Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Warning: This is kind of a long one, guys. I debated whether or not to break it off earlier, but figured that some of you might like it this long, so here ya go!


Divinity

Chapter XXVIII

Recovery


"Understanding is the first step to acceptance, and only with acceptance can there be recovery."

-Joanne Kathleen Rowling


Sasuke hadn't slept—not even dozed—since Hinata had woken him in the middle of the night to help with her guardian's "issues". Instead, he seemed to occupy himself as guardian of the room, taking up a position by Hinata's balcony. He sat on the wide, stone railing, back to the wall, one knee up and the other hanging down off the side. His arms lay relaxed as he stared at the sky, which was brightening with the dawn.

It would be time for breakfast soon, and Neji still hadn't awoken, which, needless to say, was troubling. Sasuke had hoped for his own sake, more than Hinata's, that her guardian would wake up soon, so that he wouldn't have to trouble himself with making excuses to the others.

Glancing over to the bed, where Neji lay unconscious beneath the covers, Sasuke gazed at Hinata, who was sitting slouched on the bedside chair with the upper half of her body lying on the bed. She had only fallen asleep an hour ago, and Sasuke knew that it was against her will. Apparently, the recent events had drained her to the point where the temptation to close her eyes was simply too much. Sasuke didn't mind; she obviously needed the sleep more than he did.

Still staring at her sleeping form, the young Uchiha sighed as he realized that they would have to think of something to tell the adults when the time came. That, of course, meant that he would have to come up with something, since Hinata wasn't exactly creative when it came to lying. In fact, she could barely lie to save her life. Why fate had chosen her to keep such monumental secrets, Sasuke would never know. The Goddess' good humor, he supposed.

Perhaps that was how it was meant to be. After all, a healing deity was supposed to be pure of heart, and Hinata would hardly fit that description if she were a good liar. Still, though…why would fate select a healing deity—of all people!—to guard a secret about a friendship with a demon? What purpose could that possibly serve?

Sasuke didn't believe in fate or the goddess' "plan" as much as the other temple residents, or humans for that matter; instead, he believed in choices and consequences. However, the chances of Hinata being the one to somehow manage to befriend a highly dangerous demon…It was almost too coincidental, too impossible, too meaningful…

Yeah, Sasuke thought unenthusiastically. I am definitely going to have to handle the lying on this one. Damn it all.


Hinata jolted awake at the sound of her bedroom door closing loudly. Blinking rapidly to clear her sleep-heavy vision, she turned around curiously. Walking towards the bed at a determined pace was Sasuke, who was followed by Kakashi and Asuma.

Inwardly, Sasuke thought that he should've asked Gai to help, since his loud banter might have been enough to wake up Neji, but oh well, maybe later.

Hinata stood up while sleepily rubbing her eyes. "What's going on?"

Sasuke came to stand beside her, while the two older men began to haul Neji into their arms. "They're going to carry him to his own room, because apparently, it's improper for him to be in your room, even though he's unconscious."

"Oh." She was about to nod in understanding, but then she realized something. Do they know about what happened last night? Did Sasuke tell them? I'll be in so much trouble!

Recognizing the panic on her face, Sasuke whispered out of earshot of the two men. "Don't worry. I handled everything."

"What did you tell them?" she whispered back.

"Exactly what you told me." He spoke each word meaningfully, as if he was trying to ingrain it into her mind.

Rather, she simply furrowed her brows at him in a questioning and confused manner.

Rolling his eyes, he elaborated, but not until Kakashi and Asuma had departed from the room with the invalid between them. Only grumbles had sounded in their wake. Glancing back to her, Sasuke began. "I told the matriarch and patriarch that, according to you, your guardian was really sick and came to your room to get healed. Unfortunately, the illness was too much and he ended up passing out from the fever. So, to them, he's just sleeping the rest of it off, and should be fine in a day or two." He paused, before adding. "Oh, and they're going to let you babysit him until he's better, or at least, awake."

"Thank you so much, Sasuke." Hinata murmured sincerely, before voicing another question. "But…what if he's not awake in a day or two?"

Sasuke shrugged as the two began to exit her bedroom, heading in the direction of Neji's room. "Then, you could say that his illness is worse than you thought?" He stated with a questioning tone.

Hinata's brows nearly rose to her hairline out of fearful shock. "You think it'll come to that?"

He snorted in bemusement. "I seriously doubt that it'll take more than a day for him to wake up, so relax."

"You really think so?" she asked hopefully.

"Yeah…" Sasuke muttered, hoping once again for his own sake that Neji would wake up soon. Hinata could really be a full-time occupation with how she seemed to be a magnet for trouble all the time. It was hard work. What's sad is that it's completely my choice as to whether or not I want to help her. I suppose it's the same for Gaara, too. We're choosing to get involved, because for some reason, she makes us want to protect her.

When they reached Neji's room, Kakashi and Asuma had already put Neji into bed and were about to leave. Asuma filed out first, offering them both a nod of acknowledgement before departing. Kakashi, however, stopped in front of Hinata and put his hand on her shoulder in a sympathetic manner. "I know you'll nurse him right back to health."

Hinata nodded with a smile. "I will."

The corners of Kakashi's eyes crinkled with a smile before he moved on to Sasuke. "You'll be sparring with Naruto today, since Hinata will be busy."

Sasuke gave the man an indifferent stare, but his tone was sarcastic. "Lucky me."

Seeing that Hinata had left them to go sit by Neji's side, Kakashi leaned over to whisper conspiratorially in his student's ear. "I heard you two are a couple now. Is it true?"

Sasuke scoffed quietly, not wanting to alert Hinata's attention to their incognito conversation. "That's none of your business."

Kakashi seemed to be smirking slyly. "So it is true." He chuckled before teasingly poking Sasuke on the cheek. "I always knew you'd eventually get a crush on one of the girls. How cute."

Sasuke jerked away, then glowered at his mentor. "Go away."

But, Kakashi decided to go a little further by leaning to whisper in Sasuke's ear again, making sure to cover the side of his mouth with his hand. "So, how is she in bed, anyway? Timid in public, a sexy tigress in private?"

Sasuke pushed the gray-haired man away in disgust, before yelling. "What is wrong with you?"

Hinata looked over in surprise and concern. "Are you okay, Sasuke?"

The young half-demon met her gaze before looking away quickly, arms crossed over his chest, and frustrated grumblings below his breath…and there might have been a light dusting of pink on his cheeks.

Kakashi seemed to giggle to himself, throwing an arm over Sasuke's shoulders. "He's just excited about training—nothing to worry about. Shall we go now, Sasuke?"

The young Uchiha pushed him away again. "Don't touch me." He scowled before striding from the room in a hurried manner with a laughing Kakashi following behind.

Hinata could only continue to stare after them in concern.


The afternoon passed by somewhat quickly. Hinata rarely left Neji's bedside, and when she did, it was to take care of personal matters (bathing, changing clothes, etc.). Other than that, she spent the majority of her time next to his bed; she even took all her meals in his room.

Nothing was physically wrong with him, really, so there was nothing more she could do to help him. Rather, she waited anxiously for him to open his eyes and tell her that he was alright, and only then would she be able to breath easily again.

