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XXXX
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Chapter 13:
Fallen
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"Meet me by the wishing well
In cover of the moon
Whisper to me tenderly
That I will see you soon
Sing that song from long ago
So I remember you."
Wander by Kamelot
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XXXX
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November
There was something tense and cold like a thin sheet of ice about to break into diverse spiderwebs of chaos strangling the room with silence.
Sasuke had been right; Tsunade was enraged, and that honey-colored gaze of hers was anything but sweet as it settled on him, mentally trying to tear him limb for limb once and for all.
Despite her undeniable anger, her chakra control was stable and her hands candled his doll's head in a careful grip, a soft glow of green brightening the room as she healed.
As Sasuke had informed Hinata, he'd taken her to Tsunade. And where else would that Senju be but in her office, surrounded by paperwork, reports, her apprentice, and a pig?
So here they were: Sasuke, with a well-kept aloof mask, Tsunade, busy drilling holes through his head with blazing eyes while healing the internal wounds his doll carried, Hinata, lying face-up on the wooden desk that had replaced the one destroyed a few days ago, and Shizune, praying furiously with TonTon in arms, pink pet watching on warily.
If pigs could've sweated, the poor animal would have poured buckets due to the excessive pressure in the atmosphere between the Uchiha and its blonde mistress. Instead, it hid its face in Shizune's modest chest, wanting to play no part in whatever discord that went on.
The dark-haired medic-nin clutched TonTon closer to her in response. She knew of her mistress's moods and if the Uchiha didn't start explaining himself soon, she was afraid the hole the voluptuous woman had just recently caused would double in size.
It wasn't a very pleasant thought.
To everyone's surprise, (and Shizune's secret relief), Hinata was the first to speak and disperse the invisible thunderstorm looming over the office.
"When can I have my eyes back?"
Or not.
Tsunade opened her mouth but closed it instantly, her pink lips a gray, hardened line.
Shizune's eyes stretched wide, and she slowly looked at her feet, her brows scrunched down as she suppressed the sentiment of pity she knew Hinata wouldn't appreciate.
Even Sasuke couldn't look at the Hyuuga in the face.
"The re-implantation isn't safe," Tsunade finally relented. "The optic area is very tender; you have to be extremely careful with what you do regarding your state, Hinata. You can't just go around turning on your chakra like you did tonight," she scolded, albeit it didn't come as stern as she'd have liked. "You're lucky you didn't damage more tissue."
"It was an accident," Sasuke muttered, sparing her a swift glare.
Tsunade disregarded his statement and filthy look and continued. "A surgery right now isn't something I recommend you."
"I understand," Hinata answered placidly, but not appeased. "But when can I have them back?"
Tsunade's jaw tightened at Hinata's insistence but she wholly inverted herself in her duty as a medic of her caliber. "Maybe in a month and a half. It could be more. It could be less. It all depends on you and Hiashi."
Hinata felt her throat go dry, lids still closed, hands folded over her stomach. "Father?"
The blonde hummed. "Yes. He has your eyes in his possession."
She didn't miss the way Hinata's knuckles whitened almost imperceptibly.
Let me guess; he didn't mention it to her.
Mentally, the Hokage sent a punch to the Hyuuga Lord.
"Don't worry," Tsunade consoled her, turning Hinata's head to the side for a better angle. "They'll be where they belong soon." After we find whether they have a connection with your seal, of course, she added inwardly. She would let Hinata know that piece of information eventually, but not tonight. Tonight, she wanted the girl to rest.
"Hai, Tsunade-sama."
"However,..." Tsunade cleared her throat. "I want you to know that even if you have your eyes back, the possibility of you remanding sightless is high."
A silence in which it hurt to breathe ensued.
"I'm aware."
Tsunade gritted her teeth.
Shizune bit the inside of her cheek.
Sasuke's face darkened.
"My eyes weren't hurt, right." It wasn't a question. "It was the optic nerves. I remember that."
No one said anything for a while until the light of the curative chakra faded into a fuzzy glow.
The Hokage's steely gaze melted into something softer. "To ensure that no complications follow, you'll be staying in my residence tonight, with me. Shizune," she turned to the short-haired woman, who was instantly on guard. "Please see to the details."
"Right away, Tsunade-sama!" said Shizune, always at the ready to carry out her mistress's orders.
"Boar, Snake, security," she continue to order as she helped Hinata sit up.
The ANBU, both a very usual sight to Sasuke due to the patrol they effectuated on Hinata, appeared at either side of the entrance.
"As you wish, Hokage-sama," they bowed and briskly exited after Shizune.
"Well, then. Your injuries aren't too extensive. It's a good thing your chakra didn't burn away all of the sensitive tissue," Tsunade said, turning back to Hinata and taking the gauze on the desk with a set of cotton-pads already in her right hand. "However, because we're dealing with nerves and nerve endings, the pain is strong," she added, sparing a not-so-warm look at Sasuke. "It was a good thing the Uchiha was so conveniently nearby with his hawk to help you, though I would love to know why he was there when he was given explicit instructions to stay away."
"I could explain that," said a new voice from behind her.
Tsunade wasn't surprised to hear that woman speak. She'd sensed her the second she arrived. "I thought you would," she growled as she began to bandage Hinata's head after placing the pads on both of her lids.
The thud of feet bumping the floor made Hinata's mind focus sharply in instinct.
