tired of this routine.

This family obviously had problems. But don't all families have problems? Satoshi remained neutral, judging each side fairly.

She started it. As childish as it sounded, it was true. The boy's response came with a good reason. The girl's first statement didn't. She's clearly not the victim, since her pain is faked. The boy, however, may turn into the real bad guy since he looks ready to kill his sister.

Verdict: the girl is guilty. The boy is innocent.

The boy relaxed his fists, instead expressing his annoyance with an eye roll. Just because he's calmer doesn't mean he'll apologize, though. The girl continued to wail obnoxiously.

"When you fake pain, others have the desire of making that pain real. If you're really going to be the manipulative one, at least act better or else you'll get caught and killed. Siblings kill each other all the time," he warned the girl.

The kids' eyes were widened with surprise. For the first time in their lives, the customary routine they had was broken. The fake tears were ceased. The boy grinned and the girl scowled.

"That's something my wife said to me. She's the best actress I know. You better be careful of her."

The fear was evident in the air. The children took his advice, nodding right away. There's a shitload of places to hide a body. Someone can merely assume the person was killed by the S-rank criminal in their town.

The girl puffed her cheeks out, and stomped out of the room. Itachi headed towards the kitchen to check on Masa. The boy was in a daze for a few seconds, but soon snapped out of it. He caught up with Itachi.

"Um... Hey..."

"I just wanted to say... thanks... She always gets her way around here, and I've always been sick of it. Thanks for being fair," he said.

Itachi turned around, and looked at the boy straight in the eyes. It was intimidating at first, but the boy understood what he was trying to say. Don't thank me. I hate bitches like her just as much as you do. After that brief moment, Itachi continued towards the kitchen.

"Masa-san, we need to discuss something."

The jounin was obviously taken by surprise by Satoshi's entrance.

"I-I wasn't talking to the knife! I swear!"

Itachi sighed. Why is the man that killed his own parents more sane than him?

"You have a sword. Why would you bother conversing with a knife?" the Uchiha inquired.

Masa fumbled to find an answer, but realized that Satoshi is right.

"Um... What do you want to discuss?"

"Something."

Masa got the hint, walking out of the backdoor of the house to keep their conversation private. Satoshi followed, giving the boy a warning glance to ensure that he doesn't attempt to eavesdrop. They're going to talk about Momoko, aren't they? The boy rushed out of the room to find his cousin, who was supposed to be practicing the violin.

Akito sipped his ice-cold water nervously. He was so out of place in the room full of nobles and leaders. He was but a mere lower branch member of the Hyuuga clan, only present due to the fact that his seal was fading. However, he knows more about the diary than any other person in the room. He smirked at his secret.

Every trait that they all just learned was already common knowledge to him. He knew more about Hinata than everyone else. More than Shikaku, more than Inoichi, more than Hanabi, more than Neji, more than Kurenai...

He knew about the diary the day she started it. He just didn't know what was in the diary. He's seen parts of the book, though. It was too complicated for him to understand at the time.

"Huh. Doesn't this look like Hiashi's handwriting?" Choza brought up.

All eyes strayed towards said person. Hiashi was immensely irritated that they'd accuse him of writing the diary. That's just some major bullshit. Their attention shifted back to the diary.

Blah blah blah, chakra theories, blah blah blah, Byakugan, blah blah blah, cursed seal... Akito wondered how Hinata could stand all of these boring things. She was only 7 when she started the diary. Such large words, too. Does she read the dictionary?

"Nee-chan is so smart..." he heard Hanabi mumble.

Akito scoffed. She doesn't deserve to call Hinata her "Nee-chan." They never even acted like real sisters. Hanabi always called herself the more superior one, and Hinata the weak one. Akito was certain that Hinata kidnapped Hanabi to steal her eyes.

Who was the one that ignored the cries for help? Who openly insulted her in front of others? But now that Hinata is an S-rank criminal, she suddenly respects her and actually refers to her as a family member. How sick.

He didn't ignore the tears or bruises. He actually bothered to heal the wounds on his cousin's skin. She was always there for him. She encouraged him to follow his dreams of becoming a great medic-nin when others scoffed. He returned the favor.

But what did Hanabi do? Switch sides and act innocent. They're not sisters. Akito had to resist the urge to throw his glass of water at her and shriek the fact that everyone knows. He almost regretted having morals and being compelled to stick up for her.

Shikaku flipped to another page about chakra and cursed seals. Wait. He flipped a few pages back. Then a few pages forward. And then a few pages back again. Never mind, just another theory about blah blah blah.

After reading a few of the theories, you'd realize that it doesn't take a genius to figure out the solution to a cursed seal. It all started with a few simple facts. All she did was use common sense and some studying to find out more facts, which leads to more facts, and more still. Many stare stupidly at the conclusion and mutter, "I could've done that in my sleep."

Yet at the same time, they couldn't have. If they attempted the same thing, they'd have no idea how to connect one thing with another. She made it look so simple and understandable, though.

She didn't skip straight to finding out how to break the seal. First, she learned about how a cursed seal worked. That was probably the most valuable information in the book. What her hand wrote in that book could be the answer to freedom. Not just the Hyuuga clan's freedom. Root's freedom, Orochimaru's subordinates' freedom, a Tailed Beast's freedom...

If she stayed in Konoha, she would've been a billionaire. People would kill–...

...

Oh shit.

Dinner was the same as always: awkward. Masa and Hinata were lucky enough to avoid it. Masa left and Hinata was still asleep. Kisame was... somewhere.

Itachi cooked the food out of habit. He prepared broiled salmon with herb mustard glaze, which everyone enjoyed. It was delightful having someone who actually knew how to cook, for a change. The family usually ate nothing but white rice and salt every day, since that was the only thing Madoka couldn't screw up.

Itachi brought a plate to Hinata. Her mouth was basically drooling at the smell. Food tastes so much better when you're starving. And when Itachi cooks it. Why do we eat out if he's so good at cooking?

He handed her a pill and a glass of water after she finished. She accepted the pill right away, knowing that he had no reason to kill her. Not soon after, she rethought her assumption, hesitating to swallow it. It'd be easy to merely blame someone else for her death, wouldn't it?

"Are you angry at me?" she asked nervously.

Angry? Somewhat, actually, but it's not her fault. The blame goes to him for living a lie. Does he seem angry at her?

"What makes you think that?"

She stayed silent. How is she supposed to tell him that she doesn't trust him? Why does she not trust him?

"Nothing..."

It wouldn't be wise to point out the fact that this was the perfect opportunity for him to silently murder her. It may end up tempting him. He's just so unnaturally magnanimous, though. Perhaps that's just a personality trait. She decided to not jump to conclusions, instead observing him carefully.

She almost slapped herself at she realized a stupid mistake of hers. She impatiently scarfed down food that he prepared, but contemplates if the pill is safe or not. I'm such a genius, aren't I?

"I'm sorry, my brain is really stupid sometimes," she apologized.

Hinata swallowed the pill, gulping water afterwards. Even if he was angry with her, he wouldn't show it. Why would he trust her with his emotions? She barely knows if he has opinions, much less what they are. He was still a puzzle never to be solved.

"Suzuki-san is moving to the Leaf," he announced.

Hinata stared emptily into the darkness. She didn't know what to think of the decision. Everything seemed to be happening so quickly. They only met her hours ago, and now they were speaking of departure. It happened all the time, yet the feeling still remained vivid and foreign.

"Masa-san is escorting her to Konoha tomorrow night with permission of his teammates. He'll take care of things from then on. Her relatives know nothing of this."

Where has the day gone? She's been so busy with other matters that she's barely paid attention to Momoko. She'll be able to discreetly visit her later, but it felt as if these were going to be the last moments she'd have with the girl. It's unknown how frequent they'll be able to visit.

