Chapter 15

"Assuming this is the last day of my life

(which might mean it is almost the first)

I'm struck blind but my blindness is bright."

- Franz Wright

That cold night, when she declared her mission to kill the Tsuki leader, he half-expected her to run out of the door into the never-ending darkness. Madness shining in red eyes. Just like he had done when he left Konoha. But although she was a mirror image of himself, she wasn't identical to him.

When he told her that she should leave the intel-gathering to him, she did not argue. She was silent. Deathly silent as the tumbling snow valleys outside.

But Sasuke knew that the anger he had ignited in her the other day, was still there. Breathing. Alive. Like cool silver under her flesh. Towards her sworn enemy.

He'd watch her tend to Tori and Mirai. Prepare their meals. Knit by the fire. Peer outside the window for endless hours. And in all these activities, he could feel the silver fire running in her veins, invisible to untrained eyes.

But he noticed something else too. When he'd come to her room and hand her some warm tea, her pale skin would gain color. Not a blush. No. Just life.

And Sasuke was sure that it was not the warmth of the cup but the cold touch of his rough hands that would restore life into her white skin.

After that night, they often spoke like teammates but that sudden spark of intimacy that had caused an electric longing for each other had long been eclipsed. But it had not vanished. Their hands longed to meet each other in their single ritual of passing a tea cup.

But it was also true that both wouldn't admit this to themselves. Painfully oblivious of the warmth they craved. They always had too much going on. Too much to do. Too much to take care of.

Sasuke felt flattered. Whether he'd admit it to himself or not was another story. All his life, he had gathered a lot of reactions from a lot of women. He had enjoyed it to a certain extent. But mostly, he would find it annoying.

But there was something about thawing a cold heart. Restoring life with a simple touch. When he'd come close to her, she was no longer a porcelain doll. Mechanical. Cold in her actions. But she'd come alive. Her chest would dare heave irregular flawed human breaths. He wanted to see what else he could do to her. How else he could make her alive. But his thoughts, trained in almost monastic discipline all those solitary years, wouldn't allow him to stray any further than this.

Things were at stake in the real world. Lives were at stake. And he'd be damned if he let another fool start a war. It was not just Hinata's mission. But his mission as well. And yet he had grown softer. Yume. Its people. The way they welcomed him. It had made him weak. Made him believe in a home once again. And even though, he chose a cold corner of the world to bury himself. They would find him. Send presents through the twins. Even put in invitations for dinner. Once in a while, he'd relent and accept. And always...always, he'd tell himself - it was strictly business.

All her life Hinata had eyes for no one but one boy. The boy she watched grow into a man. The one she was fiercely loyal to. But between all this, life happened. It was like a swing of a metallic bat at the back of her head. She found herself waking up to a crude reality. Lost and alone in the world. She had powerful eyes but she was blind. Tumbling into darkness. Her old self and her purpose - mere dreams against the death of her sensei and freshly uncovered memories of her mother's demise.

In this cold dark world, it was Uchiha Sasuke's home that was her sanctuary. Nothing else was real. It was truly a beacon of warmth in a freezing damned world.

In her earlier life, Hinata had not thought much about Sasuke (except when he was a cause of concern), let alone his house. But still if she had to picture his house, it would have a huge 'Keep out' banner and amaterasu barriers that would burn a person the moment they would cross his threshold.

And at first glance, the minaret which was in a completely inaccessible part of the mountain sent the same signals. It warned people, mocked them, "You cannot reach me. You are too weak." And yet, she had found that the inside of the house was so welcoming. Nothing but a warm embrace.

Hinata would tell herself that she didn't deserve any love. That her end was near. That this was her last mission. But the house would shush her. Lull her to sleep like a child. Offer her safety. Respite. Refuge. And she would sometimes think, that she was becoming one with the house and the mountains. She was finally becoming the snow upon the curving valleys - something she had longed for the day she stepped into Yume village.

But Sasuke kept her on her feet. He watched her with intrigued eyes. Trailed her movements without so much as moving his facial muscles. Often lurking in shadows, but regal and towering in his persona, she'd watch him watch over her. It sent currents down her spine. But in a good way. It made her feel alive. Breathless.

