Chapter 50: Trust
"That is, he must reenter the silence and the darkness, and be born again." - Wendell Berry

"The little brat is gone. And it looks like he took his minions with him," Zetsu laughed, his eyes surveying the abandoned hideout. "The balls on that kid, I tell you."

Madara crossed his arms over his chest, eyes closed, searching for any residual energy, any hint of where they'd gone. But the kid was careful. There wasn't even a trace, perhaps not for three days or more. Certainly not since they'd begun the extraction, however incomplete. They'd probably used the girl's masking ability. He initially questioned her involvement, but it appeared the redhead was good for something after all.

"WHAT WILL YOU DO NOW?" Black Zetsu asked, the creature slinking from the ceiling to the ground. The white half reached its arm towards a suspicious looking tank. The black half swatted the hand away. "STOP PLAYING AROUND. WE HAVE BUSINESS TO ATTEND TO."

The man hummed. "They've been careful in covering up their tracks, though I could guess where they've gone. With Sasuke's injuries they surely couldn't have made it very far, but he's certain to be healed by now. And, all things considered, I'd guess he's headed to Konohagakure."

"So are we going after them, then?"

Madara shook his masked head. "Let Sasuke rest for now. He'll be on the move soon. When that happens, we will deliver news of the kages' movements to him and see what he does from there."

"BUT WHAT OF THE EIGHT-TAILED BEAST?"

"That is quite the unfortunate circumstance, but something that can be dealt with later. I suspected all along Sasuke would be gone when we came to inform him his job was incomplete. As far as he's aware, his loyalty to me and to Akatsuki dissolved the moment he completed his end of the deal and I failed to uphold mine."

"She could've been resurrected, though, right? With Nagato's Rinne Tensei?"

"Yet another unfortunate circumstance, that betrayal of his. The Rinne Tensei was meant for me," Madara seethed. "Still, I suppose you're right. She could be very much alive, but the resurrection detail was left out of the story I told Sasuke. As far as he's concerned, that girl of his wasn't kept safe and he has no one left, now. That does put a damper on our relationship, but the ultimate result should be the same. Still, even if Sasuke becomes more powerful than Nagato, he's no use to us if we can't control him."

"So what will we do with him, then?"

"We'll have to continue to hold off on syncing him with Gedo Mazo. Until then I plan to wait and see how things go. We still have time to bring him back around to our side. If it turns out that Hyuuga girl is alive, we'll use it to our advantage. Otherwise, with her gone Sasuke will go after whoever gets in between him and his target. With or without the Eight Tails, we'll be one step closer to obtaining what we want, anyway."

"And what is that again, exactly?" White Zetsu asked, scratching his head. Black Zetsu sighed audibly at his counterpart, but Madara didn't seem to mind.

"Peace," the man answered. "But first, there must be chaos."

"What do you mean we can't see her?" Kiba shouted. "We're her team! We're supposed to be together, right Shino?"

The quieter boy cleared his throat. "That is the basic understanding of a team, yes."

"See?" Kiba gestured wildly at his friend, accidentally knocking his glasses askew. Shino scrambled to adjust them but the dog boy didn't seem to notice at all. "She returns home and we're kept from her. She gets hurt during battle and we're kept from her. And here she just woke up and you're already trying to keep us away?"

Sakura leaned away from his inclined face but stood her ground, arms crossed and expression stern. Akamaru growled. The pink-haired girl shot the dog a narrow-eyed glare. "Look, this certainly isn't ideal. I get that. But there were some… complications regarding Hinata's recovery that we can't disclose at this time. At least not until Shizune is finished checking on her." Pulling the woman away from Tsunade's side had been a task all its own; one that required recruiting someone to stand guard who wouldn't be tempted to check on Hinata and a hell of a lot of convincing Shizune that it was important enough to momentarily leave Tsunade. She almost gave up, but the news of Hinata's new eyes changed her mind.

"While I do not agree with his temper, I share the Inuzuka's sentiment," Hiashi spoke up, arms crossed over his chest, mimicking the med-nin. He had just gotten wind of his daughter's recovery and showed up at her tent only to be told he couldn't see her. Needless to say, he was less than amused.

"I understand, Lord Hiashi, but I must ask you to remain patient while Shizune-san examines her and until she is cleared for visitors again."

"She had a tent full of visitors not even an hour ago. What changed?"

"She…" Sakura glanced nervously over her shoulder. What had changed? She'd never seen eyes like those before. Whatever they were, were they powerful? Were they dangerous? "We don't know," she eventually admitted.

"You don't know what's wrong with my sister?" Hanabi asked, lifting onto her tiptoes to try and get a look around Sakura, as if she could see into the tent. Given the family dojutsu, the girl very well could if she wanted, as could Hiashi and Neji for that matter. But it seemed their respect for privacy reached beyond the walls of their compound. None of them even attempted to activate their respective Byakugan.