"We can change the plans, if you don't approve," Itachi told her.

"No, it's okay," she replied.

"It's just... weird. Like the end of a story," Hinata admitted.

He shook his head.

"This is just the beginning..."

Every member of the Hinata Retrieval Team was on their toes. A chakra signature was detected. Neji activated his Byakugan to find the culprit. The ninja was instantly recognized.

"Akira? What are you doing here?" he questioned.

"It's Akito, Neji-kun," the younger Hyuuga corrected.

Akito hopped down from a tree branch. Everybody relaxed at the sight of the forehead protector around his neck.

"I was sent by Tsunade-sama. The mission to bring Hinata back is being canceled," the young Hyuuga declared.

"What?" Naruto questioned, along with many others.

They just got the privilege of as much time as they needed, and now it's being eliminated. Shikamaru furrowed his eyebrows in concentration. Something must have happened.

"The diary," he stated, letting them fill in the blanks.

"What does that have to do with anything?" the blonde boy ignorantly asked.

"Hinata-sama will be killed if she's brought back to Konoha. The destruction of a cursed seal will tip the balance of power in the Hyuuga clan, causing it to go into a state of chaos," Akito answered before Shikamaru even opened his mouth.

Neji stared at his younger cousin in shock. This couldn't be happening. Yet it is. Every word was honest, factual, and simple to understand. He just didn't want to understand, to feel the cold slap across his face as the information sunk into his mind.

"The Hokage told all of this to you?" the older Hyuuga asked the younger.

It seemed hard to believe that the Hokage would reveal all of this to him. Usually, this kind of information is younger Hyuuga shook his head, confirming his thoughts. Neji raised an eyebrow.

"Then how do you know this?"

Instead of answering the question, his eyes studied the faces of the Hinata Retrieval Team. One face happened to catch his attention.

"She doesn't look surprised. Maybe she can answer," he said.

All attention was shifted to Kurenai. Her heart almost skipped a beat. She had no idea what to say except for the truth. The pressure drilled into her chest.

"I... I just knew that she was at the point of no return..." she confessed.

"She'd still be as depressed as she was before, and maybe she's happier where she is now. I didn't know she'd be killed if she was brought back."

They stared at her, understanding her point of view. Perhaps they had the same viewpoint. All signs are pointing to the fact that Hinata is G-O-N-E gone. Shouldn't they just accept it?

"No, no! You're wrong!" Naruto yelled.

"Have you all gone blind? There's still light! We can show her that there's light, even in the darkest of places! She has to follow that light!" he argued.

"There will always be a way... and I'll find it, believe it!" he promised.

Akito stared at the loud, rash blonde teenager before him in awe. Everyone else merely shook their head, hopelessness taking over them. Akito was the only one who was actually persuaded by this inspirational speech.

"And what would this way be?" he responded.

Crickets filled in the empty silence that occurred after the question. They all sighed. He really has no idea what he's doing...

Hinata was wide awake, but Madoka didn't know that. She pretended to sleep, internally debating whether she should make it clear that she's awake or not. It was rather awkward having someone watching you while you're trying to rest.

There was no fear present in her heart. Why should she fear a mere citizen? She lived with S-rank criminals. Over time, fear has converted into a thrill of energy and excitement. She was still smart enough to know when to back off, though.

Sometimes there were situations where she felt absolute fear. The ransom exchange was unnerving. This moment, however, was but another annoyance in her busy life. Patience degrades at a quicker pace when you're irritated or worried. One example is when she threatened to kill a girl just for a stupid comment. That girl still deserved it.

Waiting for the woman to leave was becoming quite tedious. Should she inform her that she doesn't give a crap whether she has sex with Itachi or not? That may bring up suspicions. Should she convince her to not attempt to seduce him? That won't work.

Suddenly, her mind jumped to the strange yet humorous moment when Deidara tried to cock-block them. It technically didn't work since they were just conversing about normal topics, but it seemed like a good idea. She got out of bed, walking towards Madoka.

The blonde woman's heart skipped a beat. What is she doing? She moved aside as she realized that Masami wanted to walk past her. She observed the blind Masami. Sleep-walking? No, that wasn't the case. She knocked on her husband's door.

After a few seconds, Satoshi finally answered. His hair was a slight mess. It was let out of its usual ponytail. He rubbed his eyes, still in a half-asleep state.

"Yes?"

"Can I come in, please?" she requested.

"Is something wrong?"

He's too sleepy to know that Madoka-san is awake and ready to rape him. She needed some kind of excuse. She blushed heavily.

"I'm afraid of the dark..." she murmured.

Madoka's jaw dropped. How the hell could a blind girl be afraid of the dark? Bullshit! Yet Satoshi bought it, nonetheless. She fumed, cursing under her breath. That cock-blocking bitch...

Hinata entered the room, her current troubles alleviated at the fact that Madoka will now leave them alone. She was led to the bed. She happily plopped herself down, laying on the bed at an awkward angle. Itachi caressed her face in an attempt to soothe her false fear. She smirked at the rare naivety he showed.

"You're welcome."

At first, he was confused. It took a minute for him to realize how foolish he's been. He's always caught off-guard whenever he wakes up. He chastised himself for having to get saved by Hinata. He really needs to learn how to deny women and not feel too much guilt afterwards.

"Am I in debt?" he asked.

She shook her head.

"I'm the one in debt..."

"One day, I'll change your life for the better. I promise," she guaranteed.

After the debt is paid off, then they'll be equal. When they're equal, she'll feel the freedom to be as selfish as she desires. Betrayal will be an option, then. He doesn't have to know that, though.

But never mind about what will happen after the debt is paid off. The question is how it'll be paid off.

"Don't worry about it," he told her.

She took his advice, forgetting about the subject for now. He placed the back of his hand on her forehead. The fever was slowly going away. She'll be able to travel tomorrow with breaks as needed.

The two Hyuugas were the only ones at the campfire. Neji gazed at the stars in the sky, while Akito focused on the fire. The latter had his eyebrows furrowed in deep concentration, as if trying to make the fire turn to water.

"Hinata-sama likes playing with fire," he stated.

Neji snapped out of his trance. Akito always made random statements about Hinata. It almost seemed as if he was trying to remind Neji that she still existed. These remarks started months after the Chuunin Exams. Neji suspected that Akito knew about Hinata's banishment.

"What do you mean by that?" the older Hyuuga wondered.

"She's a fire-type."

Yet another thing to add to the list of similarities Hinata had with Sasuke.

"And she likes trouble. So... it's figuratively and literally," he added.

"How do you know she's a fire-type?" Neji asked.

Hyuugas weren't attuned to a specific nature, but fire was known as the Uchiha clan's element. He shook the thought away. A lot of people are fire-types. Asuma, Kakashi, the Third, Jiraiya, that one Chuunin with creepy smile...

Still, it seemed strange for Hinata to be a fire-type. She was more tranquil and calm; submissive. He expected her to be a water-type.

"I wouldn't be surprised if she was a water-type, too," Akito said, as if he were psychic.

"What? Why?"

"Hinata-sama is bipolar," he answered.

More questions flooded his mind. Shino, having heard the entire conversation, decided to speak up.

"She's not bipolar. You shouldn't assume such things. Why? Because you don't know her," he replied.

"Do you know her favorite color?" he brought up.

"Lavender," Shino said right away.

He smiled at the Aburame.

"She told us it was yellow. Then blue. Then green. She probably changed it to red, or something."