Reaching out a hand to grasp onto his own, Hinata squeezed before murmuring in a whisper. "Neji…please wake up." She pulled his hand so that his knuckles were brushing against her cheek. "Neji, I'm so sorry…This was all my fault…You got hurt because of me, and my choices…"

There was silence as she held his limp hand between both of her hands, as if she was trying to convey comfort through their connection.

"Neji…" she murmured again, still gazing resolutely at his hand. "I do love you. You've been one of my best friends since I came to live here…You and Gaara have been like brothers to me." She began to smile slightly. "I lost a family in coming here, but I gained something so much bigger than that by staying…Another family…"

A sudden movement against her hands made her snap to attention. Loosely releasing his hand, she noticed one of his fingers flexing, and it made her gasp before averting her gaze to his sleeping face. Unfortunately, his eyes were still closed, but she could see his eyes moving restlessly behind his eyelids. It was such a relief to see him in a light sleep like this compared to his almost-dead-like coma prior.

Soon…He would be waking soon.

Later that evening, Sasuke rejoined Hinata, bringing dinner with him. They ate in near silence, breaking it only for occasional comments about Neji's health and progress, to which Sasuke didn't care at all, but Hinata just seemed so excited about it, he couldn't manage to tell her what he truly felt.

In either case, their easy moment of companionship ended with a couple knocks on the door to Neji's bedroom.

"Oh," Hinata stood up, surprised before returning to herself. "Um, uh, c-come in!"

The door creaked open, revealing Temari, Naruto, Shikamaru and Ino. Naruto was, of course, the first one to say anything. "Hey guys! Thought we'd come to check on the sickee!"

Ino looped her arm through Naruto's, cuddling herself against him. Despite the cute intimacy, her face expressed cautious worry and slight repulsion. "He's not contagious, is he?"

Hinata smiled before shaking her head. "No, he's completely healed and everything—he's just…resting."

The relief was plainly visible in Ino's blue eyes. "Thank the Goddess for that. Otherwise, I sure as hell wouldn't be here." She paused to glare at Naruto. "And neither would you."

He laughed, while rubbing the back of his head as a pleasant blush covered his cheeks. It was easy to tell how much he loved having someone so concerned for him.

Hinata's attention turned to the other couple. Shikamaru found his way to a nearby wall, in which to lean against lazily, while Temari walked breezily toward Hinata. "You've been taking care of yourself, too, right? You've been eating regularly?"

The dark-haired deity smiled. "Yes,"

"Good," the older girl wrapped an arm around Hinata's shoulders. "Just to let you know, the others were thinking about coming to visit, too. Although, they probably won't come by until tomorrow—it being kind of late and all."

"Oh, okay…" Hinata didn't object to anyone wanting to come to check on Neji, but at the same time, it made her nervous for some reason.

After a minute or so, Ino strode over to the two girls, while Naruto went over to Sasuke's position by the balcony. Leaning against the balcony railing, Sasuke had stayed silent, simply watching the commotion in the room. That is, until Naruto decided to come over and talk with his best friend. The blonde gave a little laugh as soon as he was by the young Uchiha. "I gotta admit, Sasuke. I'm a little surprised to see you here, standing guard or whatever it is you're doing." He paused, his face becoming rarely serious, and his tone quieting so no one would overhear them. "Especially since you weren't getting along with Hinata too well."

"Things change." He replied simply.

"I guess…" Naruto's brow furrowed in slight concern before erupting into a sly smile. "One day you're making Hinata out to be the enemy, and the next day, you're a couple." He nudged him playfully before seeing the questioning glare on the dark-haired man. "Ino told me."

"And how did she find out?"

Naruto shrugged. "She likes gossip, and…" he paused to glance lovingly at the aforementioned blonde. "She keeps herself very tuned in to almost all secrets, and she especially loves the secrets that have to do something with romance." He shook his head with a happy smile. "Girls."

"Not all girls." Sasuke muttered, his own gaze drifting towards Hinata.

Naruto noticed and ended up looking at his friend curiously. "What changed your mind about her? I mean…after that whole necklace thing, I thought…,"

"We talked and sorted everything out." Sasuke explained before staring back at Naruto.

The blonde stared at him levelly, brows lowered over his bright blue eyes, as if he was trying to figure something out. "So…the necklace…?"

Sasuke knew that Naruto was really questioning the strange demon presence that originated from Hinata's, or rather Itachi's, pendant. He answered quickly. "It's not what I was suspecting." It wasn't necessarily a lie, since before, Sasuke assumed that Hinata was an accomplice of Itachi's; in other words, a traitor. However, the truth was so much more complicated than that.

Naruto looked relieved and returned back to his happy self. "That's good." He chuckled, while patting Sasuke on the back, making the Uchiha lurch forward with each pound. "And now you guys are a couple! It's so great! Hey, I got an idea!" He suddenly looked overly excited. "We should have our weddings at the same time, or something. Oh, and then our kids can grow up together, and I'll train my son to be a kick-ass fighter, so that your son won't stand a chance…It'll be awesome!"

Sasuke scowled while looking disturbed at the same time. "Like hell!"

"Why the hell not?" Naruto rose his voice louder, ready for a typical verbal battle with his long-time friend. "Afraid my son will kick your son's ass?"

"Shut up, you moron!" Sasuke retorted just as loudly, neither of the two realizing that they were drawing attention to themselves.

"It's a good idea, so why don't you want to do it?"

"That's none of your business, loser!"

"Just tell me, damn it!"

"Because I'm not going to marry her, you idiot!"

Naruto was silenced by surprise, and a shocked quiet filled the room. Sasuke turned to see that everyone in the room, minus the unconscious Neji, was staring at him with a mix of surprise, shock, amusement, and disappointment.

In fact, Ino looked affronted. "Well, that's just rude, Sasuke…and right in front of Hinata, too." She turned to Hinata. "Your boyfriend's a real jackass."

Temari frowned, looking at Hinata also. "You should dump him for that."

"What?" Hinata replied in a flustered manner. "Eh, um…I…" How was she supposed to respond to that? The whole thing was a farce anyway, so how many more lies did she have to tell just to keep this one going?

Sasuke growled to himself in agitation over the whole situation. He especially hated that he would have to defend a relationship that didn't even exist! They could be called friends, yes, but a couple? Absolutely not! Which was probably why he exploded with Naruto, completely forgetting about his and Hinata's agreement.

Goddess, she was trouble. How Neji, Temari and particularly Gaara managed to deal with her was unfathomable. How he managed to keep dealing with her, he had no idea. Stupid, crappy instincts is what it was…and not to mention the way she looked so vulnerable and helpless at times, which only increased said stupid, crappy instincts.

Naruto continued to watch as Sasuke seemed to brood and grumble under his breath. "Sasuke, I do not envy you right now. If I were to ever say that to Ino, I'd get my ass kicked a thousand times over, and she still wouldn't be done with me." He shivered with emphasis.

"Get. Out." Sasuke bit out the words, directing his hostility towards the entire room.

Knowing his brooding friend better than anyone, Naruto conceded without any argument, also knowing that Sasuke had reached the limit of his patience. With a few murmurs to Ino, Naruto escorted her from the room hurriedly, despite her protests at wanting to yell at Sasuke some more.

