A/N: That's right my lovelies, we've reached the final chapter!
Can I just say thank you to every one of you readers, those who have stuck with this story since its beginning and those who joined halfway through, and of course those of you who started it recently. Thanks for your wonderful and sweet and confidence-boosting reviews, thanks for adding this story to your alerts and your favorites, thanks for being so wonderful and awesome and amazing! If it wasn't 3am I'd be compiling a list of all you guys to put here but I have school in the morning so alas you must settle with this: (づ｡◕‿‿◕｡)づ・。*。✧・゜゜・。✧。*・゜゜・✧。・゜゜・。*。・゜*✧
A big thanks to Myosotis for the cover of this story, the drawing is brilliant! ~
You guys have been so brilliant, honestly, I never thought this fic would go on for such a long time or be so lengthy, but we should always expect the unexpected, right? If I could hug you all right now I would but just give me a moment to grow arms that are long enough okay?
As AnimexXxGoddess requested I shall write an alternate ending to this story, one that will be shorter than this but hopefully just as satisfying. It'll be up within a week, hopefully. :]
So please enjoy the final chapter of Prisoner.
Sliding further down under her covers until she was enveloped by them completely, Hinata prayed that the voices would fade away and leave her alone. But even the thick sheets over her head were unable to stop them from seeping through to her. They battered her with angry yells and scornful remarks, leaving nothing left unsaid. All day and night they had remained outside the compound, refusing to give the Hyuuga clan any peace. Try as they might, her family had been unable to get them to leave; they had threatened, pleaded, and even bribed, but their efforts bore no results. You couldn't deter the determined. They wanted Hinata to answer for what she did – well, what they thought she did – and they weren't going to give up until it happened. If anything, she wanted to tell them that she didn't do it, that she felt terrible about what had happened to their loved ones and wished just as strongly as they did that it had never happened. But they wouldn't listen. They had already made up their minds.
She could only imagine how the rest of her family felt. She hadn't seen any of them since being locked in her room and effectively entering house arrest the day before, not even her father. While she had received visits from teammates and teachers who wanted her to know they believed her in her, her family had stayed silent on the matter. Hinata couldn't blame them; this entire situation had brought shame to her clan, a shame that could only be wiped away if they could prove her innocence. But even that seemed far from likely.
Her friends had told her to have hope. "We'll do whatever we can to help you," Naruto and Sakura had promised. "They just don't know you like we do," Kurenai had said, with Shino nodding his head beside her. "They want someone to blame, and you're right here, easy pickings." Yet their words had rung hollow in her ears, and they comforted her no more than her blankets protected her now.
It's midday, and I'm hiding out in my bed, she sighed mentally. I should be doing something, anything, but there's nothing to be done here! Her comrades had promised to help her, yet how could they possibly do that? Deidara was long gone, and had taken the secret of his escape with him. The guards still stuck to their tales of treason in the night. She wanted to hope, to have faith in those who cared about her, but she couldn't even muster up a single spark, not while the chants outside grew louder and stronger with each passing moment.
Not for the first time, she let her thoughts slip back to the blonde who had gotten her into this mess, the blonde boy with the shackles on his wrists and the bruises covering his body. The boy she had tended to when he was feverish, who she had spoken too about matters close to her heart, who had been kind to her when it made no difference to him but all the difference in the world to her. The boy she had travelled with, the boy she had kissed...had it all been one great big lie? But he cared about you, a small voice whispered. He told you not to do anything to help him because he didn't want you to get in any trouble. Now that she thought back to their conversation in the cold cell, she realised that he had plainly told her he was going to escape. "I have my own ways of getting out," he has said. That meant he must have known his comrades were going to come for him. But had he been aware of their plans to incriminate Hinata in their place? He couldn't have known...he wouldn't have let that happen to you. He cared about you!