Shino scrutinized the 13-year-old Hyuuga. He was definitely different from the other Hyuugas he's seen. Usually a Hyuuga would have brown hair and a slight tinge of lavender in their eyes. Akito had hair as black as ink with eyes tainted with a light green. His bangs covered a vanishing cursed seal.

"I'm sorry if our conversation was too loud. You can go back to sleep, now, Aburame-san," the mysterious boy apologized.

The boy offered a generous smile to the bug-user. Shino studied him for a few more seconds, then returned to his tent. As soon as he left, Akito whispered to his older cousin.

"Let's make an alliance," he suggested.

Neji tilted his head slightly in confusion.

"What for?"

"We need to protect each other. Because our seals are disappearing, we're threats to the Hyuuga clan. Threats get taken care of by Root," he explained quietly.

Neji soon realized that his younger cousin was right. He berated himself for not seeing this sooner. His mind has been too cluttered to clearly see the situation he's in.

"Hinata-sama won't make any effort to protect us. I think she either trusts us to take care of ourselves, or she wants to laugh at our funerals..."

Both.

Neji slowly nodded his head.

"Alright..."

If they wanted to survive, they had to do it together. They shook hands to seal the deal. Little did Neji know that their alliance was going to be the same as a normal alliance between two villages: full of manipulation and distrust.

Whispering. They were whispering. About what? Hinata clenched her blind eyes shut, shrinking towards the comforting source of warmth beside her. If only she went deaf instead of blind. Yet even then, she'd still hear the whispering voices, just as she still sees the images of a past life.

She was awake. She just didn't know that, yet. They didn't know that, yet.

There was a groan adjacent to her. It was obvious that whoever next to her was too comfortable at the moment to shoo the voices away. Who's next to her, though?

Suddenly, a blush burned across her face. The blanket was pulled closer to her. Despite the fact that she was dressed, she felt naked. The whispers died in a split second. All was mute and tense.

She cursed the vulnerability she's surrounded with whenever she thinks she's safe. There was no real danger, but the fear and humiliation was enough to make her scold herself. If she slept alone, she would've been more alert. Paranoia was supposed to be her specialty.

"Is there something you three need?" she asked softly.

Itachi was still asleep. The murmurs only woke him for a slim moment. He merely decided to ignore it and continue living in his dreamscape.

The brother and sister cast confused glances at each other. Only two of them sneaked into the room. Momoko shortly came out of hiding, revealing how accurate the blind wife was.

"Um... So..." the boy said, breaking the silence.

He smirked.

"Fear of the dark, you speak of?"

Hinata sat up after her blush receded. She smiled at the memory of the night before. Madoka is definitely pissed about that. It's amazing that Itachi actually bought it. Cock-blocking is certainly a very entertaining activity.

"Yes, I'm very afraid of the dark, you see. It's impossible for me to sleep alone at night," Masami answered.

The boy smiled humorously at what she was trying to imply. He scanned Satoshi's wife. Ha! I was right. She's far from ugly. She's hot.

"Ano... Are you coming for breakfast?" Momoko asked.

"Am I on the second story?"

"Hai..."

Hinata/Masami laid back down in the bed. Damn it. Stairs.

"Breakfast is overrated."

The boy laughed. He approved of the wife. Momoko was lucky to have come across that married couple.

"She probably has a bad personality..." the sister mumbled.

The brother scoffed at the assumption. The three children left the room after being satisfied with the visit. The door slammed loudly behind them. Surprisingly, Itachi was still sound asleep.

Hinata carefully considered whether she should leave the bed or not. For once, she had nothing to do besides sleep. Future activities were to be planned after the mission. Normally she would take a walk, but the forests she enjoyed strolling in were miles away. How the hell do these people live in the middle of nowhere?

"Yes, such a clever plan. Because S-rank criminals will obviously want to avoid conflict. Talking things out is a wonderful idea."

Sai's sarcasm was irritating, but he did have a point. Their goal is to capture Naruto. They can't just peacefully discuss the diary over a cup of tea.

"She cooperated peacefully with us during the ransom exchange. If she wants her plan to be carried out smoothly, then she'll have to give us a few hints on what to do," Kakashi reasoned.

Shikamaru thought back to the interrogation of Hanabi. The first day she was lying. The second day, however, is when she forgot every piece of information concerning the Akatsuki. She opened her mouth to reveal something, then her mind just went blank. Inoichi even did a mind-walk. The memories were completely gone. Could it be Itachi? It's different from genjutsu, though.

What they found out about the location of the Akatsuki base is that it's not in the Wind Country. All suspicion of Sunagakure supporting the Akatsuki was eliminated. The thing that bothered him the most is the one fact that the Hyuuga heiress managed to remember during the second day.

"'She's unpredictable.' That's what the Hyuuga heiress said. There's no way we can be sure about anything. We have no idea who she is, anymore. Be cautious and ready yourself for battle," he advised.

A majority of the group had their heart twisted with regret. All of this could've been prevented. But it wasn't. Now they have to deal with somebody that they used to know.

Momoko stared at the ceiling, her heartbeat ringing in her ears. A photo frame was hugged close to her. She smiled at nothing as her eyes watered with joy.

I'm sorry... I have to leave. There was nobody to apologize to, but she still felt as if she was betraying someone. Leaving the place where you grew up is a big thing, especially if you're going to become a shinobi. But did it really matter? Even if she stayed in her village, she'll never be back at home.

Home is gone. This is her decision to make her own home.

There was not much to pack, except the photo frame, her father's violin the two pouches she was given. All could easily fit in her shoulder bag. The only ones she would have to say goodbye to are Satoshi and Masami. Perhaps she'll visit her parents' graves one last time.

All was ready and set. In fact, she was so ready that she wanted to leave immediately. The waiting only built up her excitement. Ideas of what she'll do when she buys an apartment kept flowing into her mind. Everything is going to go uphill from here on for her.

Unfortunately, time went by slowly. Everyone was just glad that sunset finally arrived. Hinata and Itachi left the house without saying any goodbyes. Momoko sneaked out at the same time. All three merely wanted to leave as soon as possible.

It took a short time for Itachi and Hinata to find Kisame. Apparently, he spent the night in a dark alley. They decided not to tell him that they stayed at Madoka's house. Itachi refused to speak of the incident with Madoka.

The Akatsuki members quickly departed from the village. They don't want to be scolded by Pein for being late. Hinata wanted to say some last words to her one-day student, but decided that she could always visit the Leaf as Masami or some other persona. She wondered what they were going to use as their excuse for not completing the mission.

And where their hats went.

Their current pace was moderate, twice as fast than it was when they left the hideout. They might be able to make it to the base by early dusk as long as no random dilemmas pop up.

Conversation was at a minimum. There was nothing to talk about, but much to think about. Hinata had a few ideas of what to do about the Orochimaru problem, but decided to save it for later. Nobody will approve of her thoughts. She planned her words of persuasion.

The fact that Hinata has the Sharingan kept bothering Kisame. Both of his teammates have the Sharingan. Both of his teammates are geniuses. How is the world going to react? Should they keep it a secret?

Itachi, on the other hand, was still pondering over Sasori's gender. Could he claim to be a woman if he wanted to? He could easily switch puppet bodies. The thought of Sasori being a woman was amusing to him. Is that why Konan refers to him as "Sasori-chan"?

As predicted, they arrived at the Akatsuki base by nightfall. It looked as if the door was replaced, but it was actually a genjutsu. Smart. Now they don't have to worry about any more broken doors.

As they entered, they noticed Sasori and Deidara in the midst of a spar. Deidara had a kunai in his mouth, his hands tied behind his back, while Sasori was equipped with just a senbon. Sasori was somehow winning. A muffled curse erupted from Deidara's mouth.

"How the fuck are you winning? That needle should've snapped by now! Hmm!"

