Here is the next chapter! There is a GIANT time skip and I will be filling in the blanks as I go along. Reviews are nice and messages are welcomed (: hope you all enjoy and to the person who asked if this was sort of canon compliant. Uh, I'm not really sure what I'm doing here, I'm taking small ideas from the shows plot and putting them in here. Im making my own world
Chapter 12:
Hinatas POV:
A week had gone by since I slept with Itachi, I felt different but I knew it was time for me to let go of them both. I knew for everything to work out I would need to leave the village.
I sighed and started my walk towards Tsunades office. I needed her to relieve me of my duties for a while or put me on a long mission to escape here for a bit. I hope there was something that needed to be done because I was more than willing to take the job.
"Oh, Hinata, it's nice to see you" Shizune said to me when I walked into the office, I gave her a sincere smile.
"You too" I softly said and then looked at Tsunade who was deeply reading a piece of paper. I gave her a minute so she could finish doing whatever she was doing.
"So, my little non-Hyuga, what can I do for you?" Tsunade spoke, raising an eyebrow. I took a deep breath before I opened my mouth. I had explained to her the situation, hoping she would understand. I finished my story and just looked at her, she looked contemplative.
"After everything you did to get him back here, now you want to leave?" she asked me and I nodded my head.
"This isn't a reason to leave the village, but since you've come here explaining things to me and not just doing it like normal, I shall grant you permission to leave, on one condition" she looked me in the eyes while speaking. I didn't think she was going to allow this for a minute.
"Anything" my eyes grew wide, giving her my full attention.
"If you leave, you're to track the Akatsuki for at least five months minimum to give adequate time to research and then you're free to take a leave." she said freely, my heart nearly skipped a beat. I had to be a spy for a bit? Damn it, at least I got to leave here.
"Thank you, so much" I wanted to hug her but I knew she would try and push me away. I gave her a small bow, turning to leave her office.
"I'll send some reports to you about them before you leave. When will you be leaving?" Tsunade asked right when my hand touched the handle on the door.
"Tonight. I just want to say goodbye to my cousin" I spoke softly, opening the door and leaving the office. I needed to go home and grab a few items before setting off on my journey.
Once I was on the street to my home, I looked around knowing I wasn't going to see any of this for a long time. It was little heart breaking but time heals wounds and that's what I needed. I wasn't going to heal knowing at any moment I could see either of them in the village.
It was nearly time for me to leave, I grabbed my bag, cloak, sandals and closed my front door. It was pretty dark out but I knew Neji would still be awake, I moved swiftly in the streets, not making a noise.
I approached his house and went right to his front door. All the lights were still on, weird. I knocked and waited a few moments for him to answer.
I heard footsteps approaching and then the sound of the door knob turning.
"Hinata? What are you doing here? It's late, is everything okay?" look of worry washed over his face and then he looked at my stuff.
"I'm okay, just wanted to say goodbye to you" I said honestly.
"Goodbye? Where are you going? Come in here, my team is here. They were leaving in a bit though" he said, moving out of the way for me to come inside. I guess it doesn't matter who knew I was leaving so if Tenten and Lee knew, it was okay.
"Hi Hinata-chan!" Tenten said cheerfully, taking a sip of water. They were sitting on the floor playing a card game. My heart warmed knowing they were all so close with each other. I waved towards her and Lee.
"Hinata, it's nice to see you! It's been a while. Hope life is treating you well!" Lee spoke with enthusiasm. I giggled a bit a nodded.
"Life is good, I'm just here to say goodbye to Neji-nii-san" I told them and then looked at my cousin again.
"Do you want us to leave?" tenten looked serious when she asked me.
"No need, him and I can talk in his backyard" I told her and then made my way towards his back door. I heard footsteps behind me, he was following me.
Once we got outside, I sat on his stairs and looked up towards the stars. He sat next to me and we sat for a second. My eyes got watery, I'm going to miss him so much.
"So what's happening, you're worrying me" he said, breaking the silence.
"I need time to myself. A lot of it. I need to figure things out without my heart getting in the way" I truthfully said.