"I told you, Shizune is examining her now. While Tsunade-sama is still recovering, she is the next best option we have at this time. Whatever is going on with Hinata, I promise we are working quickly to get it all sorted out."

"It's so severe you need the best medical ninja in the village to weigh in on it?" Hanabi's voice hitched with nerves.

"It isn't severe, it's simply something I haven't seen before. I'm afraid I cannot answer any more of your questions until we all have more information."

"Cleared or not, I demand to see my daughter this instant!"

"Lord Hiashi, I -"

"Didn't you hear what she just said?" All eyes in the group turned toward the source of the voice. "She said you can all see her once Shizune is finished with the exam."

The Hyuuga patriarch lifted his brow, looking at Naruto for the first time. "You are a medical expert now, too?"

The blond boy shook his head. "No. But I know if Sakura says you should wait, then it's best for everyone, Hinata included, if you all wait."

Hiashi took a step forward, his presence commanding and superior. Naruto, commandeered to guard Hinata's tent while Sakura fetched Shizune, met the man's imposing form with a chin lift. "You may have saved the village, boy, and they may call you a hero. You very well may be one. But never presume to know better than I what is best for my daughter. I will not soon forget that it was your incompetence that landed her in this trouble in the first place."

Sakura eyed Naruto. Fury began to rise in him. She watched as his fists became white-knuckled by his thighs. "I had nothing to do with Hinata getting hurt," he growled through clenched teeth. "I told her to stay away. I was trying to protect her." He was struggling to stay calm.

Hiashi refused to relent. "Had you owned your own weaknesses and accepted assistance in the first place, she would not have needed to come to your aid at all."

"You think I don't know that?" the boy shouted.

"Naruto…" Sakura warned. She placed a hand on his upper arm.

The boy closed his eyes and took a deep breath, his shoulders lifting and falling. When he opened his eyes again, he was calmer but a darkness continued to rest over him. He met Hiashi's gaze evenly. "Hinata is capable of making her own decisions. She told me as much herself. I will own up to my mistakes, but with all due respect, Hiashi-sama, I don't believe I'm the one to blame. You say you know what is best for your daughter, at least better than I do. And you're probably right. But the one who knows better than anyone what's best for Hinata is Hinata." Sakura bit the inside of her cheek. Her fingers tightened quickly around Naruto's bicep before releasing it. "Hinata understands who she is and the promises she's made. If you're not willing to let her do what is necessary to keep those promises, then you're no better than I am."

The man and the boy stared at each other for a long moment, the small group waiting with baited breath to see who would break first. Before either of them could speak, however, the tent behind Sakura's back pulled open, Shizune's head of dark hair peeking out from inside.

The woman sized up the tension briefly before clearing her throat, drawing the attention of the few who hadn't yet noticed her. "Thank you all for your patience. Hinata is ready to take visitors again."

Though they'd all been more than eager to bust into the tent not long before, the group now hesitated. Neji and Hanabi locked their eyes onto Hiashi while Kiba and Shino exchanged a look. Naruto moved first, stepping aside and gesturing toward the open doorway. Hiashi stared at him a second longer before complying with the gesture, following Shizune inside. Sakura hung back, letting the others file in ahead of her.

"I always knew Hiashi-sama could be scary, but damn," Kiba whispered to his teammate. "Did you see the way he looked at Naruto? Like his eyes were made of ice." The dog boy shivered dramatically.

"Lord Hiashi is quite imposing," Shino agreed under his breath as the two disappeared into the tent.

The flap closed. Naruto propped his hands up behind his head and began to turn away, but Sakura reached for his shoulder. "Where are you going? Don't you want to check on Hinata?"

The boy dropped his arms and looked past her shoulder towards the tent. "I… If Shizune says she's clear, I'm sure she's fine."

Sakura cocked and eyebrow. "That's unlike you, Naruto. Not making sure a friend is well. Especially considering…"

"Considering it's Hinata?" The boy scratched the back of his head nervously. "Really, it's no big deal. I'll check in on her later. She should be with her family right now."

"Naruto, what happened between you two? Earlier?"

"I told you, everything is fine. Nothing happened between us."

Sakura's gaze hardened. "You're lying. Tell me what happened."

The boy's figure slumped. He shoved his hands deep in his pockets, tugging his jacket low on his shoulders. "She's different, don't you think?" he asked suddenly. Sakura startled. "I mean, since she came back from… from whatever." It occurred to her then that whatever happened between Naruto and Hinata in her tent earlier was their first interaction since Team Seven's invasions of Orochimaru's tent. Naruto had been gone since Hinata came home. It was likely that without any communication to Mount Myoboku he had no idea she'd come home at all. The boy laughed, but there was no humor in it. "It was enough of a surprise to see her at all," he said, confirming her suspicions, "but then to see her like this…"

Sakura knew her best friend well enough to follow his line of thought. Even though Hinata was home, he hadn't been the the one to save her. And as soon as she showed back up in his life, hers was almost snuffed out trying to protect him. Right or wrong, he felt like he failed her. "Of course she's different, Naruto. She was held hostage by Orochimaru."