Shikamaru was already heading towards the door after giving a few words of encouragement to Hinata about her guardian. Temari was about to follow suit, but she had a couple things to say to Hinata first.

The healing deity was standing still, staring around the room nervously, sensing the rising tension that emanated from the young Uchiha. When her blonde friend approached her, Hinata smiled tiredly. "Thank you for coming, Temari."

"No problem. I know how much Neji means to you, even though he's a prick to almost everyone else." She paused, gathering her thoughts before continuing. "Hina…"

"Yes?"

"So, Neji was sick when he came to your room?" Temari was frowning suspiciously, though the frown was more concerned when facing Hinata.

Feeling uncomfortable with lying, like always, Hinata gulped before smiling shakily. "Yes, that's right. He wasn't feeling well at all, and he had a high fever."

Temari nodded, still incredibly skeptical, since she had been the one to tell Neji to confront Hinata that night about her relationship with Sasuke. When she talked to the guardian, he was not sick at all; he looked perfectly healthy, if a little irritated, but that was normal. She couldn't believe that he would suddenly come down with a fever…Did Sasuke do something to him?

Glaring at the Uchiha across the room, Temari tried to figure out what he could have done. But no, that couldn't be right. There was no way that Sasuke and Hinata were a couple, and if that was true, then there would be no way that Sasuke would feel the need to do harm to Neji. Unless, of course, Neji had become a threat to some secret they were keeping…

Sensing her gaze, Sasuke scowled at her. "What?"

She deepened her glare before ignoring him and facing Hinata once more. She smiled uneasily at her dear friend, thinking about how something seemed wrong with this situation. Something wasn't right…again. Temari was coming to realize that nothing concerning Hinata seemed right lately. "Well…Take good care of him, and yourself."

"I will." Hinata smiled back pleasantly.

"And get some rest, okay?" Temari continued, sounding like an older sister. "You can't take care of anyone properly without taking care of yourself first. Understand?"

"Yes," Hinata giggled. "I promise, Temari."

"Good." The older deity offered a small smile before patting the younger girl's head and leaving the bedroom after Shikamaru. "Goodnight, Hina!"

"Goodnight!" Hinata called back, watching the door close with finality. Only then did she sigh from mental exhaustion before turning to see if Sasuke had cooled off yet. From the looks of it, he was brooding again, thinking deeply about something that she obviously wasn't privy to. "Sasuke? Are you alright?"

He looked up at her eventually, looking as expressionless as ever. He gave her a quick nod before facing out at the disappearing sun.

It was silence after that.

But not long after, Tsunade came in to check on the situation; specifically, Neji's condition. "How is he?"

Hinata tried to smile through her fatigue. "He moved a little today, so I think he's getting better. I believe he might wake up very soon."

"How soon?"

"Tonight or tomorrow."

"Excellent. You've done a good job." Before Hinata could say thank you, Tsunade began again. "How long do you plan on staying tonight?"

Sasuke interrupted, answering for the both of them. "A few minutes—no more. We're going to bed."

"But—" Hinata began to protest, but Sasuke gave her a look that silenced her in a heartbeat.

Tsunade tried to hold back a smile. "You're going to bed together then?"

Hinata paled at the same time that Sasuke gave the matriarch a look of pure disgust and loathing. "The hell we are." He growled. Is everyone at this temple a pervert?

Tsunade laughed, enjoying the reactions of the two, making it aware to them how quickly news traveled at the temple. "Well, then, get to bed. I'll have someone come in to watch over Neji tonight, and we'll see you both in the morning. Fair enough?"

"Yes," Hinata's face returned to normal. "Thank you, Lady Tsunade."

"No problem." She was smirking at the two—one smiling uncomfortably, the other scowling as usual.

"Let's go." Sasuke muttered lowly, catching Hinata by the arm and practically dragging her from the room. "If I stay in there any longer, I swear that I am going to kill someone."


After night had fallen, Itachi finally reached his destination. It had taken him awhile to reach it—it being in a very obscure and hard-to-get-to place…even for demons. But, the journey was nearly finished.

The decision to make the journey was made not even an hour after he had departed from Hinata's bedroom the previous night. It was made not even an hour after he had claimed her lips with his. The kiss had been both a confirmation and motivation for Itachi.

The feeling that Hinata had put into the kiss was confirmation of what he wanted from her, and the way it made him feel was utter and complete motivation to take action. He wanted her, so he was going to take her. If she objected, then she would just have to learn to adapt and deal with it. Or, at least, that's what his demon blood was calling out for him to do. However, he wasn't entirely certain that he would be able to force her to do anything against her will; especially if it had the power to emotionally destroy her.

Whatever the ending results would be, it was his plan to take care of his side and ensure that all the preparations were met. He would make it so that she would never want for anything. Every need would be met before she even knew that she needed anything. He would make certain that she would live like royalty.

Unfortunately, there were steps to take before that could happen, and obstacles to overcome. There was really only one major obstacle that Itachi had to take care of before Hinata could come with him, and it was the point for this whole journey of his.

This short journey, of course, would also mean that he wouldn't be able to see his deity until the next night, though he would be back at his cave by morning. She would worry, as she usually did, but it was for the best…mostly for him, anyway.

He had known for some time that he desired her, but it wasn't until his lips were gliding against hers that he realized the depth of his desire and longing for Hinata. It astounded him, and if he were to be honest with himself, it was frightening as well. It was a revelation that expressed that he wasn't just lusting after her, like he thought; in fact, it went so much deeper than he cared to admit.

Now that he had a taste of her, he wanted more—so much more. It was because of this wanting that the journey was for the best; in other words, the time spent apart. He honestly didn't know if he would be able to stay in control around her any longer.

That's really what it came down to: his growing lack of self-control around his desirous deity.

Clenching his jaw and inhaling deeply, Itachi approached the large tent that lay under the dark blanket of night. The sentinel standing next to the opening stared at him in recognition before bowing his head in respect.

Itachi barely glanced at the servant, and instead, threw aside a flap of the tent, entering without so much as a sound of warning. The inside of the tent was bright with lit candles and torches, all the light centering on the regal demon standing over a table laden with maps. Red eyes met red eyes, one inquiring, the other determined.

"Madara,"

A dark brow rose mockingly. "Back so soon? Did you find your pendant?"

"I did, and I'd like to bring it back with me shortly."

Madara looked back at the maps, seeming unconcerned with the conversation. "I was hoping you would. I was also hoping that you'd let me know where it's been all this time."

"That would involve a proposition I have to offer."

The demon lord smirked slightly, still focusing on the maps. "A proposition, hm? I've heard so many of them lately that I'm beginning to lose interest."

"This one, you won't." Itachi said with confidence.

Madara looked up at his descendent, his eyes searching Itachi's face for any clues as to what was really going on. Then, he began to chuckle darkly below his breath. "My, my, Itachi. What have you gotten yourself into? And how can I reap the benefits?"


Hinata woke with the sun, her mind more active than it should be and her body screaming for more rest. Itachi hadn't come, and she had stayed up for hours just waiting for him. She supposed that at some point, she simply fell asleep out of exhaustion, since she couldn't remember making the decision herself.