"I clearly have more skill than you, brat," Sasori declared.

Team Mortal maneuvered around the duo. Kisame went straight to his room. Itachi and Hinata headed towards the kitchen. The food supply has been restocked. Such good timing they had. Despite the variety they could choose from, Itachi decided to feed Hinata and himself with an apple.

"An apple... again..." Hinata commented.

It seems that all they ate in the Akatsuki base were apples. The type of apples they ate never even changed. Hinata didn't know if she could live on apples for the rest of her life. Hidan entered the room, proceeding to scan the fridge.

"Would you prefer a banana?" Itachi responded.

Her face flushed a deep red. A banana... Hidan laughed. It was a mystery whether the Sharingan-master said that on purpose or not. Still, it was better than maintaining her apple diet. Potassium is good for you.

"S-sure..."

Itachi tossed the curved yellow fruit at Hinata. She caught it, opened it, and bit into it to avoid any profane comments from Hidan. Hidan slammed the fridge door shut. Fucking epic pick-up line...

"Yo, wanna make some noodles? I'm fucking starving," he requested.

Noodles... Hinata smirked.

"Keep that in the bedroom, Hidan-senpai!" she remarked.

"I'm not that kind of man..." Itachi stated.

Hidan quickly realized what he was unintentionally implying and grimaced.

"Fuck! No homo, man!"

The blind girl laughed, biting into her yellow fruit. Itachi let out a "Hn", a sign of his amusement. Hidan gave a few laughs of his own.

"But, seriously... I'm fucking hungry."

Neji crawled out of his tent. Morning already? He didn't sleep well the night before. Nobody on the Hinata Retrieval Team did. Only Akito had sweet dreams, immune to the depression surrounding him. Where is she? Or is it a he?

He stretched, feeling the comforting warmth of the morning sun's rays. He strolled into the forest to search for his cousin. There, he found Akito sitting on a rock in the middle of a pond, staring into the clear water.

The pond was peaceful and quiet. Lily pads floated placidly atop the clear waters. Pink and white lotuses blossomed in the water, giving off a sweet fragrance. The sight was so beautiful and graceful that it could inspire artists.

"Ohayou, Neji-nii-san," he greeted cheerfully.

Nostalgia overflowed in Neji's heart at the welcome. That's exactly how Hinata sounded like when she acknowledged him in the morning. Akito's voice was naturally girly enough to imitate her.

"Ohayou, Akito..." he parroted back.

"Akira," he corrected.

Neji was confused. He could've sworn that he was corrected for calling him Akira last night.

"You said it was Akito."

"Sometimes I'm Akito... other times I'm Akira..." he stated mysteriously.

Akira/Akito always has been the oddball in the clan. Neji dismissed it. He... or she must be going through some kind of phase. She... or he will grow out of it, eventually. Neji decided to refer to his cousin as a she when she decided to be Akira.

She picked a large, pure white lotus from the water. She brought it to her nose as she sniffed its sweet scent.

"The lotus is a flower that grows in the mud. The thicker and deeper the mud is, the more beautiful the lotus blooms."

Neji scrutinized his younger cousin's relaxed expression, understanding exactly what Akira is trying to tell him. Those words helped alleviate the stress he's been dealing with lately. He hoped to God that he'll remember this later.

"You know, I told this to Hinata-sama once..." she brought up.

"She agreed that good will come from bad, but she also believed that bad will come from good. She said it was to keep things balanced. That's why we have opposites," he told Neji.

Balance... Yin and Yang. Hinata always did refer to equality a lot, didn't she? Yin and Yang is a very important part of life. Perhaps she was correct with her beliefs.

"Do you know what she did?" Akira questioned with a smile.

Neji waited patiently for him/her to answer his/her own question.

"She set the pond on fire."

Neji was more than perplexed. He must have misheard.

"She... What?"

"Set the pond on fire," he repeated.

There was nothing but a calm silence as Neji pictured it. That's not even possible. How the hell...?

"That sounds... awesome."

"It was."

He should've paid much more attention to Hinata before. He could've learned a few of her secrets. Akira let her feet wade in the crystal water. She seemed agitated by something.

"That whole equality thing must be why she's taking down the Hyuuga clan."

Our clan. It's strange how no Hyuuga took credit for being a Hyuuga when referring to their clan's defeat. It's as if the only one who would truly suffer would be Hiashi. They might feel the desire of breaking away from the puzzle that depicts their clan's dark reputation.

Neji pondered over his cousin's hypothesis. It seems plausible. Too much power on one side could've bothered her. Eliminating the cursed seal would solve that problem. Her intentions might've been to keep the clan's power balanced.

"That would mean she wishes for peace within the Hyuuga clan, which is the opposite of taking it down," Neji replied.

"Maybe she knows there never will be balance, so it may as well be shattered. Just like a crystal vase."

Shattering a fragile vase. That's one way to look at it. What does she see when she looks at the Hyuuga symbol?

"Neji-nii-san, you love Hinata-sama, right?" the younger Hyuuga asked.

"Hai," Neji confirmed.

There was no hesitation or uncertainty in his tone as he answered. Akira stared straight into his cousin's eyes, searching for the passion that'll prove his honesty.

"You used to hate her," Akira recalled.

Neji stayed silent. Akira's face was solemn. The sudden graveness in the atmosphere intensified each word and emotion.

"She's gone. You know that, right?" she hoped.

"Yes, past the point of no return. She can never turn back," he recited, having heard this a million times.

"I think... this point of no return... It doesn't exist."

The black-haired Hyuuga shook her head. Eye contact was broken off. Akira gazed at her own reflection.

"No, it exists," Akira denied.

Splash! A stone was hurled at Akira's water image. The picture became distorted, disappearing while the water calmed again. Lily pads and lotuses swayed in the water at the impact of the rock.

"It's called death."

"Your father is... no longer with us."

"I'm at the point of no return."

"Even if she died, the plan would still go on."

"Shut up! Just shut up! It's Sasuke all over again! We couldn't bring him back, and we probably can't even bring Hinata back, either!"

"She's been dead, Kakashi. She's been dead from the start."

"She'll be killed if she returns to Konoha."

All of these signs pointed to Hinata's death. Has he really gone blind? Is she truly at the point of no return? No... It can't be. She can't be gone. No! Not her, too!

"Neji-kun? Are you okay?"

He fell to his knees in shock. His eyes mourned for lost loved ones. His heart sank to the deepest pits of depression. The voices in his head kept whispering malicious things into his ears.

"... point of no return..."

"... gone..."

"Death..."

"... killed..."

"Eternal darkness..."

He couldn't breathe. His emotions were strangling him. The darkness was trying to suffocate him. Everything was closing in on him, swallowing him into hell.

Akira was at her older cousin's side in a flash. She put her hand on his shoulder, attempting to console him. She expected this to happen. She took a deep breath, composing herself before attempting to calm her cousin.

"It's okay, Neji-kun. Just breathe," she whispered softly.

"... suicide..."

"... had to happen..."

"You can't change destiny."

Destiny. He was right before, wasn't he? He can't change anything. Nobody can. Your fate was decided from the start.

"There's no such thing as destiny, Neji-kun. It'll be okay. Just breathe. Are you listening?"

"Neji, my son... You're so precious to me."

"You should've been the heir."

"Ohayou, Neji-nii-san!"

"I'm so sorry, Neji-nii-san."

"Arigato gozaimasu, Neji-nii-san!"

"Neji-nii-san..."

He gave up. There's no use fighting, anymore. There is no light. Not for his father, not for Hinata, not for him... The light doesn't belong to him.

Akira was starting to panic. Neji passed out. She felt for a pulse and listened to his breathing. Thank God...

