My sister had a healthy baby girl at 6 ½ Lbs. I is an auntie!!!
I hope you guys are enjoying your easter, I on the other hand was stuck on the night shift at work… easter eggs made it bearable…. Barely.
Sorry about the format, Fanfic is a little screwy at the moment and i can't change it. I'll try to fix it at a later stage
Snake in the Leaves
Tsunade read the letter, Jiraiya was leaning over her shoulder. Takara stood to the side, she'd already read it. Hinata stood uncomfortably in front of the hokage's desk while the three sannin read over the letter in silence. They had asked her a few more times to tell them about what Sasuke did to help her escape. Tsunade was pursing her lips and Jiraiya looked grim.
"Do you honestly think u can trust him?" Takara asked.
"Honestly, I don't know. But he was in Orochimaru's inner circle for a while and he knows about Sound tactics." Hinata said.
"She has a point." Takara added.
"I'd like to give him a chance. He wants me to meet him alone but I know you're not gonna allow it so you can send an ANBU team with me." Hinata offered.
Tsunade hmmed, Hinata was right she wasn't going to let her go alone. The ANBU team was a good idea though.
"What do you think?" the hokage asked Jiraiya.
"Weather he truly intends to return to the leaf or not he would be a valuable source of information. But then again this could be a trap to get Hinata back." Jiraiya looked up from the letter at the teen. Hinata chewed her lip, she hadn't considered that.
"If Sasuke's intent was to hand her back to Orochimaru then he would have done it when she was weak." Tsunade said.
"I don't like it, I'll take an ANBU team and pick him up we can interview him in a bunker." Takara offered.
"Alright then, Hinata you will go and meet with Sasuke to find out his intent," Takara was about to argue but Tsunade cut across her, "You will be backing her up with two ANBU teams." Takara closed her mouth and crossed her arms. "I want you to talk to him first, lets see if he'll come back willingly first." Hinata nodded.
Sasuke ran a whet stone over his sword. It was already sharp but he needed something to do to occupy his mind. He'd sent the letter a week ago, now he couldn't help but think that Hinata hadn't gotten home after all. He asked her to meet him in south of Fang country near Fire in a glade used as a landmark by Leaf forces. He started to think to himself if Hinata had been recaptured or had died what would he do then, she'd told him that leaf forces had a kill on sight order for him so he couldn't just walk into Fire and by now Orochimaru was sure to know that he was missing. Maybe he should have stayed with Hinata or at least taken her closer to home. He sheathed his blade and sighed. He looked up the dirt path leading into the glade and saw some one coming. He stood up and watched the approaching figure. He cracked a smile as Hinata came closer.
"I was beginning to think you weren't going to come." He said as Hinata came within earshot.
"Hello Sasuke." she said plainly.
"So you got home after all, I was starting to think you'd gone and died on me." Sasuke smirked. Hinata held out her hand, her expression didn't change.
"Give me your sword Sasuke."
"What?"
"Please" she kept her hand out. Sasuke looked around, he couldn't see anything.
"You didn't come alone did you?" he asked.
"Tsuande-sama wouldn't permit it any other way, now, your sword." she prompted again. Sasuke glanced around again, Hinata was a few feet in front of him, dressed in full ANBU gear minus the mask. Her left hand was held out to him waiting for his weapon, her right hand was resting on the hilt of one of her twin blades slung across her waist. He scanned the rest of the glade but could see nothing.
"Has Tsunade allowed me to come back to Konoha?" he asked.
"That has yet to be decided." Hinata answered. "But if you really want to go home, please, surrender your sword."
Sasuke sighed he really should have expected this. He reached behind him and set his hand on the hilt of his sword, there was a creak of leather as Hinata tightened her grip on her blade and all around him he could almost hear the unknown number of ANBU around him doing the same, he thought he heard the straining of a bowstring. He slipped his hand on past the hilt and grabbed the sheath, with his other hand he untied the cord that held it in place.
"Looks like I'll have to trust you like you trusted me…" he said and tossed the blade to Hinata, she caught it and stowed it in her cloak. "Suppose you'll want this too." Sasuke unclipped his equipment pouch and pulled a concealed blade from his sandal. He tossed them slowly to Hinata and again she stowed them in her cloak.