It was strange that he didn't come. So far, he hadn't missed one night in coming to her, even after they had argued. Was it because of the kiss? Did it repulse him to the point where he chose to stay away from her for good? No…that wouldn't make sense after having felt the way that he had possessed her mouth so hungrily, which meant that it definitely wasn't repulsion.

How strange that an argument wouldn't deter him from coming back, but a kiss would. Though she had ideas about what it could mean, she dared not voice or dwell on them, for fear that they were true.

So, rather, she chose to worry instead. She worried that something might have happened to him. Did he get in a fight? Is he injured? Is he sick?

She worried, and could only hope that he was alright.

Taking a deep breath to awaken herself further, she climbed out of bed and gathered clothes for her morning bath, and then proceeded down the hallway. Afterwards, she would stay with Neji and worry about him as well, praying that he would wake up soon.

Although, at the same time, she dreaded facing him, knowing that he knew her secret, saw her demon…What would he say to that? What would he do?

"Ah!" Hinata exclaimed after having run into what felt like a wall. She was about to fall back, but a hand sped out to grab her arm, steadying her.

"You're a real hazard, you know that?"

Hinata glanced up to see that the wall was actually Sasuke, who was staring down at her with his usual expressionless façade. "I'm sorry…,"

He sighed and rolled his eyes. "You know, if you look up once in a while, you won't run into things."

"I know," She began to smile at him hesitantly.

He glanced down at her arms, which were holding a wad of folded clothes and other items. "Where are you going?"

"To the baths." She smiled. "What about you?"

"To check if sleeping beauty has woken up yet." He glanced away before tilting his head to look back at her. "That, and to relieve whoever had the night shift." When she only smiled at him, he repressed sighing again and instead continued walking. "Well, see ya around." He waved half-heartedly.

"Sasuke, wait," she called out to him, watching as he stopped and turned his body halfway to face her. "Um…Thank you for helping with Neji. I know you didn't have to, but…"

He nodded. "If he's awake, I'll come let you know. If not, I'll see you there."

"Thank you," she smiled, her face beaming with gratitude, while Sasuke started walking away again. She waited until he had turned a corner before embarking on her journey to the baths.

When she was finally soaking in the water, she marveled at how for once, no one else was in the baths; it was just her. She wasn't really up that early, which made her wonder if the others were still sleeping. If that was the case, then she didn't mind having some time to herself to relax in the hot water.

Almost completely submerged in the steaming water, Hinata pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her cheek on top of one knee. Her initial thoughts were of Neji and how he was faring…if he was awake and what she would tell him, what they would talk about. She considered how she would explain Itachi. Was there a point to lying about it anymore, since Neji already saw the demon? She supposed not, which left her choosing to tell him the truth about everything.

It was a strange experience to tell someone about her secret demon friend. While nerve-wracking and terrifying, it was also a relieving feeling to talk to someone about it; almost as if a burden was slowly being lifted from her shoulders.

But such a confession of truth also had many side-effects. So far, she had only told Gaara and Sasuke, and they had not only kept their silence about the secret, but also protected it—protected her.

Would Neji do the same? She thought he would, but…if he was angry, that might not be the case.

Either way, he had to know the truth, and it would be too late to turn back on that now. She could only hope that he would understand it and why she had kept it from him for so long.

If she had told him sooner, though, would he have gotten hurt that night? The thought made her feel guilty, her mind once again brooding on how her guardian being hurt in the first place was entirely her fault. She could've prevented it; she knew she could have, but she didn't.

This wasn't the first time that she was beginning to feel torn between two worlds, with the ever-present pressure to make a choice between them. She was never supposed to exist between two worlds; she was only supposed to belong to one, but she didn't think she could make that final choice.

Either way, her heart would break because someone would be left behind.

With a deep, drawn-out sigh, Hinata left the bath, dried herself, and changed into her clothes before exiting the bathing rooms completely. Her hair was still damp enough to cling to her back and shoulders, but none of that mattered when she espied a red-haired friend of hers standing outside the bathing rooms.

He had been leaning against a wall, arms folded over his chest, legs crossed at the ankles, and head bowed when she began to approach him.

Sensing her, he looked up, his aquamarine gaze settling on her. "Hinata,"

She smiled pleasantly in greeting. "Good morning, Gaara. Were you waiting for me?"

He nodded once, apathetically. "We need to talk."

She swallowed back a rise of nervous trepidation. "About what?"

He ignored her question, though he did answer in another way. "You haven't told me about what happened to Neji the other night. I know he wasn't sick."

"Oh…," she breathed, feeling suddenly numb about the whole situation. She glanced around down each hallway, checking for possible eavesdroppers.

Seeming to read her mind, Gaara assured her. "No one is around. You can talk here."

She nodded in relief, while trying to think of where to begin. "Um…Itachi came to get me, like every other night, I suppose, but…" she thought back, picturing the events in her mind, replaying them as if she wasn't involved first-hand, but rather watching from the outside. "I don't know why, but Neji pushed into my room and saw Itachi and I, and…"

"Did he know about your demon?" Gaara asked.

Hinata shook her head in confusion before answering. "I don't think so. Maybe he was listening at the door," she shook her head again. "I'm not sure."

"Did Neji try to attack him?"

"Yes,"

Gaara made a sound that almost sounded like a scoff. "What a fool. Did he not see that he was a demon?"

Hinata furrowed her brow, thinking back on it. "He did. I remember hearing Neji call him a demon before he attacked, so he must have thought I was in danger."

Gaara was silent, but contemplative. "What then?"

"They fought…" Hinata remembered seeing how deftly Itachi fought with Neji; it was to the point where it simply looked as though Itachi was playing with the guardian. And then…Itachi pinned Neji to the wall with his sword and the real torture began. "I tried to stop them…" she murmured, talking to herself more than Gaara. "I tried to stop Itachi from hurting Neji, but…nothing was working. Neji was in so much agony—I didn't know what to do."

Gaara narrowed his eyes at her, seeing her inner pain. "What did the demon do?"

"I'm not sure what it was. He just looked into Neji's eyes, and then it was like Neji was being tortured without even being touched…" she stopped to look up at Gaara. "Sasuke said that it's a special ability of Itachi's that targets the mind, and damages it somehow."

Gaara had never heard of such an ability, but it confirmed for him even more how formidable this demon truly was. Neji didn't stand a chance against him, and Gaara doubted that he, himself, would be able to last much longer against him in a fight. It was a daunting prospect.

Hinata continued, knowing nothing about Gaara's inner thoughts. "I healed whatever I could, including his fever, but Sasuke said that the rest of the healing would have to be done by Neji and no one else…which is why he isn't awake yet."

"I see…," Gaara muttered in reply, but something else occurred to him just then. "Considering Neji's not dead, I assumed that you managed to get your demon to stop. How did you do it?"

Hinata blushed heavily just thinking about her and Itachi's shared moment. When she glanced at Gaara, her blush deepened even further.

Feeling confused by the suddenly red-faced Hinata, Gaara furrowed his brows at her, but remained silent, waiting for an answer.