Shinobi heels clacked against the wooden boards and an uncloaked ki made itself known the instant she spoke.
That chakra, Hinata thought, her face giving nothing away. It was strangely familiar.
Sasuke's only response was the almost unnoticeable snarl adorning his lips in distaste.
That annoying kunoichi was in the same room as him.
Again.
"Mitsuki. I hope you have a good explanation for this," Tsunade said calmly, yet frostily.
"Tsunade-sama," the chocolate-eyed Aburame matriarch greeted with reverence. "Forgive the intrusion, but I believe we have important matters to discuss. I planned to drop by at a later time, but...this is a good chance as any."
Tsunade regarded her, something secretive flickering in her eyes for just a moment. "Uchiha," she barked. "Since you're here, you might as well be of some use. Take Hinata to the Jonin lounge on the third floor, and stay there until I indicate otherwise."
Sasuke didn't say yes, but he moved, anyway.
"Come," he said for Hinata's ears only, and took her by the elbow, helping her to her feet and guiding her to the exit.
"I trust you can go unseen, right, Sasuke?" Tsunade watched him go with the Hyuuga, her gaze that noticed everything pausing on the delicate way his fingers kept the girl close to him.
If not for her self-control, her eyes would've narrowed in suspicion.
The gesture...was almost gentle. It was out of character and it gave her pause.
Sasuke tossed her a condescending glance over his shoulder but didn't honor the Senju Hokage with a response.
XXX
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The Jonin's lounge was often visited by the high ranked ninja of Konoha when off duty. At that hour of the night, the Hokage Tower was a haunted place where the ghosts of early morning activity dwelt.
Sasuke opened the door and stepped in, Hinata less than a step behind. Once she was inside, he locked it and spoke. "There's a couch six steps in front of you."
Huh?
"A counter to your left, a fridge and a stove to your right. Several cabinets align the wall by the only window," his voice was dull as he listed what his eyes saw, bored and unimpressed.
It took her a moment for her to understand the intention of his words, but when she did, a feeling of appreciation filled her heart.
He was trying to let her know her surroundings.
"Take a sit."
She strode forward and did. Sure enough, the couch was indeed where he'd say it'd be.
"Uchiha-kun?" she questioned after a moment of mutual silence.
From the counter on which his forearms currently rested, Sasuke directed his attention to her. "Hm?"
"Will Tsunade-sama punish you again for what happened tonight?" She'd realized the possibility and was concerned.
Sasuke hadn't given that matter much thought, in all honesty. His mind had been on someone else. "Maybe, maybe not. It's no use to fret about it," he stated.
"Oh?" Her head angled his way, his voice loud in the vacant room.
He watched her get rid of her sandals and tuck her legs under her on the couch before furthering his remarks. "Regardless of what we say in our defense, Tsunade will act based on what circumstances demand. At the moment, she hasn't the luxury to punish me for too long."
"Why is that?" Hinata murmured, her fingers lightly probing her forehead.
The Uchiha went to the point, trying not to flinch at her gesture. "She needs me."
I do too, Hinata thought distractedly, only to inhale sharply in alarm.
Sasuke was immediately at her side. "What is it?" he demanded. "Does your head hurt?"
"Y-yes." It did, but that wasn't the cause of her surprise. The fact that she wanted him with her so naturally was far more striking.
She'd...gotten too used to him.
He sighed, somewhat exasperated. "Tsk. Stop touching it then," he commanded, lowering her fingers from her wrappings. "Honestly."
The warmth of his hand was a bit too much for her to take right now. But, simultaneously, she wished for him not to let go.
By some miracle, he didn't. He chose to tentatively inspect her palm instead, curiously searching for any telling signs that could be traced back to the destruction caused in the training grounds.
Hinata hoped, as he did, for him not to notice her lively pulse. The skin he was touching was humming with his attention, making it tingle in ways that made her breath get stuck at the back of her throat.
"...Hey."
She almost startled.
"How did you get out of your room without the ANBU in charge noticing your absence?" he wanted to know. It was a question that had circled his thoughts since he saw her leaning against the metal walls of the sub-hospital, and he guessed this was as any moment as any to ask.
The lights weren't on (Sasuke's vision was well accommodated to the dark, and Hinata had no use for them), but the blood pooling on her cheeks was hard to miss.
"W-well,..." she began and with her free hand pushed a piece of stray indigo tress behind her ear. "I made a mental map of the perimeter of the room, so I wouldn't have to bother Ino so often. Finding the way out wasn't, um, hard, really."
Sasuke played with her fingers, outlining the hardened skin on the tips. Her touch was usually gentle, so it came as a surprise to realize she possessed a somewhat rough quality as well. Hinata twitched under the inspection and those obsidian eyes that missed not a single of her movements noticed. "And then..?"
"Then," she shrugged almost elegantly, "I walked out."
He frowned at the simplicity of the concept.
Just like that?
Despite knowing that none of the ANBU in Konoha could measure to his expectations, he hadn't considered them to be so incompetent.
Earlier, when he took her out, he had overlooked the possibility, but now that he could analyze the situation thoroughly, Sasuke reached the conclusion that no, ANBU couldn't be that obtuse; someone had been responsible for the doll being able to make it almost all the way out on her own.
But who...?
His eyes flared red for an instant as his mind deduced the answer.