"Is this about Itachi and Kakashi?" he asked me.
"Yes, I don't want to hurt either of them so I'm just going to leave the village until my feelings for both of them subside. I'm going to do a mission for Tsunade first, it's not safe but it gets me out of here and then after I'm done, I have free time until I find it within myself to come back" I spoke, looking at him while talking. He looked upset and I wasn't sure what he was going to say.
"Do either of them know you're leaving?" he asked me
"No, I think it would be better if I said nothing, it's easier that way" I said.
"Yeah, for you it'll be easier. Why am I always cleaning up your messes?" he sounded mildly irritated and shook his head. I smiled slightly, he always got upset over small things from me.
"I'll do something to let them know I was thinking of them before I left then, that way they aren't totally distraught when they find out" I said to him now slightly feeling bad.
"You better.. Now what's this mission you're going, if I can ask" he asked me, the worry in his voice coming back.
"Tsunade knows I tell you everything anyways so I don't see the harm.. Anyways, I am going to be tracking the Akatsuki for five months minimum to figure out what they're doing since Itachi is no longer the middle man" I told him and then it dawned on me, I'm going to be doing what Itachi did but without joining the organization. What if I get caught? I hadn't thought about any of this.
"You're going to get yourself killed, if you're not careful" he spoke sharply.
"I understand what I'm getting myself into" I said back, placing my hand on his shoulder to reassure him.
"You better come back home alive and well" he told me, grabbing my hand and squeezing it.
"I always manage. I don't know when I'll be coming back but just know it'll be one day" I smiled, trying to hold my tears back.
"If it's possible, send me a message every once in a while" he gave me a small smile back and we just sat in silence for a few minutes.
"I must get going, I want to be far away from here as I can when the sun rises" I said, taking my hand off of his shoulder and standing up. He followed motion, also standing up.
We didn't say anything else, just moved along into the inside of his home. I walked by tenten and lee one last time, waving and then I left his house.
Once I got onto the street, I started to think of what I could leave for them and then it dawned on me; white lilies.
I rushed back towards my house, quick at lightning so I could pull some from my garden to leave on their doorsteps.
I went to Kakashi's house first since it was closer, he didn't have a doorstep to leave it on but he did have a flower pot on his little window sill. Hopefully he opens his window open tomorrow morning.
I shifted the dirt around quietly and placed it in there, smelling it one last time before I back away and gave his home a once over before taking off towards the Uchiha district. Please don't hate me, just understand.
Once I got into the Uchiha district, I was careful and tried to hide my chakra the best I could. I know they've been back in the village for over a month now but I'm sure they still subconsciously kept their guard up.
As I turned down the last hill towards his home, I heard movement. I froze in my tracks and activated my blood line. Someone was behind me, I turned around slowly and realized it was Sasuke. I shut my byakugan off and waited for him to walk over to me.
"Why are you walking around here in the middle of the night?" he questioned me.
"I've come to leave Itachi something before I leave" I said with honest eyes.
"In the middle of the night? Why don't you just wake him? I'm sure he'd like to see you?" Sasuke questioned my motives, sounding a bit confused.
"It's less painful this way" I told him and brushed a petal on the flower I was holding. He closed his eyes for a second and then sighed.
"I'm not for talking so just listen. It's takin' me all this time to realize Itachi is really the good guy. He's had nothing but pain to deal with physically and mentally and you make it better for him. Whatever you're about to do, don't. I know he might seem strong but I'm not sure if he can take another hard blow" Sasuke spoke from the heart and it broke mine a little bit, he was right but it had to be this way.
"Please just give this to him for me" I told him, holding back tears. I left the white lily on the ground in front of him and bolted out of there. I only had to get to the Uchiha district gate and Sasuke couldn't follow anymore without getting in trouble.
"Hinata, stop running!" He yelled from behind me, he was fast. I pushed myself to move quicker and I ended up getting out before he could catch me. I just continued to run, not looking back. Maybe it was better this way?