And just like that, one day when she was making breakfast and half-expected Sasuke to appear from behind the staircase, she knew he was gone. She didn't need her Byakugan to confirm. She could just feel it. When he was gone, it made the house a little colder.

The house was a lot warmer when he was there, she noted to herself. It was as if the thick fur of his worn-out cloak made all the difference. But she kept her thoughts on her mission.

Tori had recovered as Sasuke had predicted. Although she didn't hum as carelessly as before, Hinata knew she was alright.

"Your Niisan has gone out for some work. He'd be back soon," she told the girl with tousled braids in a reassuring voice.

The girl nodded and mentioned that she had to return to the village for some business. This was not a comforting thought for Hinata. She carried a lot of guilt on behalf of Mirai. But then it was best for Tori to gain some space from Hinata and the child. Hinata packed her a lunch and bid her goodbye.

Days passed and even solitude-loving Hinata grew extremely impatient. Storms would come and go. She trained indoors but it didn't feel enough. She wanted to help Sasuke. But she knew that it was best for her to stay in and guard Mirai. Besides, nobody knew the lay of the land better than Sasuke. Let alone the fact that one of the greatest shinobi in the world did not need any assistance.

But she also knew that he wouldn't go out alone for the mission by himself. Without her. She had made that clear. And she had made sure that he understood how important this was for her. Kurenai chose her. Not Nara. Not Uchiha. Her.

And she'd finish this mission even if it'd prove to be her last.

She was peeling a few veggies near the fireplace. The sky was clear and you could see the last rays of the sunset from the window. Orange lights flooded the wooden hallways. The lights tried to reach her skin and it was as if her skin was made of stone. It didn't let any color in. That is until the wooden door clunked and made a creaking noise.

There he was. The entire length of the door. His cloak dusted with shimmering snow. And his eyes, surrounded by tufts of wild dark hair, landing on her - warm. A gentle warmth glinting in otherwise icy cat-like eyes.

She felt a rush of warmth in her own chest and jumped up to her feet to greet him, that is until she saw a woman trailing behind him.

Her hair, the sharpest contrast to Hinata's monochrome pale being.

Of course. A fool. What was she thinking? This is what happens when you let your mind stray from the mission. Of course he had someone. The warmth she had assumed came from her own depravity. Her own lack. All the hatred she had received, all that she was guilty of, it had distorted her thinking. Why would he possibly want anything to do with...

"You're Hyuuga Hinata?" The woman took off her shoes near the door and not so much as sat but collapsed beside her near the fireplace. Sasuke was out of sight and had probably disappeared into his room.

"Yes..." Hinata said awkwardly. Her eyes following the glint of the woman's hair under the sun. Under the golden dusk, her hair looked like they were on fire. Like autumn leaves in red glow.

"Sasuke had to come up and live at someplace like this. I didn't want to come you see. I refused him proper. I might head off next morning...you never know."

"Oh..."

"But I owe him. But then he owed me too. O boy, did he owe me that one! Big time. And then I ended up in his debt once again. So yeah, I am here because of all this. Although I might leave any moment..."

Hinata just stared at her in confusion. Something about her seemed familiar and yet she couldn't figure out what. Her persona was all over the place. It was like talking to dancing red dots.

"Anyway - you. Your chakra is so silent. I have to actually make some effort to sense you, you know. But the other one. It's a child isn't it. What strong chakra! Like a blooming flower - that one!"

Hinata's stance became a little alert at the mention of Mirai.

"Don't let yet another Uzumaki bother you. It's in their nature it seems," Sasuke declared from up above the staircase. "Anyway Karin, shouldn't you be getting some rest? You were complaining all the way up."

Karin grumbled something in response and got up. Sasuke pointed her to a room and soon she was behind its door. They both were all alone now.

"Did you find anything?" Hinata spoke without meeting his eyes.

He stood there in silence for a few seconds. Hinata could feel his gaze on her. She felt it almost touching her skin. Seeping in. Down to her bones.