But what if he had known? Hinata asked the voice. It didn't respond. She wasn't sure whether to sh should acknowledge its words or listen to her own jumbled thoughts. Instead she decided to stop thinking completely and leave her mini-fortress beneath the bed sheets, which had grown hot and stuffy. Tossing them away from her head she emerged completely, swung her legs over the side of the bed and took a deep breath. Her lungs filled with the cool air, and she slowly exhaled, savouring every bit of it.
It only took one glance through her window to see that mob was still there, although they appeared calmer than before. Even so, she was still unsettled by the sight. She tried to look at the sky and admire the clouds, yet from the corner of her eyes the figures still moved, and she spotted the occasional angry gesture every few seconds.
"Maybe if I lie right there there..." she murmured to herself thoughtfully, eyeing a spot on the ground beside the window. Sliding onto the ground, she lay on her back and looked up past the glass once more. That's better, she thought happily. She had a perfect view of the sky and could avoid the crowd for a while longer.
The last time they had seen her standing by her window it had sent them into a crazed frenzy. One person had even tried to hurl a rock at her, but the building was too far from the gates and his throw too weak. A mere moment later he had been detained and hauled off cursing by two of the Hyuuga guards. That hadn't stopped her from snapping the curtains shut in terror. Now that I think about it, where did they even take him? She wondered, watching a particularly large cloud break up into a dozen different pieces.
A loud knocking on her door brought her back to reality, and she sat up just as her father entered the room. He wore a stern expression on his face, and the atmosphere he brought in was cold and unforgiving. Hinata nearly tripped over her feet trying to get up, but she regained her balance and bowed respectfully. When she had straightened, Hiashi began to speak.
"You've tainted the entire clan with your actions," he said. "How could you have been so foolish?" His tone held a mixture of bitterness and rage that stung the girl deep. "What in your right mind made you want to release the fiend?"
It's nice to see you too, father. For a moment she didn't know what to say. "...Y-you think I'm guilty?"
"Of course. There's no reason to think otherwise."
She flinched. "But I didn't do it."
"Don't start this – I've heard just about every defense for you possible, but in the end there are still witnesses. Who did you think I would believe?"
"I w-was hoping you'd believe me."
"Then you should've been wiser. Even more people have gone to Tsunade since then claiming they saw you that night, through their windows as you were running through the shadows and slinking about alleyways."
"They have?" This was news to her. If she had thought things were hopeless before, what possible chance would she have now? "But I wasn't there, I didn't do it!"
He fixed her with a cold stare. "What reason would they have to say you did, then?"
"I don't know..."
"Remember, two of those people are members of our own clan, they would not lie to me."
"I'm not lying!"
"They are my trusted guards –"
"But I'm your daughter!"
She didn't realise she had yelled out the words until a deafening silence filled the room. Hiashi folded his arms across his chest, and although his eyes did not betray a single thought, the throbbing vein on his forehead did. Her face flushed red, and she looked down at her feet, unable to meet his gaze. She wasn't going to take it back, though. What reason did he have to be angry? She was his daughter, for heaven's sake! Didn't that mean anything to him?
"No daughter of mine would lie to my face, nor would she dishonour our clan as you have. You're a disgrace, a memory that will be best left forgotten."
He swiftly exited the room before she could say another word, slamming the door loudly behind him. She heard a click as the ANBU outside locked it, and bit down on her lip so hard that she drew blood. He had given up on her. Her own father. Well, it actually looked like he had never had any faith in her from the beginning, but she had hoped that maybe he would support her for once. That wish was dead. My own family is abandoning me now. Neji's the only one who still believes in me, but what if he goes away too?
The mob outside started screaming and shouting, and she realised she was the cause of it. They had spied her again, and even though they couldn't see her completely, her mere shadow was able to antagonize them. She plopped back onto the ground so that she was protected by her walls once more, and drew her knees to her chest.
She was a prisoner in her own home, trapped between livid strangers on one side of her and a clan that was ashamed of her on another. Wasn't there anyway she could just get away from it all? All the hate, the anger, the blame, everything? This wasn't the first time she had thought about escaping, climbing out the window and scaling the walls just as her accusers claimed she had done before. And then what? Where would she go? Every one of the villagers loathed her with a passion. One false step and they'd either ship her back to the compound looking guiltier than ever, or they'd kill her themselves as 'justice.' There was no way she could leave and expect to get out unharmed.