I felt like I ran all night, I was tired. Maybe it was from running and crying at the same time? Who know's but I needed to stop for a moment and look at the documents that Tsunade had given me so I knew which way to go. I slowed down my breathing a bit to find a tree to lean against. I put my bag in front of me, I took a sip of water first and then opened the documents.
It looked like the last rumor sighting of the Akatsuki wasn't to far off from here. A village inside the land of rivers, that was about a two day travel depending on how fast I was moving. I put the paper back into my bag and just say for a few more minutes. The sun was rising and I felt like watching it, the more I watched the sun rise. The sleepier my eyes were getting, a nap wouldn't hurt. I had been moving all night non stop.
Kakashis POV:
When I woke up this morning, I didn't feel well rested. I knew for a fact I tossed and turned all night from the nightmare I had. The same recurring nightmare I've had for years. Watching your friend get crushed by a boulder and dying in front of your eyes was never an easy thing to see, no matter how many times.
I shifted out of bed, a shower would probably help. I got out of bed slowly, I couldn't shake the grogginess. I needed to snap out of it soon though, I had border patrol today and I couldn't afford to be sleepy during that.
My shower was quick, I stood on the bath mat, drying myself. The bathroom was pretty foggy so I opened the window to the bathroom to let the steam out. The breeze came sweeping in, it felt like a nice warm day. At least the weather is good outside today.
Guess today would be a good day to air my house out, I opened my living room windows and then headed back toward my bedroom to open that window last. As I opened the window, I noticed a white lily in my flower pot, I reached out to touch it, confused. Not sure where it came from but I enjoyed so I brought it into my house to put it in a little vase after I got dressed.
After getting dressed, I grabbed the lily, placing it on my kitchen table in a tiny vase before leaving my house to go work for the day.
I took my book out of my pocket to read while I walked, minding my own business hoping today would be quick so I could get back to bed.
"Kakashi!" a voice shouted and I looked up to see Neji walking towards me, is he working with me today? He waited in place for me while I caught up to him.
"How're you feeling?" he asked, he normally never asks that.
"I'm okay, I think. I'm just tired. I couldn't sleep very well" I answered him anyways.
"Oh.. well that's not good" he sounded confused when I answered him, what's up with him?
"Are you okay? You seem to be more out of place than normal" I questioned him.
"I guess you haven't figured it out then yet.. Damn it" he whispered to himself but I still hear him.
"What the hell are mumbling about Hyuga, you're confusing me" I said straightforward. I didn't like guessing game, I never have. He huffed a little bit, I waited for him to tell me what was going on.
"I was really hoping I wouldn't have to be the one to tell you but Hinata is gone" he said quickly then looked at me. Gone?
"What do you mean?" my confusion grew some more.
"She won't be home for a while. She left the village. She didn't want to choose one of you and hurt the other so she went on a mission that'll require a long time to complete" he spoke again, my thoughts were clouded and I couldn't find the words to speak.
"How long are you talking?" I asked him.
"Five months at minimum, I know that much. I can't give you a real answer because I have no idea" he said groaned a little bit. Five months minimum? My heart started to hurt a little bit, I had just gotten used to be around her again and poof, she's gone again. Then it clicked, the white lily. She must of put it there as a goodbye gift last night while I was sleeping. Damn it, I missed her.
"Are you going to be okay?" Neji asked me, breaking me from my thoughts.
"Probably not but this wouldn't be the first time she abandoned me" I spat with venom in my voice. My emotions were storming inside of me. My anger was getting the best of me. Why didn't she just talk to me? I would of just told her to be with Itachi, at least this way she would be home and not off on some mission.
"What if she even doing anyways?" I asked, Neji looked quite considering my mood flipped very quickly. He probably didn't want to upset me anymore.
"She's tracking the Akatsuki" he whispered to me and my rage completely took over.
"Why does she do these stupid things?!" I shouted.
"I think we should take a walk, people are looking" Neji laughed nervously and pushed me towards the woods so we could be away from the villagers.
"That's another thing, why does she always have you be the middleman? No offense but it's not fair to either of us.. Why is she like this?" I shouted again, basically growling while I spoke. Neji stayed silent while I vented to him.