That annoying Aburame woman.
Must be, he thought sourly, recalling her words the first time he'd encountered her after Hinata had been marked. The Aburame had been aware of Hinata's whereabouts from day one and had been in charge of the mission that brought the Hyuuga princess back to the Leaf.
With his restrictions right now, who else but she would be assigned to replace him if the Hyuuga clan didn't want news of their heiress leaked out?
It was very likely that she had allowed Hinata to roam around while keeping watch from a distance.
Aburame Mitsuki. Was she so confident in her abilities that she was willing to take the risk? And where, exactly, had the Yamanaka been when all of this transpired? Sasuke could only guess.
A soft sigh brought him back.
His gaze turned to her–
To find her nodding off.
Hinata didn't know when it happened, but somehow, she had begun entering the state of slumber. All she remembered was thinking about Team Kurenai and that her lids felt too heavy to hold.
Although Tsunade-sama had helped relieve some of her pain and stress, Hinata was...worn out.
The last two days had dragged to be unbelievably long. So many things had occurred in so few hours.
Having spent the night without Ino or Uchiha-kun close by had made her sleep restless, which had served to accomplish the Uchiha's request but had made her anxious and fretful. Escaping the sterile room that had begun to suffocate her and could only bring her coldness had then felt ideal. Encountering Uchika-kun had been completely unplanned, but welcomed.
He was everywhere nowadays, she thought distantly. Hinata found that she didn't mind. On the contrary, she liked having him around. It was...nice.
"...Hyuuga."
A hand that wasn't her own grazed her cheek.
"...ke up."
A light tap on her skin
"Wake up."
Nothing.
A long suffered sigh.
"Hinata. Wake up, I won't say it again."
The owner of the baritone voice let go of her hand to rock her shoulders.
"Mmm?" she groggily demanded.
"I told you not to sleep so much."
But I haven't. "...Uchiha-kun, I'm tired," she whispered, almost childishly.
Sasuke nearly rolled his eyes, though his lip managed to twitch in an unexpected sense of humor. "I know. But you can't. Don't you recall what I told you yesterday morning?"
But Hinata was once again falling prey to a world of dreams.
"No, Hyuuga." He cursed to his insides, turning her face in his direction. "Don't sleep, or else."
His threat was blissfully disregarded as Hinata sagged into the couch.
Again, he frowned, though traces of laughter remained.
This woman...
Hinata, he mused. Unbelievable. "Stop that. Right now."
A shuddering breath, a forming pout. "O-okay, I heard you."
Sasuke brushed her bangs away from her forehead without thinking.
Hinata flinched.
He retreated right away, noticing how she jolted awake so abruptly. Even her hands began to tremble slightly, reactions that were caused by Sasuke's touch on the kanji characters carved onto her forehead.
Suddenly, her lungs compressed inside her chest, stealing her of air.
Instinct told her to get away from all sorts of contact between her and another person but said person was Uchiha Sasuke. And she...she didn't mind his touch. But he had startled her.
He noticed. He never missed a detail, and he prided himself over this. It was always in his person to make himself aware of the most definitive and insignificant of things, so when Hinata reacted the way she did, he knew why.
He didn't require time to analyze her situation; he'd been with her since the mission in Mist, mingling with the shadows of the night, simply aware of what went on with her.
He knew. And because he held the knowledge–
"Hinata."
–he reached out tentatively like never before, undeniably gentle but firm.
"Hinata." Hushed and soft. "Stay still."
She shook her head. "G-Give me a moment."
"...Alright."
Everything, every sense, every thought, and every bit of gravity in the room told her to shy away, to go back into the cocoon of comfort where nothing could hurt her.
But Sasuke was there.
Sasuke wouldn't let her venture back inside her shell so easily. She was both thankful and terrified of the fact.
Hinata inhaled deeply, held it, and then let it out, settling as she did. Sasuke observed her patiently, face still.
"...Okay," she whispered at last. "Okay."
He allowed a moment longer to pass, just to make sure she was ready, before taking hold of her hands -both of them this time-, keeping her grounded. He had learned that fastening her in place was the best way to go in case she lashed out on naked instinct.
"Is this acceptable?"
If she could have melted at his tone, she would have. Instead, her tense shoulders gradually dropped. "Y-Yes."
"I...acted thoughtlessly. I shouldn't have," he said, as much regret as she'd ever heard tinting his voice.
Hinata's lips parted, surprise and disbelief coloring her features. "N-No, it's me who should...be stronger, by now. But this fear- "
A pause.
When she didn't resume, the Uchiha thought about letting the matter drop, but if he did, this would never be discussed and he felt...that it had to. "You fear them?"
Her fingers curled inside his bigger hands.
"Do you fear the marks on your body, Hinata?"
Again, he was calling her by her name.
She had always being Hyuuga to him. She didn't know how to act now that he was calling her differently. So mindfully and tender.
His question bounced in her insides, echoing endlessly. Did she...did she fear them? No...she didn't fear them.
Not exactly. I–
"...hate them," her trembling lips whispered.
Sasuke said nothing as he witnessed her give free rein to emotions that weren't foreign. Not to him.
"I hate them," she repeated. "I-I hate them...! I don't want them!" she cried within the boundaries of a quiet confession.
How to explain to him that the marks, the scars, made her feel like scum? How to explain how much she detested to carry the marks of her personal hell? How to begin forming the words to express how they sucked her strength out like living parasites?