"Is that everything?" she asked. Sasuke paused to ponder, Hinata took this for hesitation and activated her Byakugan.
"The senbon in your hair and the lock pick in your gloves." she said.
"Oh right…" Sasuke swept his hand through his hair and the ninja needles fell to the ground. Once he removed the lock pick and tossed it Hinata gave him another look over.
"Cross you arms behind your back." she ordered.
"This is just revenge isn't it?" Sasuke moaned but complied.
"He's clean." Hinata called over her shoulder. A cat faced ANBU appeared from the undergrowth, and more appeared from all around the glade. They were all dressed like Hinata except their cowls where green to aid their camouflage. Two walked right up to Sasuke and bound his hands behind his back. Crossed arms and wrist tied to the elbow of the other hand. To prevent him using any handsigns. For extra measure on of the ANBU jabbed him in the neck.
"Ow! Hey, what's that!?" he rounded on Hinata.
"It's a chakra blocker. Not as long lasting as the one the sound use but still effective." the cat answered, then added "Just because you helped Hinata doesn't give you a free ticket to Konoha"
Sasuke pouted as a blindfold was tied around his eyes. Once the teen was tied the cat ordered the ANBU to move out. It was time to get back to the safety of Fire.
Sasuke walked for what seemed like hours. He was sure that they where taking him on a long and winding detour so he wouldn't be able to find the bunker again. A weight pressed down on his head and from behind he heard a grizzled voice saying,
"Mind your head" Sasuke shuffled forward but the ground seemed to disappear and he fell forward. He let out a grunt as he hit the ground.
"Mind your step" the same voice called with a chuckle. There was a murmur of sniggers around the room. In the fall the knot on the blindfold loosened and slipped a little. Sasuke looked around himself from the ground. He was in a small concrete room with two doors, one was open and led deeper into the bunker and the other was little more than a hatch with a low tunnel leading outside. Crouched in the tunnel was an Ox faced ANBU that had been behind Sasuke. Several other ANBU where standing around the room. He looked for Hinata but she had put on her mask, he didn't know which was her. The Ox closed the hatch cutting off the daylight, leaving the room in the glow of torches on the walls. The flickering flames cast a dim light into the room, leaving shadows. In this light the pale masks of the ANBU had a eerie aura about them and Sasuke again began to think that this wasn't a good idea after all. The loud clump of heavy boots sounded down the hall and they where coming closer. Sasuke strained his neck to look up the cat was coming down the hall with Ibiki close behind her. Sasuke remembered the man from his chuunin exams. If he remembered correctly he was an expert at interrogation. The teen gulped, now he was worried.
"Pick him up." the cat said as she reentered the room. Sasuke was gripped tightly by the shoulders and hoisted off the ground. The cat turned to Ibiki,
"He's all yours. Have fun"
"We'll see," Ibiki smirked at the cat, then he spun around and walked back into the bunker, "bring him" he called over his shoulder. Sasuke was pushed roughly from behind and he stumbled forward.
"If you're honest you might just get home after all" Hinata's voice came from behind, Sasuke looked back to try and see her but only pale animal faces stared back at him. He was pushed again and he started walking down the hall after Ibiki still looking back for the one person he knew.
Now that they had delivered their target to the interrogator the ANBU team began to relax. They shrugged off their cowls and a few took off their masks. They spread out, a few to the small break room others to the barracks. The fox hung back in the tunnel,
"Something wrong?" the cat asked.
"I can't help feeling that I betrayed him…" Hinata took her mask off.
"It has to be done, if he is trust worthy like you think then we can take him home." the cat also removed her mask.
"I'm guessing if he isn't then we have to treat him as a traitor." Takara nodded.
"You know we can't allow him to go."
"I know, the penalty for treason is death. It's just he saved my life and I might be ending his." Hinata said.
"I know, but that's the cost of war." Takara said grimly, Hinata nodded she was well aware of this.
"I'm going to get some sleep." Hinata told the sannin.
"Good idea."
