- Pluck -

Part I

Chapter 10: Even Flowers Have Weeds

I haven't been to Sand in a while.

That was Naruto Uzumaki's mellow realization upon his gaze falling to the crimson wax stamp on his mighty desk. It was a dim thought in his always shining mind; one that flickered enough to catch his attention, but that was the extent of its power. He did not find any oddness in how his once weekly visits to Sand 1 had turned few and far between. He was a busy man. Duties filled up his life entirely. And he knew Gaara was in the same boat, so he was sure whatever the context of the letter was did not pertain to hurt feelings for not being visited for a good half a year.

But it had also been a while since Gaara had written to him, and that was enough to get him mildly curious and fingering the corner of the letter.

"Ah - Your Grace."

But then the door creaked open, and Naruto looked up to find a maid by the doorway.

"His Highness, the Moon King, has come to see you."

Eh?

Naruto blinked and dropped the letter on his letter before standing, telling the maid to let him enter. She nodded and pulled the door open wider, chin bowed to nearly between her collarbones as a swift, tall man with silver wings bent close to his flowing cape practically drifted past her. Naruto grinned and gestured for the maid to close the door, then walked over to the man and clasped his hand.

"You're always so busy, Toneri, that I was surprised to hear you had come."

The Moon King gave a small smile that matched his gentle, somewhat soft features. Naruto knew him well - Sun and Moon had close connections in the political world, and they were in the same training school when they were princes. At first, Naruto hadn't been too fond of the quiet, expressionless boy - he acted weirdly, almost creepily - and even Sasuke had emoted at times. But with time and maturity, they grew to understand one another well, and Naruto appreciated his level-headedness during political debates with the other kings and queens of the universes.

"I apologize for the surprise," Toneri said, halfheartedly squeezing Naruto's hand back, "but I felt such occurrences would better suit a direct meeting."

Naruto pulled away and settled his shoulders. The tone alone told him a serious discussion was about to commence. "What's the news?"

Toneri looked over his shoulder, at the closed door, before taking a few more steps inside the room. "We've still yet to find Hinata's family."

Every nerve in his body turned into ice as his boulder of a heart collapsed into his gut. That marked six months since their disappearance, and though Naruto had been optimistic at the beginning of the search, even he could no longer deny the possibilities that something must have happened to them. Something bad. Because Hiashi was too proud to hide for so long, and Hanabi was too stubborn to keep her head low for more than a few days, and Neji was too aware of things to leave Hinata alone. It's been six months, and still nothing. Not even a sign.

Poor Hinata, he thought, rubbing the back of his neck. I don't want her to go back to an empty home.

Toneri watched him for a moment, then stared at something beyond him.

"I wish there was something more I could do," Naruto whispered, hands curling into fists. "I feel so useless."

"You're doing enough," was Toneri's quiet, subtle reply. "Going out of your way to find her and protect her - that's more than enough." Naruto wasn't too sure about that, and Toneri must have realized that, for he, awkwardly, raised a hand to pat his shoulder. "You haven't said anything about it in a while. How is she faring?"

Again, guilt piled on Naruto's shoulders, and he gave a sheepish smile. "I wish I knew. I haven't been able to see her in a while cuz I've been so busy." With a sigh, he rolled and popped his shoulders and looked at the door. "I know her situation right now. Not only is she missing her memory, but -"

"Her wings are gone," Sasuke told him, a few weeks ago, with a rather palpable expression on his features - one Naruto was quite familiar with when it came to him. "And if I were to guess, so are the holes on her back."

"-I wonder . . . sometimes, if I should just fly her to Moon 2. Just to see if she can remember anything."

A pensive frown came to Toneri's features as he seemed to think it over. He hummed and walked past Naruto to his desk, to the very symbol of a Sun King's power, and said, "I wonder if that will do any good." Fingers swiping along the light wood, he circled the desk, eyes narrow with thought. "Without wings does not only propose the problem of getting to Moon, but staying in Moon, as well. She wouldn't be able to walk around and enjoy her home; you'd have to carry her everywhere. And she still must hide herself properly until we find her stalker." And despite the mood, Toneri managed a small, lopsided smile. "I don't believe you realize how troublesome such a task would be, Naruto."

Fuck, he's right. Naruto laughed and nodded. "And this is why I always run my plans by you first! I've never been good with this kind of stuff."

Leaving the side of the desk, Toneri kept his smile. "I'll tell you what. You focus on bringing her wings back, and I'll find her family."

Naruto finally found the will to grin, but before he could agree, another small knock came to the door before the maid poked her head inside.