She hated them.
Hinata expected him to let go of her, to refrain himself from ever touching her again, but he didn't.
He was a vast galaxy of stars, therefore complex and incomprehensible. So he asked, "Why?" and Hinata couldn't bring herself to answer.
The simple inquiry made her halt. Didn't he know that she was no longer what she had been? She'd escalated to the sky, only to fall with the Fallen in despair.
"Why do you hate them?" he asked, the pads of his fingertips tracing the scars on her exposed wrists. "What makes you hate them? Speak."
Dirty. They made her feel unclean, powerless.
"...impure," she finally choked out, repressing the hot tears welling in her lacrimal glands, demanding to be spilled. But she had promised herself she wouldn't cry any longer. She had cried enough.
...and yet, simultaneously, she had so many tears left to shed for the things she hadn't mourned just yet.
"Impure," he resounded, scarlet eyes appearing as he blinked.
Hinata didn't bow her head, but her shoulders looked not for the first time brittle as if she carried a heavy and physically unseen burden.
Sasuke stayed quiet for another moment, his thoughts to himself.
Hinata felt his hands brush against each scar within his reach as she swallowed everything she hadn't said. And then, in a move she would have never anticipated, he brought the back of her wrist to his lips and kissed it.
Her implanted eyes flew open so much they started to go numb, her parted mouth allowing a surprised gasp to escape.
"Who says you are impure, Hinata?" he asked against the flesh of her hand, pressing it to his lips for a second time, his tongue welcoming the flavor of her being. "Is it you who believes that? If you do, discharge the idea." She had to be the purest woman he'd ever encountered in his life.
"Y-you don't understand," she forced herself to say.
He titled his head to look at her. "I don't?" His thumb rubbed her marks in a back-and-forth pattern, the sensation of the act indescribable.
She shook her head again wordlessly, not knowing how to relate what she had to. He'd stolen her ability to formulate words properly and she had the feeling that he wouldn't stop.
"Then you're right," he conceded. "I don't understand the way you do, and no one ever will. But I want you to listen to me and tell me: who gets to declare what or who you are, Hinata? Him," the poison in his voice was inserted into his tone, "or you?"
His words hit her hard and Sasuke knew it simply because he sensed the rush of blood in her pulse, just beneath that porcelain skin he'd come to revere.
He watched the Hyuuga's transition from amazement to resolution.
"Who gets to say if you are impure, Hinata?" he said, this time expecting a valid response.
He wasn't disappointed.
"I."
And as he smiled in the scars that would never really leave but that he was going to teach her to live with, he squeezed her hands and was acknowledged with her interweaving of their fingers in return.
XXX
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Tsunade released a lungful of air, fighting the urge to rub her eyes. Man, she seriously needed a break. And pronto.
"So he's planning to send her away, eh?" she said in a murmur, her brows knitted together tightly.
The kunoichi in front of her nodded, her usually happy-go-lucky attitude nowhere to be seen. "Yes. Shibi managed to infiltrate successfully into the Hyuuga compound last night. It wasn't easy, even for his kikachu, but he prevailed. He found no written proof of any plans based on what I'm reporting, but Hyuuga Neji's sudden and unauthorized departure from the village with an ANBU team of his own can't be a coincidence. Hyuuga Hiashi is planning to take Hinata-chan out of Konohagakure and hide her in a place we have yet to know anything about."
"I wouldn't put it past him to do that," the Hokage admitted, and to be completely honest, she had predicted something like this would happen.
Mitsuki crossed her arms. "In a way, I understand him; I know I would do the same thing for Shino," she said wistfully, her mind picturing her son. Focusing back, she continued, "Hiashi's trying to protect her, Hokage-sama. He's trying to get Hinata-chan away from danger and he won't hesitate to break the village's rules to do just that. He has proved as much with his recent actions."
"So it seems," Tsunade concurred and leaned forward. "However, I want your genuine answer to this: are you sure your theory is completely and irrevocably correct? I need to know if the information is a hundred percent accurate for me to act. We can't just assume a single detail with a delicate matter such as this one."
Mituski massaged her head, light blond hair –lighter than Tsunade's – falling down her shoulders. Pushing the inconvenient locks behind her ears, the Aburame matriarch answered without so much as a pause.
"My husband is one of the best infiltrating ANBU Black Ops Konoha has ever seen. Nara Shikaku and Namikaze Minato were his teammates, and from their teamwork, the rates of success in S-ranked missions increased. Shikaku-san and Minato-sama may not be with him anymore, but Shibi knows what he's doing. He contemplates every possibility regarding an answer for every mystery, discharging the wrong ones as he goes, and when he reaches a final conclusion, it's because he has thought with prudence over the matter. I can assure you, Hokage-sama, that what he's speculating and what I'm saying is true."
"...I believe you."
Mitsuki looked at her.
The Hokage watched her back with attentive amber eyes. "This certainly changes things," she sighed, popping a joint by her neck. "Well, if Hiashi is effectuating plans, so will we. This isn't over, and I don't care about overstepping my boundaries by intervening with a 'clan matter'. This concerns Konoha as much as it concerns the Hyuuga. This enemy breached our security, killed my shinobi, and harmed several others. I won't step back and do nothing when there's something out there that could evolve into a dangerous opponent. Peace has begun to rule the Shinobi World, and I intend to keep it that way."