At this point she would've welcomed the presence of anyone of her friends, someone who would reassure her that things would turn out alright. But what good would comforting words do? Would they make everyone understand that she had had nothing to do with the breakout? Would they revive the dead, restore the prison to what it used to be? Would they bring Deidara back?
Wrapping her arms tightly around her legs, she rested her forehead on her knees and squeezed her eyes shut.
What's going to happen to me now?
One two three four one two three four.
He was running as fast as he could, twisting left and right as he avoided trees and rocks and all the other obstacles that threatened to block his path. The air was thick with the earthy smells of the forest, of the soil and the flowers all around him, and occasionally bushes and leaves rustled as small animals moved around within their tiny homes. They would poke their heads out and stare at him curiously before fleeing in terror as he bounded towards them without hesitation. Rays of sunlight slipped through the branches of the tall trees surrounding him, illuminating everything they touched. He didn't notice any of it, however. Nothing was more important to him now then getting to Hinata.
One two three four one two three four.
Deidara counted every step he took, knowing that each one brought him closer to Konoha, closer to her. Well, that and farther away from his comrades, who were probably giving chase to him. When he hadn't returned to the inn after his 'walk' they must have figured out that he was gone. They would've wrung the truth out of Tobi, the damn weakling. But that didn't matter at the moment. He had a head start on them; he'd have long since arrived at his destination whenever they caught up. What he really needed to think about now was what the hell he was going to do once he got to the village.
He'd gone over it a million times in his head during his endless walk, and even more during the short hours of sleep he had managed to enjoy before continuing on his way. A million different scenarios had been envisioned, and all of them had ended in the exact same way: complete and utter failure.
One two three four...what am I going to do? Talking to them was certainly out of the question, and was far too simple for his tastes. Those Konoha-nin won't believe a single word that comes out of my mouth. Not to mention they'd probably think even worse of Hinata if I started to defend her...If I could get to those two Hyuuga guards Itachi messed around with, maybe I could make them realise it was just an illusion...But then how the hell would I even do that?! They get one look at me, figure out who I am and off goes my head. Maybe I could force those villagers to listen by threatening them. I have my clay back; I could easily make a couple of birds and – no, damn it, that's such a stupid idea! This is not the time for any explosions! Antagonizing them isn't going to do me any good!
He leapt over the twisted root of a large, gnarled tree and swung to the left. He was getting closer now. It wouldn't be long before he was there, and he still hadn't come up with anything useful. Doubtless they're keeping Hinata under close watch somewhere. Just the thought of it was enough to make him grind his teeth. Why do these fools have to be so fucking gullible? If I can find her and just talk to her, maybe we can think of a way to help her.
Yet still there was that chance that she didn't want to see him at all, that she hated him for what he had done, that she thought he was a liar and a snake and wished for nothing more than his death. Stop scaring yourself. You know she's not like that. His inner voice was right. The sweet, outspoken girl would never think such violent things. And definitely not about him. Right?
Even now he still didn't understand how he could have let this happen. He should've known about his comrade's plans right from the start, he should have realised what they were planning the moment they sent him down to that mansion's basement. They should have told him. He didn't like being used like that. It left a bitter taste in his mouth every time he thought about it. Grudgingly, he knew he had to acknowledge the fact that it was a smart plan, yet that didn't mean he had to like it. Maybe if he had been included in it, if he had known all the details, things would've been different. Maybe he would've never developed an attachment to the girl, and wouldn't be storming through bushes and dirt to save her from the doom they had designed.
...No. It would've been exactly the same.
Crack.
What was that? He looked to his right, but there was no sign of where the sound came from. Slowly turning back he continued running. It had sounded like a twig snapping...
