- Pluck -

Part I

Chapter 17: Cruelty in Man

Companion song: Six Pieces, Op. 51, TH 143 - 6. Valse sentimentale. Tempo di Valse by Daniel Lozakovich.

"Don't say a word to me, traitor."

Karin entered the cell as she did with any room: like she owned the place, like she'd been there a million times, like she wasn't scared. All of which was complete bullshit, but Suigetsu knew to follow her order and keep his tongue still. It would be best to not anger her, because when she was, Karin did one of two things: attack you like a banshee, or flee.

And to put it simply, Suigetsu was scared of one of those things happening. So he only watched as she yanked the opposite chair to him, plopped down on it with little grace, and grabbed his chin. His shoulders arched - Oh, she's just going for it? But then her other hand snuck up and snapped his nose back in place without so much of a warning, and he couldn't hold back.

"Holy FUCK, Karin!" he yelped, cracking his spine against the back of his chair. "For fuck's - give me a sign next time, you psycho!"

She frowned and stood. "Didn't I tell you to not speak a damn word to me, asshat?" The chair was still rocking from her sudden movement when she raised a hand, as if to delve into her anger and slap some sense into him. He prepared himself, but it never came. That hand hovered in the air, then dipped, then fell, useless, at her side. "If anything, you should be thanking me for fixing that atrocious nose of yours. Ungrateful brat. Damn scumbag."

It still hurt like a motherfucker, but Suigetsu smiled, nonetheless. "I don't think it really matters if it's fixed or not, Karin."

Her eyes flickered, and he cursed under his breath. But her scowl remained as she pushed the chair back to its rightful spot across from him and, once again, sat. The quiet made his eyes droop, and he didn't need a window to know it was late at night. He also wasn't foolish enough to not realize that he'd be under 24/7 watch. His last day was tomorrow, and they'd have to try to get as much information from him as possible. Which, in normal circumstances, would not be terribly hard, as he was more than willing to share what he could. But the curse on his vocal chords complicated things. There was no time to waste on either part.

And yet -

She wouldn't say a word. Wasn't even looking at him, in fact.

"I'll answer anything you've got," he told her, making her head snap his way, "but you have to ask me, first."

Those crimson eyes were lit with a furious fire that engulfed the entire room and made sweat roll down his back. "Oh, I have plenty of questions for you," she hissed. Her arms folded over her chest, like a barrier to keep some part of her separated, hidden. "We can start with what the hell were you thinking?"

His smile faltered. "I -"

"You had a damn good life here, Suigetsu. A great job, people you know and trust all around you. Was that not enough for you? Are you seriously that selfish?"

"I had a reason." Which, of course, she had no clue about. He wished he could tell her. But when the words came to his vocal chords, his throat tightened and burned, choking him.

Which Karin must have seen as him trying to cause a distraction, for her gaze hardened. "Not good enough. Not after all the shit you've put us through."

"Talk to Sasuke. He knows -"

"I've already seen the records of his latest interrogation with you." Her lips curled at the corners, sinking her entire face into ire. "Mangetsu's dead, Suigetsu."

Lava flowed down his throat and into his chest. He was almost positive steam wafted off his gills. Everything stung and hurt, and he wanted nothing more but to scream how wrong she was, how his brother is alive. He wanted to get in her face and see those eyes narrow at his audacity. Damn it, he wanted to talk! To yell!

But he couldn't.

The name of his dear brother was wiped clean from his tongue, perhaps to never utter it again. It was useless. There was nothing he could do. It was so fucking frustrating.

"You have a lot of nerve."

"Says the one being interrogated."

"You know nothing," he muttered, "so stop acting like you do."

Her eyes widened, brows furrowing in sheer bewilderment of his gall. "I'll tell you what I know, Suigetsu." Her voice was raw, hard. He didn't believe the facade for a second. "I know tomorrow, you're going to experience the worst pain in your life. You'll feel every cell in your back splitting in two and skin ripping apart as the wings you tried to force on the Moon WItch suck the pathetic soul from your very body. The last thing you will ever see is the cell you put yourself into because you were stupid enough to backstab the only people on your side. I won't shed a tear for you. Not one."

Her words didn't bring that sharp sting that he was sure she was trying to get at because he was far too distracted by the red lining the corner of her eyes. "That's a lie."

Her eyelids darted in a half-blink. "I don't have sympathy for traitors."

Obviously, she was well aware this was the last conversation they would ever have, so Suigetsu hadn't a clue why she was avoiding the truth so adamantly. Sighing, he leaned back in his chair and rested his eyes. It was getting difficult to ever look at her. "Karin, the first thing you did when you came in here was to fix my damn nose."

"Actually," she droned, "it was telling you to not talk to me."

"And the fact that you're here in the first place is enough to tell me you're spouting a load of shit right now."

Her right hand flew to the side of her head to adjust her specks. "It wasn't my choice."

Bullshit. "You could have picked someone else to come."

"And be scolded by our Head? I have a reputation to uphold. Letting meatheads like you think I'm some overly-emotional sob who can't take a little pushing will only make matters worse."

Stubborn as always. Suigetsu smirked. "You read the interrogation records," he mused, sliding his eyes open to pin her down. "Sasuke said you'd come, and you did." A bit of color crawled up her neck, a ruddish flush that looked orange under the lantern's glow. "We both know why."

She didn't speak, only glared at him.

"Karin."

And not once did he look away.

"I know you love me."

Not a single reaction flickered across her face. Not a blink, a scoff, and sheepish glance - nothing. She only stared at him, blankly, before she said, "If you're so adamant on wasting your breath, then I'll continue with my questions." Suigetsu sighed and nodded, no longer having the energy to fight with her. "You mentioned you've met the stalker. Exactly how many times?"

"Never beyond that first time," he said. "They usually contacted us through other means beyond face to face."

A bit of tension was leaving her body as her squared shoulders dropped into a slope. He watched as she dropped her hands from her specks, leaving them to shift and allow strands of hair to fall over her ears.

"What kind of means?"

His vocal cords burned, and he thought for a moment. "Magic."

Her pupils dilated as she leaned forward and crossed her knees over one another. That distance between them was slimming, centimeter by centimeter. The room was getting smaller.

"I understand." Good, because there was no other way for him to say it. "Do you know why the target is Hinata?"

Another question that left him struggling and breathless. "You'd share the same reason with them, I suppose."

She blinked, chin dipping slightly. "Explain further."