Hinata fiddled with her fingers, keeping her gaze averted out of embarrassment. "Erm, I…I, uh," she gulped before clearing her throat. "I…k-k-kissed him…"

A slight rise of his brows was the only indication of the redhead being surprised by the news. Initially, he was surprised that Hinata would do something like that, but the surprise wore off to reveal something more somber: the realization that their relationship was no longer just friendship. Hinata definitely had deeper feelings for her demon, and that was definitely not comforting in the least.

During her friend's silence, Hinata began to cool off, her blush receding to nothing more than a light dusting of pink on the crescents of her cheeks.

Suddenly feeling uncomfortable, Gaara strained for a new topic of conversation now that his most pressing questions had been answered. "I'm assuming that this rumor about you and the Uchiha are false then."

"Rumor?" Hinata questioned before realizing that he was referring to them being a couple. "Oh no, I mean, yes! It's false. Temari was getting suspicious, so…Sasuke helped me."

Gaara nodded, reminding himself of the "argument" that he and Hinata had gotten into the other night about Sasuke. "You consider him a friend, then."

Hinata tilted her head slightly, her moonstone eyes searching Gaara's face, before she began to smile tenderly. "I think so. I truly don't think that he means me any harm. I think…" she trailed off, then shook her head. "Even though he doesn't show it very well, he does care."

Gaara didn't say anything, since he was still inwardly skeptical about the Uchiha's intentions. But, Hinata trusted him and that should be good enough, except…she also put a lot of trust in a demon…

"Gaara?" Hinata interrupted his thoughts. "Can I ask you a favor?"

"What is it?"

"It's just…Itachi left right after we…" she paused, blushing again. "And he didn't come to see me last night, so…"

"You want to see him." Gaara summed up exactly what she was trying to say.

Hinata nodded pleadingly. "I would like to go when everyone is busy in the village. Do you think you could help me get over the wall?"

Having done it before, Gaara relented with a short nod. "When you're ready, just go to the wall and it'll be there for you, and it'll stay there for when you come back as well."

Hinata smiled brightly. "Thank you so much, Gaara!"

"Just be careful." He warned, and seeing her smile more, he glared. "I'm serious."

"I will, I promise."

"Good."

"Hinata!" a voice called out from the end of the hallway.

Surprised, Hinata turned to see Tenten at the end of the hallway, leaning a hand against the wall, breathing heavily. However, she was smiling happily. "Tenten?"

"Neji's awake!" she called out, the excitement in her voice practically radiating through the hall.

Hinata could feel her eyes widen in shock before it gave way to her own excitement. Then, as if losing control of her body and acting on instinct alone, Hinata ran down the hall towards Tenten, both of them hurrying towards Neji's room. The two girls didn't even look back to see if Gaara was following.


Tenten and Hinata's pace slowed as they reached the door, at which they pushed open and walked through only to see a large group of visitors around Neji's bed. They all looked over when the two entered, offered greetings, and then turned back to facing the bed or each other to talk.

Hinata couldn't really notice any of them; she was too focused on seeing around them to where Neji was, but she couldn't see him yet. She moved closer and ended up wedging her way between Lee and Kankuro. As soon as she did, her eyes fell upon Neji, who was laying back against the pillows and involved in a conversation with the matriarch.

Spying the new visitor, Tsunade smiled and motioned to her with her head while talking to Neji. "Got another visitor, Neji. You're becoming quite popular all of a sudden."

Following the motion, Neji turned his head and landed his gaze on Hinata.

Hinata didn't realize she had been holding her breath until he had stared at her, and then she proceeded to exhale in relief. Her mouth slackened into a shaky smile, and her eyes moistened. Despite how happy she was, she still managed to notice how sunken his eyes were and how sullenly the corners of his mouth tilted downwards. The dark circles under his eyes stood out more once they were open and awake in comparison to when he was unconscious.

Neji looked as though he had just gotten back from a year-long battle, and in his mind, that might have been accurate.

"Neji," she whispered, her happiness and relief flaring around the two syllables of his name.

Staring blankly at her for another moment, Neji eventually turned back towards Tsunade as if he hadn't seen Hinata at all. This, of course, wiped Hinata's smile clean from her face, and instead, made her feel frozen inside.

Tsunade patted Neji's shoulder lightly, offering him a smile. "We should head down to breakfast, but don't worry. We'll send a meal up for you, too." She glanced at Hinata's forlorn expression before turning back to Neji. "I'll drop by again after dinner to check on you, but to be honest, there's nothing more I can do. Hinata's taken very good care of you."

"I'm sure she has." He said, his voice devoid of any emotion.

Tsunade smiled uneasily at the way he was treating his deity, but knew it would only be her business if it involved anything other than their personal relationship. "We'll leave you alone now." She turned to address the crowd of visitors. "Hey, all of you, out! Get your asses out that door and down to breakfast now!"

In an eruption of conversation and exclamations, the large group eventually filed outside the door with Tsunade being last. Hinata was the only one that stayed behind, and Tsunade closed the door behind her to give them whatever privacy they needed.

In the silent aftermath of everyone leaving, except for Hinata and Neji, not a sound was made.

Neji wasn't looking at her at all, wasn't even speaking to her. Instead, he was facing the opposite way, keeping his gaze focused on his balcony. Hinata, for her part, could only stand still, her head lowered sulkily.

Eventually, she mustered up the courage to stare at him again, or rather, the back of his head. "I'm so happy to see you awake, Neji. I…I was worried."

Though she couldn't see, Neji's face was slowly beginning to form into a scowl.

Hinata gulped, moving closer to his bedside, keeping her hands folded in front of her. "After you got hurt, I tried to do as much as I could, but I didn't know what to do exactly….Um…." she paused, reaching out to touch his hand. "How are you feeling?"

Neji turned at that exact moment, landing his infuriated eyes on her. "How the hell do you think I'm feeling, Hinata?"

Her eyes widened to an almost impossible degree, just as she retrieved her hand back to her chest as if she had been scolded. She had seen Neji angry before, but never this much, and never at her—not like this.

"Do you have the slightest fucking clue as to how I'm feeling? As to how I felt?" He was yelling like she had never heard him yell before, and it scared her.

"N-Neji, I understand if you—"

"No, you don't!" he interrupted, still yelling with ferocity. "You understand nothing of what I went through! Hours…days…weeks of nonstop torture!" his tone lessened into something more pained, while his hand flew to his forehead, inwardly feeling insane for remembering what he had experienced in that torture chamber of his mind. "The endless agony…wanting to die…"

Tears flooded Hinata's eyes at seeing her guardian, who was normally so composed, look so completely shattered. He was right; there was no way she could understand what he had gone through.

"And then, when I finally come out of it," Neji laughed darkly. "You're kissing that demon! As if rewarding him for trying to kill me!"

Hinata was shaking her head. "Neji, it wasn't like that…" her words were trembling.

"Are you sure?" his tone became as cold as ice. "It looked to me like you were enjoying it."

"I did it to save you," she pleaded desperately. "He wouldn't have stopped if I didn't."

"Bullshit." He muttered, shaking his head, his lips tightening into a thin line.

"Neji, I—" She stopped herself, unsure of what to say. "What do I have to do to convince you?"

