Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to me
Chapter 31
Naruto cursed for what seemed to be the millionth time that same day, as he tried to clear his path. He had managed to enter the half-destroyed temple, yet attempting to walk from one room to another proved to be more than challenging. He could have easily used his Rasengan to clear his path but it wasn't that simple. Something had happened here, something that had brought the temple to its current state, and Naruto knew for sure that the slightest of power could as well completely destroy this place. And if Sasuke was in there as Kurama insisted, he could end up being buried under a pile of rocks due to Naruto being irrational.
The blonde man took a deep breath as he and his clones moved more rocks out of their way.
"Bastard…", he mumbled. "What are you? A rat? What could you possibly want from a place like this?"
He had travelled endless days and nights trying to find Sasuke and Hinata. He had left a note to Sakura, the night before they were supposed to travel to Suna and help Gaara with the upcoming war. He had explained everything, he had told her he couldn't leave his friends alone now. Not after everything they had all been through. He had been mad at Sasuke when he found out how that stupid friend of his felt for Hinata. It had destroyed him inside, knowing that the woman he was too late falling in love with, now had eyes only for the Uchiha. No matter how much pain he had felt, he knew that what Sasuke felt for Hinata was something out of his control. Because Naruto knew, that one's heart didn't decide for whom it would beat furiously. Naruto's feelings hadn't died out that night though. They were still there, burning his heart slowly as if a candle. But he knew, he would not be the man to make Hinata happy in the end. He knew, that if something happened to Sasuke, her sorrow would kill her as well. Naruto had seen it in her eyes back then. He had seen the deep care, affection and love the woman he was in love with felt for Uchiha Sasuke.
His clones disappeared as he carefully walked down the narrow frozen aisle, his steps careful and precise.
Sasuke, Naruto thought.
Nothing would ever make the Uzumaki erase the Uchiha from his mind and heart. He was a comrade… he was a friend… he was a brother.
"I am coming for you bastard…", Naruto whispered, hope and worry glimmering in his bright blue eyes as he felt his friend's presence closer now. The signal that reached his body like a light breeze, was weak but with no doubt present. He was close, Naruto could now feel his presence without Kurama telling him so. "Just hang in there…".
They had been through a lot. Ever since they were but two young boys trying to prove themselves in the academy, they were both tormented by the horrors others inflicted on their lives.
"We deserve better…", Naruto remembered Hinata saying once after the war. He remembered her teary eyes and small pained smile as she had gazed at the morning blue sky. They had just buried Neiji that day. They had buried family and friends and yet they were expected to still stand strong. "For those who left us and for those who still remain by our side… Let's try to make this world a better place… Let's try to finally be happy… Right, Naruto-kun?"
He inhaled deeply, feeling his heart beating faster and faster now. He reached the end of the long corridor, jumping over and under the debris only to reach a tall double-leaved door, its wood carved by hand to resemble the deities of the temple. The doors were semi-broken, revealing part of the room that unravelled behind them, yet the entrance was blocked by two huge pillars that had fallen one on top of the other. Naruto easily jumped up in the air and over the huge obstacle before landing back on his own two feet.
"Sasuke!", Naruto shouted in agony, his eyes not able to pinpoint the Uchiha's whereabouts. He looked around the destroyed room. Statues made of rock and part of the roof above had fallen down, and Naruto could not understand how his friend had found himself in such a place.
His breath quickened as he looked around, trying to get a glimpse of the Uchiha. He was here, he was, but Naruto felt himself being overcome by fear for the first time in years. How was he? How was Sasuke?
He called his name again, he called out for his brother but got no response.
"Sasuke!", Naruto shouted. "Where are you, you bastard?!"
Suddenly, his eyes caught sight of a dirty and bloody hand barely moving under two huge rocks that laid against the wall at his far left.
His hand beating like a thousand drums in his ears, Naruto ran closer, his eyes changing into a reddish color. Gathering power in his hands he pushed the rocks aside, only to see a body drenched in its own blood, barely moving or showing any signs of life.
He kneeled beside the fallen warrior, sometimes calling him "bastard" and other times using his name instead.
"What happened to you?", Naruto said, his voice barely above a whisper. He silently reminded himself to be careful with his moves much like Sakura had instructed him to do in case he found an injured comrade.
The man barely moved and opened his eyes with great difficulty.
"I-diot…", Sasuke said his voice hoarse yet hopeful.
"You bastard… what happened to you? Who did this?", Naruto asked, barely holding his emotions of anger and sadness from taking over.
"Hi-ashi", Sasuke breathed after a few moments of silence. Even one word seemed to need a great deal of effort in order to slip his dry mouth and throat.