She didn't want to see the repetition of war. Blood, death, sacrifices. She didn't want to see or hear another scream of agony as lives were lost in the battlefield.
And Hinata...she was an excellent shinobi, and a kind woman; she deserved nothing but good things in her life.
"If we'll do as you say and move, Hiashi-san will know you sent Shibi and me to spy on him and his house, Hokage-sama," the ex-Kiri ninja commented.
Tsunade huffed. "I thought as much. But knowing Hiashi, he might already know. He's not stupid. After all, he's not the Clan Head of the Hyuuga for nothing. He may as well be onto us."
Mitsuki nodded in agreement. It was true. Lord Hyuuga was anything but idiotic, even if she liked to say otherwise at times. "Understood, Hokage-sama. Although I doubt he'll let you intrude just like that. Hiashi is a very stubborn man, very firm in his choices."
For the first time in the entire day, Senju Tsunade grinned a plotting, naughty smile. "Don't you worry about it." She sat back on her chair. "I'll negotiate these little details with him; you come up with a list of the members necessary for the oncoming mission in the meanwhile. Leave Hiashi to me; I'll sort this out." Her smile grew. "The game is on and victory will be mine."
"Um," Mitsuki blinked, unsure of how to voice her skeptical thought. "Forgive my bluntness, my lady, but you're not exactly the best gambler."
"Two days," Tsunade raised the aforementioned number of fingers, Mitsuki's comment tossed aside. "I give you two days to bring me a list of candidates eligible to work in this mission."
The Aburame tapped her chin in thought. "That'll be unnecessary," she replied, the gears in her mind already turning. "I already have the first team in mind."
"And let me guess," Tsunade humored her sarcastically. "The Uchiha will be in it."
Mitsuki offered an apologetic smile.
Tsunade sighed heavily. "I still don't trust that boy. I have no idea why you're so interested in him."
"It's no interest, Hokage-sama. His skills in the battlefield are exceptional...and his eyes will be of great help," she said.
"Hmph. Don't depend on him too much," the older woman warned. "He may be powerful, but he doesn't respond well to higher command. He tends to act too much on his emotions."
"Yes, I've seen it happen," Mitsuki acknowledged the older woman's words. "But that's precisely why Uchiha-kun will be included. He does have a history of acting upon strong sentiments, despite orders. Those aspects, usually counterproductive in a team, will be useful if things go south during the mission." Tsunade's sharp look made her add, "Have you noticed the changes, Hokage-sama?"
Tsunade waited patiently for her to continue.
"That boy," Mitsuki lowered her voice, "grew close to Hinata-chan in these past months. Yes, his duty was to guard her, but he not only decided to take an initiative to interact with her: he also visited her twice already without permission. The way he acts when it comes to Hinata-chan doesn't fit the behavior of someone just doing his job."
"Are you implying...that he may like her?" Tsunade asked calmly, a stirring sense of alarm invading her veins.
"Yes," Mitsuki said without hesitation.
"Pfft," Tsunade snorted, instantly attempting to dismiss the idea. Yet, she had noticed Sasuke's unusual and slightly less aggressive ways when in the company of the soft Hyuuga. At the same time, the idea was just too...impossible. "The brat and Hinata? Unlikely. Out of all the girls and young women in Konoha, she's the only one who's not attracted to him. Though," she smiled meanly, "it would be amazing to see him chase after Hinata, the only soul who isn't metal to his magnet."
"Think about it, Tsunade-sama. During my watch, he was there with a bruised face. I assume it was about the time you released him from the, er, conflict he had with Naruto-chan –"
"Those morons," she hissed venomously under her breath.
"–and he stayed in Hinata-chan's room for a good while." Uncrossing her arms and placing her fists on her hips, Mitsuki leaned against the unharmed wall of the Hokage's office. "I may not have solid proof, but he does seem to have a...personal link with her. When we found her in Water Country, he could barely bring himself to touch her or being near her. Now...his demeanor has changed. Completely."
Yes, Tsunade...had noticed some of that. He was overprotective, vigilant, steadfast to go to the girl's side. "This...link can then be used to help protect her," Tsunade concluded. And maybe even let the brat mellow out...
It wasn't that she disdained the Uchiha. No. It was his attitude that made her fume beyond belief. But...he was in need of something, someone, that could help him out of the darkness he insisted on covering himself with. Naruto's friendship didn't seem to be enough anymore.
And Hinata...The girl was a sunny place, just like her name described her to be.
Mitsuki nodded. "That's the idea."
Tsunade settled her chin on steeped fingers, debating.
Mitsuki waited for the verdict.
"Fine," she bit the bullet at last. "Gather the rest of the shinobi necessary for the team; be consistent and open-minded of your choices. We have no idea where Hiashi will be moving Hinata to, so it would be smart to think in advance of the factors that might affect the mission. Got it?"
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
"Oh, and one last thing."
"Yes?"
Amber eyes narrowed, "You let those two out of the hospital tonight, didn't you?"
Mitsuki suppressed a grin with all her might. One wrong move here and her head go flying, if the Senju's murderous expression was anything to go by. "I was merely testing the lengths of the link we spoke of."
"Hmph," Tsunade snorted, unconvinced. "First and last time you allow such a risk. Understood?"
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
"If you do, then get out of my office. You have work to do."