And he was trying to - really trying. But it wasn't easy - and when he tried to think of something, his attention would drift back to her. She was finally looking at him, poised and focused: how she should be. The only thing off about her was the bridge of her specks slipping down her nose, leaving her bare eyes to stare holes into him over the thin frame, and before he knew it -

"Karin, just kiss me already."

She stilled, spine snapping straight. "Huh -" Her mouth flew open. "I -" But she clasped it shut and breathed hard through her nose, gaze bowing and swimming. "Is that supposed to be some sick joke, or your answer?"

"Neither." But she didn't look pleased at all, so he did what he didn't often do and stepped back, giving her room. "But if you want it to be the last one, it can be."

"Don't give me that shit, Suigetsu. Just -"

"I'm dead tomorrow, Karin," he interjected, fumbling with the metal weighing down his wrists, clicking and clacking along to the rhythm of his heart. "What do you think?"

He waited as she thought it over, frowning to herself, too distracted to fix those specks of hers. He ought to go over there and do it for her. He ought to just stand up right then and say fuck it - because he was a dying man! What consequences were there going to be? And he was never the kind to worry about them, anyhow. So why was he worrying now? Why did he sit in his chair like a good little prisoner and wait for her to come to terms with the fact that whatever she did (or didn't) do that night could possibly haunt her forever?

Well, he knew the reason. He wasn't about to deny it like she has been for years now. And he supposed in that sense, he and Hinata's stalker had similar reasons, as well.

"They're in love with her."

He smiled, glad she at least got half of it. But that also meant she was going to ignore the true meaning behind his request - and that hurt more than any sharp word or nonchalant facade ever could.

"That's my girl."

Nostalgia slammed into Sakura's sides the moment she stepped into those halls.

This place had been her life for years, and she was finally back.

It looked like it had when she left, which she was glad about. The walls were still tall and foreboding, the floors decorated in patterns of stone and marble, the familiar buzz of sound coming from every direction.

This was the Guard, and she had missed it.

"I'll take you to her cell, Sakura."

She had been so distracted that she hadn't even noticed Sasuke had come to fetch her - not that she was unused to it. He always made it a habit to walk swiftly and quietly, and with a smile, she nodded and followed him to the captive wing.

"Read over these." A small pile of papers were placed in her hands as they walked down the hallway. Flipping through them, she immediately realized they were interrogation records, and delved in. "Suigetsu had informed me that there is possibly someone being held over Ino's head to keep her from speaking."

Those words drifted into her ear and hummed against her brain, but her eyes were focused on a particular name in the records.

"Hinata?" she mused, looking up at him. "Hinata Hyuuga?"

He didn't look back. "Yes. She was the one who helped you in Forest 3."

Wait - that was Hinata? She hadn't even recognized her. She supposed that was expected, as she had only met Hinata a handful of times, but she definitely knew the name. Hinata was a close and longtime friend of Naruto, and he had been devastated when he heard she had gone missing.

Now she was back? At the Guard, possibly?

"That doesn't matter," Sasuke said, as if hearing her thought process. "Keep reading."

She did, and by the time she reached the end, they were at the cell door, and Sasuke was fishing through his keys.

"Her cuffs are draining her magic, so she will not be able to control your mind," he told her as he worked on unlocking the door. "Keep your questions precise and try to avoid personal details. I know she hurt you, but this isn't about that right now."

"Sasuke," Sakura said with a smile, catching his gaze, "I know I was gone for nearly a year, but I am still a Guard therapist. I know what I need to do."

He paused, then nodded. "I suppose so."

Her smile grew, and with a sheepish flush, she added, "And about what I said at Forest 3 -"

"That wasn't you," he said.

"You're my friend, Sasuke, and I love you as such. But my heart belongs to Naruto now."

Again, he nodded, and placed a warm hand on her shoulder. "I know, Sakura."

...

"Ino."

The woman, her best friend since they were kids, did not look good in a cell. She didn't belong there.

But she shouldn't think about that right now.

The cell was narrow, and sat in a corner, folded into herself with hair hanging into her face, was Ino Yamanaka. A proud, beautiful woman.

What had happened to her?

Walking over, Sakura sat herself down in front of her, not bothered in the slightest of the dust and grime staining her skirt.

"I read some records between Sasuke and Suigetsu." Ino was never the kind to beat around the bush. She liked to get straight to the heart of things, and Sakura knew it was best to do just that. "Suigetsu mentioned there is someone being used as leverage against you. Is it Sai?"

Sai was someone who Ino had been with for years, it seemed. When she had stopped talking about him about a year ago and Sakura had asked her why, she had said that it was because they had broken up.

Now, it was clear that wasn't the case.

Ino's eyes widened, but her lips stayed tightly pursed.

"Let us help you," Sakura said. "Tell me what has happened to him, and we will do everything in our power to save him."

"Your power isn't enough," she said, smile sad and weak. "I'm not chancing anything. I won't ruin what I've been working hard to get. I don't care if you torture me or kill me like you will Suigetsu. I won't talk."

...

And three hours later, Ino had stayed true to her word. Exhausted and knowing she was getting nowhere, Sakura left to give her some space and found that Sasuke was still outside, waiting.

"Anything?"

"Nothing. She won't even look at me." Sakura hummed for a moment, then looked down at the records. "Try to push Suigetsu more. Maybe he has more information to get her to talk."

"Alright," Sasuke said.

"I'll stay here and keep trying, but I can't stay all day. I need to go back to Forest 3 eventually."

"I understand."

He turned to leave, but she grabbed his sleeve and stopped him.

"I heard about Suigetsu," she said, voice low. "I'm sorry. I know I won't be allowed to see him, so could you . . . ?"

He nodded, understanding what she was getting at, and gently pulled her hand from his sleeve so he could continue down the hallway without a single glance back.

Still old Sasuke, it seemed.

An awkward smile stretched upon her lips, and with a sigh, Sakura turned on her heels and returned to Ino's cell.

Hinata needed to know that once sunset flooded the halls of the Guard in waves of crimson light, Suigetsu would be dead.

Sasuke's had experience in being the harbinger of bad news. It came with not only his job, but his face, his name, his demeanor. Usually, it didn't bother him; and on the rare occasion that it didn't, he was good at not showing it. Just spill the news, without fluff or needless beating around the bush. Forward and direct; that was the best course of action for both parties.