The Akatsuki members sat at the polished table, waiting for the meeting to begin. Hinata was trying to hide the fact that her eyes were stinging like hell. Unfortunately, it's difficult to hide something you can't even see.

"Are you okay, Hinata?" Itachi asked.

"I hate the Sharingan so much..." she mumbled.

I'll take that as a no... They have to bring up her Sharingan during the meeting. But how? Who the hell is going to believe it?

Pein cleared his throat as a signal of the start of the meeting. All became silent. His Rinnegan eyes scanned the faces in front of him, counting the heads. Nobody was absent. The only thing that caught his eye was their newest member.

"Is something wrong, Hinata? You seem uncomfortable," the Akatsuki leader commented.

All eyes were now looking at the blind eyes. She stuttered, her heart beating faster. How the hell is she supposed to explain her problem?

"U-um... It's..."

Everyone is probably getting impatient with her. She had to say something quickly before Sasori throws a fit.

"K-kisame-senpai can explain!"

The attention was shifted to the shark-like man. He blinked, completely unprepared. He wasn't paying attention to Hinata. How the hell is he supposed to explain what's wrong with her?

"Itachi explains it better."

Everyone was focused on Itachi, hoping that the game of who will explain will end.

"Orochimaru is after Hinata," he announced.

There were confused looks from many. Why would the Pedo-Snake want to steal a cripple? Perhaps it's her breasts...

Pein carefully analyzed the situation. The Snake Sannin wants to steal the Moon-Eyes Goddess. It actually makes sense to him. He might want to do experiments on her blind eyes to see if the Byakugan could be restored.

"Told you that bitch has the Sharingan!" Hidan proclaimed in victory.

"Idiot. How would a blind girl have the Sharingan?"

"It's possible," Sasori stated.

Hinata cleared her throat.

"A-actually... Hidan-senpai is correct..." Hinata hesitantly confessed.

The entire room went agape. Hidan... being right? Impossible. Well, he had Sasori's support, so it wasn't that impossible. Still, it was strange.

"What do you mean?" Konan asked.

She had every word planned the night before. Every single word. But no, her brain just conveniently forgot the entire speech at that very moment. She took time before she finally remembered a part of what she was going to say.

"Ano... When I was little... I had an eye problem... There was always too much chakra going to my eyes. It made my eyes hurt a lot frequently. I had the weakest Byakugan in the clan, which is strange for Hyuuga heirs..."

Sasori nodded, completely understanding the situation.

"And this excess chakra caused your Byakugan to evolve."

(Sounds like Pokemon. Congratulations! Your Byakugan evolved into a Sharingan!)

White Zetsu laughed, taking all of this for granted.

"You better watch out, Leader-sama. She might even be able to awaken the Rinnegan, too," White Zetsu jokingly warned.

"It's possible..." Sasori stated.

Hinata was starting to worry that her eyes could be stolen. It was actually hilarious, if you thought about it. Stealing a blind girl's eyes...

"Our main problem at the moment is Orochimaru. He's been a thorn in our side for quite a while..." Pein declared.

Many were eager to take on the Snake Sannin, most especially Sasori. Itachi slightly shrunk back in his chair, not feeling the need to be the one to deal with Orochimaru. His last encounter was enough for him.

"And as you all know, Itachi's younger brother and Sasori's former subordinate are both Orochimaru's tools," he added.

"Sasori, Itachi, what do you two propose?" the Rinnegan-user inquired.

Sasori stood up, with a determined expression in his usually bored eyes. There was an aura around him, telling stories of his urge to deal with the problem as soon as possible. It almost made him seem like a kind of hero that wanted to put an end to his villain. Quite strange, if you remember the fact that they're both villains.

"As Orochimaru's ex-partner and ex-master of Kabuto, I will take responsibility for taking care of them," the puppet-user swore.

That tone he used... It attracted everyone's attention. They've never seen Sasori look so full of righteousness before. The job was immediately approved without objection.

"And you, Itachi?" Pein asked.

Sasori sat down. The initial shock wore off after a few seconds. Itachi had the complete opposite expression of Sasori's. He was placid and nonchalant, just as always. He looked as if none of this is even his problem.

"Hinata can deal with my younger brother," the Sharingan-user answered.

And none of this really is his problem. It was a good idea, though. Hinata already planned a battle with Sasuke. The Sharingan can't hypnotize a blind person, so she'll have the advantage. The experience will be good for her.

"Any objections?"

Although Deidara was pissed that he wasn't able to fight Itachi's younger brother, he agreed with the arrangements. Hinata smiled. Everything was going accordingly to her plan.

"There's one more thing we have to take into account: Konoha," the Akatsuki leader brought up.

"Kisame and I will take care of the Leaf-nin. There's a chance that they'll send the Nine-Tails on the mission," Itachi volunteered.

Pein nodded in approval. Everything was going uphill. Orochimaru and Sasuke will be taken care of, the jinchuuriki is going to be captured, and they have two sets of Sharingan eyes. Itachi's decision to recruit Hinata was a wise one.

"Now, about the mission..."

Akito paced back and forth in front of Neji's tent. He didn't kill Neji, but he might kill himself. Perhaps it was too early to reveal the truth.

What am I talking about? Of course it was too early! He felt incredibly stupid. It's like giving away the ending to the book that someone just started. Spoilers. Damn. Now he felt like a real jerk.

He stopped pacing as he remembered how Hatori always ruined books that Hinata was about to read. He smiled at the brief flashback. The young Hyuuga continued to pace once the flashback ended.

Neji is currently asleep, mumbling strange things about breakfast. Akito worried that his stress could give him a fever. He'll need therapy once he wakes up. Hell, they both need therapy. What kind of 13-year-old is used to death?

Nobody should be used to death. No matter how many times they experience the death of a loved one, you should never become acquainted with the feeling. Hinata isn't dead, though. She's just at the point of no return.

It could just be that they don't have the same relationship with Hinata. Akito is basically her subordinate. Neji is... something more complicated.

No, it's not their relationship– it's their knowledge. Akito knows more about Hinata's personality than Neji. Akito has a stable family bond with Hinata. He always conversed with her in his free time because of that bond. He was trusted with a few of her secrets.

What he knows is that Hinata isn't gone. Well, for him she isn't. He's her subordinate, so she'll chat with him every once in a while. They met together once during the time she was gone.

Should he really be referring to himself as a subordinate? He's more like one of her favorite cousins. He does favors for her. They're rather dangerous favors, though... Perhaps it's okay to secretly call himself her subordinate. Being an S-rank criminal's subordinate sounds cool, too.

"Akito-kun? Have you seen Neji-san?" Sakura asked.

"He had a headache, so I told him to rest. It might be because of the cursed seal," the young Hyuuga lied smoothly.

It wasn't a complete lie. They've both gotten some horrid headaches, lately. It just wasn't true at the moment. He was thankful that the pink-haired ninja bought it.

"Can I check up on him?"

"Ah, no, it's okay. I'm a medic-nin, too. I can take care of him," he assured.

Sakura was surprised to hear that. Hyuugas have very excellent chakra control, but medic-nin aren't allowed to stand on the front lines, which is where the Gentle Fist excels. Hyuugas are usually not allowed to become medic-nin.

"Even though I have a strong Byakugan, I was never good at the Gentle Fist. I've always wanted to become a medic-nin, but everyone just looked down on me..." he explained.

Those cold glares and disapproving shakes of the head.

"Who are you?" they asked.

"You can't be a Hyuuga."

"How shameful..."

He cried. Who am I? He started to question his own identity. Hyuugas aren't supposed to think like this. They're not supposed to be afraid of hurting others.

"I don't know! I don't know!" he shrieked.