And just like that, Mitsuki disappeared.
In her plans?
Seeking a Nara genius and a blond Jinchuuriki for recruiting purposes. As for the Uchiha...she had the feeling she already knew what he would do once she filled him in on his newest mission.
XXX
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December
She loved the sound of falling rain.
Hinata sat in her meditation pose, her arms surrounding Tsunade's pet pig as it slept soundly.
Shizune had left it with Hinata in hopes of giving her some company. No one but the dark-haired medic, Tsunade-sama, and Father knew of her current location in the Hokage's residence. This meant that visitors were scarce.
In a way, it didn't bother her to be left on her own. Not anymore, not like before. In a way, it even benefited her, for she wasn't resting in bed like Shizune and Tsunade had told her to.
No, she was still a ninja, and her training curriculum used to extend from five in the morning to eight at night. Although she couldn't go outside, Hinata wasn't deterred.
She could still find ways to train herself. If one were to be cunning enough, there were plenty of methods available to use. For now, however, exerting control on her breathing had become the task at hand.
On her lap, TonTon made itself more comfortable, nuzzling to the closest source of warmth – Hinata. The Hyuuga woman chuckled softly and ran gloved fingers over its ears.
TonTon was unconsciously delighted.
Outside, the rain continued to descend, soothing. Listening to the drops of water murmuring in a language of their own was pleasant. In a world that was often turbulent and prompt, moments like these were suspended in time and thus, entirely captivating.
There was something strangely pretty and sad in the way a storm fell, a mixture of opposites that shouldn't have made sense, and she loved it. The current tap, tap, tap of water hitting the roof and the glass windows reminded her of her mindscape. Although cold and cruel with mysterious depths of black waters, her frozen world was also very beautiful.
The fresh smell of the downpour made her miss the person who had introduced her to her sweet nightmarish turmoil taking shape in her insides.
Uchiha Sasuke-kun. She hadn't heard from him in the last two weeks. The last time they were together, he had bid her goodnight, the soft word deposited directly in her ear before Shizune picked her up and they departed from the Jonin Lounge.
Just remembering the sensation of his breath so near her made her skin erupt in goosebumps.
Slowly, one of her hands settled on her wrist that lingered with his touch, the raised flesh of her scars familiar even through the material of her black gloves.
Her lips spread into a light, gentle smile, and her cheekbones flushed a pale pink.
Of course, she missed her friends too and they were never far from her mind. Team 8 had been disbanded when Kurenai-sensei was removed from the active ninja roster when pregnant, but they had strong bonds. Nothing could tear them apart.
She missed them terribly.
Shino, with his quiet but calm demeanor, Kiba, brash and smiling and laughing with Akamaru at his side. All she asked was for them to be alright. She knew they were out of danger, and if she had to stay away for them to keep them safe, she would. She loved them too much to put them in harm's way.
It was still hard to forgive herself for being unable to protect them when she was captured. She could still hear Kiba screaming her name, which only made her chest tighten even more.
But she was happy, knowing they were healing, that they hadn't died. She didn't know what she would do if something happened to them. They were, after all, her best friends.
And Ino, and Neji-niisan with TenTen-san and Lee-kun...
She wondered what they were doing, and if they were alright as well. She had yet to hear from her nii-san, and it was starting to make her uneasy.
Wasn't he supposed to be here by now? Or had his assignment extended longer than anticipated? Hinata tried to picture him in her mind, but to her surprise and panic, she couldn't.
Her nii-san's face was blurred, lacking details.
Only brown hair and a blank face remained.
The hand on top of TonTon's head stopped.
Hinata tried the next face – Kiba's – only to meet the same result. Her heart skipped a beat and a lump of sand formed in her throat.
No, she thought. She couldn't forget them. She couldn't. She didn't know when she would see them again, if ever.
Even Uchiha-kun was out of focus. Only those dark almond-shaped eyes were left. Fear plagued her mind as she tried again and again to conjure their faces, their smiles, each of her precious people's eyes without much success.
TonTon, now awake, nudged at her in concern. The pretty lady dressed in the traveling clothes Shizune had brought that same night had stopped caressing its head. So TonTon nudged her again, wanting the lady's attention.
But the lady was in a trance, and not even the door opening and the almost-silent footsteps could return her back to earth.
It wasn't until he lifted her chin the way he always did that she took note of the electricity of his chakra invading the room.
She could only breathe his name. "...Uchiha-kun."
XXX
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Obsidian black and azure blue met once again.
Sasuke said nothing and Naruto was equally quiet, his short hair dull in the ANBU Headquarters. Yet, it clashed with the dark uniform only the elite of the elites in Konoha was allowed to wear.
It looked...unusual on him.
Naruto, globally known for his bright and neon wardrobe, wasn't exactly suited to dress in the grays and blacks of ANBU.
Sasuke decided not to heed such things, and from the corner of his eye, observed Nara Shikamaru whose hairstyle gave him away even with his mask on. He measured him with a critical eye, disregarding the well-hidden chakra he nonetheless felt from within the wooden walls to his left.
So this was the main team the Aburame woman had put into place.
Although Sasuke wasn't exactly fond of Shikamaru – rather, he was wholly indifferent, – he was aware that he wasn't called a genius for mere coincidence. The guy was smart, probably smarter than him, and he was going to be protecting Hinata, just like him. Sasuke was accepting of his assistance.