"How?", Naruto said again. He couldn't believe the Hyuga leader had managed to bring the Uchiha to his current stage. He couldn't understand, but he imagined that something greater had happened in this place, something that Naruto knew Sasuke had no power to explain now. The Uchiha had cuts all over his body, cuts and wounds that Sasuke had barely managed to wrap with some piece of clothing in his attempt to survive.
Sasuke didn't answer. His eyes felt too heavy now. He had been holding on for three days after his battle with the Hyuga man, yet now that he knew Naruto was there, by his side, he finally felt like he could let go. He could close his eyes for a moment, right? If he left darkness take over for a while, he could probably find the power to stand up back on his feet again. He would be able to run back to Hinata and protect her. Hiashi must have known her whereabouts. He had been stupid, he had been so stupid, Sasuke thought. He had failed to protect her once more. He had betrayed her trust. He still couldn't believe how he had managed to reach such a state, how Hiashi had managed to walk out of this place a victor. But Sasuke knew that it wasn't just Hiashi's newfound powers or the fact that he had stolen part of his chakra during their fight, that Sasuke was now fighting for his own life. He had been reckless, he knew that now. His father used to say that the greatest enemy of a shinobi is his own feelings and thoughts. Sasuke had tried to deny his feelings his whole life. He had tried to be cold, merciless even, but since he met her everything changed. When he saw Hiashi's face, when he came to fight the murderer of his parents and the tormentor of the woman he loved, Sasuke became reckless. He remembered all those who were gone because of the Hyuga leader, he remembered the tears he had seen Hinata shed because of her father, and his emotions took over. He couldn't think straight during their fight. All he could think about was that he wanted to kill that man, to take his last breath with his own hands, to make him pain for all the lives he had destroyed. Hiashi knew about all of that though. He could see Sasuke's recklessness and he knew that he had the upper hand in their fight almost immediately. But none of that mattered anymore. All Sasuke could think now, was that he had to run back to the Seki village. He couldn't allow Hiashi to find her again.
"Hina-ta…", her name left his lips in a small breath.
He had to go. He had to find the power to stand up and find her, save her. But why did he feel so defeated? Why did he feel so powerless? His whole body was numb, his lips trembling.
He was dying, he knew.
The idea of death had never fazed him in the past. Once death had taken all those he had loved, Sasuke knew that the only thing left to take was his soul, and he was fine with that. Revenge led his way and what made the Uchiha so powerful had been his fearlessness in the face of death. But now, for some strange reason, for the first time in his short-lived time, he felt afraid. He brought her face into his mind, trying to remember her smile, her eyes. He remembered how she felt within his arms, how her lips touched his in an endless dance. But she was too far away now, almost unreachable.
He suddenly realized that Naruto was still calling him and his eyes opened even for a tiny bit, letting the light that slipped within the open destroyed ceiling and the broken windows hit his dark tired orbs.
"Sasuke!", Naruto said once more, his hands gripping his friend's bloody face. "Do you fucking hear me stupid asshole?". Tears welled up in the blonde's eyes, his face distorted in desperation. "I am not going to let you die? Do you understand? I won't"
The sides of Sasuke's bruised lips slightly turned upwards in a small smirk.
He felt relieved. Even after all the pain he had caused Naruto, he was still by his side. It has always been like this, right? Sasuke thought in regret. No matter how much I pushed you away, you always came back to grab me and push me out of the pit I had fallen.
"I", Sasuke said, with the last power he felt that was left within him. If those were his last words, he wished that Naruto would know the truth. "I… lost a brother…", he stuttered, his voice barely audible. "But… I f-found another one… in you… ba… bastard".
Naruto pressed his forehead against Sasuke's, his tears falling on the Uchiha's dirty cheeks.
Suddenly a shaky hand arose to brush against Naruto's.
"Protect her…"
And then… silence.
The shaky hand fell numb by the warrior's side.
Naruto's eyes grew wide in panic, his friend's name a scream slipping furiously from within his lips as a yellow hue engulfed him and the Uzumaki's eyes changed once more.
Hugging his brother close, Naruto jumped high and through the broken ceiling, only to land gracefully on the snowy ground outside the ruins of the old temple.
"Hang in there!", he commanded.
Sakura brushed her shoulder-length pink hair with her fingers before tying them into a messy bun. Her hands then wandered lower, making sure that her light blue uniform was properly hugging her figure. Her fingers brushed against the fabric that clad all medical ninjas, touching the uniform she had tried so hard to acquire. She had studied and practised for years. She had wished to be capable of saving as many souls as she could. She had given an oath, to always do everything in her power to heal anyone that asked for her help. Tsunade always told her that whether comrade or enemy, she had to do everything to save them.