Alone. He was alone. Everybody turned their backs on him. He had nobody. He is nobody. They all left him, leaving him all alone.

"I don't want to be this person full of pain... I want to be someone else... I don't want to be me..." he sobbed.

May 17th. That's when Akito was born. Akito is happy all the time. He's smart, kind, and somewhat mysterious at times. His personality attracted many friends.

All evidence of who Akito used to be was obliterated. There's no proof of the weak, stupid one that some claimed he once was.

"Who's that? I don't know that person."

I don't have to hurt so much. I can be whoever I want to be. Akito. Akira. Kasumi. Manami. Takuma. Anyone.

"... Then I became a medic-nin."

Sakura was a bit disappointed at the abrupt ending to the story. You left a few blanks, you know...

"Did anybody support you?" she asked curiously.

"Neji-kun told me that it was useless trying to fight against destiny..." he answered sadly.

Neji was such an ass back then. Little did he know that he was secretly called "Destiny Boy" behind his back. Akito didn't hold a grudge against him, though. Just a small feeling of wanting to rip his guts out that's been in the back of his mind since that day.

"Ano... Hinata-sama gave me some encouragement. She said that pain exists to be healed to keep balance," he added, hoping to brighten the mood.

Hatori laughed and remarked it'd be a good excuse for his handwriting. He was actually right. The teachers patted him on the head after they heard about his dream. His sloppy handwriting has been permitted thanks to his goal. Hatori-kun was a genius...

"Hinata is important to you, then?" she questioned.

So many questions... When is she going to leave?

"Hai. I won't hesitate to kill her, though."

Sakura was very much disturbed by the reply she received. She wondered if all Hyuugas were raised like this.

"Why would you kill her?"

He smiled sweetly at the older medic-nin.

"Because we're family," he stated.

Usually when such a line is said, people feel heartwarming sensations. However, it all depends on the context in which it is used. In a situation such as this, it would cause one to slowly back away in fear.

Sakura was stubborn, though. She was creeped out, but she refused to depart, much to Akito's dismay. Luckily, a groan and incoherent mumblings of pancakes came to the rescue to save him from an unnecessary conversation with the pink-haired kunoichi.

"Ja ne, Sakura-san," he said as he disappeared into the tent.

As he entered the tent, he realized the reason why Sakura wanted to know so much about him. He's been holding a knife the entire time. Baka! She probably thinks he's going to murder Neji.

Should he?

He brushed the thoughts away. It wasn't the right time. He'd surely become the prime suspect after what he said earlier.

"Neji-kun?"

Neji suddenly sat up, extremely alert. Akito flinched.

"Where is she?" he inquired seriously.

Akito assumed that "she" is Hinata. He hesitated before giving an answer.

"She's fine... She's vacationing in the Mist. It's supposed to be a mission, but she always fails. Typical Hinata-sama, treating missions like breaks from the village," the young Hyuuga said nonchalantly.

His stress levels went down considerably by his younger cousin's assuring words. Until he realized he was lying.

"Be honest. Where. Is. She," he asked with a grave tone.

"She's in a better place, Neji-kun," Akito answered just as gravely.

Neji let himself fall backwards. Akito wanted to laugh. Neji is the must gullible when he wakes up. He was the exact opposite of Hinata, who was the most alert when she woke up.

"... The Akatsuki isn't a better place..."

Neji sat up again. It was probably wise to not argue with him in order to save his remaining sanity. He put his hand over his forehead as he bent over in pain.

"My head hurts..." he complained.

Akito rushed to Neji's side, hovering a glowing green hand over his chest. His Byakugan was activated, scanning his older cousin's chakra flow.

"Head. Not chest."

Akito let out a small laugh.

"Just checking..."

His hand travelled up to where the problem laid. Neji closed his eyes. In a few moments, he felt a relief that he would die for.

"Arigato gozaimasu..." he thanked.

He expected his younger cousin's hand to move away a few seconds later, but it remained in its position. There was a strange silence in the air. The hand was finally removed after some seconds.

Should he question why Akito's hand lingered at his forehead for so long? He decided against it. He didn't have any right to tell a medic-nin what to do. After all, he was clueless in the medical field. It just bothered him that the routine was slightly altered.

"Ever have that awkward moment when you're using the Gentle Fist on a woman with large breasts?" Akito suddenly brought up.

Neji contemplated the question. He immediately thought back to his previous fights with Hinata. All previous thoughts were thrown out the window.

"... Yes."

Kurenai jumped when she heard her name suddenly being called behind her. She rotated herself 180 degrees to find the source of the holler.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

Sakura was extremely anxious about something. Perhaps another false what-if situation about Hinata's banishment. Kurenai didn't think it was of major importance. The medic-nin was known for crying over past events.

"Akito... I think she's suspicious."

Kurenai still didn't change her thoughts. Sakura might just be biased about Hyuugas. It's not uncommon. The Hyuugas have been labelled as traitorous, arrogant, and cold. This stereotype is another reason of the Hyuuga clan's fall.

"He. Akito's a he. Akira's a she," the red-eyed woman corrected.

Sakura had no idea what the hell Kurenai was talking about. She hasn't seen Akira, yet. Neither has Kurenai, but she's heard of her.

"She... He claimed to be a medic-nin. He said that Neji was resting in his tent due to headaches, and volunteered to take care of him. I asked him questions, and he said that he'd kill Hinata if needed because they're family. There was a knife in his hand as he entered Neji's tent," she explained.

Kurenai knows she should be acting less indifferent, but she really didn't care.

"It's probably nothing. Just leave them alone," she advised.

Kakashi looked up from his perverted book, surprised at Kurenai's reaction. It sounded pretty serious to him.

"Geez, you hold a worse grudge than Shino," he commented.

"Tenten holds knives all the time when she's talking to people," Kurenai replied.

"That's Tenten. We know her patterns. We don't know about Akito, though," Kakashi responded.

"Everything about him screams suspicious. Hyuugas aren't supposed to be medic-nin, his eyes are tinted green instead of the usual lavender, he doesn't mind killing his own cousin..." he listed.

"A lot of people don't mind killing their own cousin."

"A lot of crazy people," the grey-haired jounin retorted.

"He's a lower branch member. It's normal for them to hate main branch members. Besides, when worst comes to worst, we'll have to kill Hinata. Same with Sasuke."

Kakashi and Sakura were speechless. They've never heard Kurenai say such cruel things in such a relaxed voice. Has she been this emotionally detached the entire time?

"Are you saying it'd be easier to hate them?" Kakashi assumed.

"I'm saying it'd be easier if you think," the genjutsu-user said.

It vexed her how everyone makes such foolish choices without thinking about it'll affect everything else. They've been so stuck in the fairy-tale world that they completely forgot about reality. Nobody even considered what the point of no return really means.

"Think of them. Think of the village. Think of everything that's around us," she demanded.

"We know that the village wants to kill Hinata, and maybe even Sasuke. We'll find a way around that," Sakura persisted.

"That's not it. Even if they don't kill them, they'll be used."

"If the village has possession of two S-rank ninja, you're damn right they're going to be used! They'll be forced into ANBU with mission after mission heaved upon them, their every movement will be reported, every single piece of information they know will be hounded out of them..."

Her voice crescendoed with each word spoken. It felt like a siren blasting in their ears, informing them of a cold truth. Her fists were clenched so tightly that you could see the white bones under her skin.

"Do you know how stressful that is? To be treated like a prized weapon? To lose your humanity to an unscrupulous village?"

She was yelling, now. The slow fuse that's been building up has finally exploded upon them. Blood was starting to pour from her fists. She closed her eyes, attempting to regain composure that she couldn't even remember at the moment.