Suddenly, something dark flew Naruto's way. The blond caught it before it slapped him on the face.
"Nice reflex," Mitsuki's voice came from the darkness blanketing the room. Her white teeth were the first thing the three male shinobi saw as she neared them. Everyone's attention turned to her.
Naruto blinked and raised what appeared to be a mask with the front cut off. "Er, what is this?"
Typical Naruto.
Sasuke sighed.
"It's for your hair," Shikamaru droned the obvious.
Mitsuki smiled. "Exactly. Your hair is too bright," she told Naruto, who managed to not look offended. "It would call attention to ourselves since we'll be traveling at night." She brought out a second mask from the inside of her kunai pouch, got rid of the needles dipped in poison in her buns, and covered her light blond head with it. "Use it like this."
Naruto, looking skeptical but resigned, did as he was told.
Chocolate eyes turned to Sasuke. "Hey, there, Shinobi-kun." If not for the serious situation, Naruto would've snorted with laughter at the nickname. "The last member of our team and you will be picking our mission up." She tied her Rabbit porcelain mask and continued. "He'll meet you outside. Hurry. He'll tell you where to go."
Sasuke didn't waste time and flashed out of sight, knowing that the last member, Yamato, the only wood-element user left in the Shinobi World, would be there as promised.
He had sensed him since his arrival, had seen him sinking into the wood that made the walls.
And sure enough, there he was, at the entrance of Hqs with his mask in place, waiting for Sasuke.
Both men nodded to each other and moved.
XXX
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It didn't take long to reach Tsunade's home.
What surprised Sasuke was that he'd never thought of where the Senju would house. Not even once had the possibility of the blonde having a residence outside of the Hokage Tower entered his mind.
In the end, he thought, it was all inconsequential.
"She's upstairs."
Sasuke looked at Yamato.
"Rabbit-san asked me to let you fetch Hinata-san. Go and bring her with you."
Sasuke didn't need to be told twice. After seeing her practically every day and suddenly not being able to for half a month, his eyes craved to see her.
He knew she'd be well taken care of, that there was no place safer than with him or the Hokage, whom despite getting on his last nerve, was a capable kunoichi.
He found his doll radically quickly after he was let in by the guards outside the Senju's gates.
She was on the upper floor, concealed behind seals and traps that he was directed to avoid. By the time he found her sitting, the Hokage's mascot on her lap trying and failing to seize her attention, he'd removed his mask in order to see her without obstructions. The girl's face was pasty white with a chilling emotion -perhaps horror- as her chest heaved with accelerated respiration.
She hadn't even heard him come in.
Her traveling clothes were on her person, consisting of warm black shinobi standard pants, gloves, and a thick turtleneck. Her indigo hair was pulled in a low but secured ponytail, a woolen brimless hat covering her head.
Her eyes were still bandaged, but even without the gauze, he could see her expression clearly.
In an action that had become the norm, he sat on his heels and brought her chin up, leveling her face with his, scrutinizing her features and lovely skin. Inwardly, he wished to kiss the side of her neck. It made him wonder what it'd taste like. Would it taste of innocence, like her wrists, or vanilla, like her natural perfume? He had yet to find out.
The doll came to with a start, and recognizing him immediately, she uttered, "...Uchiha-kun."
"What are you thinking," he said in a murmur.
She touched her head as if it hurt. "I...was trying to remember. But I can't. Not anymore."
He barely turned to glance (glare) at TonTon on her lap before the piggy squealed in terror and hid under the bed.
Hn. Better.
Sasuke turned back to her. "Can't remember what?"
Her teeth sank on her bottom lip. "F-faces." She averted her gaze and confessed, "I can't remember yours, either."
Sasuke's cold eyes softened without permission. Ah...he had missed her.
"Everything j-just vanished. I want to see my friends, I want to see you, but all I see is– " darkness.
And this darkness was not his. His had often pulled her in a space of wonders and wild sensations, but this one did not.
This one scared her.
"Calm down, Hinata."
His hand reached for hers, and as if knowing what he was doing, she extended hers in response, maybe out of despair, maybe out of need. Whatever it was she was feeling, he was quick to firmly grasp both of them. Her hands were so tiny he could overwhelm them with a single one of his. Lifting them up to his mouth, he got rid of her gloves with his mere teeth, discarding them to the side. Her exposed palms were warm and he brought them to the sides of his face, stopping their slight tremors.
Hinata cupped his cheeks, feeling the hardness of his jaw, the fullness of his bottom lip, and the planes of his defined cheekbones.
Experimentally, Sasuke dragged her hands up until her fingers were buried into his hair.
"What are you doing?" she asked breathlessly, blunt nails caressing his thick and unruly locks.
"If you can't remember, then try to. If that fails, then remember something else," were his words to her.
Her stunned silence spoke louder than anything else she could've said.
His hands fell from hers, but Hinata kept him between her hold, choosing not to let go of the fragile physical link just yet. The simple act...had made her unbelievably happy.
"Uchiha-kun," she said softly, "is very kind."
The next thing she knew, she was on her back with Sasuke pinning her down. "Don't. You don't know what you're saying," he grumbled.
He was so close his inky bangs spilled over her face.
"But I'm not wrong," she didn't stop herself from saying. "You are kind. You've done so many things for me without needing to and I-I'm grateful," she whispered earnestly, completely disregarding her position.