She looked around her, her green eyes bearing a sense of melancholy. They were back at the battlefront again. It had been too soon. It still felt like it was only yesterday that the 4th Shinobi World War had ended and here they were again. When she was young, war seemed like a game where anyone could prove himself a hero.
Nonsense.
She had seen too much blood, she had heard too many screams filled with agony, she had closed too many eyes that had stopped baring any sign of life inside them, to take war so lightly anymore.
She exhaled deeply and then patted her cheeks a bit aggressively a couple of times as if to wake herself up.
"Get a grip Sakura…'', she murmured to herself. There was no point having those kinds of thoughts, not when a whole division depended on her and many of Suna doctors and nurses waited for her commands. Gaara had asked her to organize and lead the medical division. They never managed to reach Kakashi and the Konoha forces in time. Kakashi had taken many shinobi to fight the battle that broke out at the northern borders of the Land of Fire. Unlike what happened during the 4th Shinobi World War, this time around the enemy had managed to take them by surprise. They had thought they still had time, but that had proved not to be the case. The Tsuchikage had divided his army and with the support of the Earth daimyo, he had managed to create three different battlefronts. Gaara had not managed to aid Kakashi since he realized that another attack was about to happen in the villages that stood between the southern borders of the Land of Earth and the northern borders of the Land of Wind. Sakura and Shikamaru could do nothing but fight next to Gaara and the shinobi of the Wind, all the while praying that her people could hold their ground and hoping that her friends and family stayed safe.
In the meantime, the Raikage was fighting his own battles around his country while the Mizukage had decided to abstain from any kind of confrontation.
Sakura walked around the tent, organizing the medical supplies that she was provided with. She had given the other medical ninjas that were under her commands some free time to rest. She knew the endless sleepless nights that would follow and she wanted to give them even a few last hours of peace.
She exhaled deeply, lost in her own thoughts. Her mind roamed to her friends again. She felt something tightening uncomfortably inside her chest. Were they really okay?
She brought a hand to her forehead as if in an attempt to calm herself down.
Suddenly a firm hand came to rest on her shoulder and the kunoichi immediately jumped. She was about to hit the intruder unconscious but as she turned around, her eyes filled with the intent to kill, she met a calm smile instead.
"Hello!", the tall man said, his eyes playful as always.
"Hello?", Saura said her green eyes wide. She had let her guard down, a grave mistake for a ninja in the midst of war. She was breathing heavily, not believing how she could have made such a mistake. Then her shock turned to anger in a matter of seconds. "Are you crazy Yoshiro? I could have killed you right then and there! I-"
He walked closer until he could now rest both of his large palms on her shoulders.
"I didn't know I seem so threatening!", he said, a chuckle on his lips.
Sakura was taken aback by his attitude, so much even that she just looked at his face, her expression calm yet unreadable, while her hands slowly relaxed by her side.
She took a moment to process their close proximity before she finally took a step back, allowing some distance between them.
They had become closer during their stay at Suna. Yoshiro was a very smart man, Sakura had realized that ever since the daimyo's only son offered to help her out at Suna's health centre. As he told her over time, his loneliness had made him turn to books in order to find some comfort. He had studied every medical book Sakura knew and he had proved to be very helpful when it came to making medicine for her patients. The prince of the Land of Earth had been anything but arrogant though. He always worked by her side without talking much, his demeanour completely different from what those around him had been used to. When by his father's side, Yoshiro pretended to be the good for nothing son, the useless heir, while to the rest of the world he seemed like an eccentric and sarcastic young lord who appreciated the riches he was gifted with upon his birth. To Sakura though, it seemed that Yoshiro was truly himself only when he was in the infirmary. She had seen him a lot of times, helping the injured soldiers or the sick kids of Suna with a small smile on his face. He had been by their side, trying to make them feel better, even when she was not around.
Yoshiro, a man with many faces, Sakura thought.
She took a look at his attire, which was nothing like what the prince of the Land of Earth used to always wear. Yoshiro always presented himself as a man wearing only the finest of silk garments. It was as if he always wished to portray himself as simply the naïve, absent-minded egocentric son of the Earth daimyo. It was all a mask though, Sakura had come to realize that those past few weeks. If someone was to see Yoshiro at that moment though, they would never suspect that man's true identity. His garments were plain everyday clothes a man from a poor family would wear.
"Nice attire", Sakura commented and a small side smirk graced Yoshiro's lips.
"They told me it's more comfortable when helping out at the medical tents", Yoshiro said. It was not the first time that Sakura had seen him throw away his golden robes whenever he aided her at the infirmary back at Suna.