"Your Grace - apologies for the intrusion - but the letter from Forest 3 has arrived."

Eh? It had come a lot sooner in the week than usual, and Naruto could not help the flair of hope lighting up in his chest. "Oh, good," he chirped, walking across his glowing floor to grab the letter the maid had held out to him. He looked at the stamp, at the all-too-familiar, pink emblem pressed into the wax, and flushed with glee. "Surely, since it's come so soon, it must bear good news!"

The door clicked shut, but Naruto couldn't hear it over his racing heart as he twirled on his heels and went to his desk. Toneri followed him with his head, a smidge of amusement glittering at the corner of his lip. "I hope you both are faring well," he said. "How long do you and Lady Sakura plan to keep your engagement a secret?"

Sat in his chair, Naruto was already working on opening the letter, making sure to not break the stamp, as Sakura always got on him about ripping it apart too aggressively. "We agreed to announce it when she's feeling better." He smiled over the edge of the white paper, which was scented with her perfume. Roses. Just like her. "And based off the feelin' I'm getting, I doubt it'll be much longer."

Toneri nodded and whispered his farewell, mentioning something about giving him privacy to read his letter. But Naruto, again, barely noticed anything beyond the smell of roses and that pink stamp as he sat at his empty desk and began to read.

They were alone. There was a shift and a hiss, and then they were alone.

The light reflecting off his ring matched the light in his hooded eyes. Dim. Shallow. Without life or vigor. It was so unsettling to see it - to see him look so forlorn. But, then again, just being in the same room as him after all she's discovered made Hinata feel like her nerves would burst at any second, and she couldn't tell if all the gloom and tension in the air was real, or just her spiraling emotions.

"I . . . have a fiance."

He had such a small voice. Like a mouse, starved and trembling. And Hinata was also that mouse, for just one sentence from him had already made her feel like she could just crawl in a hole and hide, probably forever. Biting her lips together to keep them from shaking, she dipped her head and watched the subtle swish of his came. Because Hinata was an empath, and feeling anymore hurt than she already felt would surely kill her.

"Ah, I'm sorry." She watched his boots approach her and stepped back. He stopped, and the light in the room dimmed. "I know I never mentioned it to you. I'm sorry. It's just . . . she's sick. Has been for a while. And the letter she sent me today told me she's getting worse, and I-I don't -"

His voice cracked, and the floorboards below him cried in anguish from the weight of the air alone.

"Doctors haven't been able to help her. They don't know what's causing it." When he said that, she thought back to what Temari had told her when she had first found her. Doctors hadn't been able to help Gaara, either, and Hinata knew instantly it must have been stickers that were causing this illness. "I know you might not be able to help me, but I'm desperate here, and I'd be grateful if you could at least calm her down a bit."

Finality came to the air, and the pressure to answer fell on Hinata's shoulders. Her mind was still swirling, but she got the gist of it. He wanted her to help his fiance. And were it any other person, any other circumstance, she would have taken the plea with kind hands and prepared fingers. But this was Naruto. And she was Hinata. And there was someone out there who was providing information to the enemy; and it hurt Hinata to think it, but she knew she had to be more skeptical of people. Including Naruto. Her paranoid brain wouldn't allow her to do otherwise. It was a silly thought, she was sure. He was the Sun King. Why would the Sun King be after her? But she had trusted Tamaki naively, trusted Suigetsu without falter, and had even trusted Matsuri with little question, and look where that got her.

It was time to push away her trusting nature and act more on the defense, so with a few more steps backwards, Hinata glanced at the door, and said, "Let me talk to Suigetsu."

She didn't look at Naruto's face. ". . . Sure." But his tone said it all.

Walking over, she opened the door and found her bodyguard by the wall. He pushed away from it upon the door creeping open, readying himself to leave, but when she stayed, he faltered and stared.

"What is it?" he asked.

Hinata opened the door a little more for him to see the cloaked figure standing inside. "I wanted you to make sure . . . he's safe before I agree to anything."

Suigetsu frowned and stepped closer. "Agree to what?"

"He, um, wants me to help his fiance."

Realization flared harshly in those smoldering amethyst eyes, and his lips twitched and shook, as if he was holding back . . . from smiling? Before Hinata could fully understand such a motion, he slinked past her, stepped into the room with a high chin and sturdy back and said, without proper formality, "So this is all about Sakura, huh?"

Hinata knew she should be used to his inability to properly act around his authorities, but it still startled her to see him so courageously address the Sun King, and it made her wonder if they knew each other like how Naruto and Sasuke did. Because, like he would to said Uchiha, Naruto didn't bat an eye at his informal tone, but rather seemed to gawk at something else entirely.