Neji looked at her again, settling his gaze on the way she stood so uncertain of herself, her eyes pleading with him, while sadness lurked behind it. "Tell me everything."

"What?" she asked, not sure that she heard him correctly.

"Everything, Hinata. Don't you dare leave anything out…and no lying, either."

She gulped nervously. "Where do you want me to start?"

"From the beginning, when you met…how you met. I want to know how it got this far," Or, rather, how it got to the point where she was obviously in love with a demon.

Hinata nodded apprehensively. "Okay…"


By the time training had finished and lunch was beginning for the other temple residents, Hinata finished telling Neji about her entire past with Itachi, beginning with that first encounter in the meadow to that recent night when Neji was almost killed.

The entire time, Neji sat in bed motionless, staring down at his hands, listening and feeling pained by a secret that had been kept from him for so long. He was not only her guardian, but he thought—believed—that he was one of her best friends. He believed that he had meant so much to her, and yet, she hadn't told him a secret that she seemingly had no issue telling Gaara and Sasuke…Gaara and Sasuke! She told someone who had tried to hurt her before telling him.

That hurt more than he dared to admit. Then again, the secret was still being kept from everyone else, including another one of Hinata's best friends, Temari. That eased his pain slightly, but not enough for him to not be angry with his deity…

His deity…?

No, she wasn't his deity, anymore, was she? She belonged to someone else this whole time…a demon, no less! She had chosen a demon over him, over their own species! Was there a chance that he could still love her after learning that? After being betrayed in such a manner and for so long?

He closed his eyes morosely as he realized that, yes, he did still love her…very much. She still meant so much to him. He was beginning to believe that he would forgive her of anything, no matter how deep the betrayal, or how vast the lies. She was still Hinata, after all. She was still the little girl that he befriended as a child. She was still the deity that he had sworn to guard with his life…and she was still the beautiful, kind, and compassionate young woman with whom he had fallen in love.

But the pain was still there, and after having gone through the previous mental torture, he could say with confidence that it didn't compare to the pain of being betrayed by someone he loved with all his heart and soul and mind. No pain could compare to that.

"Neji," Hinata murmured after a while, reaching out her hand to grasp one of his own hands. Thankfully, he didn't reject it, and instead, grasped hers loosely.

When he finally looked at her, he was no longer angry, just…pained and sad. "Why did you keep this from me? Why didn't you tell me sooner? I could've helped you…I—" he gulped. "You didn't trust me with it, did you?"

She shook her head. "That's not it, I just…I thought you'd be angry, and I couldn't tell anyone." She paused, seeing that he was about to mention Gaara or Sasuke, so she quickly continued. "The only reason Gaara and Sasuke know is because they found out on their own, and since they did, I decided that I might as well just explain everything to them."

"How long have they known?" he asked in almost a whisper.

"Sasuke's only learned of it recently. Gaara…has known for about ten years now, maybe a little longer."

Neji released a sound of disbelief. "That explains why you've spent so much time with them, and why you're not really involved with Sasuke."

Hinata nodded. "That's right." She didn't speak for a moment until another thought occurred to her. "They've helped me so much, Neji. If it wasn't for them, I would've been labeled a traitor a long time ago."

"This demon…" Neji began, his brows furrowing unpleasantly. "He really means that much to you? So much so that you would even risk being a traitor?"

Without hesitation, Hinata nodded. "I love him."

Neji breathed in sharply at hearing the words, while his chest seemed to tighten and clench painfully. "Why him?" Why not me?

Unknowing of Neji's inner consternation, Hinata smiled dreamily as she thought of her demon. "I guess…I love him, because…he's Itachi. That's all that matters to me."

Listening to her talk about another man like that wasn't making him feel any better. While jealous, he was also distraught at feeling like he had lost a battle that he had been pointlessly fighting for years, for a prize that was never meant to be his. He felt as though he never stood a chance, and yet he had tried in ignorance, anyway.

For what, though? What had he gained? Betrayal and lies?

"Are you okay, Neji?" Hinata asked after having noticed how much paler he had become.

He glanced at her concerned face quickly before turning back to his hands that lay limp in his lap. "I'd like to be alone for a while, Hinata."

"Are you sure?"

He nodded and cleared his throat. "I'll send for you if I need anything."

"Okay…," she began to walk towards the door, but she paused before exiting completely. "I'll make sure that they're going to send up some lunch for you."

"That's fine." He answered tersely.

Hinata lowered her gaze and quietly left the room, knowing that if there was ever going to be a good time to escape to the meadow, this would be it.

Despite feeling a pull to comfort Neji further, though he obviously didn't want any comfort from her, she proceeded to where Gaara's transporting sand was waiting for her.

The day was apparently not getting any easier for anyone.


Hinata waited until almost everyone had left for the village or the pavilion, and only then did she walk out to the courtyard, spying over her shoulder to make sure that she wasn't being followed or watched. When the coast was clear, she approached a part of the wall, where she saw a circle-sized platform of sand resting unobtrusively on the ground. Sending out a silent word of thanks to Gaara, she stepped uneasily onto the sand and crouched down.

Almost immediately, it began to lift into the air of its own accord. It would've been perfectly safe for Hinata to stand, but crouching was better in the sense that it didn't make her heart pound nervously from fear.

The mound of sand soared over the top of the wall, and then slowly descended to the ground on the other side. As soon as she landed, Hinata stepped away and noticed that the sand wasn't slithering away like usual. Instead, it was remaining there, just as Gaara said it would in case she would need a way to get back over.

Smiling in gratitude, Hinata turned on her heel and began walking the familiar path into the forest that would eventually lead to the meadow.

Upon arriving, she wasn't surprised that she didn't see Itachi, since he wasn't exactly used to seeing her in the daytime anymore. Stepping into the middle of the glorious meadow, Hinata hesitated and debated whether or not to wait there or try to find Itachi's "home". She had only been there once before and wasn't certain if she could find it again. Then again, she couldn't find it last time, either. Itachi eventually found her and led her there, so perhaps if she tried looking for it again, he would come find her…again.

Chewing her lip, she decided that she might as well try to find it, and pray that he would be nearby in case she got lost, or worse. Meanwhile, she considered what she would say to him. Foremost, she wanted to understand why he hadn't come to her the previous night, and also understand what he thought of her after their intimate moment.

She needed to know for certain that he still cared for her, and that the kiss didn't end up pushing him away. Hinata didn't think she could stand to lose him after having just reclaimed in her life again after so long.

After that, she wanted to ask him where they would go from here, how their relationship might or might not change. In either case, even she had no idea what to make of their relationship anymore. Did she want only friendship with him or something more?

Her heart seemed to thump out its answer that, yes, she did want something so much more from him than friendship. And yet, it made her cheeks redden at the thought of breaching a part of their relationship that she never breached with anyone before.

Could it be done? Or, was it simply too impossible for a demon and a human—a deity, to be exact?

Brows furrowed in thought and worry, Hinata continued her trek through the forest, while trying to remember the route she had taken the previous time. The forest was so quiet, too. It was almost…abnormally quiet. At that awareness, she paused and leaned her hand against the trunk of a nearby tree. Her eyes shifted to the different dim areas of the forest, not seeing anything threatening, and yet, was that really the truth? It was the things she couldn't see that proved to be the most threatening, right?