"And Sasuke," he added, saying the words she still wasn't strong enough to admit aloud.

"And Sasuke," she echoed, biting her cheek after saying it. "Did you talk about it? What happened to her while she was with him? Is that why, why you're so upset?"

Naruto shook his head no. "She just, she has this way about her, you know? This way that makes you question things you thought were true. About yourself." Sakura thought about her own interactions with Hinata, how speaking with the girl had forced her to answer questions she'd never even had to ask. She knew exactly what Naruto meant, and yes, Hinata did have that way about her. "Has that always been there? Has she always been like that?"

Sakura thought about it and shrugged. "I suppose neither of us really took the time to get to know her before. I couldn't say any better than you."

Naruto kicked at the dirt, scuffing his sandal. "I wonder…" He trailed off, his thought unfinished.

"Wonder what?"

"I wonder if we… If I would be different. If I'd paid attention to her before," he looked around as if the answer was tangible and shrugged, "all this."

"I don't know. And I'm not sure that's worth worrying about. But you have an opportunity to pay attention now. Do you wanna come check on her?" she asked again, gentler this time.

Naruto grinned crookedly. "Nah. Like I said, I'll check on her later. Our conversation from earlier is still fresh, you know? We could both probably use a little time."

"She has scars, you know," Sakura said quietly.

The boy's head lifted to attention. "Scars?"

She nodded. "Horrible ones, all over her arms and shoulders. She keeps them hidden, but when I was caring for her after… after Pain? I saw them. I don't know what they did to her out there, but it wasn't good, Naruto."

Her teammate swallowed hard. "Sasuke did that to her?"

Sakura shrugged. "Sasuke, Kabuto, Orochimaru. Does it matter? She's been through hell. I wanted to believe it was something else, but we all know what we saw that day, the way Sasuke treated her." The pair looked at the ground, quietly contemplating all of the possibilities they didn't want to attribute to their friend: harsh, lethal, emotionless, Akatsuki. The weight of his absence and the pain he'd caused them hung heavy between them. Sakura wondered again if continuing to believe in him was even the right thing to do, or if he truly was too far gone. "Even still, she wants to bring him back."

Naruto startled. "She… what?"

"I was surprised, too, but she wants to help. I don't know everything that happened between them, but she's with us. Hinata wants to bring Sasuke home."

Sakura waited for an answer. Naruto's eyes darted over her shoulder towards the tent, his brows set and his gaze confused, but he didn't say anything.

"Are you sure you don't want to come see her?"

"I…" he hesitated, then shook his head, kicking at the dirt. "Later."

"Okay, then." Sakura wanted to push him, wanted him to face whatever questions Hinata brought to the surface. But maybe he just needed some time, first.

Hinata heard her friends and family bickering outside her tent: Kiba, Sakura, her father. All of their voices resonated clear as day through the thin fabric that separated her from them. She listened as they tried to argue their way in while Sakura attempted to fend them off. She looked into Shizune's face, truly seeing it. The world felt new, suddenly, like she never really noticed it before. Details came to her, sharp as tacks. Even the filtered light through the tent fabric seemed bright after so many month of darkness. She blinked against it often, her lids perpetually squinting, though Shizune asked repeatedly that she keep her eyes open.

Aside from the instructions, however, Tsunade's aide made no comments. Her hands worked diligently as she examined Hinata's chakra networks, a feeling the girl was used to at this point. When Shizune finally pulled her hands away from Hinata's face she wrung them together. Her brow furrowed, creasing over the bridge of her nose.

Though she was afraid of the answer, Hinata knew she had to ask it. "Is it bad?"

Shizune shook her head adamantly. "Certainly not. Your chakra pathways are entirely healthy and intact. Your body is healing miraculously fast, given the extent of the damage you experienced - though from your files I suppose that's to be expected. Still, to return from the damage you experienced in a matter of days… It's almost unheard of. Sakura's report says your heart and lungs stopped for at one point, indicating about six minutes of clinical death."

Hinata blinked, hard. "I died?" she croaked, her voice barely audible. She shook her head, a foggy memory, something about a woman behind bars, surfacing for the briefest second before dissipating again.

The aide continued on, not even hearing her patient's disbelief. "The lack of blood-flow to your brain during that time would've reduced brain functions and affected other systems, which could explain your continued fatigue and why you aren't fully healed yet, given your accelerated healing capabilities. Then again, we've seen more than a few miracles these last days. You weren't the only one to come back to life. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised."

The girl curled and unfurled her fists, watching the movement of her fingers closely and feeling the extra strain in her injured arm, though it admittedly felt even better than when she'd first woken up. Still, the reality of Shizune's words were still sinking in. She didn't just brush up against death, bumping into it in a dark alley. No. She was swallowed by it and spit back out.

She was dead for six minutes. And now she was back. Alive.

"Shizune-san, what about my eyes?" she asked, trying not to think about it any more than she had to.