Someone's here! Whirling around, Deidara swung to the side just as a kunai came whistling past his head and embedded itself in the tree beside him. Its thrower, a leaf shinobi with two red markings on his cheeks, sat upon the back of an incredibly large dog. The beast bared its teeth at the blonde, a low growl sounding from the back of his throat. He could feel the yellowish bruises covering his skin throb in response to the man's presence. That's the one who interrogated me. Shit! Shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit! He hadn't realised he had gotten so close to Konoha. There would be men crawling about everywhere! Why hadn't he taken note of his surroundings sooner?
"Ten miles from the village," Kiba said, sliding off Akamaru. "How is it that you're just ten miles from the village, and I didn't find you until now?"
The blonde said nothing. He only flexed his fingers, measuring the distance between his hand and the pouches resting at his side. Kiba was twirling another kunai in his hand now, glaring at his opponent with such intensity he could practically feel two holes being burned into his head. The distance between them was only a few feet. It would be easy for the Konoha-nin to leap forward and drive the small blade right into his chest. But the Inuzuka stayed where he was, and, instead of attacking, he spoke.
"If your hand moves any closer to that bag of clay I won't hesitate to kill you where you stand." The blonde didn't move his hand away, but he certainly didn't move it any closer, either. "Why are you here?"
"Guess I missed the scenery," Deiadra replied sarcastically. "Although I didn't get to see much through that cell window." I should kill him where he's standing. If I can distract him long enough to get my clay out...
"Don't fuck with me," the other man snarled. "I've been coming out to these woods trying to track you down ever since you escaped, and this is the first time I've been able to catch your scent. You covered up your getaway well."
"Going to start a fan club for me?" Come on, look away, attack, do something! Give me an opening!
"Why are you back here?"
"Just thought I'd stop by and say hello."
"Bullshit."
"Obviously."
Kiba's eyes narrowed, and his fingers tightened around the kunai. "I should take you back with me right now and throw you at Tsunade's feet, and watch you grovel for mercy. I could even just kill you right here and get it over with." He threw the weapon in the air and caught it expertly. "But if I did that none of my questions would be answered."
"I'm happy to see you care so much about my wellbeing."
"Believe me, I don't give a rat's ass about your wellbeing. I want to know why the hell you people framed Hinata for your escape."
He knows? "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Don't try to deny it! I know you set up those witnesses, and that fire, even if nobody else will believe it. Damn it, do you realise what you've done to her?! She told us about you two, you know. She told us every single thing. And you doomed her to certain death! How the hell could you do that?!"
"...I still don't know what you're talking about."
"ANSWER ME!"
He lunged at Deidara with the kunai, but the blonde was ready for it, and he grabbed Kiba's arm before he could reach him and twisted it around, forcing him to drop the weapon. Quickly he struck the Inuzuka's cheek, sending him staggering a few feet back. But still the man was persistent, and he shot forward once more, this time aiming a furious fist at the blonde's face. He's too reckless. Ducking low and sweeping at the shinobi's feet with his leg, Deidara tripped his foe. There he was reaching for the clay resting upon his hips, but before he could even brush his fingertips against the pouch the dog was there, snapping and snarling at him. He leapt onto the artist and knocked him face-first into the ground. With a mouth full of dirt and an aching head, Deidara struggled to get out from under the crushing weight of the dog on top of him, but it was too strong.
"Tell me, why did you choose Hinata?!" Kiba ordered the dog to move so that he could shove the Akatsuki member onto his back. "Everyone thinks she's guilty for a crime she didn't commit! She wanted to help you, and you threw it in her face! How could you betray her?!"
"She's delusional," he spat, coughing loudly. "I don't know what she told you, but everything I did was just a part of the plan. There was nothing between us." Even if she had told them the truth, he could still deny it. It was her word against his.
"Don't lie to me! It didn't work the first time and it isn't working now." Kiba scowled and ran a hand through his hair, tugging at the brown locks. "Fucking hell...even if I take you there right now, it won't do any good for her! They already think you're accomplices; no matter what you say or what I make you say it won't change a thing. They'll say you're lying, they'll say she's lying, and it'll end with two bodies instead of one. I don't give a damn about what happens to you, but right now she's standing at the edge of a precipice, and I'm not going to let her fall."