"You mean here? Help us out here?", Sakura asked with interest. Yoshiro was supposed to help Gaara to organize a plan that would help overthrow the daimyo's army. Yoshiro knew of his father's war strategies and could read his moves, which made the daimyo's heir a very useful ally. But Sakura had never expected that he would also volunteer to help with the injured.
"I know you can't live without my presence here, but please don't make it too obvious. My other fans will be jealous-", Yoshiro tried to say but suddenly Sakura came right in front of him before grabbing his face with her hands. His eyes grew wide with surprise, making Sakura want to laugh right at his face.
"Have you hit your head somewhere?", Sakura sarcastically said, mimicking his way of talking. A soft pink colour suddenly dusted the heir's cheeks.
Seeing that the man was too taken by her sudden action and unable to speak, Sakura then took a few steps back, clearing her throat. What had taken over her before, not even she knew.
"I", Sakura said, her own cheeks blushing now. "I am sorry for that, it won't happen again. Now, shall we go? I guess you came to go together at Gaara's meeting. We shouldn't let them wait now, right?"
She walked past him, but before she could reach the entrance of her tent, she felt a gentle hand suddenly taking a hold of hers. She turned around surprised, but as her eyes met Yoshiro's, his hands reached out to cap her small face. Her cheeks turned a light shade of pink again, but the daimyo's heir just smiled.
His thump brushed against the pink colour on her skin.
"I am sorry", Yoshiro said. "But I would like to do that again. This way I can see your beautiful face from up close".
Sakura blushed like crazy now. She pushed his hands away, looking elsewhere.
"We are late…", she mumbled and rushed out of the medics' tent. She walked fast but Yoshiro simply followed behind her at a calmer and steadier pace, his steps representing the education he had received as the daimyo's only son. Far behind him, his bodyguard, Kiro, guarded his every step.
Once they reached Gaara's tent, everyone was already gathered around the round table with the maps and war figures scattered on top of it.
"Finally", Shikamaru muttered, as he moved a small figure to a different spot on the map. Sakura said nothing about his comment though and simply came to stand next to Temari who greeted her with a smile. On the other hand, Yoshiro walked and took his place next to Kankuro, his eyes taking in the plan that Shikamaru and Gaara had already started setting up.
"I don't think that attacking them from the mountains will help in any way", Gaara said.
"We can use the element of surprise", Shikamaru said. "From my experience, the Earth Shinobi are not the defensive type. They like to attack rather than to be attacked. That can make them reckless and foolish under the right circumstances. We can attack first and then lure them to the mountains. It will seem like we attempt to run away. They will let their guard down. They will think they are winning. And when they expect it the least, we will attack".
"I think Kazekage-sama is right.", Yoshiro said, taking his serious look, Sakura noticed. "You are known to be a very smart shinobi, Nara-san. Your strategies and your father's battle plans are known to have been a tremendous success in the previous war. But there is something that you are not taking into consideration here and is understandable."
Shikamaru looked troubled but did not say a thing. Instead, he crossed his arms in front of his chest, waiting for Yoshiro to go on.
"Indeed, the shinobi from my Land are known to be warriors who prefer to attack with all their might. They consider defence to be an act of cowardice and are thus prone to being reckless on the battlefield. A surprise attack would be anything but a failure if…"
"If?", Kankuro asked, eyeing the man suspiciously. Both he and Shikamaru still kept a distance from Yoshiro. While everyone else seemed to trust him, the two shinobi kept being suspicious of him. Even though Yoshiro had proved himself on different occasions, in Kankuro's and Shikamaru's eyes, he was still the only son of their enemy. He could as well be serving as an informer for the Earth daimyo and the 5th Tsuchikage or even work in order to assure that Gaara and his men lost the war.
"My father has been planning this war for years", Yoshiro admitted. "The places that are under attack were not chosen on a whim. The Tsuchikage and my father have been secretly sending their men to map the different territories. They have set traps on various places, and the caves of the mountain you wish to use for your secret attack are filled with explosives."
"How can we trust you?", Temari said, leaning forward, her bright eyes piercing the young lord.
"You can't", Yoshiro said. "I am still the son of the man you fight against. But you can see for yourselves if what I say is true or not." Yoshiro turned to look straight at Gaara now. "Send a few of your men to search the mountain. When you need me, I will be here to tell you my opinion again, Kazekage-sama".
He bowed respectfully before turning around to leave. Sakura's green eyes stayed on him as he left the tent with Kiro silently following close behind him once more.