"It's enough to kill your own family," she whispered, barely loud enough for herself to hear.

Although her voice was quiet, her statement still rang in their ears as much as it did when she was yelling. Kurenai swiftly turned around and walked away, as if trying to escape her anger and grief. Kakashi and Sakura stared at her back as she left.

Akito and Neji, who both accidentally witnessed everything, stood as quietly as possible. Neji made a gesture to leave before they get caught. Akito nodded, slowly backing away.

"Are you okay, Hinata?" Itachi asked once more.

"I'm fine, Itachi-sama. I'm just tired... That's all," she repeated.

Itachi looked up at her. Her right arm was lazily hanging off the tree branch, with a black ribbon tied around her wrist. She was in a position that looked quite comfortable. Itachi never understood how shinobi slept in trees. Hell, he doesn't understand why she's sleeping in a tree when she has a bed.

"Is the tree that comfortable?" he questioned.

"We're Leaf-nin, Itachi-sama. Trees are our habitats," she replied.

True, the trees that surround Konoha are good for camouflage and are a good elevated advantage point, but how do you find comfort in them? They say you get used to it, but Itachi always ends up falling off the branch. He'd much rather sleep upon the ground. Perhaps he was destined to be a Grass-nin...

The sky was cloudy and grey. It seemed like it was going to rain, just as Itachi predicted. In fact, it looks like it'll rain in the next few hours. Where is he?

After some waiting, the one they've been waiting for finally arrived. It was raining at that time. Pein let the rain fall on him, taking in the natural scent he's become accustomed to.

"I need to know Hinata is truly capable of handling your younger brother," he stated, cutting straight to the chase.

"She has several advantages over Sasuke," the Uchiha assured.

A blind girl has a good chance against a Sharingan-user. If you also account for her ability to seal away dojutsu, her flawless defensive skills, and her intelligence, then it's very likely that Hinata will be victorious.

"Yes, but I question her strength, not strengths. I need her to prove her worthiness."

Itachi took a glance at Hinata. She was laying down, her eyes closed. Her entire manner was completely placid at the moment.

"Hinata," he called.

"I'm awake."

She jumped off the branch, landing beside Itachi. Pein noted how short Hinata was compared to Itachi. She's definitely the shortest one in the Akatsuki. Short for her age, even.

"You might want to step out of the rain," she advised.

Pein moved himself to the shelter of the tree that Hinata was previously resting on. She cleared her throat, as if she was preparing to make a speech. Her hands were raised high above her, much like the gesture Pein uses to make it rain. Except this time, she was making it rain fire.

Orange streams fell to the ground at a high speed. Crimson was slightly tinting the fire rain. There was a show of hot colors showering down, contrasting the grey sky.

Itachi activated his Sharingan, confirming that they weren't caught in some fancy illusion. The magnificent sight before them wasn't fictional. Yet it looked exactly like a tall tale that one would tell to their children at night. The dojutsu-users gazed in awe. She set fire to the rain...

"You really do live up to your title as a Goddess. This surpasses my own rain technique," Pein praised.

Hinata let her arms fall to her side. In a moment, the fire was replaced by the monotony of the usual rain. Itachi expected Hinata to be panting and exhausted, but she was perfectly fine. The ribbon tied to her wrist was now white.

"Even the Sharingan won't be able to replicate this. It'll only remember the beauty of it," Itachi complimented.

"Arigato, Pein, Itachi-sama," she thanked.

"Pein." Such a casual name for the leader of the Akatsuki. It was almost as if she was insulting him. "Itachi-sama." Such a high title just for her guardian. Does she really look up to him that much?

"There will be a high chance that you'll find yourself in a battle against Orochimaru instead of Sasuke. You might not be able to rely on the weather if such a situation were to occur..."

Hinata wasn't arrogant enough to say that she'll be able to defend herself. Her stomach bubbled with anxiety at the thought. As strong as she is, she still won't be skillful enough to handle the Snake Sannin.

"Itachi, please defend Hinata against Orochimaru. Keep a close eye on her," he instructed.

Hinata felt a certain emotion emanating from her guardian. What's this? Fear? No, it seemed more like reluctance. He's as grossed out by Orochimaru as any other normal person. It must've been horrible learning that his younger brother went to him for power.

The snake and the weasel have always been enemies...

"It'd make more sense to have Sasori guard her," the Sharingan-user suggested.

Their was an air of hopefulness around him. He was desperate to not be the one to face Orochimaru.

"Yes, but you're her guardian. For a good reason, too. Hinata is basically the diamond of the Akatsuki," the leader denied.

"Diamond?" Hinata echoed.

"This feels like the Hyuuga heiress position all over again..." she remarked with glumness.

Itachi was extremely aware of the emotions she felt as the diamond of the Akatsuki. After all, he was the ruby of the Uchiha clan.

"There'll be nobody to snatch or take away your title this time. You're fine the way you are," he comforted.

Hinata shook her head.

"I'm now conscious of the requirements to be the Moon-Eyed Goddess..."

She spoke of her title with such sourness. She must hate it now that she knows what it means.

"A flower in the sun. You need to be of the Fujiwara and Hyuuga clan, the two halves of one whole" she said.

Pein was impressed with how much history Hinata knows. Everyone almost assumed she knew nothing.

"However, it doesn't have to be a wisteria. It can also be a lotus."

"S-sakura-san!" Akito shrieked.

Sakura's hand froze. She was just about to add another herb to the soup she was preparing, until she was interrupted. The young Hyuuga seemed very frantic about something.

"Hai?"

"Have you ever heard of the phrase 'Taste your soup before you salt it'?" he asked.

Sakura decided to take his advice, putting down the herb in her hand. She picked up the wooden spoon, scooping up some of the soup she was preparing. She instantly spat it out after one small sip.

"I'll cook dinner, tonight," he offered.

"Thank you, but I'm very capable of cooking by myself," she declined.

"A pretty woman like you shouldn't bother with cooking meals. Please, leave the cooking to me," he begged.

Sakura blushed. Pretty woman... Akito is the exact opposite of Sai, who would've commented that even ugly apes should know how to cook.

"Okay, then!"

Sakura left the campfire to find someone to talk to. Akito sighed in relief. He stared at the bubbling pot in front of him. Should I check if it can still be saved? His gaze was directed to the bowls of herbs that Sakura used to create the soup in front of him. He was deeply afraid of the soup Sakura prepared.

Shikamaru yawned as he crawled out of his tent. He stretched, cracking his back in the process. His eyes fell upon the young Hyuuga, who was staring at the pot of soup. Sakura said he was suspicious...

"You're helping with dinner?" the Nara asked.

"I'm taking charge," the Hyuuga answered.

Taking charge? That doesn't sound good. If he really is a medic-nin, then he must know a lot about poisons. He walked to Akito's side, inspecting the soup.

"This is what Sakura-san made. I haven't touched it at all," he said.

Shikamaru grabbed the wooden spoon, ready to test what the soup tasted like so far. Akito put his arm in front of him, blocking the pot.

"Don't. This soup... It's..."

He took a dramatic pause.

"... past the point of no return..."

Shikamaru placed the spoon back where it was, staring at the pot in horror. He glanced at the ingredients at the side. That orange fungi does not look edible.

Hinata let out a few weak coughs. The rain was strong and the air was cold, but she still felt the need to live as a nocturnal creature. It felt like an eternity since she's rested on a tree branch.

I'm digging my grave by being in the cold so much. The warmth of a man was too foreign to her. The cold slap of the wind is what she really desired. Perhaps she became a masochist after years of being alone and abused. It doesn't matter. What's wrong feels right and what's right feels wrong.