"H-How do you know about me and Sakura?"

It took twice the repetition of the name, but Hinata's brain connected it to their conversation yesterday, in Karin's office. Back then, Suigetsu had said it had nothing to do with this Sakura they spoke about. Hinata wasn't sure if she could believe that anymore.

Instead of answering his rather startled question, Suigetsu turned to her, reading something on her half-covered face that she was entirely unaware of. Perhaps it was her overall uncomfortableness with this situation; or her hesitation in taking things at face value. That flare in his gaze never left, and he gave Naruto a pointed look and demanded, "Tell us exactly what you want her to do."

Naruto blinked. She couldn't see his mouth beyond the thick patch of stickers on his face, but she could guess it would fit Sasuke's expression better. "When Hinata accepts -"

"If she accepts," Suigetsu butted in with a smirk, but his tone somehow sounded like he already knew her answer. Even when she, herself, still hadn't a clue.

"If she accepts," Naruto agreed, "then you both will have all day to pack and prepare to go to Forest 3." Forest 3. That was where Tamaki had dragged her before Sasuke had caught up. If she remembered correctly, Naruto had been there. At first, Hinata hadn't really paid it much mind. But, well, now it all made sense. "You'll come secretly, of course, and I hope you'll stay a few days to see if you can help Sakura at all."

Hinata's fingers curled together as she thought about being away from Ocean 11 again - and with his fiance, of all places. She felt Naruto's gaze drift along the soft lines of her face, then the straight, pointed lines of her stiff shoulders. He hovered, shifting back and forth on his heels, looking ready to come to her. But he stayed back and rubbed at the side of his neck.

"You can leave whenever, of course," he said, "if you ever feel unsafe, or you might just need room to breathe." His neck bent, and she was unable to see his eyes, which hid under his hood, still. He hummed to himself, still shifting and twitching. "Oh - and Sasuke will be there! He'll be investigating the happenings of the place - ah, um, nothing dangerous, of course. Just for curiosity sake. So, uh, there's also that."

The desperation was really beginning to take a toll of Hinata's emotions, but Suigetsu, who was grinning from ear-to-ear, seemed to absolutely enjoy the mess the Sun King has gotten himself into.

"Really? How the hell did you manage to convince him to agree?"

There was a slight dip in his tone that told Hinata that there was more this than Sasuke not agreeing for the simple sake of him being busy.

"Eh. Heh." Naruto gave a sheepish laugh. "I technically haven't . . . yet. But I always figure things out! He's coming, with no doubt!"

A bit of his old, chipper self resurfaced, and Hinata was able to relax a little. Suigetsu was still grinning, and he didn't seem bothered by anything Naruto said.

So does that mean . . . it's safe?

She supposed so, if he was that nonchalant with everything. Which meant her answer was now entirely based on if she wanted to or not.

You can't be selfish with these things, Hinata.

Because, sure, she didn't want to go. Didn't want to meet the fiance of the guy she maybe, sorta, kinda liked. The idea of seeing them drool over each other was not exactly on her bucket list, but this wasn't about her. Sakura, no matter who she was or the kind of person she was, was sick. She needed help; Hinata's help. And if she was going to let her emotions and feelings get in the way of helping people, could she really say she was doing the right thing?

So, for at least the next few days, she'll have to just lock them away. Neji always did that, without fail. And he was strong and brave and -

"- not intune with my emotions and unable to take better care of myself." He appeared next to her, looking how he always did. Perfect. Wise. "Lady Hinata, just because I do it doesn't mean that you should." His cloudy gaze turned on the Sun King, glimmering with that abundant knowledge of his. "But you'd also do good in going. I have a feeling you'll find a few important answers there."

And thus, with a nod, Hinata said, "Then I accept."

And once again, the room was glowing, and Naruto's relieved sigh washed through the room, warming it.

...

When they left, it took them turning two corners for Suigetsu to finally talk.

"Are you alright with it?"

Hinata tipped her head back a bit to show him her reassuring smile - one that Neji scoffed at as he floated at her side.

"I have to be."

When Naruto found Sasuke in the halls of the Guard, overreading a few papers that he was supposed to take to Karin, he did not hesitate in taking his arm and dragging him, unwillingly, to the cafeteria on the second floor. It had been a while since they had both gone there. A few years ago, they'd go at least once every week, Naruto spouting the trials of trepidations of his kingliness while Sasuke listened and added a word here or there. Sometimes, the others would join them. Suigetsu would always try to get under Karin's skin, who had to balance snapping back at him with keeping a semi-level head to keep Juugo from transforming. Every now and then, Tsunade and Kakshi would drop by to see how they were doing. Even Sakura would -

Well, that didn't matter now, he supposed. That was back then, and this is now. And the now Sasuke wasn't the sort to sit around idly.