"A-Ah, Sasuke. Good morning. Can I help you with anything?"

And yet -

"I need to ask you a few questions."

When it came to Hinata, all the experience was thrown out the window.

She must have noticed his apprehension, for her bright smile upon his entering of her cell eventually slid away, replaced by a concerned purse of her lips. Silver eyes that usually had no difficulty in overpowering the dark of the place dimmed as she shifted on the balls of her feet, leaning forwards and back, debating to come closer to him. Mentally shaking himself of any emotions that could cause such concern, he fell into his normal, unconcerned facade.

Facade . . . because even he could not deny that he was far away from being completely indifferent with the current events.

With a quiet nod, she floated over to the table and sat down on one of the cushions he had brought, legs folded neatly beneath her. He stood on the other side, not sitting.

Definitely not.

"How much do you remember of Suigetsu and your time with him Ocean?"

Her gaze flickered over his face, then fogged as she seemed to think back. "Most of it, I'm sure."

He nodded. "Ino still refuses to speak. I need you to tell me as much as you know about Suigetsu, specifically what he has told you."

Because now that he was aware of the curse and how long all of this had been happening, he'd been spending his off-hours going over as much of his previous conversations with Suigetsu as possible. The guy had most likely been leaving subtle clues , both to him and Hinata, and while Hinata could not remember anything prior to Ino's recent washing of her memory, she could surely bring up something afterwards that would have some sort of double-meaning. He had already revealed through the disguised talk of Itachi that Mangetsu was somehow alive; there had to be more. And if Sasuke could pinpoint those double-meanings and bring them up to him in his last interrogation, perhaps he'd be able to reveal something that could get Ino talking.

Hinata pinched her lips for a second. "Ino is the one . . . who took away my memory, yes?"

He nodded. "Correct."

"If you get her to talk, will she be able to get it back?"

He wasn't sure if that was even possible, but he said, "Anything could happen."

One of her fingers tapped on the side of the table as Hinata, still foggy-eyed, hummed lowly. It was as if she was rewinding back to day one, playing and pausing. Sasuke recalled how she once had been able to cite one of her books; he didn't have a doubt in the universes that her memory, when present and not sucked away by mind controllers, was awfully clear.

"There was a moment at the bottom of the ocean where he couldn't breathe," she said, hands raising to trace the lines of her gills. "Stickers were covering them, and I had to tear them away with my teeth to help him breathe again. And when he was back to normal, he'd told me I shouldn't have saved him. He had mentioned something like that later, as well - that I should be careful around him. I . . . I think he felt guilty for stealing me, and was trying to tell me he wasn't this benevolent person I thought him to be." Her eyes focused on him for a second. "But he saved me. He brought me here, to you."

So far, all of that seemed relatively direct. "He went directly against his orders."

She gave a small nod. "From the start, he had warned me about Kisame. Had even spoken against him cutting my back at the bottom of the ocean to make the . . . process easier on me. But I suspect he had planned to help me escape even then and thought it would be easier on the surface." A dour expression crossed her face, weighing down her face and shoulders. "And after we escaped and he was letting me adjust, he told me there were going to be many people who would want him dead. Mostly you."

"He wasn't wrong." That could possibly mean something. Sure, the idea also pertained to Naruto and Gaara and anyone at the bar and half of the Guard - but Sasuke wondered if it also had to do with the stalker, themself. Were they the kind of person to cut off 'dead weight' after they were done using it? Could that mean he and Kisame and possibly Ino were simple pieces in an enormous game?

"Then he told me about you."

Sasuke stared down at her, not sure to stop her from continuing or not -

"He told me you were mean and obsessed with time and that . . . u-um . . . that you were in love with me."

But by the time he remembered he had a tongue to speak with, she had already blabbed it out, face turning pink and smile shy as she met his gaze.

"I know only two of those things are true."

Dammit.

Dammit all -

Focus, Sasuke. Breathe in, breathe out. He had nearly killed her yesterday.

"Continue," was the only thing he could manage, and thankfully for him, she listened.

"I asked him why you loved me, and he mentioned my, um, eyes - or my hands." She looked down at them, then back at him. "Is that true?"

He sighed, electricity buzzing against the back of his neck. "Focus." A statement that was meant for both of them, obviously.

"They're just normal hands - and I'm sure there's nothing special about my eyes." Or, well, obvious to him, at least.

"Moon Witch."

She blinked, then blushed. "Sorry."

He shook his head and blew out of the side of his mouth, effectively tuning down the boiling on his neck to a mere simmer. He tried to write that down on a mental list in his head - hands and eyes. Maybe Suigetsu knew something about her in particular that related to those features. Hands and eyes. Her eyes were unique to Moon, but there could be something beyond that. Apparently, she had the ability to see stickers, which he still was unsure about in terms of believing, but that could be some of the double-meaning. And she used those hands to pluck them away from peoples faces - from his face, on multiple occasions.

Hands and eyes . . . .

You're drifting off again.

"After that?"

"He told me about the stickers I see, and how they correlate with the anxieties and problems of people," she said, and it was like they were back in the bar. She had that look that her old self, before the recent memory washing, sported often around him. The look of her not looking directly at him, but rather at something about him. It'd been a while since he's seen her with such a face. "You have a lot, Sasuke. I hope I can help you get them all off, one day."

He remembered what she had said to him right before she had first plucked at his face. "Only if you let me." Which was a difficult task, despite how easily she had said it. But he wasn't naive. He knew he couldn't live the rest of his life like he had been for the past ten months. He couldn't ignore and keep everything bottled up like he normally did. Things had to change. He had to let them.

"One day."

But that wasn't today's focus, despite how nice her smile was when he said those two, simple words.

...

"And then there was . . . the Moon Man."

The name alone got his interest, but her looking around the place, as if searching for someone, made him all the more curious.

"Who?"

"When I woke up - there was this voice that would help me. It told me to trust Suigetsu, and after a while, it manifested into -" She paused, eyes flickering, tongue licking her lips, "a man with eyes from Moon." Hinata took a moment to gauge his reaction, but before he could fully process what she was saying, she continued. "He followed us, but no one ever reacted to him. I was scared at first, thinking he was trying to hurt me, but he continued to help and watch over me. But . . . when I asked Suigetsu about him, he told me to ignore him, that it would make things a lot easier if it did."

Easier? Sasuke wondered what that could possibly mean.