"She had no right to just leave like she did. She's not the only one with feelings" I gritted out and punched a tree with full force, cracking it. My arm stayed on the tree and I leaned forward to rest my head against my arm. I just kept breathing, trying to breathe the anger out. It was working but every breath of anger I let go, sadness came sweeping in. I could feel my throat getting heavy.
"Can you leave me alone for now? I'll be late to patrol but I'll be there" I said, trying to keep it together.
"Don't worry about today, I'll cover for you" he said and his footsteps got further away. He had left me alone and I was in the middle of the woods, trying not to lose it.
Why couldn't she understand that even though two people love her, we love her enough to let her go. She could walk whatever path she wanted to and neither of us would stop her. I let her go once and she came back, only this time I didn't know when she could back if she even did. She was on a dangerous tracking mission by herself and if anything happened I didn't know what I would do and that's when all the tears let go. I couldn't stop them and I felt so small and breakable. I just got past this and here I am again, crying over the same woman.
If only I had stopped her that night when she first left me, we wouldn't be in this mess. She wouldn't be chasing a wild dream of hers that she might not even come back from. My heart continued to hurt and my it was giving me chest pains. I gripped my shirt with my free hand, hoping it would stop the pain. This was going to be a long road and I didn't know if I could walk it alone again.
Itachis POV:
"Itachi, get up!" Sasuke yelled in my face. I squinted one open to glare at my brother. This was the first time in six weeks I didn't have to get up early and here he was bothering me. But what are little brothers for anyways.
"What do you want so early? The sun is barely up" I yawned a little bit and sat up in my bed.
"I didn't feel like waiting for you to get up today but I have something for you" he said, handing me a white lily.
"I'm not sure what to say for the gift brother" I eyed the flower weirdly.
"It's not from me, I was told to give it to you from Hinata" he spoke bluntly.
"Hinata?" I was confused now.
"I caught her here in the middle of the night, she was going to leave this for you to find but I found her first. She told me it was less painful this way and then bolted out of the district" he told me, sounding a bit confused himself.
"I have no idea what shes talking about she always been like this. I'll go talk to her later on" I said, ready to go back to bed.
"I don't think you're understanding what I'm telling you. She had a bag packed and cloak on. She left the village, Itachi" he spoke one more time and stood there for a second. What did he mean she left the village? Why? For what reason?
"I think you should go find someone else who knows her and figure out what's going on" he told me before leaving my room, I just sat on my bed holding this flower. Was this a goodbye present? I placed it gently on my bedside table and continued to look at it. The sun wasn't even up yet, there wasn't anyone who I could talk to. The only person who probably had a clue was Tsunade but I valued my life and wasn't going to bother her yet. I would wait until the sun fully came up.
I laid back down, rolled over and looked out my window at the sunrising. My eyes grew heavy again but I couldn't fully shut them yet. My eyes got watery thinking about her. I hope whatever she's doing she's safe. That was the last thought I had before sleep took over.
-a few hours later-
I had slept longer than I intended to and rushed out of bed, taking route towards Tsunade's office. I had gotten there pretty quickly, passing a few familiar faces.
I walked up the stairs, reaching her door and I knocked on it.
"Come in!" Tsunade shouted, was she already angry? I gulped a little bit and pushed the door open. I made eye contact with her, I don't think she was expecting me because she looked taken back.
"Are you here to find out about Hinata?" she asked me, I nodded. She's sharp, I'll give her that much.
"I put her on a mission to track the Akatsuki, we need to know what they're doing. She won't be home for a long time" she bluntly said, sounding harsher than she probably meant to sound.
"The Akatsuki? Are you crazy?" I back lashed at her a little bit and she smirked.
"It was her idea essentially, so I granted her permission" she told me. She sounded honest but the more she talked the more questions I had.
"If they catch her, they're going to kill her. They know about her because of me and since I betrayed them, they wouldn't have a single reason not to hurt me. Make her come back" I pleaded with her.
"This is what she wanted, it works for both parties. I'm sorry Itachi but she'll be back" she told me, sympathetically. The lump in my throat wouldn't move, I felt sick.