Unless he was forced, of course.

"Gods, it's just as good as I remember it to be!"

Over the rim of his third bowl of ramen, he saw Sasuke take a second to look up from his papers to scowl. They'd known each other for years, and he was still disgusted by his inability to eat properly - or rather, that's how he saw it, at least. But Naruto always figured this was the best way to eat it: quickly, without chewing, so that he could get more down.

"You'll choke like that," Sasuke muttered, eyes narrowing. "Why the hell did you drag me here?"

Wiping his mouth with the sleeve of his cloak, Naruto sighed and sat back in his chair. Sasuke turned back to his reading, not paying attention to the smirk currently curling on the Sun King's lips.

"Moon's going to Forest 3," he said, "to help her."

And within the second, the papers were pushed to the side as black eyes stared straight into his skull. "What."

The stern tone brought reality back to Naruto, and he instantly cringed for using such a touchy subject to get his friend's attention. With a sad, guilty smile, he said, "She's coming tomorrow, and I want you to also be there - and before you try to get out of it, I already talked to Karin, and she said your schedule can be freed up for the next few days." Not a complaint or protest surfaced on Sasuke's face or tongue, and that gave Naruto some relief. At least he's hearing me out. "You'll do good in investigating Tamaki's case. I can have Karin schedule interrogations for all the mind controllers in Forest 3."

Still, Sasuke was quiet, even after Naruto had finished. It was fucking killer, and Naruto felt his appetitte dwindled as he waited, agitatedly, for his reply.

Then, after a minute of pondering, he spoke.

"I'll do it." He picked up his papers and straightened them, eyes never leaving his face. "But I wonder when His Grace became so cruel."

Shit. So he is mad!

"I'm not trying to!" he yelled, leaning into the table between them. The exclamation caught the attention of a few others in the cafeteria, and Naruto breathed and tried to calm the heat swirling around in his chest. "Sorry," he whispered, "but I'm really not. I just want you and Sakura to work things out. Am I selfish for wanting that, Sasuke?"

"I'm not talking about me."

Naruto looked at him, at his expectant gaze, and instantly recalled just short of an hour back, when he was talking to Hinata. She looked so uncomfortable. Sacred, even, of him. And he hated seeing her like that and couldn't, for the life of him, understand why.

"Did I . . . say something wrong to her?"

Clicking his tongue, Sasuke stood and pushed in his chair. "It's a given," he mused. "You've always been an idiot with a big mouth."

When he left, Naruto sat and pondered, eating his cold ramen with not nearly as much vigor as before.

And like last time, on the morning of her trip, Hinata was in the bar, staring at the blue cloak folded in the corner. It hurt to look at it, to wear it, because it always reminded her of her own childish beliefs. Her and Naruto? In love? She was grasping at straws, she knew. Just because she remembered his kiss did not mean they were in love. He had told her they were friends. It was probably always like that. And yet, for a while, she had been so sure . . . .

Her teeth sunk into her lip, and she shook her head violently, hoping to get it all out of her head. It was just a cloak. It didn't matter if he gave it to her. She could still wear it.

But . . . perhaps what hurt more than the fact that he gave it to her was the fact that, despite it all, despite the heartbreak and shame, she would never, ever throw it away.

Bending over, she picked it up and pulled it on. The cloth was warm and soft. It was still comforting, and she hoped that feeling would never go away.

...

"Looks like you don't get all the fun this time!"

Upon arriving at the Earth Gate and finding Sasuke, of course, already there, Suigetsu did not waste a second to brag how he was finally allowed to come with them. He'd made it quite clear to her throughout their packing yesterday that he was not about to let this opportunity slide, even if it was a place as boring as Forest 3.

"Make sure you get yourself in trouble," Suigetsu had told her about five times during dinner last night. "It's been a while since I've had the excuse to cut a few heads off!"

And now it was here. They were here. Some . . . more prepared than others.

"This is a job," Sasuke muttered, already turning the dial, "not a vacation, Suigetsu."

"Says you! You haven't been stuck in the same three places for the past three weeks!"

Brilliant emeralds and turquoises swirled and twirled with the magic of the portal, but Sasuke paused before entering it. "Are you ready?" he asked her.

His tone reminded her of the one Suigetsu had used before she had left for Sand 1. Hinata smiled and nodded. "I'm ready."

Another second, and then he turned and entered.