"Oh, right. Your eyes. I cannot find anything wrong with them. In fact, they appear perfectly normal, aside from the coloring and the sudden reappearance of your vision. Your chakra isn't even actively flowing through them, which leads me to believe it's a full mutation and not an activated state. Very rarely in the medical world do we see something happen for no reason, though. So while I'm grateful for your health and returned sight, I'm merely… Confused, I suppose would be the best word. Are you experiencing any pain or discomfort?"

Hinata closed her eyes, focusing on her skull. The dull ache turned agonizing pain that had persisted since her departure from Sasuke and the others was, now that she focused on it, gone entirely. When it didn't feel like a million needles trying to escape through her eyes, the ache was dull and constant enough she'd learned to ignore it for the most part. But now she found it was non-existent. Not even a mild pulse beat out of place. She shook her head.

Shizune hummed. "The coloring would suggest… But it couldn't possibly be."

"What?" Hinata asked, alert.

"Have you ever heard of the Tenseigan?" Hinata blinked. The word was foreign to her. She shook her head again. "It's a dojutsu of legendary stature and power. It's said to be to the Byakugan as the Rinnegan is to the Sharingan - a highly advanced form of the kekkei genkai that allows its user to wield unfathomable power. But it only appears in the oldest records of history and hasn't been mentioned since the time of the Sage of Six Paths."

A small spark fluttered in Hinata's memory. The Sage of the Six Paths. There was something important about him, something she was meant to remember. And was it connected to the woman? The one behind bars? She grasped at it, reaching out with her mind and trying to dredge up whatever it was she was meant to know, but it slipped from her like a dream right after waking.

Raised voices sounded outside her tent. Naruto this time. Naruto was there? She shook her head. "Shizune-san, please tell everyone they can come in before a war starts out there," she requested, gesturing toward the entrance with a nod.

"Of course," the woman complied. She crossed the tent and opened it. After a moment, a handful of people filed in behind the nurse - her father, sister, cousin, Kiba, Shino. She expected Sakura to come in at the back; she'd heard her outside. But the pink-haired girl was nowhere in sight.

Her sister spoke first. "Nee-san, your eyes!" The younger girl approached the bed, leaning close to her sister's face.

Hinata gasped. Tears flooded into her eyes. "Hanabi…" Though she'd seen her sister through her Byakugan, seeing her with her returned vision was different. She reached a hand out and placed it on her sister's.

The girl scrunched up her brows but didn't recoil from her sister's touch. "Why are you crying?" Her eyes suddenly went wide with fear. She turned her palm over, clutching Hinata's fingers. "What happened? Is it bad news?"

Hinata shook her head, tears spilling from her eyes even though she was smiling.

"The mutation in Hinata's eyes seems to have returned her sight."

"So," her father started. Hinata looked up beyond her sister and met his gaze. He smiled softly. "It seems you are recovering in more ways than one. I'm sure the rest of the family will be glad to hear you and your vision have recovered."

She'd been home for more than a month. She'd spent time with every person in the room. And yet it felt like she was seeing them, really seeing them, for the first time. It felt cliché to say it, but as much as she'd adapted to life in darkness, it was a breath of fresh air to return to the light.

Hinata clapped a hand over her mouth, her tears flowing freer now. Akamaru, so large his enormous head nearly touched the top of the tent, leaned down and licked her face. The girl laughed.

The tent fabric rustled at that moment, Sakura finally entering the small space. "It's good to see you smiling, Hinata-chan." She turned to Shizune then, suddenly all business. "The mutation - do we know what it is?"

Shizune shook her head. "Unfortunately, no. I only have speculation at this time."

"Unless the speculation is that my daughter has developed the Tenseigan, then it is wrong," Hiashi broke in.

"That was my conclusion," Shizune responded, a bit awestruck. "But how…"

"It is in the line of our ancestors. I know of it. Though our histories have very little record of such a thing, it is not impossible, I suppose, for a pure Byakugan to evolve into its higher form as the Sharingan is known to do."

"The Sharingan is only known for evolving under tragic an emotionally taxing circumstances," Shino offered. "Thus the theory of the Uchiha Curse."

"I am familiar with such a theory."

"Well who's to say the Byakugan doesn't evolve under similar circumstances?" Kiba asked, looking around the room. "Hell, Hinata has been ostracized, hunted, imprisoned, and brought back from the brink of death, right?"

Brought back from death itself, Hinata corrected him in her head.

"That would match with the history of the Sharingan evolution, but it would not match the history of the Byakugan and its users. Why would it be that Hinata would develop an advanced form of her dojutsu when no other user has, to our knowledge, manifested the power? Surely she isn't the only member of the Hyuuga clan to ever undergo such extremely demanding circumstances."

But I may be the only one who has ever returned from the dead. She bit back the words, but another came to her. "The Rinnegan." Her voice was so quiet at first that her friends and family didn't even pause, continuing to discuss the possibilities behind her new eyes. She cleared her throat and said it again, louder this time. "The Rinnegan."