"How long is she going to be gone for?" I at least wanted to know that much..
"She's on tracking duties for at least five months minimum to do research and then she has her own personal leave so I don't know when she'll be back" Tsuande told me, completely honest.
"Personal leave?" the more I was told, the more puzzled I grew. Tsunades face dropped a little bit, she looked sorry.
"I'm not answering anymore questions but I will let you know when I hear for her" Tsunade stopped out conversation short and I just nodded my head and left her office. Personal leave? Was this from our conversation a week ago? She really did mean it when she said she would vanish from my life for a while. I felt numb and I didn't like it.
One year later:
Hinatas POV:
"Get back here foolish girl!" Kisame screamed from behind me, I kept jumping from tree to tree as fast as I could. He had been chasing me for about five minutes now, throwing kunai at my from behind and I had managed to dodge every single one of them.
Then I felt a pain in the back of my thigh, he had hit me and it was slowing me down. The more I moved the more I could feel it moving the muscles in my leg around. I had finally stopped moving to rip it out and wrap my leg up quickly.
"Kid, you're getting faster" Kisame said, landing next to me on the branch.
"If you can keep up, the rest of them can too. I can't afford to die, not now" I said seriously as I tied the final knot on my bandage to my leg. I knew a bandage wasn't going to stop the bleeding forever but it would slow it down. Kisames aim is precise, I gave him that.
A lot had changed in a years time, I had made friends with Itachi's partner Kisame, go figure since he wanted to kill me all that long ago. I hadn't stopped tracking the Akatsuki since I left the village nor have
I given an update in two months. They're probably worried about me but I shook the feeling anyways. All this research had kept me busy, I hadn't thought about either of them.
"You're going to have to go home soon before they catch you. They've been onto you just as long as you've been onto them" Kisame said seriously, breaking me of my thoughts.
"I know, I know but I feel like I'm missing something" I tapped on my chin for a second and started thinking.
"I don't know anymore than you do and that's because of you. I would of been completely free of them if I hadn't met you again" he spoke honestly.
"Something just isn't right. That toby person seems off to me,he's hiding something" I said, taking out my documents from my bag. Kisame took a few of them from me. He had been helping figure out their true motives since we found each other. The Akatsuki leader, Pein, had given Kisame the choice to leave the organization since Itachi abandoned them, leaving him teammate-less.
"I don't know kid but I think it's time we both go home" he spoke, handing me my papers back.
"You're probably right" I said standing then suddenly the ground started to shake, we hopped off the branch and looked around the wide open field to find the source of the disruption.
"Well, well, well if it's our little researcher and traitor in the making" a deep but whiney voice spoke to us from above. We looked up to see the bright blonde hair akatsuki member, Deidara.
"How many times can one abandon something, Kisame?" Deidara asked him, Kisame stayed quiet.
"Cat got your tongue today, fish boy? Very well" he said enthusiastically jumping off his giant clay bird, landing about twenty feet from us. We both took fighting positions, waiting for him to strike.
"Well, since neither of you are going to live to see tomorrow and I feel like talking, want some more information for your research princess?" he eyeballed me while he talked, making me feel uneasy.
"Are you mute too? You guys are no fun to talk to… Anyways, I wish you would live long enough to see the destruction of your precious village little girl. Only a few days left and your precious land will be ashes" he spoke without care again, he was making me furious.
"What are you babbling on about?" I hissed back at me, my hands were glowing with chakra ready to pierce his heart and kill him.
"Leader doesn't like all the power the leaf villages holds so we're just gonna burn it to the ground" he laughed a little bit and then threw a handful of white things at Kisame and I. I tried to jumped back as fast as I could but one of his little clay spiders had latched onto side and it wouldn't come off.
"Hinata, run! I'll hold him off. You need to warn everyone" Kisame shouted and I turned to run.
"Not so fast!" Deidara yelled and the white spider turned bright white, blinding me for a second and it exploded. The impact knocked me down but I quickly got up. I tore my vest off and dropped it to look at my side while running, there was a giant hole in my shirt a bruise that already formed. Thankfully nothing else happened except for constant pain from the blast.