When the colors overtook her world, she hadn't expected the wave of nausea to slam into her. Her stomach twisted into knots as bile burned her throat, and she brought a hand to her nose to block out the smell of burning flesh.

Oh, Gods.

She was remembering it again. The fear. The sound of screaming and birds. And when she was lunged forward, into another green world, she could find the exact spot where Tamaki had died. Dizziness overtook her, and she swayed and struggled. Her right hand grabbed onto something nearby, and she stopped and took in the cool air and waited for the nausea to slowly disappear. Suigetsu was to her left, a bemused look crossing his face, and she quietly apologized and said she was better before walking with them to their destination.

It took a little longer for the dizziness to go away completely, she was aware of her hold on Sasuke's sleeve and the slowness in his step as he stayed nearby to keep the bond from breaking.

And, somehow, as he maintained it throughout the entirety of their journey, the nonchalance and power in his step became as comforting as the cloak on her back.

...

The trees grew taller, and the canopy thicker, and soon the trunks became thick enough to fit a whole family inside safely. And through browns and greens stood a gorgeous manor surrounded by enormous trees. Its west and east sides were covered in stretching gardens, and as they passed by them, Hinata was surprised by the sheer diversity of the plants. From what she could recognize, at least half of them came from different realms. Near the back, in the shade, were moonflowers waiting for night to come, for in the moonlight alone did their silver petals sprout and sparkle. She made a mental night to try and see them one night while she was around.

The air was sweet, both outside and inside the marvelous manor. The ceiling was high, and the entrance way was open and breezy, walls decorated with tall windows to let in the soft sunshine. Maids dusted and swept, and Hinata could not help compare such grandeur to that of Sand 1's palace.

Whoever Sakura was - she was, indeed, of nobility.

"Eh? Going already?"

Blinking, tearing her gaze from her surroundings, Hinata turned to find that Sasuke was already on his way down the hall, and he didn't stop as he said, partly over his shoulder, "I have a duty to follow."

Suigetsu snorted. "How long is he going to use that lame excuse?"

A noticeable change came to the entry way as the sunshine filled the entire room. It didn't take a genius to understand what that meant, and Hinata was already gathering her might as loud footfalls approached them.

"Oh, good! I'm glad you got here fine." The Sun King's boisterous voice bounced off the manor's walls as he settled in front of them, eyes flickering as his smile tightened slightly. "Wait - where's the bastard?"

Suigetsu rolled his shoulder towards the hallway. "He doesn't waste time, Your Grace."

Laughing, Naruto gestured a maid over, telling them to take their luggage to their designated room. Then, he motioned for them to follow him as he trotted down the way. "I'm just relieved he came. You know how he is - his mind can turn on a dime, and he'll leave ya in the dust before you know it. Or . . . wait, maybe that's me I'm talking about." The walls were decorated with beautiful portraits and hanging flowers. With every step they took, the smell in the air grew stronger. "I only got here about ten minutes before you two, so I haven't seen her yet, either. Ah, but I'm sure she's prepared to see you. I'll just -"

He stopped at a greed door, twisted the knob, and frowned when he found it was locked. A nearby maid squeaked and skuttled over. "I'm sorry, Your Grace, but My Lady is in the sitting room."

"Eh?" The blues under Naruto's hood brightened. "She has the strength for that today? Oh, I should -"

White light flashed, and when Hinata's eyes squinted and adjusted, she saw wings of sunshine stretching from his back before he jumped in the air and flew past them. Hinata had to grab her hood, and Suigetsu laughed as they raced after him.

...

Hinata remembered, vaguely, the sitting rooms.

Her mother and sister used to spend most of their summer afternoons there, reading or practicing the piano or sewing new gowns. She supposed they existed mostly in noble homes, for Ocean 11 didn't seem to have any. One particular memory that somehow stuck with her was her father and cousin at the door as her mother played the piano. She and Hinata would dance in the air, the breeze from their wings sometimes flipping the music papers, and their mother would have to improv her way until she got back on track. Her father had a rare, kind smile on his face as he basked in the warmth radiating from the room, and Neji's gaze was twinged with hints of jealousy, for he desperately wished he could join them that one, summery afternoon.

And right now, Hinata felt exactly like her father and cousin.

The sitting room was hot, but not overwhelmingly so, and the smell of flowers was at its strongest. The piano in the back corner was white and grand. Bookshelves decorated the south wall, stretching to the high ceiling. And in the middle, sitting on one of the three lavish sofas, was undoubtedly Sakura Haruno. Head tilted slightly as she read the book rested on her propped knee, delicate, thin fingers curled slightly along the pages, she was beautiful. Her gown was a soft green, matching her eyes, and her hair, long and twisted and hanging over the sofa's back to wrap around her feet and the seat at the piano and the books laying on the floor by the shelf, was made entirely of cherry blossoms. The skylight cast a subtle glow upon her, and the pedals stretched to drink up the sunlight.