Sasuke's eyes widened. He wasn't kind, and he was definitely not a merciful individual.
"Even if you say otherwise, Uchiha-kun will always be someone kind to me," Hinata interrupted his thoughts.
I'm not, he thought fiercely but saying that would achieve nothing. The Hyuuga had her mouth set into that obstinate little line that was becoming a rather familiar sight. Trying to make her change her mind was utterly pointless.
Sighing, he rested his head on the hollow of her neck, the fabric of her turtleneck radiating heat. "No...you are truly wrong," he said without much conviction.
Hinata stiffened but eventually relaxed under the new pressure. "Not at all," she denied in a hush, "Not about you."
For a moment, all she could think about was him, and how the electricity and static felt pleasantly pressed against the softness of her skin. The sensation slowly took over her mind, seeping in with an embracing warmth.
It was an intoxication possession, one that made her forget her person, a well of darkness that knew no end and pulled, dragged, and pushed, sinking her down.
One of his fingers tugged the collar of her shirt, and Sasuke's brush of lips on the sensitive flesh of her neck made her gasp audibly.
It was tentative, and his breath, cool and prolonged, sent shimmering energy throughout her system.
"I'm not who you think I am."
His voice was deep and low, boldly voicing a dark desire that coated his words, interlacing them with a predatory warning that spoke of never letting go once she submitted to its succulent thirst.
How he wished to breathe her in and get intoxicated with the perfume that embraced her being.
The sly touch of danger barely penetrated her skilled senses, despite him being Uchiha Sasuke.
Everything around him was a tell-tale of dark secrecy.
Darkness and everything that lacked light.
That was the world they both shared now.
And somehow, neither minded. Not if it was like this.
When his arm circled the curve of her waist through the fabric of her shirt, lifting her up as his elbows rested on the wooden boards beneath her, Hinata didn't protest. When her fingers gripped his broad shoulders for support, Sasuke didn't comment.
Their affair was a silent one that neither had seen coming, at least, not tonight.
Communication was done without words, confessions made without sound.
When his lips traced the outline of her throat and ascended to her jaw, her only response was the hitch of her breath and the clutch of her hands on the fabric of his uniform.
Her apprehension of being touched had started to fade, but it wasn't gone. Her mind often mistook touches for something completely wrong, and it took effort not to react negatively.
But this was Uchiha-kun, not the enemy that had wounded her so deeply she thought she would die.
Her stomach felt consumed by licking flames, and her cheeks were dusted with the color of crimson vitality, something that had vanished since her kidnapping and was reborn as Sasuke's lips paused on her chin, before depositing a short kiss to the corner of her mouth.
She gasped.
Sasuke halted, leaning back slightly to capture her reactions. His Sharingan came alive as if to record the way her rosy lips attempted to sip air, her hair fell on the side of her shoulder, and her cheeks gained a hot hue.
How she managed to look so innocent and tempting at the same time was a complete mystery
"Ne, Uchiha-kun..."
"Hm?"
"I missed you."
The want in his chest culminated, and he knew once he continued, he wouldn't be able to help himself.
"I'm going to kiss you," his husky, guttural tone only caused her to reaffirm her hold on him.
She had started to quiver, and Sasuke could feel the light flutterings next to his own skin.
He was giving her a chance to back off and reject his approaches, but the Hyuuga doll wasn't showing signs of doing anything to stop him.
So dipping his face until he was less than a touch away, he kissed her.
The first kiss was just a brush of their lips – hers trembling, his sure, – against the other, a carnal dance trying to find its destined tempo.
Both of them felt the shock of lightning invading their bodies, were highly aware of every sharp intake of oxygen they tried to consume, could simply drown in the sound of their breathing.
The second time he caught her mouth with his, it was done with more precision, more force, and more experience, something that she lacked. It was obvious she was still chaste in the way she naively followed his example. She hadn't been taught how to seduce a man, like some kunoichis were, and that was fine with Sasuke. She had yet to learn, and they would have time to do that.
Hinata, Sasuke thought as he bit her plump lip gently and heard the soft sound emitted, really did taste like unskilled innocence.
In the third try, it was her who corresponded with more vigor, though still slow and unsteady, which allowed him to deepen his caresses to the point that everything became a mixture of despair, hunger, and unbounded want – need – to be close to one another.
That night, Hyuuga Hinata fell into his darkness, and on that same night, Uchiha Sasuke fell into her light.
XXXX
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A/N: My absence has its explanations, but no one wants to hear those. I hope this was good enough for now. I really am in love with the following arc. I really am; I've been waiting for it since 2013.
Next chapter will take a while (I hate this as much as you do). My time is very, very limited.
Thanks for sticking with me: Delicatelyplaced, Scarlette Winter, Kia-B, In Memory Of Yesterday, Kibachow, FireGladiator, XsymphonoaX, Farahb, Iivolgelchen, 21me21, Shippooliver, NewSkiea, blackirishawk, aurora0914, pjmunky, LIZA, umnia, TheMaudlinEffect, TAIRA18, Fiona, queenofthenial, 372259, YukiTenVianey Team, Cat, alwaysNaruhina, Running Bird, Juri.D P, Duchess23, and Miss Jennniiiferrr!
As always, please review :)
-9.21.14
Revised 5.30.20