Deidara felt his blood run cold. So that was it? They all believed she was guilty. Pein's plan had worked out perfectly. And according to this Konoha-nin, he could do nothing to help her. Sooner or later they would sentence her to die, and that would be the end of it. He couldn't help her now. She had been doomed the moment the first explosion took place. Yet to give up without trying...it just felt wrong.
"...I didn't know," the blonde admitted, moving his gaze to the leafy sky above them. "They didn't tell me a thing. All they said was that I'd escape."
He was granted with a sceptical stare. "You're telling the truth now?"
"Why not? You've been begging for it since the moment you first punched me."
"You're incredibly irritating. Honestly, I have no idea why Hinata fell for you." Kiba made the statement so scornfully that the other couldn't help but put two and two together.
"You're jealous! You like her and she likes me, and that's why you've been on my case this entire time!" Deidara burst out laughing. It felt good, so he laughed even louder, drowning out every other sound with that of his amusement. "Holy shit. I stole her right out from under your nose. Ha!"
"It's great that you can laugh about this, considering the situation she's in now," the Konoha-nin remarked sarcastically. "You never deserved any of the kindness she showed you. You didn't deserve her. I've been with her all this time...she's helped me grow just as much as I've helped her. She's beautiful, sweet, shy, compassionate...who wouldn't fall for her?"
"Yet I'm the one who got her! Funny, isn't it?"
"It's not funny at all."
"Well you can have her, now. It's likely she hates me anyway."
"You say it like you don't give a damn about her, but you can cut the crap. I remember how you acted in that cell. You hated the idea that we even thought you ever hurt her."
"And you hate the idea that I've ever touched her. But in the end this whole thing is still all my fault. I was the perfect pawn. Perfect, I enjoy being, but a pawn is another matter completely. She should have never visited me. She shouldn't have tried to help me."
"She did, though. And now you owe her."
"Why do you think I came back? I was going to try to help her." He snorted derisively. "If only I had known just how useless it would be."
"You came alone?"
"Do you think the other members of the Akatsuki would come to assist me in foiling their own plan?"
"They wouldn't. But I will."
Is he implying what I think he's implying? "What do you have in mind?"
Kiba sighed and placed his hand on Akamaru's head, scratching the dog between the ears. "There's one way we can save Hinata, one that I didn't even consider until you showed up. I don't like it, but it's the only option we have. You owe her, remember? You don't have any other choice but to go along with me."
It took the blonde less than a heartbeat to consider.
"I'll do it."
Tap tap tap.
The noise rung right though Hinata's head, bringing her back from the recesses of her dreams to the darkness of her room. Blinking, she slowly sat up and allowed her eyes to get used to the dim light seeping in through a slit in her curtains. Tap tap tap.
There's someone at the door. At this time of night? She had gone to sleep before the sun had set, but she knew it couldn't be past midnight. Why would someone possibly come to visit her now? She stood sleepily, swaying slightly in the night gown she wore. Through her door she could hear people speaking – it sounded oddly like an argument. The voices raised even louder, and she considered just going back to sleep when the door clicked and swung open, revealing Kiba and Neji, and her ANBU patrol behind them.
"Were you asleep?" Kiba asked, taking in the revealing clothing she wore. Blushing furiously, she was only able to nod, wrapping her arms around herself protectively.
"I can't believe you forgot we were going to train in the clearing tonight," Neji said. We were meant to train tonight? What was he talking about? They had never planned anything. "I didn't think I would have to remind you."
"I don't exactly..." she trailed off when she noticed that the Inuzuka was mouthing something towards her, the guards behind him completely oblivious. Just go along with it, his lips said. "O-oh! I'm so sorry, it slipped my mind completely!"
Even though their faces were hidden behind their masks, she knew the ANBU couldn't like the sound of this. "She's under house arrest, remember?" one said. "She can't leave."