It was so . . . beyond Hinata. Beyond her dark cloak and dark hair, beyond her sickly eyes and sickly skin. And never before had she loved and hated something so strongly in her life.

A nudge to her shoulder reminded her that she was in the doorway, and with a quiet apology to Suigetsu, she stepped in, making sure she avoided any of the hair that hung in every crease and crevice in the room. Getting a better look of the room, she took notice of a maid near Sakura, blonde hair tied in a high ponytail and blue eyes matching that of the sky's gleam. A silver brush was in her hand as she delicately gathered the wild cherry blossoms in her hands. Dark stickers were stuck under her eyes, and that reminded Hinata of why she was here in the first place.

Ah. Right. She's sick -

And when Hinata turned back to Sakura, forcing her focus beyond the beauty of her being, she saw something terrible.

Half of her face and neck was completely and totally covered in stickers.

"I thought you would be in your room."

Every blossom and flower in the room tilted towards such a warm voice as bright wings of sunshine sunk back into Naruto's back.

"I felt better today," Sakura said, shutting her book and leaning forward, "and you know how I am when I get my mind on something."

Naruto laughed and kissed her cheek as a few, soft words passed between them. Hinata tried not to eavesdrop, and instead focused on their matching rings, which sparkled in the sunlight.

"Is that Suigetsu I spy over there?"

Upon Sakura's inquiry, Suigetsu passed Hinata and joined Naruto. "Naturally," he said, taking Sakura's raised hand to kiss it. How gentlemanly. "Get better, already. We've been missin' you at the Guard."

Sakura's face turned pink with affection as she giggled. "Even Karin?"

"Especially Karin. She's tired of me bein' the only one getting on her. She wants variety, y'know."

"That's just like her. I should write to her some time. Gives me something to do with all the free time I have nowadays."

There was a dynamic between those three that Hinata was too scared to break with just her presence alone. She hadn't been aware Suigetsu knew Sakura so well, or that the others did, as well. Feeling a bit out of place, Hinata stood in her place, fingers fumbling together as she eyed the pink blossoms surrounding her.

"- and here she is."

Big, warm hands fell on her shoulders and pushed her forward. Hinata yelped and squeaked, pulling her cloak closer to her body as she came closer and closer to Suigetsu and Sakura. When she was about a foot away from the sofa, Naruto finally let go of her shoulders and stepped away.

"I -" Suddenly, his words stopped, and he looked through the skylight, to the position of the sun. A long groan escaped him as he rubbed at his neck. "Shit. I'd love to introduce you two, but I have to start heading back." Again, he leaned in and kissed Sakura; and again, Hinata glanced away. "I'll visit again - as much as I can."

Sakura placed a hand on his cheek, and the stickers seemed to grow around her fingers. "Take your time. We can't both be getting sick."

He nodded, moved her hand to kiss her palm, then turned to Hinata. "I'll trust her with you, then," he said. "No matter what you do, I believe in you. Thanks for coming all this way. I owe you."

"But you've been protecting me all this time."

Sadly, by the time those words found their way to her tongue, he was already gone. Pulling her hood closer, Hinata slowly turned to Sakura, who looked at her with half of a gentle smile. "U-Um." Her chest squeezed, but she tried to steady her voice. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Lady Sakura. You may know me as the Moon Witch, but please, call me Moon."

Sakura raised her hand, and Hinata took it in greeting.

"Nice to meet you, Moon," she said, head dipping slightly to get a better look of her eyes. "You seem strangely familiar, somehow. Are you perhaps from one of the noble families in Moon?"

Hinata glanced at Suigetsu, who shook his head. "No, ma'am. I'm sorry." The bare part of Sakura's face, the right part, seemed to sink with disappointment, and Hinata quickly changed the subject. "I'm here to help you with your illness, My Lady. Ah, I'm not sure how much Naruto has -"

"Naruto?" Sakura's head cocked to the side. "So you know him well, then?"

Heart thundering, Hinata couldn't even manage a smile. "A-Ah, um, not really, I s-suppose. He just prefers I call him that." A moment, then Sakura nodded, satisfied. Hinata took note to be more careful with what she said. "As I was saying - I'm not sure how much he has told you, but I have a special gift that allows me to see things others cannot see, and through that, I help them. I, um, hope to give you some relief with my gift, if possible." The collar of Sakura's gown was a bit high, and the stickers on her neck went past it. Hinata wondered the extent of their reach. "Could you tell me a little more about your illness, Lady Sakura?"