"Arrange for the best of our tracers to head out and search if Yoshiro's claims are true.", Gaara told Temari, who immediately nodded her head. "If what he says is true, we may need to rethink about our approach to the war tactics we will need to use".
She was sitting on the soft grass, her back resting against a large oak tree. She was humming a lullaby her mother used to sing to her when she was still very young, while her hands worked on a beautiful colourful wreath. A soft smile graced her lips at the memories the soft melody of her mother's lullaby brought back. She felt so peaceful inside, as if every dark moment she had ever lived, every tear, had completely disappeared.
She was about to grab a few more flowers from the small pile she had resting on her side when suddenly, she heard cheerful laughing coming from a distance. She immediately stopped humming the familiar melody and instead looked through the trees, trying to understand where the happy laughs were coming from. Feeling the urge to follow the happy sounds, she left the incomplete wreath on the ground and stood up. Her white dress danced with her every step. She could feel the soft grass beneath her bare feet as she walked closer and closer to the source of the happy melody that had bewitched her.
Suddenly the trees stopped and a sparkling blue lake unravelled before her eyes. There, sitting by the edge of the wooden porch, was a man with black hair, his back turned on her.
"Sasuke", she said softly, her smile brighter than before.
He turned around, his black eyes meeting her bright ones, but he wasn't alone. In his arms, a young three-year-old boy, a spitting image of the man she loved, also looked at her with a toothy grin.
"Momma!", the boy shouted excitedly, his hands reaching out towards her.
Hinata walked closer and as she sat beside them, she took the young child in her arms.
"Momma is here", she whispered lovingly in his ear, as the young boy buried his face in her hair.
Sasuke reached out, his large hand now cupping her face.
"I missed you", he said and leaned in to place a soft kiss on her forehead.
Hinata closed her eyes for a moment.
"Is this a dream?", she asked him, but Sasuke didn't answer.
She opened her eyes again, but this time, her eyes met the wooden wall of her carriage instead of Sasuke's eyes, while her arms were now empty.
She looked at her side and lovingly brushed the long dark hair of the boy that soundlessly slept beside her, his head resting on her lap.
She leaned her head back to rest against the hard wood. She closed her eyes and exhaled deeply.
A dream. It was all a dream once more. A dream that she knew she would never see come to life. To live with him somewhere far away, to one day hold a child of their own in their arms, Hinata knew she would never be able to live such moments of pure happiness. But that dream made her feel peaceful inside, even if it was for those few hours she slept every day.
She had been seeing this same dream every time she closed her eyes the last three weeks they had been travelling from the Northern villages.
She looked at Itachi's sleeping form again, checking to see if the boy was alright.
Three weeks since she lost Sasuke.
Three weeks since she saw the Seki village burn right before her very eyes.
Three weeks since Shiori died.
Three weeks… how fast those three weeks had passed.
She had not spoken a single word to any of the Hyugas accompanying her throughout their journey, not even to those she trusted. She had allowed her father to drag her back to Konoha and use her once more as he saw fit if only he guaranteed that Itachi would stay safe.
Hinata lightly caressed the child's head again. He was orphaned like both Sasuke and she had been by the hand of her own father. The moment she held him in her arms that day though, she promised him that she would never leave him. No matter what, she wouldn't die. She wouldn't leave the boy to suffer alone. She owed that to both Shiori and Sasuke.
The boy suddenly stirred in his sleep and as a few moments went by, his eyes slowly opened.
Itachi sat up, rubbing his eyes with both of his hands.
"Good morning", she said sweetly and smiled at him.
"Mmm… Good morning aunty", Itachi said, melting her heart with just a few words.
"Did you sleep well?", Hinata asked him and Itachi sleepily nodded his head.
He opened his dark eyes now, eyes she knew all too well from another man that was no more.
She caressed the child's cheek as a mother would. Itachi and Hanabi were the only two reasons why she still held strong. They were the only reasons she still wished to live. Hiashi had believed he had his eldest daughter under his control once more, but he was fooled.
Hinata had not followed him out of desperation.
"Where are we?", the boy asked. Even though he had just woken up he seemed tired. He wasn't able to sleep properly as every child should for almost a month. This long journey and the loss of his mother, the last family he had, had taken a toll on him. But Itachi was not one to whine. He would bite his lower lip and hold his head low when he felt like he couldn't deal with all that was happening. Hinata would take him in her arms and hold him for hours until his silent tears would stop and he would fall back asleep again. He was so strong and every time she looked at him, she admired his courage, but at the same time, it saddened her because she knew that the atrocities this young boy had witnessed back at the Seki village, would forever haunt him. Why did he have to suffer as well, Hinata would ask herself every now and then. Why couldn't he play at the fields as any child would? Why would his last memories of his mother have to be filled with blood and horror? Why couldn't he grow up, unaware of the darkness this world held?