"We leave tomorrow morning. Hope you're rested enough."

"You...you shouldn't leave. Just let me know the location," this time she looked up to meet his eyes. He was standing with his arms stretching upon the wooden banister.

He answered her with cold silence. He wasn't pleased with her suggestion.

"Please...Sasuke-kun. The village needs you. Protect them. Protect Mirai. You're the only one..." Here she met his eyes, "you're the only one I can possibly trust."

If this silent confession moved him, he didn't let it show.

"You can also trust Karin. She'd look after the child. Besides, she can sense danger from miles away. Similar to yourself."

"I really think I need to do this alone."

"That's what I did," he turned around, showing his back to her, "I ran away. I didn't need anyone to finish my mission. But look at me know. It's like I am talking to my older self. Teaching it the right way. Choosing better this time."

His rare moment of vulnerability stunned her and she found herself hesitant to protest any further. It's not like Sasuke wasn't cold. But with increasing familiarity, living under the same roof, sharing meals, same table, tea, brief but meaningful conversations - she realized that there were two sides to him. Cold and warm. Both existed together in perfect harmony. After all, as they said after the war, Uchiha hatred was derived out of the strongest love ever known to the mankind.

Sasuke was up and shuffling in his room. Hinata had been up since 3:30am though. Waiting for the green signal. This could be everything. The last mission. Her last journey. The last time she'd leave a place she felt home at for a long arduous journey. Strange premonition filled her bones.

"What can we do to get some hot beverages around here?" Karin chimed in and crashed beside her just as she had done yesterday.

Right. If Karin was going to live here, she needed to be shown around. Hinata got to her feet and gave her a tour. Pointing at the high ceilings and the dim dawn breaking outside the window, she shared the marvels of the house. She talked about, how the minaret was built from chakra energy of Yume clan, something that allowed the minaret to sustain terrible avalanches, and most importantly stay warm. The twins would sometimes 'recharge the foundations' as they called it - restoring fresh chakra under the minaret. Karin agreed and mentioned how she had sensed it from miles away. Confused how a building could ooze chakra. It was truly like a living building.

After this, Hinata went through Mirai's routine. True to her friendly nature, the child warmed up to the red haired girl soon enough. Mirai cooed and giggled as Karin talked to her in pretend ogre-voices.

It put Hinata at ease. She'd be in good hands.

Finally, they returned to the dining room and Hinata served her some tea, thanking her for agreeing to look after Mirai.

"It's not just a favor," Karin looked at her seriously, "the Tsuki rebels. I was passing the east end village when I got Sasuke's message. The things I saw in that village...It wasn't even remotely human Hinata-san. I could feel a river of chakra being drained out of people. Flowing to a distant source. Channeled through nothing but red stones! I had been on the lookout for very long...for the Tsuki leader. But now I was afraid for my life. I had found the source. I was afraid they'd take my chakra too. All of it. Put it in their chakra river."

She stared at Hinata gravely. Announcing the dangers of their journey ahead.

"Are you ready to go?" Hinata looked up, and as if offered some relief from her worries. She basked in his powerful chakra as he made his way downstairs. Maybe she'd have a chance. Since he's with her. Maybe she'd make it. Maybe she'd succeed. Her superstitions can go to bed.

She nodded and saw him ready and confident as the breaking day.

"Karin, you better keep my kitchen clean," he declared and then headed out the door. Here Hinata turned and held Karin's hand, thanking her, "Can I make one more request?"

Karin smiled and nodded.

"If you don't hear from me...if you don't hear from us...Maybe Sasuke-kun comes back injured or late. Can you please take Mirai to Konoha? Take her to Nara Shikamaru or the hokage. Nobody else. You can sense chakra...you'd know if it's a clone or not."

"I will do that Hinata-san. But know that you've Sasuke-kun with you," Karin stepped closer to softly whisper in her ear, "I have seen him in various stages of his life. And trust me when I say it, I can sense it in his chakra...He'd give his life for you. That's a first with Sasuke-kun if you ask me. All he knows is killing - yeah nobody knows it better than me."

Hinata's brows twisted in confusion. But it was time to go.