Hinata lay on one of the bunks around the walls of the barracks. She'd pulled the thin curtain across it to try block the light from the torches. Two ANBU where having a hushed conversation in the middle of the room and some where behind her came the snores of an ANBU who'd fallen asleep. Hinata had one arm tucked under her head and the other was holding her ANBU mask. Since her last encounter with Sasuke her ANBU apprentice mask had been shattered. She wasn't the only ANBU apprentice to be injured back then so Takara decided against using inexperienced apprentices to 'bulk up' the numbers. So Hinata didn't get a replacement and wasn't called to do anymore missions. A year afterwards though just after team three's first failed chunin exam she was called back to the small room under the hokage tower to again meet Ibiki. This time however he told her that she was still on the short list for potential ANBU agent and she'd been chosen to go through the testing process. The test panned out for over two months. Between training with Takara, training team three for the chuunin exams and the ANBU tests she was exhausted and was sure she failed. A few of the tests where on the spot reaction tests where she was jumped on the way back from training by ANBU clones, most where tactical problems and a few practical exercises. After the two months she was heading back from one of the exercises with the other recruits, the scenario had been a failure over all, as she headed away from the training grounds Ibiki fell into step next to her.
He bade her to follow him, so she did. He took her to the ANBU HQ and to the fourth floor equipment room that had the shelf filled with blank masks. Also in the room was a few other jounin she had seen in a few of the tests, she knew a few from the jounin briefings but knew none of their names.
Ibiki explained that the testing process was over and that the people in the room had met the requirements to join. At this Hinata glanced down the line, there where only thirteen in the room of a test group of sixty. At this point they were instructed to choose their masks. Hinata had gone right for the fox mask again, she was going to use the same purple colour for the markings but the colour reminded her of Orochimaru's eye markings, so instead she opted for a pale blue. Out of curiosity she glanced at the others masks, hers was the only fox mask.
Most of the group got the ANBU symbol tattooed to their arms, others got theirs in more discreet locations. Hinata had hers in her hairline at the back of her neck.
Back in the present she looked at the markings on her mask, her old mask had mimicked the markings on Takara's cat mask but on her new one she kept the markings simple, the eyes and mouth were outlined and curved line on the right cheek. Hinata sighed and set the mask down and stared at the bunk above her. Ibiki had been in with Sasuke for over 12 hours now. She'd tried to get some sleep but it didn't come easy. She had mixed feelings about Sasuke. For one he'd been the one who'd scarred her face and thigh and why her back was stiff every morning, he'd also been the one who'd abducted her. On the other hand he did help her escape from sound controlled territory and arranged it so she could meet up with Konoha patrols.
After another hour she rolled out of the bunk to try find out what was going on. Near the interrogation room she found Takara speaking with a cat faced mind diver. It was the same cat who'd probed Hinata when she came back.
"Ibiki-sama feels he doesn't require a mind dive. The prisoner is being most co-operative" Hinata caught the end of what the cat was saying.
"Alright, you can go take a break, if we need you I'll send for you" the cat nodded and stalked past Hinata in the tunnel.
"How's it going?" Hinata asked.
"Well he's a whiney little brat but he's serious about wanting to come home. Well, that's what Ibiki thinks. The mind diver couldn't locate any seals or blank spots so no surprises from Orochimaru," Hinata tensed at the name, "Ibiki's been quizzing him on anything he can think of, trying to trap him in his own stories but so far everything is panning out." Takara shrugged.
"So he'll be able to come back to the village?" Hinata asked.
"I dunno, It's up to Tsunade really. Once Ibiki's seen enough we'll sent a report to her." Takara told the teen.
"What do you think?" Hinata asked after a pause.
"Honestly?"
"Yeah"
"I don't know." Takara also had mixed opinions of the boy.
Sasuke sat in the cell. His arms where still bound and his chakra was blocked. He didn't know how long he was quizzed by Ibiki as well as a few others but they had put him in here to await the result. The cell was different from the ones in the sound, it was dry and the torch in the caged bracket on the wall provided both light and a bit of heat. With his watch behind his back he couldn't tell how much time had past but a few times a cup of water or soup was put on the little hatch halfway up the door, complete with straw. The liquid sat uneasily in his stomach. Ibiki had told him what would happen if the interview hadn't gone well, he would be considered a traitor and put to death. Once he'd been told that he started to panic.