Her father heard her the second time. He held his hand aloft, silencing everyone else. "What was that?"

She met his gaze. "The Rinnegan. The third Great Dojutsu. In times of great disorder, the Rinnegan appears in one destined to become either a God of Creation who will calm the world, or a God of Destruction who will reduce the world to ash," she recited. Though she was unsure where the words came from, she knew them to be true. "If the Tenseigan is the partner to Byakugan in the way Rinnegan is partner to the Sharingan as Shizune said, then what if the timing of the manifestation is the same? What if it is born from chaos and death?"

The tent went deadly quiet as the people around her considered. Neji spoke first, breaking the silence. "You can't possibly believe you've been given the power to become a God of Creation or a God of Destruction."

"I don't say this very often, but Neji's right," Kiba agreed. "Besides, the Sharingan always advances out of loss. You didn't lose anyone, right? No one you know died."

There was a general murmur of agreement among the group, but Hinata was staring directly at Shizune. The woman's brow was furrowed as she waited to see what Hinata would do. What she did was tell the truth.

"I did."

The room fell silent again.

"Um, I'm sorry, what?"

Hinata turned her head towards Kiba. "I died. The fight with Pain killed me."

"That isn't possible," Neji interjected, his head shaking. "You were still breathing when Nagato brought everyone back."

"She was," Sakura agreed. "I was able to stabilize her, but early this morning…" The girl looked at Hinata, her expression apologetic. "I lost her. She came back to us, but it was a close call. She was without a heartbeat for nearly six minutes."

The room fell silent, a million possibilities falling over them all at once.

"So what you're telling me is that there's a chance Hinata died and came back to life to be, what, exactly? The savior of the world?" Kiba asked. He stared at Hinata with an odd mix of fear and respect that made her stomach go uneasy.

"Impossible," Neji snorted. "No one could possibly bring order to the world all on their own."

As much as she didn't want to pressure of being a Goddess of Destruction or Creation, a spark of irritation flared in Hinata's stomach. "Of all of the things you've seen, is that really so unbelievable to you?" It was as if even after everything she'd done, after all the growth she'd shown, after everything she risked, he still didn't believe in her. What would take? Maybe she would have to save the whole world before they acknowledged her strength.

"Hinata-sama, that isn't -"

"Get out," she spat. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "I want everyone to leave. Please."

"Hinata, I really think we need to talk about -"

"We don't need to talk about anything, Kiba. What I need is to be alone."

"Nee-chan…"

"Come, Hanabi," Hiashi instructed, taking the girl by the shoulder. "You heard your sister. She needs some time to think." He lifted his head, addressing his older daughter. "We will give you your space and come visit you again when you are ready. Isn't that right, Neji?"

The boy bowed his head, his confidence shrinking under Hiashi's demand. "Hai, Hiashi-sama."

"Thank you, Father."

The man led his daughter and nephew from the tent. Hinata stared at Kiba, his mouth open as if he had more to say, until he relented and followed suit. One by one her friends filed out until she was the only one left in the tent. She closed her eyes, covering them with her hands to block the extra light. The world, abruptly brought back into crystal clear focus, suddenly seemed too big after months and months of blindness. She once thought that the darkness would swallow her, but now she was afraid the world might be too vibrant for her to handle. Her colored memories paled in comparison to the world she saw now. She hadn't even stepped foot outside her tent and there was a possibility, no matter how small, that the weight of the world rested on her shoulders.

The air in front of Sasuke swirled, warping his vision until a familiar orange mask came into focus, the chakra signature appearing out of thin air. Taka stopped in their tracks. Madara stood perched on a tree limb ahead of them, his Akatsuki robes bustling in the breeze.

"Hey, Sasuke," he greeted them, almost conversationally. The boy seethed. Madara was the last person he wanted to encounter. And, following their last conversation, the man had some nerve meeting Sasuke head-on. His role in Hinata's death would not soon be forgotten nor forgiven.

Suigetsu hissed. "Shit, man. This guy's got the worst timing."

Sasuke agreed internally. The team remained crouched, ready for a fight if it came to that. "How did you know where I was?"

"Don't underestimate me. Tracking you is well within my powers, even with your little girlfriend." Behind him, Karin's emotional state spiked sharply and involuntarily. Sasuke gritted his teeth, the false term of endearment striking a nerve. Still, that was the least of his worries. They'd been careful to cover their tracks when leaving the Akatsuki hideout and even more careful about disguising their location while he continued to heal. They'd barely been on the move for a few hours before Madara stopped them. How had he tracked them down so quickly?

Sasuke straightened, the other three following his lead. "What do you want with me? Haven't you done enough damage already?"

Madara laughed behind his mask. "I've barely even begun."

"Taka is no longer a part of Akatsuki, and we no longer have a use for you," Sasuke asserted.