Her breathing became shallow as she simply waited, being completely still and barely making a sound.

Then, she heard noises from the side of her, and they only sounded a few yards away. "Itachi?" she gulped fearfully.

She watched that spot and waited until she saw a shadowed figure come running through the trees, but she couldn't determine what it was. It couldn't have been Itachi, could it?

A growl emitted from it as it began to sprint towards her, making her eyes widen and her breath inhale sharply. No, definitely not Itachi.

A bear? Hinata confirmed in her mind, seeing the large animal hurtle towards her at an alarming speed. Knowing that there was no possible way to outrun the large, brown beast, Hinata could only stare transfixed as it came her way, obviously intending to make her its next meal.

Her fingers curled against the tree trunk, her nails biting into the bark.

The humongous animal barreled toward her, and it occurred to her that it didn't look as though it wanted her. Rather, it looked as though it had been running for a while, as if it was being chased…or hunted.

Then, just as the bear had almost neared her, something else knocked into it from its side, nearly tackling it to the ground. The bear landed on its side, groaning, but she couldn't spot the other figure at all. Did it disappear? Did she even see it?

A blur raced around it, severing the bear's head from its body, effectively killing it. Hinata could only watch dumbfounded as blood stained the bear's fur and it's eyes froze and mouth slackened.

"What are you doing here?" a voice practically growled at her.

Hinata looked away from the dead animal, only to see Itachi standing near it, blood staining his hands, and if she were to look closer, she would see more blood spotted all over his clothes.

The way his voice sounded so guttural reminded her of the previous growl she heard that she thought had come from the bear. But, had it come from him instead? It was possible with the way he was glaring at her angrily, his red eyes boring into her heatedly.

"I…" she tried to force words out of her throat, and it was difficult at first after seeing the way Itachi so mercilessly killed that huge animal. "I came to look for you."

"This was probably one of the worst times to do that." He spoke, his voice having a distinct displeased edge to it.

Hinata was about to ask why, but one more look at the bear gave her the answer. "You were hunting?"

He gave her a deadpan stare, as if to sarcastically say, What do you think?

"I'm sorry," she muttered. "I didn't know."

He shook his head and turned away from her to grab one of the bear's forepaws and one backpaw, with which he used as leverage to lift the dead carcass onto his back. Without saying another word, he began to walk away in another direction. Without looking back at her, he told her to follow, and she did, though at a more sedate pace.

A sigh escaped her lips as she was beginning to comprehend that she was probably going to get yelled at by yet another person that day. However, she stayed silent as Itachi seemed to lead her back to his cave.

Itachi was practically seething, and at first, his anger was directed to her, but he knew that it wasn't her fault. There was really no one to blame for her almost getting in trouble yet again, and yet…

Damn it. He cursed in his mind, while trying to calm himself, which was quite difficult after what he had just experienced. Fear had never gripped his heart before the way it did when he first noticed that Hinata was in the direct path of the panicked bear. When hunting, the chase usually swarmed his mind to the point where he barely noticed anything else, which was why he enjoyed hunting. After all, it was the only time that he could think about something else besides his deity.

However, it was just his luck that Hinata decided to traipse along when he just happened to be in the middle of a hunt.

He arrived back at his cave early that morning and received only a couple hours of sleep before hunger awoke him and begged for his attention. He spent the past half-hour hunting for a meal and had come across a bear, and chose to chase it for a while before killing it. Hunting was like therapy for a demon, and it was in their blood to enjoy the chase just as much as killing it.

During the hunt, he had sensed Hinata's nearness, but it was in the back of his mind. Then, he paid more attention when he sensed that the bear had changed paths to avoid him, but only ended up putting Hinata in the line of fire.

That was when Itachi started to panic. He had increased his speed, and diverted his path so that he was no longer chasing the bear from behind, but rather so that he would side-swipe it before it got to Hinata.

Though it worked and Hinata was safe, the knowledge alone of what could have happened to her set his teeth on edge and his hands trembling with suppressed rage. If he had been just a moment too late…

He shook his head, clearing away such thoughts, and breathed heavily to calm himself. When his heart was no longer pounding with urgency, he felt more in control, and by then, he had reached his temporary residence.

The mouth of the cave was open, but hidden well amongst the dense foliage of the forest. Itachi approached it and set the bear corpse off to the side to be skinned, washed, and eaten later on. His hunger still ate at his insides, making him feel more demonically animalistic than usual, but he chose to stave off until after Hinata departed. He doubted that she would want to stay and watch him eat, since no demon really took the time to cook their food; instead, preferring it raw and bloody.

A basin of water was just inside the cave for his use in cleansing his hands of the blood. He, first, removed his outer, bloodied clothing so that he was only wearing shoes and pants, and then proceeded to crouch over the basin to wash his hands.

Amidst his washing, he happened to glance over at Hinata, who had stayed very quiet the whole time. It made his muscles tense at seeing her just standing a little outside the cave, her wide eyes captivated by his bare back and chest. He could practically hear her heart pounding furiously at the sight, and the action itself made his blood start to simmer with a familiar sexual urge to take and possess.

When Hinata finally noticed that he was staring at her, she gasped and looked away, her cheeks flaming up in embarrassment at being caught for staring so intently at him in such a way.

The way her blood rushed so swiftly to her face made his own blood practically boil with the aforementioned pulsating urge. It took all he had to look away from her and focus on removing the stains of animal blood from his skin.

Ever since that damnable kiss, he had wanted more of her, wanted to taste more and feel more. Ever since then, his body had become so tense and on edge that he could barely concentrate on anything other than how her body would feel against his, her curves against his rigidity. It was slowly becoming too much to bear, and his self-control had almost splintered to nothing. Shit.

Flicking the water from his hands, he stood up and dried them off on a piece of cloth nearby. "Why are you here?" he asked without daring to look at her.

Hinata's blush began to recede at the same time she stepped into the cave and leaned against the wall on the opposite side of him. "I came to see you," she folded her hands in front of her and watched him. That is, until he met her gaze, and then she looked away, still feeling embarrassed for having…gawked at him earlier.

Itachi walked towards her like a predator and only stopped when he was just a few inches away. He hooked his finger under her chin to direct her gaze back to his. "Why?" he asked huskily.

Her opal eyes met his gentle gaze, and she relaxed, though her blush still remained daintily on her cheeks. "You didn't come last night…I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"As you can see, nothing's wrong." He answered curtly, wanting to get her away from him as soon as possible before he did something she might not be ready for. Despite that, he remained close to her body, his finger still hooked under her delicate chin, almost stroking her silky skin. His body was obviously not listening to him anymore. He cleared his throat, though his voice still sounded desire-ridden to his ears. "Was that all?"

"No," she whispered, her eyelids falling halfway in a daze just because of his touch and nearness. "I wanted to…" she trailed off, trying to remember the questions she had to ask, but him being so close was clouding her thoughts. "To know…why you didn't come." She gulped noticeably. "Was it because," her blush heightened. "Because of the kiss?"