"And then," Hinata whispered, looking over her shoulder at a spot by her futon, "he came back, and when I talked to him, he said his name was Neji, that he was my cousin, and that I could only see him."

So it was Neji.

Right.

And Suigetsu had mentioned him before, that day they were waiting for Hinata to go to Forest 3. He had said he was important then, yet from what Hinata was saying, he was now saying the exact opposite.

There had to be something there. And the fact that Hinata could only see him - that linked back to her eyes.

But what was the most curious thing to Sasuke was that Hinata did not remember her family one bit. This couldn't have been her imagination that she would talk to when she thought no one was listening. So what did that suggest? That she could somehow see her cousin's spirit? Wouldn't that mean he was dead.

That was possible. No one had heard from or about the Hyuuga since Hinata had left Moon, or so Sasuke had heard. Naruto hasn't mentioned anything about the search parties in Moon finding anyone. It could be very possible that Neji, or all of Hinata's family, were dead.

And it seemed like Suigetsu had the answer.

"Do you still see him?" Sasuke asked. "Neji."

She turned back, head bowed. "No. He apologized, and then he left, and he hasn't come back."

Which was another curious thing, and Sasuke knew he would have to bring this up with Suigetsu immediately. His hand was already on the handle of the door when he froze, recalling the real reason why he had come to Hinata's cell.

"Shit."

"Sasuke?"

He had to consciously tell his feet to take him away from the door and face him back towards Hinata. She was halfway stood, bent awkwardly over the table, one hand pressed against it to help hoist her on her feet at a moment's notice. This wasn't the right time. Definitely not. Absolutely not.

But neither was any other time.

"Sit down, Moon Witch."

She blinked, then did so, his cloak covering her legs completely. Her fingers peeked out from the front to play with the hem as he took another step further into the cell.

"There's something I need to tell you about Suigetsu."

The sudden change in mood had an immediate impact on her expression, which turned from confused to worried within the second those heavy words left his mouth. She was quiet, barely moving. Her shoulders hardly lifted with her breathing.

"What is it?"

He couldn't talk. If stickers were real, surely they'd all be concentrated on his throat right now.

"S-Sasuke?"

Because he knew what came after bad news. He knew it well. But the difference from past situations was that he was the only one in that small, dark, cold room besides her. Him. No one else. No one else to comfort, to empathize, to know what to do.

"Is it about his sentencing?"

Because he never did. Back when he still went to therapy, his therapist had told him that he was so used to dismissing his own emotions and grief that he automatically did the same to others. Almost like a coping mechanism. This wasn't for him. He couldn't fill that hole. Not for Itachi. Not for Karin. Certainly not for Hinata.

"Did something happen -"

"At sunset today, he's going to be killed."

But he couldn't hide this from her. She had to know before Suigetsu was injected with the serum.

But it shouldn't be him telling her.

Because -

"Wh-What?"

"I'll give you time to think."

He couldn't do this.

Thus, before he could see a single tear or hear a single, gut-wrenching sob, he was out that door and locking it behind him.

...

What are you doing?

His legs weren't working. He couldn't move. Everything was numb. He should be on the other side of the wing, talking with Suigetsu about Neji. But he was stuck here, in the hallway, left hand still latched onto the handle and right still holding the keys.

Coward.

This wasn't right. Sasuke knew that. Telling her about Suigetsu's near death and leaving her alone in a dark and small room was beyond shitty.

Fucking asshole.

But she'd survive. He always preferred being alone to be able to process things. This could help.

Go back.

But Hinata wasn't him. In many ways, she was the total opposite.

Her memory was gone.

But even before it was gone, she was close to him. And if anything, she was even closer to him now.

And he was dying and she was alone.

Go back, bastard!

Sneering, lightning snapping around him, he unlocked the door, shoved it open, and found her in the middle of the room, toppled over, a pool of tears already staining the stone below her. When the light washed over her, Hinata's head snapped up, revealing her already raw, bloodshot eyes that only made the silver in her irises glow more.

"Wh-Who?" she sputtered.

Mute. Still. Useless.

Fuck.

"Sasuke, who?"

Breaking out of the ice chains holding him by the door, he swooped down to kneel in front of her, mere inches from her. She was small and trembling and red.

"Naruto," he said. "He asked for it, and they gave it to him."

She crumbled, like the very stone surrounding her, in front of her, talking to her. Wailing, she collapsed into him, fingers barely catching the collar of his shirt. "NO! You can't kill him!"

What?

What!?

What the hell was he supposed to do!?

"Wh-What have I done?" Her head pushed against him, nearly ramming him. "He told me this would happen. S-Sasuke, he told me! But I didn't listen. I let him get caught. I let him bring me here. A-And now he's going to die!"

Shit.

Damn it all!

"S-S-Sasuke -"

He hated it. He hated how awkward he felt when he put his hands on her back. He hated how useless he felt when she trembled and pushed against him, begging for something he couldn't give. He hated how he couldn't say a damn word as she sobbed and cried and bawled.

All he could do was let her yank at his collar and scream into his chest and hope that someone would hear her and come running in fear of her being attacked.

...

"You told her."

She was unconscious, having passed out from exhaustion ten minutes ago, but her hold on him was strong, and he hadn't dared to move from his spot in the middle of the cell.

When Shizune had finally arrived to rebandage Hinata's back, she had rushed to her side instantly and knew what had happened the moment her eyes fell on the state Hinata was in. Carefully, she tried to pry her from his torso, but Hinata did not budge, and he had to carry her to the futon and release his collar from her fingers one-by-one before they could finally lay her down.

Shizune quickly unwrapped the bandages and checked Hinata's back, Sasuke hovering by the wall. When she looked up, she had a tired smile, and said, "Only one of the stitches broke, which I can fix easily."

Her right shoulder gestured to the bag she had dropped by the door, and he scooped it up and handed it to her. His knees still felt like they were pressed against the hard ground, and her fingers still felt like they were choking the life out of him.

"Stay."

Nothing else could escape him.

Just that one word.

But Shizune understood, and she nodded and watched him leave the cell.

...

"You look like shit."

In four hours, Suigetsu would be subjected to wings literally ripping out of body, a phenomenon that had a 3% survival rate - and yet, he had a pretty big, shit-eating grin right then.

"I told her."

But it was wiped away pretty quickly as Sasuke stepped into the interrogation room, revealing the stains on the front of his shirt that were still a little damp. He sat, and Suigetsu shuffled, uneasy.