Now that he was alone his panic grew and twisted in his stomach. He started to regret trying to get help from Hinata. The next time someone came with a cup of water he ducked down to look out the hatch when it opened.
"Hey, I wanna talk to Hinata. Is she still around?" the man said nothing and put the cup on the small shelf. "Hey come on is she here or not?"
"No one is to speak to you until word comes back from the hokage" he said plainly and walked away.
"Hey!" Sasuke shouted again but his only answer was a door closing.
It was taking so long now that Sasuke was sure that they had opted to kill him. He paced the cell and chewed his lip, jumping at the smallest sound. He heard foot steps coming down the corridor and instead of the hatch opening, the door opened and four ANBU stood at the door. Two where masked while the other two weren't. One of the unmasked was Hinata, she had the same plain expression as the day they took him. Just in front of her was a woman he'd seen before with a scar over her right eye, but he couldn't remember from where.
The older woman gestured into the cell and the two masked ANBU stepped in and pulled Sasuke to his feet, 'I was right they're going to kill me'
Next the woman nodded to Hinata and the girl stepped forward while reaching into her equipment pouch. Sasuke closed his eyes and waited for the strike.
"Open your eyes Sasuke…" he heard Hinata say. Cringing he opened one eye to look at her. Instead of a blade in her hand there was a Konoha head band. He looked at it dumbstruck. The bounds on his hands were cut from behind and his arms flopped to his side.
"I thought you wanted this" The woman at the door said sounding unamused, it was the same voice of the cat from before. Sasuke forced a smile to his face and took the headband from Hinata with a shaky hand. Once he took it Hinata let a hint of a smile form on her lips.
"Alright, get ready to leave. We're to take you right to Tsunade." The woman ordered. The two ANBU and Hinata answered her,
"Hai" and spun to leave the room. Sasuke hurried after them, the senior ANBU followed behind him, he could feel her eyes on his neck and got the impression she would had rather seen it cut. By the time he got to the front entrance Hinata had already put her mask back on, so once again he'd lost the one familiar face he knew. Sasuke was blindfolded again, he was about to protest but Hinata spoke into his ear,
"Leave it be, it's just until we get clear of the bunker. You're on thin ice already so just do as you're told" her voice sounded hollow through the mask. He nodded and said,
"Alright." Hinata had got him this far, he could trust her.
He followed them blindly through the woods for a number of hours, this time he was told if he was going to walk into a branch or trip. Eventually they let him take off the blindfold and he jogged to keep up with the ANBU. Without his chakra though it was tough and exhausting and they didn't slow down for him. They stopped before they reached the village, the plan was to take Sasuke in under cover of night and introduce him back into the population slowly. So they waited for night fall.
Sasuke sat on a rock glad of the break and tried to get his breath back. A whistle made him look up, a canteen had been tossed at him, he caught it just before it got him in the face. The thrower had been a now maskless Hinata.
"Tired?"
"Yeah, you could have slowed down a bit." He puffed after taking a swig of water.
"Just like you could have slowed down for me" she said with a grin
"I knew it this is revenge!" he accused.
"If I wanted revenge I would have kicked the shit outta you." Hinata said darkly with a glare. Sasuke suddenly became aware how vulnerable he was at the moment. Hinata smirked,
"If you want to sleep do it now as soon as it gets dark we moving again." She told him and headed back over to the fire with the other ANBU. Sasuke didn't get to sleep he felt too exposed being out in the middle of nowhere with an ANBU team. The cat called for them to get ready as soon as the sun started setting, once again Hinata was lost among the animal faces of the group. The group entered the city with Sasuke tucked away between them and he was taken right to the hokage tower. He was taken to a basement level and made to stay in a room with only a chair and a table. Two ANBU stayed with him on either side of the door. They sat in silence, which made Sasuke even more uncomfortable, until the cat returned with Tsunade and Jiraiya with her. Now that she was standing next to the other two sannin Sasuke knew exactly who she was. It was Takara, Orochimaru's niece and the one he nearly killed during Hinata's abduction.
"Hello Sasuke" Tsunade said plainly, Jiraiya watched him carefully and Takara stood against the wall with a disapproving look. Sasuke tried to offer a smile but the stares of the three Sannin made it hard. "You're going to tell me everything you know about Orochimaru's forces." Tsunade continued.