"It's just to get some work done," Neji told them. "You can feel free to tag along. Whether you like it or not, she's coming with us. We'll leave the back way so that none of those rioters out there sees a thing."
The guards looked at each other. They seemed uncertain of what to do. They must be new, Hinata realised. Any seasoned ANBU would never even think about letting me out. Not for a minute. Neji must know that. "...We really can't let her out. Take it up with Tsunade."
"Tsunade already knows about this! Do you really think so little of me that I wouldn't ask for her permission? Tell you what, why don't you go wake her up and ask her about it? I'm sure she'd love to listen to your whining, especially if she's been drinking. In fact, I'll come with you! I'd really love to see what she does to you two."
He's lying right through his teeth and they can't tell. They simply stood in place uneasily, shifting their weight from one foot to the other. His cousin bit her lip nervously, wondering if it would work, if they would call his bluff.
"We'll tag along with you," the taller one finally said. "As long as she promises not to give us any trouble. This place had better not be too far from here."
"Fine. It's a short jog away, nothing worry about. Hinata, get dressed and meet us in the gardens. And wear something thick; it's cold outside."
They shut the door behind them when they left. It didn't take Hinata long to slip out of her nightgown and pull on a thick, tight pair of pants and a vest, shirt and then her usual hoodie. She sat back down, donned a pair of boots and tugged on the laces as though her life depended on the knots being as tight as possible. Neji, Kiba, what are you two scheming? Are you trying to help me somehow? How would lying about an intended training session do her any good?
Still, she finished up and met them in the gardens just as they had told her to do, making sure to keep as quiet as possible while she navigated her way through the building's corridors. Everyone was asleep, but all the same she felt like their eyes were following her through the doors she passed. But no-one stirred, and once she was outside she was able to breathe again.
She spotted Kiba waving at her from the wall to her right, and she stealthily moved towards it, noticing that it wasn't nearly as cold as Neji had made it sound like. Are we going to climb the wall?! It certainly looked that way – her cousin had already begun to scale it. She opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again when her comrade put a finger to his lips. Not here, not now. Outside.
Nodding, she watched the first ANBU guard go up, then she was next, fumbling at the stones and moving slowly upwards until she was seated on the top and clambering over to the other side. She dropped to the ground with a soft thud and scanned the area anxiously. Nothing moved except the leaves on the trees and the grass around her feet that swayed with each slight breeze. Another two thuds followed her own, and then they were running, getting as far away from the compound as they possibly could before anyone came wandering around and spotted them.
Five minutes later their pace slowed, and Kiba chuckled breathlessly. "That was a workout on its own," he commented. "Getting back in will probably be harder – we'd better get this session done with quickly. Right, Neji?"
"Right," the Hyuuga said, slipping his hands into his pockets, which looked oddly full.
"So just where is this clearing –" The ANBU stopped in the middle of his sentence when he saw the small black balls Neji was drawing from his clothes. "Hey, what are tho–?!" Before he could say any more, the balls were on the ground, and Kiba had pulled Hinata to him, and was dragging her away, yelling at her to pick up the pace and run with him, to ignore the shocked men behind them.
Hisssssssssss.
The night's quiet was completely broken by the sound of smoke seeping out from the balls at a pace one could have only imagined. Immediately her vision was blocked by a barrier of white that stung her eyes and constricted her throat. She would've fallen to the ground had her friend not have been holding her arm, keeping her upright and moving.
And then the smoke was gone and tears were streaming from her aching eyes as they raced through the night and between the trees, moving in a direction she knew would lead them out of the village.
"Kiba," she croaked, coughing in an attempt to clear her throat. It worked, although a faint ache remained. "What's going on?!"
"Neji will keep them off, but I don't know how long he'll be able to," he told her. He never once faltered in his steps, yet all the while she was stumbling over things she couldn't see and rubbing her eyes to get rid of the tears.
"What do you mean? Tell me what's happening!"
"Just follow me."