Hinata pulled back the curtain that covered her window and looked outside.
"We have arrived…", she said in a low voice, feeling a slight shiver run down her spine. She had recognized the scenery of her land immediately. "We are at Konoha".
She had been away for almost a year, but anticipation didn't fill her heart as she would once have expected. These lands now seemed strange, unknown. It was probably because she knew of the people that were buried in those grounds, she knew of the blood her father had spilled all over Konoha. Her mother's blood, her uncle Hizashi's, the Uchihas'… Konoha had now become their graveyard in Hinata's eyes. The village she had once loved dearly now simply seemed a place of torment for all of them. And all of that because of Hiashi's and Kitsume's thirst for more power, wealth and influence in the Land of Fire.
Where does people's greed stop? Hinata couldn't help but wonder.
She felt a small hand take a hold of hers and her eyes turned on Itachi once more.
He must have seen her worried face. He might have been young but foolish he was not. He knew that something was off with those that accompanied them in this journey; the boy knew they had something to do with the death of their mother. She felt his small hand shaking a little but still, he said nothing.
Hinata took both of his hand in hers and placed a soft kiss upon his small forehead.
"Don't be scared"
"I am not", he stubbornly said looking to the side.
Hinata smiled.
"There is nothing wrong with feeling like that", Hinata said. "I want you to know that nothing will happen to you".
"But what if something happens to you?", Itachi interrupted her, his lower lip now trembling. "I don't want to lose you too".
"Nothing will happen to me", Hinata reassured him. "No matter what you see, don't be afraid. I am strong and stubborn like you, my little shinobi!", she said and left a feather touch on his tiny nose with her finger.
The carriage passed the tall wooden doors that stood at the entrance of Konoha. They were now closer and closer to the Hyuga compound, and no matter how brave she pretended to be in front of Itachi, Hinata could feel her heart beating faster and faster with each passing second.
"I will never leave your side, Itachi. No matter what happens, I will always find you, ok?"
Itachi nodded his head in understanding.
"You are such a brave boy!", Hinata commented. "And a great shinobi. My sister will be excited to see how well you have trained yourself! She is a crazy one but she is good. I have told you about her before, right?"
"Yes…", Itachi said, smiling a bit now as well, as he whipped the last of his tears with his sleeve.
The carriage came to a sudden stop, and she could hear the men outside talking with one another.
"Itachi…", Hinata hurriedly said now. "In this place, you can only trust Hanabi when I am not around, do you understand?"
"Yes! I understand.", Itachi said assertively just a moment before one of Hiashi's men opened one of the carriage's doors.
"We have arrived, Hinata-sama", Kyoshi, Hiashi's most trusted warrior, said. He extended his hand to help her and Itachi get off the carriage, but Hinata simply ignored him.
She got off by herself, helping Itachi in the process. She held the boy's hand securely in hers as she walked towards the entrance of the compound. The rest of the men that had accompanied in this journey didn't dare look at her after everything that had happened and after everything she had told them outside the temple in the Land of Iron.
Hiashi was waiting in front of the gates, his back turned to her.
They didn't exchange a single word as the gates slowly opened before their eyes.
Hiashi walked before them, leading the way to the Tsuki garden at the centre of the compound where the rest of the clan was probably waiting for the return of the lost Hyuga princess and Hiashi's sole heir.
As they set foot inside her mother's favourite garden, she tired faces of women, men and children looking happily at her. She felt something in her chest tightening, and that strange feeling had nothing to do with how she felt about her father. This place had changed. What had happened to her people?
"Finally!", an old woman said and Hinata's eyes immediately fell on the Hyuga Matriarch standing on the small stairs before the entrance of the Main House, with the Hyuga elders lined up behind her. "The heir of our clan returns, alive and well!", Kitsume loudly said so that every Hyuga present could hear her words.
Hinata's eyes pierced the old woman, not caring for the pure hate she felt towards her to show on her face at that moment. Kitsume seemed to have dropped formalities as well though. Her tone was sarcastic and uncaring. It seemed that she didn't care to be considered the loving and caring grandmother and matriarch as she once pretended to be.
Kitsume slowly walked down the stairs and towards Hinata. She came to stand before her, an ironic smile playing on her lips.
"Glad to see you remembered to return my dear", Kitsume said and then her eyes fell on the boy whose hand Hinata held tighter now. "And what do we have here? My son informed me you would be bringing back with you an Uchiha puppy as well! How interesting to see they still exist…"
Kitsume extended a hand to take hold of the boy's small face and have a better look at him, but before she could actually reach him, Hinata pulled Itachi behind her and forcefully grabbed Kitsume's thin wrist.