"Of course," he jumped and reached behind him for his pouch then remembered Hinata had took it from him. "Erm… I have lists in my equipment pouch" he said.
Takara nodded to one of the ANBU guards who reached into their cowl and pulled out a pouch, after rummaging through it pulled out a number of scrolls and a note pad. Jiraiya took them from the fox faced ANBU and examined them, looking for traps or seals there where none. The three Sannin looked at the scrolls and book and Sasuke fidgeted with his shirt. He looked from the fox and hawk guarding the door to the three sannin in front of him.
"I thought it would be something you could use." He said, the three sannin looked at him, obviously meaning 'shut up' then returned to the notes.
"Can you verify any of this?" Jiraiya asked the younger woman.
"The information here seems to match what information we've managed to collect ourselves." Takara answered holding up one of the scrolls, "I'd need to check up on the rest before I can be sure."
"Do it" Tsunade ordered, Takara nodded and left the room without a glance at the boy.
"So far so good?" Sasuke changed again.
"So far…" agreed Tsunade.
"Look at this." Jiraiya handed the small notebook to Tsunade.
"Do you know what these are?" she asked Sasuke after glancing at a few pages.
"No, I stole them along with the lists from Orochimaru's desk." Sasuke replied, Tsunade smirked.
"These are his poisons, with these we can create an effective countermeasure." She handed the book to Jiraiya. "Take this up to Royki Hebi and ask him to get the poison works to make a start on them, I'll be up in the morning." Jiraiya nodded and left the room too.
"Now what to do with you…" Tsunade said aloud to herself. She walked over to the fox ANBU and whispered something. The ANBU nodded and disappeared.
Naruto was stretched out on the beanie chair in the flat. Tenten and Kiba where trying to set up the plastic drum kit for the new RockBand game while the rest of the group ignored their arguing. Shikamaru was on a mission, Ino was chatting to Sakura, Neji tired to call out instructions to set up the drum kit but was ignored. Chouji was at a clan meeting and Shino had wandered off a little while ago. Naruto had finished flicking through the manual for the new game and watched Kiba try to untangle the foot petal cable. This was going to be worse than Guitar Hero.
"What was that?" Neji asked looking towards Naruto below the window.
"What was what?" the blonde asked coming out of his daydream.
"That knock." The noise came again, a tap at the window, Naruto pushed himself off the beanie chair and opened the window and peered out into the dark street they where on the third floor. A fully armoured ANBU was chakra clinging to the wall beside the window, complete with a dark cowl. The pale face stared at the teen making him a little worried, why was an ANBU here? Naruto stepped back and let the ANBU crouch in the window.
"Uzumaki Naruto, Hanuro Sakura, come with me." Came the hollow sounding voice from the mask. The ANBU disappeared out the window again. Naruto looked back at Sakura, who nodded and both teens jumped out the window after the ANBU who was waiting on the opposite rooftop. The ANBU beckoned them and ran on ahead.
"Is that Hinata?" Sakura said quietly.
"No, Hinata's not an ANBU apprentice anymore and her mask was purple anyway." Naruto answered in a hushed tone. Behind the mask Hinata smirked.
She lead them to the Hokage tower and down stairs to the basement. The ANBU paused outside a door which was being guarded by two others. They nodded to the fox and stepped aside to let her in the door, pausing she turned to the other two teens.
"Prepare yourselves."
"For what?" asked Naruto, the fox opened the door and they stepped inside the room. In the middle of the room was Tsunade and next to her was Sasuke who looked surprised to see them.
The fox quietly closed the door and went to stand next to Tsunade.
"Sa…su…ke-kun?" Sakura drew out the word in shock, Naruto was speechless.
"I'm back" he said with a half hearted shrug. After a long time of simply staring, Sakura strode forward and slapped him across the face, the force sent him staggering away from her.
"What was that for!?" he shouted cupping his stinging cheek.
"How dare you stand there and smile after all you put us through!" Sakura barked. "I should beat you to a pulp!" Sakura clenched her fist and shook it at him threateningly. The fox sniggered. Sakura took several deep breaths to calm herself.