"She didn't take it well."

"I believe most of the fault for that falls on the shit harbinger."

Suigestu's strained laugh hummed on the table between them. "Gods, I would have given anything to see you flounder."

That was a clear signal that he wanted to change the conversation, and Sasuke adhered. "I've been reviewing things and asking a few questions to the Moon Witch. The subject of her cousin has come up a few times."

At that, Suigetsu instantly sat forward and rested his cuffed wrists on the table, wide-eyed and focused. "How curious."

So it was something. That clean answer was enough to confirm it. But the tricky part was working around the curse. "I was informed that even after her memory wiping, she still sees me, which persuades me to believe that this cousin she's talked to for the past eight months is more than just a figment."

The muscles in Suigetsu's neck coiled and flexed as he tried to find his words. "I'd wonder about that, too."

"She's also informed me that apparently, only she can see him."

He nodded and added, "In all of the Guard? That's right."

So was there someone outside of the Guard who could also see Neji Hyuuga? "Is he a ghost?" Sasuke asked. "Is she seeing his spirit?"

"Eh," Suigetsu choked out, as if the hold on his neck tightened. "That's tricky."

Tricky because it was wrong, or because it was true and he couldn't confirm it. "You told me a while ago that Neji was important, but as I was talking to the Moon Witch, she explained that you had told her to ignore him - this entity that has seemingly been nothing but helpful -"

"In Ocean, maybe," Suigetsu said. "He may be helpful there, he may be perfectly fine in the bar, he may be even a bit necessary in Forest 3." He gave him an expectant look, and Sasuke noticed how he hadn't mentioned a single thing about Moon. "Everything's complex. Nothing is only good or only bad. The world is grey, and while some people may be a light shade, they're not white."

"So you told her to ignore him," Sasuke mused. "I doubt you ever told her such a thing before the memory wipe."

"I told her it would be easier if she did." That look was impatient and nearly begging him to catch on, and Sasuke tried to think outside the box. "Easier, Sasuke."

Ah. "Easier for her?"

Shoulders relaxing, Suigetsu sighed and smiled. "Who knows."

So this phenomenon of Hinata being able to see her possibly dead cousin was quite literally making the stalker's job harder. "Then it would be beneficial to us if we encouraged this connection between her and Neji."

"Not everything's black and white," Suigetsu reminded him. "Be careful with that." He frowned for a moment, glaring to the side, then met Sasuke's gaze again. "Ino has wiped parts of her memory three times - it's hard to do in one sitting. The third was just a week ago, and the first was when Hinata had first left, but before she had first met me. The second - it wasn't planned like the other two. The day after she came with me to Ocean, she went back to The Hall where Tsunade recognized her. Ino was there and had to do a quick, messy wiping that convinced Tsunade that Hinata had been overwhelmed, somehow - and that was true, in a way. Hinata had been overwhelmed. Just not by remembering Tsunade."

"Then what?" Sasuke asked.

Suigestu pressed his chest against the side of the table, and said, lowly, "Itachi."

Itachi?

Sasuke crossed his arms, pondering. He could vaguely remember that Hinata had a sister. Naruto had told him a few things about her family when he had first been assigned to be her bodyguard, and he was sure a sister was somewhere in there. But no one had seen the family since Hinata left. If her sister had come to The Hall, someone would have noticed. Tsunade would have said something.

So what did the fact that no one had seen or reported or spoke about this sister suggest?

"Is she like Neji?"

Suigetsu rolled his shoulder, breaking eye-contact with him, and Sasuke knew that was another possible family member that was dead.

"But the Moon Witch only talks to Neji."

"There's a reason for that," Suigetsu said. "Neji and Itachi are very different."

A difference that was also locked under his curse, it seemed.

"You'll figure it out." Stretching, Suigetsu popped his arms over his head, an easy smile returning to his lips. "I don't doubt that for a second."

He knew he would. Sasuke just wanted it to be sooner than later. "Can you tell me anything else about her family?"

His lips twitched, but the smile stayed as he looked past him, at the door. "That search party won't be around for long," he mused, thumbs drumming on the table in a slow beat. "You'll hear about them soon."

There was finality in that tone, and Sasuke sat back and let the silence stretch on, head racing to a rhythm totally opposite of Suigetsu's.

...

"Four hours left."

Sasuke looked at him, and Suigetsu smiled and tapped a finger against his left temple. "I've been counting down."

Right.

"I've said as much as I can," he continued, "so look over everything and try to piece things together. Reread the records, the interrogations. Start with the interrogation Karin had with me last night. "

Karin. He hadn't seen her since he came to the Guard that morning. He wasn't sure how she was holding. He hadn't a clue how Juugo was, either. Maybe they were avoiding him - or the other way around. Did it really matter? Probably not.

"And you also have Ino, so -"

"She's still not talking," Sasuke said.

At that, Suigetsu blinked and sat straight in his chair. "What?"

He sounded surprised, as if he had expected her to relent to the Guard as easily as he had. "Sakura has yet to get her to say anything."

Scowling, Suigetsu fumbled with his cuffs. "Damn it." The chain snapped and screeched, and then he was on his feet, glaring expectation into Sasuke's skull. "Take me to her. Let me talk to her."

Are you crazy? "You know I can't do that."

"Sasuke, get the stick out of your ass and just do this one thing for me, alright?" Suigetsu was already by the door, huffing. "Look, I know it's against the damn rules, but that brings up the question of what's more important: being the Guard's perfect pet, or getting Ino to talk?"

Sasuke stood, as well, but stayed next to the table. "What makes you think I trust you to get her to talk?"

"This shit again?" Suigetsu balked. "Cut the bull. I've told you as much as I can, I've been patient and haven't caused trouble and have put my damn neck on the line to help you with this." When Sasuke didn't budge, he sighed and turned to face him. "Look, if you let me go to her, I could not only convince her to talk, but maybe she'll even be able to bring Hinata's memories back."

Wait. "She can do that?" Sasuke asked.

Suigetsu nodded and pointed his chin at the door. "So take me to her."

This is stupid. Taking a prisoner, especially one set for death within the next few hours, out of their cell could get him fired and very well in his own cell. But Sasuke also knew his job was all about taking risks, and with a heavy sigh, he stepped next to Suigetsu and dug the keys out of his pocket.

"Sakura, give him a moment with her."