I looked behind me and Kisame and Deidara were in an intense battle, you can do this Kisame, kill that arrogant bastard.
The trek back to the village should only take about two hours if I move at full speed. I had traveled all five of the great nations to track these people and I ended up in the land of sound, following the Toby person. He gave me the creeps, I've seen him twice since following them. The akatsuki were spread all over at the start but were slowing migrating towards each other, closer and closer to the leaf village.
If what Deidara said was true then we had a big fight coming for us and we need to be prepared at all costs. I wasn't sure when they were going to strike but I knew when they did, it was going to be a hard strike. He only said a few more days, that could be tomorrow or the end of the week. Either way, time was not our friend for this. I've seen them all use their jutsus at least once and they were all efficient is their field.
I was still moving at full speed, my breathing was ragged but I kept pushing myself. The wound on my leg wasn't helping either, I was still losing blood and I probably damaged it more by running on my leg.
I could see the entrance to the village now, I was so close. The closer I got, the weirder I felt. I had been gone for a year and didn't know what to expect when I came back. I kept them updated about what was asked of me but I never got any updates about anything. That was pretty normal in the life of a ninja but it sucked at the same time.
I was in panic mode at the moment and the only thing that mattered was the safety of everyone in these walls but underneath it all, nervousness.
"Halt!" Izumo shouted towards me, he probably didn't realize this little horrible looking person running towards the gates at full speed was me. I only had a little chakra left and I activated it so search for Tsunade.
"No time to stop Izumo! It's me! Hinata!" I yelled at him while waving my arms at him.
"Hinata!?" He yelled back in excited and confusion. I didn't stop and kept moving like lighting. I pushed off the ground as hard as I could to jump on the buildings. My eyes were searching all over for Tsunade, she was in her office. Perfect. I turned my bloodline off before I fainted. It takes a lot out of you to run for two hours straight.
I slowed down only a little bit when I entered the building, I was dodging and weaving through people to get up the staircase so I could reach her office faster.
I didn't even bother knocking, I barged my way into her office.
"Lady Tsunade!" I squealed as I fell to my knees to catch my breath, my lungs were burning. I looked at the floor while I held my chest.
"Hinata?" Tsunade spoke, sounding confused.
"Yes?" I managed to get out. My breathing was going back down to normal and I finally looked up at her.
"We thought you were dead. We haven't heard from you in two months" she said seriously.
"I'm so sorry, I was tracking them.. Like you asked" I took my bottle from my bag and took a sip of water. She continued to look at me strangely, probably trying to remember what I looked like. I had cut my hair down to my shoulders and I was covered in dirt and blood, my clothes were ripped. This was probably the worse I've looked in the past year.
"We have a problem, a serious one" I said finally getting off of the floor and then I realized there were other people in here. I looked to my left at the couch to see Sasuke and of course, Itachi. We looked at each other for a moment before I snapped my attention back to Tsunade.
"What's the matter" she grew serious and sat up a little bit.
"A war is coming and a big one. The rest of the Akatsuki, aside from Kisame are coming. They're coming to burn the village to the ground. The loud blond haired one, Deidara said it himself. I ran all the way here to deliver the message. I left Kisame behind to fight with him so I could get here. I was in the land of sound" I spoke with no amusement in my voice what-so-ever.
"That is a problem. How much time do we have to prepare?" she got up from her seat.
"It could be tomorrow or it could be the end of the week. He didn't think I would live to see tomorrow so he blabbed about it" I pushed my hair back with my fingers to cool my face off a little bit.
"Did he say anything else?" she questioned me.
"No, I ran off before he could. He tried to kill me with his detonation clay while I was running but it failed. I'm not sure how long Kisame will hold him off for" I added to the story.
"Lady Tsunade, can you do me a favor before you start your state your preparations?"
"You haven't been back for ten minutes and you already need a favor? You're impossible" she just rolled her eyes and waited for my request. I fell over and landed on my knee, I was becoming incredibly dizzy.
"Can you heal my leg?" I asked before I blacked out.