The masked man clicked his tongue. "Don't be so sure of yourself, Sasuke. I said I'd have to kill you if you betrayed Akatsuki, and you broke your promise to me."

The boy's eye twitched. "What are you talking about?"

"The eight-tailed beast, of course. That was your one and only task, after all. Pity you couldn't even do that right."

Karin stepped up. "What the hell do you mean? In case you've already forgotten, we all almost died bringing him to you."

"The body you brought me was a copy. A fake. In other words, you failed."

Taka fell silent. Suigetsu let out a low and slow, "Fuck," that appropriately expressed what they were all feeling. Sasuke's nails bit into his palms, his mind going into a flurry of confusion and rage. He'd almost died fighting the beast. His teammates, the last people in the world he dared to feel anything but hatred for, almost died along with him. And they'd failed. But how? He'd watched every piece of the fight with his Sharingan, held on to every moment so as not to miss a beat, even when he was on the verge of death. There shouldn't have been any time for him to split. Except…

Sasuke closed his eyes, groaning internally and cursing himself. There was a moment, just the briefest moment, when the Eight Tails was sliced apart, a tentacle falling like a bomb into the lake. It had to have been then.

Madara must've recognized the realization in Sasuke's stance. "Looks as if the Eight Tails pulled one over on you guys. I must say, I'm quite disappointed. I expected more from you."

"Pfft, whatever," Suigetsu spat. "What do you want us to do about it?"

"What I want is for you to uphold your promise to me and finish your last job as Akatsuki."

"Why should we?" Sasuke challenged, his tone hard. He was getting tired of Madara's superiority complex.

"A promise is a promise, Sasuke."

"If I recall correctly, we both made promises. So what about your promise to Hinata? Did you keep it?" Her name tasted like acid in his mouth. He tried not to cringe. It was the first time he'd said her name aloud since he'd been informed of her death, the first time he'd dared to invoke her absence. The sorrow of losing her rose up in him like bile, still sharp and fresh. He knew better than anyone that the pain of losing the people you love never went away; remembrance only whet the knife of hatred. It grew sharper with every day, and the wound of Hinata's death was still fresh. He thought of her opal eyes and her body pressed against his in the dark. The knife dug deeper.

"I suppose you have a point," Madara conceded after a moment. "We both made promises and both failed to uphold them. It would appear we are even."

Even. Sasuke nearly jumped down the man's throat. Taka may not have delivered the real eight-tailed beast, but he was still out there, still able to be captured. Thanks to Madara and his minion, Hinata was gone. She was gone and never coming back. Sasuke hardly considered that "even".

"We owe you nothing and we want nothing more to do with you," the boy asserted, swallowing the hurt. "Move."

The man held up a hand. "Even if our debt to each other has been nullified, I still think you'll want to hear what I have to say."

"I've already heard enough. I said move."

"Calm down, kid. You're gonna want to hear this."

Zetsu sprouted from the branch upon which Madara stood, his sharp-toothed leaves materializing like ooze. "So who's the new Hokage?" Madara asked as the creature's leaves opened, revealing his black and white halves.

"Some guy named Danzo," answered the white side.

A jolt of surprise ran through Sasuke, his fingertips sizzling with nerves. "Danzo…"

"I told you you'd want to hear this," Madara said smugly. "Seems as if one of the elders who forced your brother into exile is the new hokage."

Pure fury boiled in Sasuke's blood. Were the people of Konoha truly that ignorant? That weak? They were so blinded by their fear that their village had fallen to ruin and Hinata along with it. Now a murderous man with complete disregard for life held the most powerful position available. Whatever else was coming for them, they deserved it.

"THE UNREST IN KONOHA, NOT TO MENTION YOUR ATTACK ON THE EIGHT TAILS, HAS STIRRED UP QUITE A BIT OF ATTENTION," the black half of the creature spoke up.

"All five kages are on the move. They're holding a meeting to discuss the future of the collective ninja world."

"All five kages? Man, what a shit show. Danzo's your target, right?" Suigetsu asked. "If he's going to be at this meeting that's probably where we should head. But all five kages in one place might pose a problem. What're you gonna do, Sasuke?"

What were they going to do? Sasuke had no fued with the other kages or their villages. It was Konoha that had failed him. Even still, waiting would only allow time for the villages to unite, to become stronger. Konoha was weak. Danzo was precariously new in his position of power. The time to strike was now. "We aim for Danzo. We destroy anyone who jeopardizes the mission, kages included."

"Where is this meeting, anyway?" Karin asked.

"Not so fast," Madara tsked. "Akatsuki doesn't do anything for free, including giving out valuable information."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "What is it you want in return?"

"Something simple, really. Information for information. We show you the way to the meeting of the five kages, you discover the location of the Eight Tails. The Raikage will be at this meeting. I'm sure he can be pressed for his brother's whereabouts. Deliver that to me, and I'll send a more competent team to capture him the second time around."

The insult stung, but Sasuke was done playing games and giving in to the man's jabs. "Fine."

"Zetsu?"