Those were Sasuke's words when they first walked into Ino's cell, small and barely lit, like the lot of them. Sakura gave a surprised gasp upon her green eyes landing on him, and she must have said something, but Suigetsu didn't hear her. With a couple, brisk strides, he was in front of Ino, kneeling down to her level as she sat on the cold, unforgiving floor. She wouldn't look at him, but he knew she was surprised that they allowed them to be in the same cell, talking.

"Yamanakas have always been stubborn folk, but you make a good half of it, Ino." Her lips pursed, and he grinned and pushed the hair out of her face in order to see her eyes better. "But even bull-heads like you know when to stop. You know what you need to do."

"You're right," she whispered, voice shaky and croaked, "and I'm doing it."

"We're in the middle of the Guard. They can't hurt you."

"I'm not worried about them hurting me."

"This has gotten beyond us," he said. "It's no longer about us trying to save them." His throat tightened, and he knew the conversation was getting into a difficult territory. "This has gotten too big, too dangerous, and we need to stop it. You have to talk with them, Ino. Figure something out. I was able to tell them as much as I could, and you can, too."

Finally, her gaze snapped up, blue irises flaring. "No, Suigetsu," she hissed, "I can't. And you know why."

He did. Too well. "We're in the same situation, Ino. Do I look worried?"

Her legs curled against her body, putting a larger distance between them. "You don't care."

Her heart banged against his ribcage as red flashed into his vision, but he took in a steady breath and forced his muscles to relax. "You think so?" But the bitterness stayed in his voice, and Ino's shoulders jumped. "You really think I don't care? After all of this, you think I just threw it all in the wind for no reason at all?

Her hands rubbed her arms, which were dotted with goosebumps. "Then why?" Her question was barely audible, and Suigetsu had to lean in to hear her clearly.

Back straining, legs cramping, he fell back to properly sit in front of her, legs crossing and linked hands settled on his ankles. "Because it's selfish to bring Hinata down with us," he said, "and because I trust the Guard. I trust Sasuke and Karin and Juugo and everyone to be able to find them, to save them. What I told them won't leave these walls. The stalker won't know. And they can't control me because I won't let them, and you can do that, too. So talk to the Guard. Find a way to make your own key. Bring Hinata's memory back -"

"They'll know," Ino said, eyes flickering. "I can't. They'll find out, and then -"

She choked, arms trembling, and he leaned forward and placed his hands on one of her shoulders.

"Do it slowly," he said. "The same way you washed it away. One at a time, bit by bit. If you do it like that, they won't know. It'll be okay."

She looked over his shoulder, at the people by the door, then looked down at her cuffs. "The Guard will kill you in a few hours."

"That's not your problem."

"I can't do this alone."

"Alone?" He snorted, smirking. "There are over a thousand Guards in this one building, and you think you're alone? You think all the people you met in Forest 3 will leave you alone. You think Sakura's going to leave you alone? Ino, come on."

Her lips pinched together, but she slowly uncurled from herself, a bit of light catching in her eyes. "And if you're right," she said, looking fully up at him, "and everything turns out fine, then what about . . ."

"Itachi?" he offered.

Ino looked confused for a moment, then understood what he meant. "What will happen when you're not around?"

Grinning, he gave her shoulder a playful push before standing. "He'll be alive. What more could I want?"

At that, a small smile whispered against her lips, and she gave a slow nod.

"Okay," she said, to everyone, "I'll try to help."

Suigetsu snickered as Sakure beelined to Ino, dipping down and wrapping her arms around her, bringing heat to the normally freezing room. When he looked back, Sasuke was gesturing for them to leave, and Suigetsu did so with a small drag in his pace, hoping the trip back to his cell would be slow enough for him to get a good look of what he'd be leaving behind.

...

But . . . this isn't the way back to my room.

It was going that direction until Sasuke took a sudden left, and while Suigetsu didn't mind the prolonged journey back, he was still confused as to why Mr. Do-Your-Job himself was doing that exact opposite of that.

But then they stopped in front of a cell's door, and Suigetsu understood.

"Really?" he asked.

Sasuke didn't answer, instead fitting his key into the lock and pushing open the door. "Shizune," he said into the room, "come out for a moment."

A few footsteps later, the woman was standing in the hallway, a startled look upon her features when her gaze fell on him. She gave Sasuke a look, and when he stared back, she gave a single nod to signal she wouldn't mention a word of this to anyone. When she left, Suigetsu finally stepped forward to look inside the room, and he instantly saw Hinata on the futon in the far back, covered in shadows, trembling.

"Guppy."

Her head snapped up, white eyes piercing through the darkness and into his chest.

"S-Suigetsu . . . ."

She wobbled to her feet, struggling to find her balance, and he moved to help her, but a tug to his arm kept him in the doorway. He gave a sharp look to Sasuke, who ignored him, searched through his plethora of keys, and then yanked his cuffs over to unlock them. Metal groaned as they fell onto the floor, and his wrists were suddenly light and free.

"Go ahead," Sasuke muttered.

So he did. He rushed into the room and grabbed Hinata's shoulders before she could topple over, and before he knew it, she was squeezing him tight, standing on the tips of her toes to try to keep him from bending over too much. She was crying. Obviously. Screaming, too. He barely heard what she was saying. He was too caught up in -

"It's okay."

Circling his arms around her, pressing his mouth against the crown of her head, he let her drag him into her world of mourning, of grief, of pain - all the things he was trying to ignore and avoid, because there was no point in making a mess of things. It wouldn't solve anything. It would just make matters worse.

But she was small and warm and shaking, and he realized he would be dead in a few hours.

"It's okay."

And when he whispered those words into her hair, he didn't know who he was talking to.

...

They moved to the futon a while ago, Hinata never releasing him from her hold and Suigetsu never wanting her to. Sasuke had left for something, and when he came back, Suigetsu tried to get an idea of what time it was by the look of the hallway.

He couldn't make out anything, and when Sasuke walked over, he looked down at him and said, "One hour."

What? He'd been in here that long?

Hinata's hands grabbed at his back as she looked up.

"It hurts so much," she whispered, barely. "When it happens, it feels like you're dying over and over again. I-I -" She croaked, breathed, then continued. "I don't want you to feel what I felt."

There was nothing he could say to comfort her with that, but Sasuke knelt down before them and spoke. "He won't," he said, "I'll make sure of it."

He felt her relax into him, but his eyes dipped down to the scabbard at Sasuke's side. "Getting soft, Uchiha?"