"I had something to take care of," Itachi replied lowly, his eyes becoming riveted on her mouth, watching her teeth nibble on her lower lip anxiously. The action was quickly followed by her tongue sneaking out to smooth over the delicate skin. His breathing was becoming labored just watching the tantalizingly innocent gesture.

"It wasn't because of me, then?" she questioned hopefully, praying that he hadn't been pushed away by her bold move the other night. Although, by the way he was looking at her so hungrily, she was highly doubting that at the moment.

"Not in the way you're thinking," he assured her quietly, while his hand that was once under her chin began to caress along her cheek until the side of her face was resting against his palm.

She had so much more to ask him, but the heat of their moment was becoming too much for her. It was almost as if that kiss had broken open a floodgate of inner desires that they both had for so long, and yet had repressed. She wanted him to kiss her again, and she wasn't ashamed to admit that. In fact, she moved closer to him, tilting her head upward. Her hand seemed to move of its own accord, resting against his chest, feeling the tightened muscle just under her hand. "Itachi…" she whispered, sounding almost like a plea.

Seeing her parted lips and feeling her palm on his bare skin was all the encouragement he needed. In one fell swoop, he wrapped his hand behind her neck and pulled her towards his body before hungrily claiming her mouth with his own. One of her hands moved upwards to entangle in the hair at his neck, while her other hand wrapped around to grip onto his muscled back.

Her nails glided against the skin on his back soothingly, making him groan and press against her even more, if it was possible. The hand that wasn't behind her neck and clenching onto her hair had instead found a place at her hip. It was only there for a moment before moving down her leg to clench onto the fabric of her gown, his instincts begging to lift it and take her.

A pleasured whimper caught in her throat, but it was still audible to his ears, making him intensify the already intense embrace. He devoured her mouth desperately, tasting everything, and when she shyly tried to mimic him, he groaned again and pressed her against the wall, lifting her gown just a little bit higher. The tips of his fingers grazed the tender skin of her upper leg, and he still wanted so much more.

Suddenly, he broke the kiss before he lost all control, but held her against him while they both tried to regain their breathing. Hinata held onto him tightly, burying her face into his chest and closing her eyes so that she could focus on calming her racing heart.

Itachi, too, had his eyes closed, but opened them to stare at his hand that was still clenched purposely on her gown. As if silently commanding it with his eyes, he watched as each finger loosened its grip, letting her gown fall back into its usual length. While still catching his breath, both of his forearms came to rest on the wall of the cave on either side of her head. Goddess, he wanted her so badly it was almost tearing him apart.

Gulping harshly to settle his nerves, he began to speak quietly. "I told you that I'm going to leave again,"

Hinata opened her eyes, but she still stayed clasped against his body as if he was the only thing holding her up.

He continued, staring dazedly at the wall. "I'm leaving in three days, and I want you to come with me."

"For how long?" she murmured.

"For good." He answered quickly.

She didn't say anything for a moment as she let the implications of his request register in her mind. "Will I ever see Konoha again?" she asked, but the real question was whether or not she'd ever see her temple family again.

"No," he answered sternly.

At that, she finally looked up at him, waiting until he met her gaze evenly. "What if I can't do it? What if I can't leave Konoha behind?"

And as per his agreement with Madara… "I will still have to leave…and I wouldn't ever be able to come back." To see you… He added in his mind. So, say yes.

She exhaled shakily, averting her gaze to his shoulder instead of his penetrating eyes. "To never see them again for the rest of my life…"

Hearing her trail off, he closed his eyes, feeling pained at the knowledge that she wasn't ready to give him an answer yet. She was still so attached to her home and family that the decision to leave with him forever wasn't an easy one. She would need time. "You have three days to decide. Consider tomorrow as day one."

She met his gaze worriedly, feeling the heavy weight of a burden— an inevitable decision—resting on her shoulders. "Itachi,"

"I will not come see you until the night of the third day when you are to give me your final answer." When Itachi saw that she was beginning to look away, he tilted up her chin with his knuckle again. "You knew this day would come when you would have to choose between them and…my world." He was about to say "me", but couldn't bring himself to sound so desperate.

Everything about her expression and tone of voice sounded despairingly sad. "I don't know if I can."

He opened his mouth to reply, but chose against it, and instead gave her a surprisingly tender and gentle kiss that only lasted a short moment. "You have to," he murmured against her lips. "We're out of time…and there are no other options."

She stared into his blood-red eyes, seeing the truth in his words, the same truth that she had been avoiding for many years. She knew that she couldn't avoid it anymore. He was right. "Okay…I promise that I will have an answer for you by then."

He gave a short nod before finally pulling away from her. "I'm assuming you have a way to get back over the wall."

"I do," she nodded.

A corner of his mouth tilted upward in amusement. "Then, I might as well show you the easiest way to get to this cave, so that this," he motioned to the dead bear. "never happens again."

Hinata couldn't resist smiling gently in response, and it only increased when he held out his hand for her to take. With her small hand enfolded in his, she let him lead her out of the cave and down an easily noticeable path back to the meadow.

They remained silent during the walk, and while Hinata made sure to memorize as much as she could about her surroundings and the route to take to the cave, she also pondered how this moment felt to her.

She understood that what she felt while holding his hand and being led back to the meadow was something a lot like foreboding…or maybe a sense of farewell. It felt as though this could possibly be the last time she would be able to be with her demon like this. If she were to choose Konoha over him, then she would never be able to feel him the way she felt him now. If this was the last moment she had with him, then…

The thought made her hand tighten onto his more firmly.

When they reached the Konoha wall and Hinata saw the familiar mound of sand, the walk there had only felt like a matter of seconds. Itachi released her hand silently and watched with a twinge of curiosity at how the sand was acting as some type of transport.

He could only assume that it was the work of one of her half-demon friends. Before she fully stepped onto the sand, she looked up at him expectantly.

He returned her gaze, and for a moment, he simply took to memorizing features of her face that he already knew too well. "Three days, Hinata."

She bit her lip and nodded morosely before crouching on the sand and letting it lift her over the wall.

It wasn't until he could no longer see her that Itachi finally looked elsewhere and began his walk back to his cave. Suddenly, his hunger pains had become no more than a dull ache in the back of his mind…along with many other feelings and needs.


"The way to love anything is to realize that it might be lost."

-G.K. Chesterton


Thanks to all my lovely and well-appreciated reviewers!

MurderedByAMarionette: I absolutely loved your review! Thank you for taking the time to write such a long one! P.S. I'll let you know if I end up writing a Madara story

Ayo: Lemon? Definitely. It's one of the reasons why I rated this story "M". That, and bad language, I suppose…

LEMON NOTE: There will be a lemon, but I am still uncertain on how I'm going to do it, as in…put it in and mark the area so people can skip over it if they want, or don't mark it at all…or I'm sure there are other ways, too, but I don't know. If anyone has any suggestions, let me know in a review, please!

HyuugaAE: I'm trying very hard to get these chapters out as quick as possible and whenever I have the time. Trust me, I don't want to spend years on getting this done, either.

Aki666: Thanks for the confidence boost! Loved it!

Everyone else, thank you so, so, so, so very much for taking the time to not only read this, but review as well. I can't express how much I truly appreciate every single review.

See you all next chapter!

-Tranquilwriter