"That being said, I'm glad you're alright" Sasuke looked at her confused,
"Er… Thanks…" he said worried about another smack.
"As I was saying," Tsunade continued a conversation she was having with Sasuke before the two arrived. "You are on a very short leash here, an ANBU will be watching you at all times and at any one time either Sakura, Naruto, Hinata or Kakashi must know where you are." the hokage ordered, she would inform Kakashi when he returned to the village later that day.
"What does Hinata have to do with this?" Naruto asked snapping out of his daze. Sasuke noted the defensive tone.
"I assume Hinata has told you of her escape from the sound?" Tsunade asked, Naruto nodded. "She left out a few details at my request. She turned to the fox, who nodded.
"My escape was aided by Sasuke, he helped me get past the Sound pursuit teams and get into Fire controlled territory." the fox said then pushed the mask up on top of her cowls hood.
"He helped you?" Naruto confirmed. Hinata nodded, she left out the bit were he was going to kill her.
Naruto grinned widely.
"I knew there was good in you somewhere!" he exclaimed and threw his arm around Sasuke's shoulders.
"Get off dope" Sasuke said lightly and pulled the blondes arm off him with a smirk.
"So what happens now?" Sakura asked Tsunade.
"Well tomorrow I'll be briefing the jounin so he won't get attacked on sight in the village so I'd like to keep him under wraps until then." Tsunade replied
"Does that mean I have to stay here?" Sasuke asked not too thrilled about the idea.
"We could hide him at the flat." Sakura suggested.
"The flat?" the hokage raised her eyebrow.
"It's Naruto's old apartment, we keep it rented for somewhere to hang out really…" Sakura explained.
"Who is we?" Tsunade asked, Sakura listed the Konoha eleven who knew about and used the flat. "Hmmm, your old age group." She said to Sasuke. "Alright, Naruto, Sakura, Hinata. I want you to take Sasuke there and keep him there until further notice. At least one of you is to remain with him at all times."
"Hai" they answered.
"Now then, you are to sit tight there until I get everything cleared up, don't go outside and do as these three tell you" she ordered Sasuke.
"Alright…" he muttered.
"What was that?" Tsunade eyed him, Hinata nudged him.
"I mean… Hai" he answered.
"Good. Now lets go while it's still dark. It would be better if I talk to the group myself. Hinata report to Takara and meet us there."
"Hai. Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke. I wasn't here." Hinata said and pulled down her mask again. Naruto opened his mouth to argue but Sakura elbowed him.
"Hinata is an ANBU now, we aren't meant to know that or who's under the mask." She said.
"Exactly" came the hallow voice from the mask. The fox disappeared and Tsunade led the way out of the room, the group was closely followed by the hawk ANBU, who had been silent throughout the entire conversation.
"Someone get the door!" Tenten called from behind the drumkit, she was too busy watching for her que.
"Alright alright." Ino got up and headed to the door, "It's probably that guy from down stairs complaining about the noise again." The blond walked down the hall and wrenched the stuck door open. Instead of an angry old jounin as she expected it was Tsunade.
"Tsunade-sama!"
"Can I come in?" Tsunade said not really giving Ino a choice. The medic nodded and hurried back down the hall to warn the others. The music cut out before the hokage made it to the living room. Sakura, Naruto and Sasuke stood in the hall while the hokage explained her orders to them. Sasuke was staying here and they were not to say anything to anyone about it until she announced it. The group agreed and Sasuke was shown into the living room. There was silence and the black haired boy stood in the doorway being flanked by Sakura and Naruto.
"I'll leave him in your care then." Tsunade said to the former members of team Kakashi, then left the flat to the awkward silence.
A few moments after the hokage left Hinata came in to the flat, dressed now in casual clothes, and acted surprised to see Sasuke there. To avoid the awkwardness the other members of the group soon made their excuses and left. Until it was only Sakura, Naruto and Hinata left with Sasuke.
"That didn't go as well as I thought…" He muttered.
"What were you expecting, a parade?" Hinata snipped.
"Ouch…" Muttered Sakura, surprised at Hinata's tone.
"No but a 'welcome back' would have been nice." Sasuke shrugged, "and is that really necessary?"