Swiping a bit of her hair out of her face, Sakura nodded. "I suppose it started a little less than a year ago. At first, it was subtle symptoms - I'd be groggy at work, or I'd become lightheaded if I stood too quickly. But over the months, my strength has waned, and I can barely walk by just myself. I feel heavy, but I know I'm not eating enough. Headaches and fevers come and go often. I break into sweats randomly, no matter the temperature. Sometimes, I can barely get myself out of bed." She paused for a moment, gaze dimming. "Naruto and I have constantly been postponing the wedding, hoping I'd get better one day. I even told him to not share the news of our engagement until I am healed properly." She played with the ring on her left hand. "I was such a fool. He's been keeping a secret for so long, and now he's suffering through it alone."

"Don't think that way, My Lady." The maid in the back paused in her combing to give her a stern look. "He . . . loves you. He knows you're strong. I know you're strong. And you always be strong, no matter what."

Another pause, and Sakura tried to smile. It reminded Hinata of one of her own, unconvincing smiles. "Thank you, Ino," she said, "but I'm not as strong as I used to be."

The maid frowns, but before a word could leave her gawked mouth, the door opened, and another maid popped her head in. "Yamanaka, the Thor is ready for your interrogation."

Placing the brush down on a nearby end table, Ino bowed to her lady, stepped over the roots of hair, and left. The temperature took a noticeable dip, and when Hinata looked back, she saw the obvious sadness in Sakura's eye, which danced with the dark stickers.

"So he is here," she mused, then laughed softly, weakly. "I should have expected him not to see me first, but it's still a bit disappointing."

Instantly, Hinata knew exactly who she was talking about.

"You know Sasuke?"

That look came back - the one she had when she had heard Hinata call Naruto by his name, not his title. "Yes, of course," she said. "Naruto, Sasuke and I - we're friends. Have been since I was five. And I, well - I used to have a huge crush on Sasuke."

A new batch of stickers sprouted on Sakura's forehead, like an arm reaching out to grab something. Ah. So he's one of the reasons. Now that Hinata considered it, it was quite obvious he would be.

The tension in the air got thick, and Sakura seemed to try and break it by laughing and patting her right shoulder. "Just a year ago. I would have beat his ass in the ground for not coming to see me. But, well . . . . Things change, I suppose."

Heart sinking, Hinata bent her neck a bit to meet Sakura's eye. "I'll try to help you get back to those possibilities. I promise."

Sakura smiled, but again, it was weak, as if they were both highly aware of how difficult a task that would be.

"Good to see you again, Sasuke."

"Don't babble when I'm interrogating you, Ino."

Somehow, the first few seconds of the interrogation already told Sasuke that whatever happened to Tamaki had nothing to do with Ino. Not that he really expected someone like her to do such a thing, either way. Like many people in his life, Sasuke was somehow dragged into an acquaintanceship of sorts with the Yamanaka that's lasted about five years now. It used to be absolutely difficult to stand her - she had been a chatterbox back then, when Sakura had first hired her as her personal maid. But now, with the maturity that the job required, she seemed to have quieted down a bit.

But still, every so often, she liked to get a reaction from him. Subtly, smoothly. Total opposite of most of the Yamanakas he knew - which, he supposed, wasn't very much to begin with.

With a sigh, he kicked out the chair opposite of him and gestured for her to sit. She did so without falter and placed a thin stack of papers on the table between them. "I'm interrogating you, as you are categorized as one of the few mind controllers in Forest 3. Last month, a woman from Forest 6, under mind control, attacked and dragged a protected person through the gates of Forest 3. Where were you between the dates 265 - 279 of this year?"

Pushing the papers to his side of the table, Ino said, "That's my schedule for this entire year. As you can see, I haven't left my lady's side since about six months ago, when her illness became more prevalent. "

He looked over the paper, found she was telling the truth, and continued, "Explain in detail what your abilities do, exactly."

She simpered. "Sasuke, you already know -"

"Humor me."

"I can manipulate memories and emotions. I can make you happy or sad, but I can't force you to kidnap or attack someone."

He leaned back into his chair, tapped his finger along the underside of the table, and said, "Good. You may leave."

His hand reached and handed her the schedule, which she took hesitantly. "What?" she asked. "That was fast."

He glared. "Do you want me to continue?"

"No, no - it's just . . . well, no, I guess not." She stood and pushed in the chair. "Thank you, Sasuke. And I hope you'll come to see My Lady." Her smile curled knowingly. "She misses you."