So she stayed quiet, whether for seconds, minutes or even hours, she didn't know, until they reached a small stream running through the undergrowth, at which he stopped and let go of her. "What's going on?" she asked once again. As if in response, a shadow came out of the dark and into the pale moonlight.
Deidara.
He took one step closer, and another, and then suddenly she was in his arms, being clutched tightly to his chest by a pair of strong arms that she had missed so much. Her arms wound around his torso just as firmly, and she pressed herself against him even more, unwilling to let even the smallest of gaps come between them. She could feel his heart beat against her chest, his breath against her ear, and she had never felt so at home as she did there in his clutch. He was there, he was there, he had come back for her! She looked up at him, drinking in the sight of him like a cup of warm, sweet tea that she had gone years without tasting. The scope was missing from his eye still, his hair was messy, and his clothes were dishevelled and covered in dirt, but somehow she didn't see any of it. She only saw him.
"Deidara," she began to say, when his lips came down onto hers.
His fingers entwined themselves in her hair and her own moved to rest on the sides of his face, her thumbs caressing his jaw as the kiss deepened. Then her arms were around his neck and she was drawing him in completely. He broke away for a second to gaze into her eyes, and in them she could see her own face reflected, radiant with the light of the blue fire that danced around it. And then once again they were kissing. Their lips moved against each other as quick as lightning, leaving no part untouched, devouring each other as though it was the last chance they had.
Finally when Kiba coughed in irritation they remembered that they weren't alone. They broke away from each other, both breathing heavily and Hinata so red that it was a miracle steam wasn't rising from her head.
"Hell, get a room you guys," he said. Voices echoed in the distance, indecipherable shouts and yells. "I'd better get back there." He stepped towards Hinata and laid a hand on her head. "...You know I want you to be happy. And for some reason, the happiest I've seen you in these past weeks was right now, with him. So I think I just might be doing the right thing."
"What do you mean?" she asked. Instead of answering, he simply ruffled her hair.
"Neji wanted to say bye, too, but it just wasn't possible. We'll see you again soon, though. One day soon. We'll come and find you. And you." He looked at the blonde. "If you mess this up or get her hurt, I'll hunt you down myself and feed you to Akamaru."
And then he was gone, leaving her alone with Deidara. He gave her a small smile.
"What are you doing here?" she asked him as everything started to click into place.
"I'm here to save you."
"Eh?"
His grin grew even wider, but it faded just as quickly, and a serious expression took its place instead. "Hinata...I...Look, I'm really really really sorry for everything that's happened to you over these last few weeks. You've gone through so much shit that you never should've experienced, you've suffered through everything we brought on, and now thanks to my stupidity and my comrade's plans, your entire village has turned against you. I swear to you, I had no idea they were going to frame you for my escape. I came back to try to help you, but your friend let me know just how useless I'd be. So we came up with a different plan."
It finally clicked. "You're here to take me away."
"Yes. It was your friend that came up with the idea. 'They'll never forgive her,' he said. 'We have to get her out of the village before it's too late.' And I agreed completely. Come with me, Hinata."
"Where? Where would we go?"
"I have no clue. Anywhere. Back with me to the Akatsuki, maybe. I know it's not the greatest idea in the world, but at least you'd be welcome, unlike here. This place has been poisoned – you'll never be able to go back now. The only thing you can do is move forward. I want to be there for you, Hinata. I want to be able to sit with you and hold you and kiss you and protect you from anyone who ever tries to hurt you. You've been all I could think about since I first saw you smile, and since then you've never left my mind. Come with me. Stay with me. Be with me."
Hinata looked away, back in the direction of her village, with the people who loathed her and the family that didn't want her, and where her two closest friends in the world were risking their lives to keep her safe. And then she turned back to the man in front of her. He held his hand outstretched towards her, and she felt a burst of emotion within her chest, an explosion of joy and wonder and lust and something else, something deeper, something she had only felt for one other boy in her entire life...
She took his hand, and together they disappeared into the night.