"On it!" The creature placed his hands on the branch, his body splitting in two before their eyes, the white and black halves separating until they were two entities. The white Zetsu waved his hand. "C'mon. Follow me."

Taka leapt after him, Sasuke shooting a backwards glance at the masked man. His single visible eye watched them disappear into the forest. "Can we trust them?" Juugo asked, his voice low as he ran beside his leader.

"I told you before, we can't trust anyone. If he tries anything funny, he'll burn."

"Can I come in?"

Hinata stirred from her irritated rest, her mind still moving a million miles an hour. She didn't bother to roll over and face her visitor.

"I'm not really up for visitors right now."

"Please?" the boy asked. "It'll only take a minute."

The girl turned to tell him to leave, but her voice caught in her throat. "What happened to you?"

Naruto grinned sheepishly. "Does that mean I can come in?"

She nodded, sitting up straighter in her bed. The boy's face was completely covered in bandages, his right eye wrapped and his left eye bruised blue and black. He stood next to her bed, refusing to sit. A nervous energy radiated off of him. It made Hinata fidget. What kind of trouble had he managed to get into since she saw him only a few hours before?

"I wanted to say I'm sorry for the way I acted earlier," he started. "I was out of line. You were right; I wanted to play the martyr. I wanted to protect everyone, but I risked everyone's lives even worse in my selfishness. You saved my life out there. So, thank you."

Hinata blinked. As thoughtful as the apology was, it wasn't what she expected.

"Something else happened, though. Something important. When I released the power of the Nine Tails, the Fourth Hokage helped me suppress it again."

That bit of information really took Hinata off guard. "The Fourth?"

Naruto laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head. "Uh, yeah. Wild, right? Turns out he's kind of my father. But that's not really the point."

Hinata closed her eyes and shook her head. Not the point? Naruto had just learned that the Fourth Hokage was his father and had sealed part of himself away inside him to stop the Kyuubi from getting out and there was something even more important to discuss? The day just kept getting crazier.

"Do you know of a man named Madara?"

The girl stiffened, her fists clenching the sheets by her thighs. What did Naruto know about Madara? "Why?" she asked, not really answering the question.

"The Fourth told me he's the man who was behind the Kyuubi attack the night I was born, and he's the man behind Akatsuki, now. Everything that's happening, all the jinchurikis that have been captured, it's all because of Madara."

Hinata's skin crawled. If he truly had released the Kyuubi in the past, what lengths was Madara willing to go to now that he had captured more than one tailed beast?

"Hinata." Naruto's voice was more serious than she was used to hearing it. Her head snapped to attention, locking onto his eyes. They had always been bright, but her new vision picked up every fleck of color, every cerulean and aqua and sapphire hue. She blinked against the vibrancy. "This man, Madara. He's dangerous. He was the one using Pain, the one who convinced him to attack the village. If the intelligence we've received is correct and Sasuke has joined forces with Akatsuki, then he'll use Sasuke, too."

Hinata tried to keep her features as impassive as possible and hoped that her furrowed brow didn't give too much away. She rang her hands together in her lap, trying to process which pieces of her cover story fit what Naruto knew, which bits of information she was and wasn't supposed to know.

"Does he, does Madara, I mean, wear a mask?" she finally asked.

Naruto stiffened. "So you do know him?"

She nodded, trying to decide how much she could reveal without lying. "He was there, after Sasuke fought Itachi. He spoke with Sasuke for a long time, but they let me go after that. I…" She let the sentence fall off. She knew Taka had joined with Akatsuki. She knew Madara had insight to the village. She knew he planned to use her as leverage to sway Sasuke if need be. She knew more that Naruto did. If anyone deserved to know more, it was the blonde boy, the one who'd dedicated the last three years of his life to getting stronger for the express purpose of bringing Sasuke back. But she couldn't be the one to tell him.

"If Madara is using Sasuke like we think he is, he shouldn't be held accountable for his actions. The Raikage has called for his head, and Danzo has agreed that Sasuke should be killed on sight if given the chance. All five kages are gathering to discuss the state of things following this last attack. I'm going, too. I'm going to find the Raikage and beg for his forgiveness on Sasuke's behalf."

"I'm going with you." The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them.

Naruto shook his head adamantly. "You're in no state to go on any kind of mission right now."

Hinata swung her legs over the side of the bed, trying to hold back the wince as her stiff muscles stretched. She looked over Naruto's battered body and laughed. "I'm in just as good a state as you are."

"I heal quickly. You almost died a few days ago. You aren't going."

Hinata clenched her jaw. "I may not have a tailed beast sealed inside me, but I heal quickly, too. Quickly enough, anyway. And, I'll remind you, you weren't doing so well yourself."

"Akatsuki is after jinchurikis. From what I hear, I may be the last one standing. I'm a constant target. There's no need for you to put yourself in danger by travelling with me if you don't have to."