"What?" Naruto asked.
"Fox girl here is armed the teeth" Sasuke said pointing at Hinata. The other two looked at her confused. She opened her jacket revealing several kunai and a short sword. Out of sight in her sleeve she had a syringe full of the chakra blocker chemical as well as spares in her belt.
"Takara's orders." She said Takara wanted Sasuke watched carefully until they were sure he was trust worthily.
"Suppose he is too" Sasuke jerked his thumb out the window to the ANBU sitting on the opposite roof.
"Yup" There where, in truth, two ANBU one in plain sight the other was hidden.
"I suppose Tsuande's only being careful." Sasuke said as he stretched. "So what is there to do here?"
Sasuke settled to read one of Kiba's mangas. Sakura had to go because she was on hospital duty the next day. Naruto and Hinata chatted on one of the sofa's. Naruto's stomach let out a growl.
"sorry…" he muttered "I'm gonna go get something to eat, want anything back?" he offered.
"The usual for me" Hinata replied, she knew he was going for ramen.
"Sasuke? Want ramen?" Naruto offered again trying to get some sort of normality going.
"Why not" he shrugged and asked for a plain one. Naruto grabbed his wallet and headed off to get the food. Once he was sure Naruto was gone Sasuke piped.
"Fox girl. You didn't tell them anything did you?"
"About what? The two times you tried to kill me or the time you abducted me?" Hinata asked. "No they don't know, and you wouldn't have gotten past the door if I did. Those events are under wraps so say nothing about them." Hinata said with a glare.
"Alright then. Just wanted to know where I stand with everyone."
"You're not wearing your head band" Hinata pointed out.
"Yeah I was going to leave that until I accepted back again." He told her, Hinata said nothing but she understood his reasoning.
"And stop calling me fox girl" Hinata said.
"Why should I?" Sasuke said, looking back at the manga in his hand. A senbon thunked into the headboard next to his ear. "WHOA" he ducked away from the needle.
"That's why and because no one else knows I'm in the ANBU. So keep your mouth shut about how you got back just like Tsunade said."
"Flipping hell! Wasn't that a bit extreme?" Sasuke said while Hinata retrieved the senbon and returned it to its hiding place in her hair.
"No, I got you home for getting me out of Sound but I still haven't forgiven you for this," she touched her scar, "Or abducting me. You still owe me big time."
Tsunade broke the news to the rest of the jounin the next day saying that Sasuke had been in contact with them through the ANBU and brought valuable information with him. She also added to keep an eye on him. Many of the jounin where uncomfortable with the idea of letting Sasuke back into the village while a few out right opposed it.
"I'd like to give him the benefit of the doubt," Kakashi piped from the back of the room. "After all you want me to watching him right?" there was a murmur of agreement through the room.
"That's right, and for now I have other capable shinobi keeping a close eye on him." Tsunade said.
"What will you do with him in the meantime?" another jounin asked.
"I haven't decided yet but he is still a genin of Konoha, I'll think of something for him." Tsunade answered. Tsunade finished off the meeting and dismissed the jounin.
"Hinata" the teen stopped outside the meeting room as her name was called.
"What's up Neji?"
"You're still coming to the clan meeting this afternoon?" he asked.
"Yeah. I was just going to set an exercise up for my genin then head over to the compound… but this isn't what this is about is it?" she asked sensing alliterative motives.
"No… What do you think about Sasuke coming back?" Neji stepped out of the way of a few jounin and pulled Hinata over with him by her elbow.
"I really don't know how to take him yet. He did bring us some valuable intell, Takara confirmed that but as for him? I think he's too used to being the prized pet" she shrugged.
"What do you mean?" Neji asked.
"When he was Orochimaru he had just about everyone at his beck and call, here though he's just another genin. The question is really, will he adjust?"
"You have a point there…" Neji responded.
"But either way, I agree with Kakashi we should give him a chance." The two Hyuugas started walking out of the Kage tower. "But why are you asking me?"
"Well it's just that you have had more contact with him then most of us during … well you know" Neji caught himself before he said something he'd regret.
"I never really saw Sasuke during …'that time'" Hinata tensed she didn't want to talk about that. "Even when I did he ignored me."