"Don't you ever dare lay a hand on him!", Hinata said through gritted teeth, her eyes piercing those of Kitsume's.
Hiashi looked at his daughter in surprise but was immediately distracted by his mother's manic laugh. Kitsume's laugh only lasted a few seconds though, before she raised her other hand to smack Hinata across the face with all the force she could muster.
"Mother!", Hiashi said, grabbing Kitsume's hand before she could smack Hinata again.
Hinata didn't lower her head though not even for a second. She let everyone see she was not afraid.
"You insolent-", Kitsume started to say, not able to accept the courage Hinata showed at that moment. All those years she must have thought that she had been successful in breaking the girl and forming her the way she wished. Kitsume had truly believed that Hinata had always been just the obedient little puppet that they would need for their plans. But now the masks had been dropped and everyone could see them all for who they truly were.
"HINATA!", a young woman's voice was heard within the crowd and Hinata's eyes immediately fell on the form of her sister running towards her.
"Hanabi…", she mumbled, feeling her heart fluttering.
Her sister, she was okay. Hanabi was truly ok.
Hanabi reached her and immediately pulled her sister in a tight hug as if she was afraid that Hinata would slip away like smoke from within her hands again.
"You are here! You are alive!", Hanabi breathlessly said. "I've missed you! I missed you so much!".
She was trying to contain her emotions, but her moment with her sister was short-lived. Kitsume was looking at the girls, her Byakugan activated and her eyes fiery. On her face, an expression of disbelief took over her every feature.
Kitsume walked closer once more, breaking the two sisters apart, before forcefully taking hold of Hinata's jaw.
"What do you think you are doing?!", Hanabi shouted, but Kitsume paid her no mind.
Hanabi grabbed her grandmother's hand trying to pull her away, while Hiashi looked in disbelief that his mother acted in such a way for the whole clan to see.
"A disgrace!", Kitsume said in a low threatening voice, her Byakugan still activated. "GUARDS! TAKE THE HEIRESS INSIDE! IMMEDIATELY!"
Everyone, even the Hyuga elders looked on in utter confusion at Kitsume's anger, as Kyoshi and another man came to carry out Kitsume's orders.
Kyoshi's eyes were filled with uncertainty as he looked at Hinata for a moment before gently taking a hold of her arm.
"Hanabi!", Hinata shouted over her shoulder as the two men dragged her inside the compound. "The child! Don't let anyone go near the child!".
Hanabi nodded her head as she kneeled beside the young boy who buried his face in her hair, his whole body trembling in fear.
Hinata was taken inside her father's office, where her father's bodyguards finally released her.
"Hinata-sama…", Kyoshi tried to say something, his face seeming completely different from what Hinata had witnessed all those years. Before he could finish his sentence though, Kitsume and Hiashi barged in the room.
Kitsume immediately and forcefully slapped Hinata again, this time managing to throw the heiress to the ground.
"You insolent thing!", Kitsume screamed again, not believing her own eyes. "I spent so many years! I tried so hard to give you everything and this is how you repay me?".
"Mother that's enough!", Hiashi strictly said, but his mother didn't pay him any mind.
"You brought shame to your family! You made a fool out of us all in the daimyo's eyes! You destroyed years of hard work! You ran away with that filthy Uchiha and now… now you come back… carrying his bastard child within you!".
Hinata's eyes widened in shock at Kitsume's words, but Hiashi and his two men were not in a better state. Hiashi took a few steps back, unable to believe what he was hearing, while Kyoshi lowered his head, his eyes piercing the ground in utter disbelief.
Hinata only looked at her grandmother though, still trying to process what she had said.
His child.
Sasuke's child.
She brought a hand to cover her still flat belly, tears she couldn't contain now running down her pale cheeks.
She held a sob from escaping her throat.
She hadn't been feeling alright for more than two months now, yet every time nausea or vomit would hit her, she would persuade herself it was because of how tired she was, because of the pain she had experienced after learning everything from Shiori and losing Sasuke. But she was carrying his child, their child. While her father had taken the life of the man she loved, a new life was slowly growing inside her.
She brought back the image of the boy calling her "Momma" in her dream and more tears fell on her hands resting on her lap.
"What is the meaning of this?", the words barely left Hiashi's lips. His face seemed paler than before, but it didn't carry the expression of anger and disgust Kitsume's face did.
Hinata shook her head and she opened her lips to let a small pained laugh escape her throat.
Hiashi simply looked at his firstborn not understanding why she was laughing at that moment.