The girl rose to her feet, her new, icy blue eyes glaring daggers into Naruto's bright blue ones. She stepped up close to him, her chin lifted to compensate for their height difference. Though the top of her head barely came above his chin, she stood her ground. "When are you going to realize that I don't take orders from you?" she asked. "You just said yourself you were sorry for trying to do everything yourself. Did you mean that, or was it just for show?"

"Of course I meant it, but -"

Hinata shook her head, cutting him off. "No buts. You can't protect everyone all the time, Naruto. I'm a shinobi. I don't care about what's dangerous; I care about what's right. If Akatsuki is seeking power, there's no better place for them to find leverage than to try and pull something with all five kages in one location. They're sure to have guards, but the opportunity to strike will be a difficult one to pass up, especially with Konoha so weak. If Sasuke has joined Akatsuki, he may be there, and if there's a chance he'll be there, then I'm going with you." She clenched her fists and bit her tongue, holding back what she really wanted to say: if Danzo would be there, Sasuke would be, too, Akatsuki or not.

Naruto didn't back down. "I'm not going to find a fight. I'm going to make a request of the Raikage. You don't need to be there for that."

"And you don't need to be travelling alone. You said yourself that you're in danger."

"Who said he was travelling alone?"

Both teen's heads swiveled hard, turning towards the opening of the tent. A shock of silver hair and a masked faced appeared as the fabric pulled away.

"It's good to see you up and healing, all things considered. And sporting a new set of eyes, I see. I suppose sometimes the rumor mill can be trusted, then." Kakashi mused. "To your earlier concern, though, Yamato and I will be accompanying him. Still," Kakashi considered, "Hinata does make a good point. I think she should come along."

"But Kakashi-sensei!" the blonde protested.

"Hear me out. Sasuke has been newly branded an enemy of Kumo and an official enemy of Konoha. For reasons unknown, Madara is looking to do two things: break down the infrastructure of the villages and draw you out. His most recent attack, while physically destructive, ultimately backfired because of you. Konoha is already weakened and Danzo's power is new and tentative. The weak point that you and Danzo have in common at this given moment is Sasuke. An Akatsuki attack with Sasuke at the lead would draw the attention of everyone. It's no secret that you wish to return him home, and as far as Danzo goes, capturing and securing Sasuke only days after being named hokage would secure his position, especially in the eyes of those who have disagreed with Tsunade's continued leniency."

"So? That still doesn't explain why Hinata should be involved in any of this."

"I know him best," the girl answered simply. Naruto's head spun towards her, but her eyes locked with Kakashi's.

The gray-haired man nodded in agreement. "Hinata has had months to study Sasuke's movements and watch his growth. She knows him better than we do, now. And if we encounter Sasuke again, having Hinata along could be to our advantage."

"I can handle Sasuke," Naruto growled.

"I'm not saying you can't. But considering what happened last time, it can't hurt to stack the cards in our favor when and where we can. And besides," Kakashi added, "she may be solid leverage in your request to the Raikage, considering her history with Kumo." The man looked at Hinata pointedly. She nodded his direction. Naruto threw a confused looked between the two.

"I know you want to protect me," Hinata started, gentler this time, "but I don't need your protection. I need your trust. I want to help save Sasuke, too. Have some faith in me."

"Fine," he relented. The boy removed his cloak and held it out to her. "You'll want this. It's getting chilly out there. I have to go meet up with Konohamaru quickly, but we'll be leaving within the half hour. I trust you'll be able to find us."

Hinata nodded. Naruto rolled his eyes and sighed, but a smile pulled at the corner of his lip half-heartedly. "See you soon," he waved, exiting the tent. Kakashi followed him out with a wave of his own, leaving Hinata alone.

The girl rubbed the hem of the cloak between her thumb and forefinger, feeling the strength of the fabric. The last time a boy handed her a cloak it had been Sasuke, his hands like ghosts as they helped her put it on. That was before. Before fire. Before Hebi or Taka. Before Itachi and Madara and Pain. She pulled the cloak over her shoulders, the weight of it settling heavy onto her frame. It covered her from neck to knees, still warm from Naruto's body.

Hinata closed her eyes and hugged the cloak tight around her. Every inch of her hummed with anticipation. Her goal was the same but the plan had changed. She had to get to Sasuke before Madara made things worse; had to douse his flame before the masked man fanned it. Sasuke had to know that Madara was not his friend. She had to find him. She had to convince him. And together, they had to stop him.

A/N: I know I'm the worst. Not only am I supremely late on publishing this chapter, but Hinata and Sasuke didn't even reunite. It truly was my original intention to bring them back together in this chapter, but there turned out to be a lot more set up than originally intended.

As for the time delay, all I can say is being an adult is hard. If you aren't an adult yet, don't do it. Stop while you're ahead and be a kid forever.

That being said, I still hope you enjoyed the chapter. I can't believe YGA has 50 chapters... This story is a mess, but it's my mess and I intend to see it through. As always, thank you for your love and support. I can never say that enough.

Love,
Kinsey