"Have a good rest of your day, Ino." Leaning further in his chair, he waited for her to leave. He felt her presence hover for a while by the chair, then it slowly ebbed to the door. He wished she'd just leave. She knew he was impatient. Why did she have to stick around for so long and make him think, for fuck's sake - "Ino." She stopped, and he sighed and grunted and stood. "Why won't you just use your magic to calm her down?"

Her hand pulled away from the door's handle as he approached. "I can't," she said, looking up at his towering figure. "When people are under such pressure and stress, it's hard for me to help them."

Knowing well that was a jab at him, but choosing to ignore it, he opened the door for her. "Don't come back."

She laughed and flittered into the hallway. "Always the charmer, Sasuke."

He watched her leave for a moment, turned and stared down Kabuto, who was by the door, quill and scroll in hand. The entire conversation from inside the room was written down in perfect ink letters, and were Sasuke not so annoyed, he would have been mildly impressed. But even if the guy didn't show it, he knew he was laughing like a fool in his head.

"Shall I keep the last half of the interrogation in? I'm sure Orochimaru would appreciate the gossip and drama of our Thor warrior."

"Just bring me the next one, Kabuto."

The room was bigger than the one given to her at the Sand palace, and even more noticeable were the windows that overlooked the gardens outside. It was dark out, and Hinata wished they had gotten a room on the other side of the manor so she could have seen the moonflowers; but she supposed she could go and see them a different evening.

Tonight, however, she pondered. Sorted through all the new information she learned and tried to decipher what was hidden between the lines. Sat on her bed, staring at the blank wall, she tried to process it all, but -

"So what did you see, exactly - on Sakura's face?"

Someone was currently distracting her.

Already coming to terms with the fact that she wouldn't get much thinking done tonight, she turned to Suigetsu, who sat on his own bed on the other side of the room. His hair glowed silver in the pure moonlight, and it reminded her of her cousin's eyes.

"Half of her face is covered," she told him, thinking back to Sakura's image. Her stomach twisted. No wonder she was so sick. "It looked as if she was being split in two."

Suigetsu hummed, fell back on his bed, and stared at the ceiling. "I guess that makes sense."

Huh? "What do you mean by that?"

"Well . . ." He thought for a moment, eyes narrowing. "I've kinda known Sakura for a while, now. She used to be a therapist at the Guard; worked right under Tsunade, y'know, when she was still there. "

A memory sparked in Hinata's clicking mind. Suigetsu had mentioned Sasuke having some sort of hatred for the therapists at the Guard. With that, and his obvious avoidance of Sakura, well . . .

"Sakura has something to do with Sasuke hating the therapists, doesn't she?"

It wasn't difficult to put two and two together.

A laugh passed through the air as purple eyes zoned in on her.

"You catch on fast."

...

Sunshine spilled into the manor as they made their way back to the sitting room on the other side of the building, giving her plenty of time to ask the questions that have been brewing in head since their talk last night.

"Tell me everything you know about Sakura."

His eyes glimmered with his teeth. "Didn't think you were much for gossip, Guppy."

She shook her head and gave him a serious look. "If I'm to help her, I need to know as much as possible."

"Ehhh." He scratched at his gills. "I guess that's true. Well, I know she worked at the Guard for about six years, and only stopped when she started getting sick. She was a helluva yeller, always loud and talkin' about something, and was quick to punch you down if you so much as crossed her on a bad day. Makes you wonder how she was so good at her job." That didn't seem anything like the Sakura now, and Suigetsu must have heard the irony in his tone, for he laughed. "And all that stuff she mentioned earlier - that was true. She used to adore Sasuke, 'nd she would annoy and bother and follow him all day - so it was a huge surprise when I heard she got engaged to Naruto, and an even bigger one for Sasuke."

They made it to the door, and Hinata grabbed his sleeve to keep him from opening it. "What do you mean by that?" she asked.

He looked down at her, smirking, before slowly pulling her arm away and opening the door. Inside, it was still bright and beautiful, and cherry blossoms still covered the room, though, somehow, in a more tame manner. And it took one step for Hinata to understand why.

For the dark, contrasting figure of Sasuke stood in the middle of the room, so very close to the staring and flushing Sakura. His head was bent, and Hinata could only see his back at the angle she was at, but the room - it felt like a lightning storm would burst at any given moment.

"See what I mean?" Suigetsu whispered, which shook with the static in the air. "He's in love with her."

Yes. He was.

And based off of the look in Sakura's eye . . . so was she.

Chapter 10 - End