"I don't understand you… father", Hinata said, the word father now tasting differently on her lips. She whipped some of her tears away. "Aren't you happy? Your dream will finally come true. It doesn't even matter that you don't have the scroll you so much strived to acquire all those years. This child is all you ever dreamed of, right? It will possess the power of both Hyugas and Uchihas. Wasn't that superior power the reason why you stayed silent when your mother killed your only brother and when she set up a trap to blind my sister in order to use me instead? Wasn't that power the reason why you killed my mother, your wife, the woman who loved you with all her heart simply because she dared to rise against you? Isn't that power the reason why you became the reason behind the Uchiha massacre?", she sarcastically said, seeing as her father looked at her in utter shock, his hands trembling at his sides. "Don't worry. All the blood you spilled will not be in vain".
"Shut up!", Kitsume shouted again. The always well-mannered matriarch had long lost her composure. "Do you think that any of this matters? Do you believe that what you say has any significance? We did everything for this family, for this clan! We sacrificed everything so that Hyugas can take their rightful place in this world! But a naïve girl like you would never understand. You are just like your mother… useless… an obstacle…".
"ENOUGH!", Hiashi screamed at Kitsume, who looked at her son in surprise.
"I pity you…", Hinata said. "I pity both of you… and I am ashamed. I am ashamed to be called your family, but that is a burden I will learn to live with. But I wonder… all that blood that stains your hands; did it ever stain your conscience? This clan never needed more power, it needed humane leaders. But instead, they only got owners. You caged them in the golden prison you created and for every new person, you killed you dared to say it was for your people's good. Hyugas never asked for power, you did…"
Hiashi opened his mouth to say something, but not a single sound managed to escape his lips.
"None of these matters anymore.", Kitsume said, her words now calm yet as cold as ice. "What you think is right or wrong does not matter. I sacrificed everything for our purpose. You will not destroy years and years of hard work". She looked down on Hinata, her eyes piercing the young woman. "You will do what you were meant to do from the beginning. You will serve this clan whether you like it or not. And that bastard child of yours, I will be sure to rip it out with my own bare hands. I will not allow for the seed of a filthy Uchiha to be born within this household. This is the end of their bloodline. You can keep it for a while, like you can also keep that Uchiha puppy you brought with you, just for two more weeks. I cannot stand to know that the noble blood of Hyugas was spoiled like that by Uchihas. We are taking over the village in the Tsuchikage's name in the next few days. Everyone in Konoha will be in our commands. When we present ourselves as the new leaders of the Land Of Fire during the Full Moon celebrations in two weeks' time, you will serve as a symbol, as the continuation of our noble blood. After that night, we are going to deal with the 'trouble' you have caused.", Kitsume then turned to the two shinobi standing speechless at the other side of the room. "Take her to her room and make sure no word spoken within these four walls reaches others' ears. You are to guard her private chambers day and night. Now take her! And quick!"
Kyoshi and his subordinate stayed frozen for a few seconds as if their feet had stopped working.
"What are you looking like that? Move!", Kitsume ordered once more.
The two men reluctantly walked towards Hinata. They gently held her, helping her to stand up. Hiashi looked at his daughter, not saying a word, his eyes filled with regret.
Hinata was taken outside the office, but before walking through that door she looked at Kitsume one last time, her eyes piercing those of the matriarch.
"Justice doesn't come when we always need it", Hinata said. "But it comes for us all, eventually and it is now knocking on your door…".
She then let the two men take her to her room.
Sasuke, she thought. I will not give up. I will not stop fighting. I will protect our child and Itachi… I will…
Hello everyone!
I am back after almost a year. I have to apologize for my absence but this year has been crazy for me. I had to deal with working two jobs plus studying for my Master's degree. That means a lot of sleepless nights and no time for writing. I always read your comments though and they made me smile every day. Your messages are what made me say to myself "you will finish this story no matter what"! This is the final climax that is being built now so I hope you enjoy it because it will be a rollercoaster of emotions.
I will try to upload the next chapter soon, but since I have to move houses plus the fact that I am a perfectionist, might make it a bit hard for me to promise you that a new chapter would be uploaded on a specific date. But since it's summer now, I have more free time which means that I can do more writing. You can't believe how excited I am to be finishing this story soon. I know that some of you might be disappointed because the characters seem to not be as god-like as they are in the anime but that's purely for literature reasons. I wanted to make them more humane, to have them face struggles and see them grow as characters through those said struggles.
So, did you miss me, my sweeties? I definitely missed you so don't forget to leave a comment! Your comments are the reason I still keep going!
Until the next time, your crazy author sends you the biggest virtual hug!