"Hardly." Then Sasuke pulled something out from his pocket and held it out before them. "Moon Witch." A dagger. One Suigetsu recognized. Hinata pushed away from him slightly to look down at the glimmering blade. "Take it."

Hesitant fingers wrapped around the handle, but she held it away from her. "Why -"

"It's yours," Sasuke said, standing once again. "Your cousin gave it to you a while ago." They must have held it somewhere to be stored as evidence of some kind. Clearly, Hinata shouldn't be holding it right now, and Sasuke shouldn't have brought it for her. Damn. You really are breaking all the rules, huh? "Point the blade away from you and wrap your thumb around the side. Use it to protect yourself. You've done it before, you can do it again."

She did as she was told, eyes narrow. "Protect myself from what?"

Sasuke nodded towards the door. "Ino has agreed to slowly bring your memories back."

At that, she perked up, eyes drying for a moment. "Really?"

"Because of yours truly," Suigetsu snickered, patting her shoulder. "See, Hinata? Nothing to worry about."

She placed the dagger down away from her before hugging him once again. "Thank you," she breathed into his shoulder, and he smiled and leaned in and let time drift on without him.

...

"Suigetsu."

Just his name, and he knew what that meant.

It was sunset. It was time.

But Hinata's hold on him only tightened.

"I don't want you to go," she said. "I don't want this to happen."

Slowly, he took her fingers and pulled them away from him. She looked up at him, and he tried to smile. "I have to go."

He stood, and she stood with him, holding onto his hands. Tears leaking from her eyes, arms shaking, knees wobbling, Hinata opened and closed her mouth multiple times. Her red eyes swam and her lips, swollen from all her biting, pursed and unpursed.

"Why are you acting like you're okay with this?"

He ruffled a hand through her hair. "It's not an act."

Her gaze slid to his gills, widening. She seemed to believe him, and she leaned in and gave him a final hug. "Thank you for everything," she whispered. "I wish I could pay you back. I wish I remembered you. I . . . I'll miss you so much. I don't want this to happen. I'm s-sorry I made you give up your life to save me -"

"You didn't make me do anything," he said. "I don't regret anything, Hinata."

When she pulled away, her hands reached up and caressed his gills, and he suddenly felt light, normal, free. Even when Sasuke put his cuffs back on, it was almost like he was flying.

Because Karin had kept up her walls and stayed stubborn to the very end, but Hinata - she spoke her mind without hesitation, and that was exactly what he needed.

"Bye, Guppy."

Her hands pressed against her mouth, muffling a sob that made the entire room shake. He didn't want that to be the last thing he ever saw of her, so he pulled his hands to his mouth and grinned, and she gave a watery laugh and tried to copy him, eyes shining with tears and lips trembling terribly and face red with grief.

But she still smiled, sharp teeth poking out.

And when the door closed, he wished he could have seen her without those damn teeth in the way.

...

"The dagger was not needed, Sasuke."

Their walk to the cell where he'd be executed was slow and long, as it was one the other side of the Guard, near the medical wing. Not that Suigetsu minded one bit. It was nice to walk down the grand hallway and see the dimming sunlight shine in through the windows. There were plenty of Guards around, some scowling, some whispering their farewells, some simply watching him, as if to remind themselves that they could end up like him if they screwed up. He didn't pay any of them much attention. His eyes were drawn to two things only: the red light of the sunset, and the peculiar face os Sasuke Uchiha.

"You know Ino won't attack Hinata."

Black eyes stared forward, never wavering. "Just in case."

Suigetsu snorted. "You're definitely into her."

He waited for the objections, to the glaring, to the huffing. It never came. And when he looked over at him, he was surprised to see not even an iota of frustration or irritation on Sasuke's face.

"Oi. You're not gonna say anything?"

He didn't.

They reached the room, which was white to an almost blinding degree. All that was inside was a single, sheetless mattress in the middle of the room. Juugo was inside, preparing the serum over a counter cut into the wall. Upon their entrance, he turned, smile sad and small.

"How are you, Suigetsu?"

"Ready to show Our Grace that wings aren't gonna do shit to me!"

Sasuke unlocked his cuffs, allowing him to take off his shirt and sit on the mattress. Juugo walked over, and said, "I could cut holes into your back . . . to make things a little easier."

He grinned, "Hey, if Hinata can manage, so can I."

Nodding, Juugo moved past Sasuke, towards the door. "Then I shall inform the Head that we are ready for him to observe the wing process."

The door clicked shut. It was damn freezing in that room, somehow more so than the bottom of the ocean. He laid on his chest, looking anywhere but that counter in the wall, knowing just thinking about it would only make the dread worse.

"This won't be easy," Sasuke droned.

Suigetsu waved a hand at him. "I can handle it."

"You'll scream like a toddler."

"Oi. Whose side are you on," he muttered, glaring up at him. "You should be comforting me, y'know. Saying your goodbyes. Shit like that."

"You already know what I'll say."

"I guess that's true." He glanced at the door, then back at him. "You should leave soon. It's gonna get messy in here, and I don't want you to see anything."

Sasuke blinked, hovered for a moment more, then went to the door.

"I will say one thing," he said, pulling the heavy metal open. "I'm sure it will give you some satisfaction to know that you were right. The entire time, probably."

He grinned and laughed and shook his head. Yeesh. You're only admitting that now?

"I know, Sasuke," he replied, resting his chin on his folded hands. "I always am."

Sun 1 was brighter that evening, because as Sasuke marched down the hallway and shoved himself in the Sun King's office, lightning danced in every nook and cranny in the castle. The entire place was blinding with white light and sunshine, and yet Naruto Uzumaki didn't take a glance away from his papers as he sat, poised and unbothered, behind his desk.

"I'm not here to ask for your permission," Sasuke said, marching over to throw his katana onto the desk, sending papers and electricity flying. Naruto only blinked, and he sneered. Bastard. "I'm here to tell you that I'm going to not sit back and let you continue this. Suigetsu will not suffer. You can get off on something else."

Blue eyes finally lifted away from the document in his hand to peek out the window. "Ah, it must have started," Naruto mused, then returned to his reading. "I'm busy, Sasuke. Bother me on a different day."

What the hell?

That didn't sound like him at all. Coming here, Sasuke hadn't expected Naruto to immediately fall on his knees and admit his wrongdoings, but this -

This was cruel. Heartless. Apathetic.