Neji noticed Hinata's expression turn grim so he tried to change the subject to get her mind off the bad memories.
"So how are your genin doing?"
"I thought you hated them." Hinata joked.
"Only one of them."
"Well they're doing much better, Meg has really toned down the temper and Aiko is falling well into a leader role. Shin is improving too. Are you going to follow me to the training grounds or head on over to the compound?" Hinata stopped walking as they had reached the training grounds.
"I think I'll head on over, I'll see you in a few hours." He nodded a farewell and headed back into the village. Hinata watched him go for a moment then continued on to ground 13. She had to smile at Neji's poor attempt at probing her feelings. The boy was trying to find out if Sasuke's presence would remind her of her imprisonment but being the emotional cripple that he was he lost all powers of subtlety.
"You're late" Megumi pointed accusingly at Hinata.
"No, I'm delayed." Hinata grinned, Megumi's reasoning was that if she wasn't allowed to be late neither was Hinata.
"Morning Sensei" Aiko piped from her spot next to the rock. Shin echoed Aiko's greeting. He was wearing a thick jacket that was zipped up to his neck.
"Why are you wearing that jacket when its boiling?" Megumi asked, Shin said nothing.
"Okay kids, I've got a appointment later today so I'm gonna set you up with a few things and work with for a while then I gotta go and Aiko's in charge." Hinata told them.
They started with evasion practice, where Hinata threw training shirikan at them, they where dulled and wouldn't cut the skin but left a nasty bruise if they hit.
"Alright good, right lets get you started on this exercise, it's nearly time for me to go. For god's sake Shin take off the jacket, you'll cook yourself." Hinata turned to the girls started to lay out the exercise. Shin reappeared without the jacket but with a pink t-shirt. The three girls paused and looked at him.
"What? My mom made me wear it!" he huffed. "She thought it looked cute." He crossed his arms while Megumi gauffed barely containing her laughter, Aiko giggled and Hinata raised an eyebrow. She was reminded of a disturbing dream she's had a short while ago.
Shaking her head to clear those thoughts Hinata continued to lay out the exercise for the genin.
"There you are." Neji said as Hinata came down the street to the Hyuuga compounds main gate.
"I'm not late am I?" Hinata glanced at her watch.
"No, but come on." Neji jerked his head back in the direction of the buildings.
"Alright." Hinata followed him into the compound. They had arrived a little earlier than intended. Hinata chatted with a few of the elders, none of whom had seen her since she got back so the question on many lips was 'are you alright'. While Hinata assured the elders she was fine, Hiashi watched her quietly from the corner. Her face was a still a little drawn and her skin hadn't regained its usual colour. He'd seen it enough times to tell her smile was false. Hinata looked up and saw him, for a moment their eyes meet. This time how ever it was Hiashi that broke the connection. What had happened to her eyes?
When Hinata's attention was redirected to the people talking to her Hiashi tried to glimpse her eyes again, but was unsuccessful.
The meeting was called to order and the clan council began. During the meeting Hiashi cast looks at his daughter and noticed the tiny mark on her neck. She was an ANBU?
When the council ended Hiashi left the room while Hinata stayed to talk to a few Hyuuga's she knew. On her way out of the compound Hiashi stopped her.
"You're well then?" he asked.
"You sound almost disappointed 'father'" Hinata shot back. Now that he was looking at her front on he saw the difference. Her eye's were pale red and had a cold piercing stare. Hiashi said the first thing that came to mind,
"It would be disgraceful for a Hyuuga to die so easily." Hinata curled her lip, her patience with her father was quickly failing.
"As much as I'd love to stay and argue I have more important things to attend to." she spun around and stalked out of the compound. Hiashi watched her go without a word. Those three months had changed her more that just physically. In a way he regretted what he had just said, but in truth his feelings for the teen where unclear to him.
End chapter 45
One good thing about the night shift is that LMD has finally had time to download and watch a lot of the Shuuppden eps.
But shes got to a certain point….
(LMD is in tears behind Takara clutching her ipod, Naruto credits rolling.)
He doesn't die…… Asuma-sensei….*sobs*
You knew it was going to happen already.
I was in denial!!!