Every doctor she's had told her to not be in the cold so often. When you're in the cold, you become cold. That's a universal truth. At the very least, she could yearn for warmth. Yet even that simple task was impossible for her.

Is it wrong to like the coldness? It doesn't feel wrong. The fresh smell of the damp earth was refreshing. The coldness slowly freezing her to death proved she still had the ability to feel. How could this possibly be wrong?

It's not like anybody stopped her. Some even encouraged her. It's just a breath of fresh air. Why would this be wrong?

The answer is quite simple. It's not wrong.

"Hinata."

"I can sense you."

"You have a bed, Hinata," he informed her.

"It's not any warmer in the bed than it is outside," she responded.

She almost sounded forlorn and bitter. Her change of attitude almost frightened Itachi. When a powerful Goddess gets in a mood, you can ensure that chaos will erupt.

"It is if you shut the window," he stated.

"I'm claustrophobic."

A deep silence filled the atmosphere. There are many causes for her fear. It symbolized myriad things. Hinata started to wonder what fears Itachi secretly held. Even a strong shinobi like him is afraid of something.

"There's a snake slithering up your right leg."

In a flash, a kunai was stabbed into his leg. He let out a sound of pain. Hinata let out a sound of laughter. This brief moment of naivety will never be forgotten.

"Ophidiophobia."

"I don't like snakes," he quietly confessed.

Hinata smirked. The man who singlehandedly took down Orochimaru is afraid of snakes. The irony. I don't like snakes, either, but I don't freak out like this...

There was a slight ruffle of leaves from the tree above them. Hinata wasn't bothered, but Itachi stared upwards intensely. She let out a few coughs. She must've been attempting to conceal a few more fits of giggles.

Hinata hopped down from the tree branch. She reached into her obi to retrieve the healing ointment, only to find out it wasn't there. She started to panic, patting herself down. She even checked her bra for the slim chance she hid it there.

"Bitch... That bitch!" she cursed.

"She stole the ointment!"

"Madoka-san?" Itachi assumed, trying to keep the pain out of his tone.

So this is what people feel when he stabs them in the leg. Pain. It's been such a long time since he's felt physical pain. Who would've guessed it'd be caused by his own hand?

"Momo-chan."

Suzuki-san? What a surprise. Although Hinata couldn't help but be proud of her student for mastering the art of stealing. She should be more careful around little girls.

"I'm glad I carry around bandages, though..."

Hinata kneeled next to Itachi, taking out her roll of bandages. She swiftly removed the knife. Itachi let out a grunt.

"G-gomenasai..." she apologized.

He's probably pissed at her, but it was worth it. Every little sound of pain and fear that came from Itachi's lips was music to her. It compensates for the hours of staring at his handsome face that never happened. All she has is a shadowy, blurry image in her mind.

"You haven't been eating."

Hinata stayed silent. She almost felt guilty that he was the one hurt, yet he was still concerned for her. Is this a tactic? She wrapped the bandages tightly around his leg.

"Do you prefer oranges? Grapes?" he asked.

"Strawberries, but that's not my problem," she replied.

She tied the bandages into a ribbon. He made a quick mental note of the fruit she preferred.

"How many members are there in the Akatsuki?" the blind girl inquired.

"10, including you."

Hinata bit her lip.

"I counted 11."

Itachi's heart skipped a beat. There's no way... There's definitely no way... Unless...

"Did you count Zetsu as two people?"

"No, just one."

She couldn't have. Could she?

"Name them."

"Me, Zetsu-senpai, you, Kisame-senpai, Hidan-senpai, Kakuzu-senpai, Sasori-senpai, Deidara-senpai, Konan-chan, Pein, and the one that paced in the hallways."

Okay, so she did. He urged himself to calm down. There are many logical and illogical explanations he could give to distract her.

"Are you sure it wasn't any of the others?" he questioned.

"P-positive! Whoever it was gave off an aura that almost made me lose the remains of my sanity. I felt no chakra signature, though. I was looking for you, and I got lost. I screamed... Hidan-senpai had to carry me because I was too scared to walk..." she explained.

Where was I when this happened? He never heard a scream. No matter where she was, he would've heard it. The hallways echo. It could've easily been hidden with a genjutsu, though.

Although Hidan did look bothered during the meeting... He did everything that was expected of him, yet there was still something that brought suspicion to him. The slightest glint of him trying to solve a conundrum was in his eyes the entire time. Itachi assumed he was wondering how the hell he was right about Hinata having the Sharingan.

The lack of talk highlighted the endless pouring of rain. There was a flash of lightning, followed by the booming of thunder. Hinata started to cough loudly.

"I-Itachi-sama... Do you think I'm... crazy?" she stuttered.

"You're not, Hinata," he replied with 100% confidence.

He needs to address the source of her problem before she truly does go insane. Her left arm was in a defensive position in front of her chest. Her right arm was behind her back.

"This person said something to me..." she mentioned.

Itachi touched her face. Her body temperature was warm, the exact opposite of what he expected. The weather was currently cold enough to see your own breath. He blamed the fever for her unnatural warmth.

"'The sun rises at midnight.'"

Crap.

Fuck.

Shit.

It's not that the message means something deathly important; it's that the message is fake. He knows this because there's absolutely nothing going on at midnight. Even though she hasn't gotten her hands on some valuable piece of information, he's still in a tricky situation.

Since the message is fake, then the entire scenario is also fake. It was all set up by her to test him. He must've slipped up somewhere. His reaction is crucial.

If he played along, he'd arouse suspicions for not noting the small hints she's been giving during her act. He has to expose her without confirming her thoughts. However, with her thoughts unconfirmed, she may dig deeper into the case...

"You shouldn't worry yourself over this," Itachi advised.

"After all, it's just all a lie."

The fear in her eyes was swept away in an instant. She laughed nervously, completely dropping the "Save me, I'm weak!" performance. The show she put on was quite convincing.

"I could only dream of fooling the all-powerful Itachi-sama..." she praised.

"Sasori, explain why Hinata starved herself just to entertain you," Itachi demanded.

Said puppet jumped from his position high on the tree. There was an amused glint in his eyes, embroidered with one of his signature smirks. Itachi gave him a death glare, not humored at all.

"For your information, it was never of my intention for her to starve herself. I just asked her to prove her deception skills. Anything that caused her harm in the process was of her own will," Sasori replied.

Translation: Not my fault she's a masochist.

Hinata smiled at how easily Sasori was able to twist words. Technically he did require that she deceive her target with the best of her ability, but that wasn't her goal. His command was to gather information of an 11th member. However, he was telling the truth when he said that starving herself was her own idea.

Itachi was clearly not pleased with Hinata's nonchalance of her well-being. It'll be even more difficult to protect her when she's her own enemy. Why does she do this?

"That still doesn't explain why you wanted her to fulfill such a task," Itachi responded.

Sasori smirked deviously.

"Just a bet. Nothing more, nothing less," he assured the Uchiha.

Itachi studied the two. A spy and her client? No, they seemed more like allies. With an alliance like that, he needs to stay on edge. Hinata already has him cornered. He decided to call it a day.

"I'm going to sleep," he announced.

"Sweet dreams, Uchiha brat."

It was clear that he wished the exact opposite. Hinata showed him an amiable smile as he departed. Jashin knows what sinister plots are forming in her mind.

Pein: Buses... They don't exist?

Konan: No, that was just a fever dream, Nagato-kun.

Pein: So we have to walk there?

Konan: ... We have flying clay birds...

Pein: But not buses? What the hell?

Just a reminder!
Read Perfect Heir! Review this chapter! Give some useful criticism! Thank you for wasting your time!
Btw, do you people like Akito/Akira and Momoko? I really hate OC's in stories, but...