All things that weren't Naruto.

"You have a fiance, Naruto," he hissed before he could stop himself, "so stop going to these lengths for the sake of a woman who doesn't even want this in the first place."

At that, Naruto's gaze snapped up and finally looked at him. The blues in his eyes were sharp and cold. Again, not him. "I'll remind you that you're talking to your king, Sasuke Uchiha." His hands folded under his chin, and his face was stern. "And I'll also remind you that Hinata is my friend. Of course I care about her. Of course I want her safe."

Bullshit. "So you gave the man who saved her life and brought her back the wing process sentence? A thing you have never given to anyone else in your life."

Naruto's shoulders squared. "He kidnapped her and cut holes into her back."

"He's also been helping the Guard." The lightning of his katana's blade smoldered and hissed, and Sasuke had to suck in a deep breath to keep it from setting fire to the whole room. "Him suffering isn't necessary, it's cruel. The Moon Witch isn't happy about this at all."

Which should have been obvious to Naruto, as he's known her much longer than Sasuke has. Why was he acting so oblivious? Naruto wasn't this clueless.

"It doesn't matter if she's happy about it or not," Naruto said.

"Is that what you thought when you ordered her to go to Forest 3?"

At that, a bit of sharpness sunk out of Naruto's gaze, and he blinked. "What?"

Sasuke scowled. "Did you also think that way when you paraded your engagement in front of her?"

The Sun King sat straight in his chair. "I don't know what -"

"It takes a special kind of audacity to show off like that in front of your ex." They were getting off topic. He hadn't come for Hinata -or, wait. Maybe he had. But this wasn't the time. Suigetsu was suffering. But Sasuke couldn't cool the fire in his chest, so he continued. "It makes me wonder if you ever really loved her in the first place."

"Love!?" Naruto shot up, palms pressed hard against his desk, papers disregarded entirely. "Love who? Hinata? You think I'm in love with Hinata? Why would I -" The light in the room flickered and illuminated, leaking out of the window and spilling across the district of Sun 1. "Ex? What the fuck are you talking about? Where the hell is all of this coming from?"

"You're still pretending you were never engaged to Hinata?" Sasuke scoffed. "How she managed to stand you is beyond me -"

"Engaged!?" Naruto shot in, voice high and ringing. "What are - I was never engaged to Hinata! I'm not in love with her, I never was, and I - fuck's sake, Sasuke. I'm in love with Sakura. You know I am. So I have no idea what the hell you're trying to stir, but I won't allow you to stand here and spout shit to me that isn't even vaguely true."

There was a lot of anger in Naruto's voice, but there was also confusion. Genuine confusion. As if he really hadn't a clue what Sasuke was talking about. Stepping back, pulling the buzz in the air back into his lungs, he tried to take a moment to reevaluate everything.

He said he wasn't in love with her - that he never was. He's denying the engagement ever happened, but that wasn't true. It was only two years ago when Sasuke would have to stay up late with him for days on end to help him plan and practice how he would propose to Hinata. He saw the rings and had even made sure to ask off work for the day of the wedding.

It wasn't fake. It was real.

And it nearly happened.

"Naruto -"

"Naruto?"

He stopped, swallowed his pride, and tried again. "My Grace, do you really believe all that?"

Blue eyes squinted. "Are you crazy? I should be asking you that."

How was this possible?

It wasn't.

There was no way.

"If all you're going to do is loiter, then you can leave, Sasuke." Sitting back down, Naruto rearranged his papers and pushed the katana away from him. "If you're so adamant about Suigetsu, then go ahead. You have my permission. But I won't allow shit like this to happen again, understood? I'm your king. You follow my orders."

Right.

He knew.

Grabbing his katana, he slid it into his scabbard, stretched his wings from his back, and left without even a bow of his head. He needed to focus. He needed to get to the Guard, to Suigetsu.

But his head was spinning, and the universe was crackling.

...

He should have prepared himself before he went into that room. But he didn't want to stand in front of that door and get stuck in his head, so he had just pushed himself in without being completely ready.

And what he saw was gruesome.

Blood and pus leaking down a bare, trembling, pale back. Bones popping out of place. He could see the hills of the bends of two wings sticking out from the gaping, bleeding holes, white feathers crimson and glistening. The mattress was soaked. The room smelled like copper and vomit and smoke. There was screaming, pained and bone-crushing.

It was horrible. It was disgusting.

He's seen all of this before.

And when he looked at the face of the barely-alive man, which was wet with sweat and tears and blood, eyes barely open, he saw his brother.

"Itachi."

Oh Gods. It was happening again. He was dying.

Slamming the door, Sasuke rushed over to his brother, knees pressed against the mattress, soaking up some of the blood. There was nothing he could do. His brother was dying and screaming and barely conscious, but he couldn't do anything.

"Itachi!"

He couldn't breathe. This couldn't be real.

"Sasuke!"

Not again. He had barely survived the first time.

"Snap out of it, Sasuke!"

He was dying. He would be dead. It was going to happen. Survival rated were only 3% and Itachi had already used up all of his miracles -

"I'm not Itachi, damn it!"

A wet, tight hand grabbed his arm and yanked him forward, and when Sasuke blinked, he was back in that white room, hovering over Suigetsu.

Suigetsu.

Not Itachi.

His face was pale and his hair was matted and his eyes were barely open, but he was there. Alive, somehow. Holding him for dear life.

"Why the hell did you -" He wheezed, breath leaving him as the wings in his back shifted. "Fucker - you know you shouldn't be here!"

Here. Here.

Right.

His right hand grabbed the tsuka of his katana, and he looked down at Suigetsu.

"Let me end it."

He stood and slid it out, and the lightning blade danced in Suigetsu's gaze as he, somehow, smiled.

"Stopping it with the love of my life," he groaned, face falling. "You're too kind."

When he blinked, he'd still see his brother, but despite the tremble in his arm, he kept the katana out. He had to do this.

Had to.

Had to.

...

There was blood everywhere. Bones cracked and skin stretched as wings tried to pull out of the holes in his back. The only sign that Suigetsu was still alive were the barely noticeable rises and falls of his shoulders that matched the weakness of his breaths and the tired, pained cries that trembled past his mouth.

"Kill me, already," he begged.

Kill. Kill. Kill.

Just kill him, Sasuke.

End his suffering.

It's okay.

So he rained his katana, lightning taking up the entire room, and did just that.

Chapter 17 - End