Upload Date: 10/17/2022

Obligatory statement that these characters are not and will not be mine.


Chapter 6 – Pieces of Me

Hinata did not anticipate leaving from the Land of Waves soon, as she did not know how detailed Naruto's transactions were with Mr. Tazuna and so she waited patiently, while her nerves quietly rattled during her minute moments of solitude.

It was quite a shock then when Naruto let them all know that they would not stay very long in the Land of Waves and they all departed, not having been there for even two days.

Back to the ship it was and they were off again. This time, Hinata did not care for staying away from Naruto's crew and spent her days on the deck watching the men yell out occasionally from the crow's nest and adjust the masts often. The thought of her family was ever present in her mind and she wanted to be one of the first to notice when they arrived in the Hidden Mist.

And yet even with the swift response from Naruto, the days passed by far too slowly for her and she grew restless as she spent the days looking forward to the reunion she would have with her fallen kinsmen.

By the time they were close to Kiri's borders, it had been almost two fortnights since Hinata had seen her family.

Naruto's ship arrived by nightfall and he did not allow them to dock near the main port. Instead, there was a small area in which the waves did not crash quite as harshly. This smaller port, covered in part by lush tall vegetation, would serve well under the cover of night to fully disembark without anyone noticing.

In between hushed voices and urgent commands, Naruto was the only one who disembarked with them. He led them to shore, halfway wading through the warm waters into the rocky beach with two small pouches for both women.

"I can't accompany you the rest of the way, but please try to remain near the path. I've already instructed some of our contacts on the inside to find you straight away. You may just have to walk a bit before you run into them." Naruto instructed, extending both of his hands to give them a small pouch each.

"Y-You can't come with us?" Hinata blurted out, her voice heightening as her nervousness overwhelmed her.

His face was apologetic. "Afraid not. It would be much too suspicious for me to explain how I came across the both of you." At seeing Hinata's still worried expression, he added. "But I assure you, there's no harm for you to come in this land as long as my men have custody of you both."

Sakura opened the small pouch and instantly her face darted back up to his, suspicions evident on her face. "For what reason did you return this to us?"

Hinata glanced inside her own pouch to see that he had given her some of her family's jewels. It was a random assortment, nothing too ostentatious, but fairly easy to sell if the need arose. She wondered what had possessed him to return some of what he stole.

"You both lost everything on the Hyuuga ship. I will not have two women struggling for money on my account." He answered simply.

Sakura didn't say anything further and instead glanced at the worn-down path as she sighed. "I suppose this is goodbye?"

"For now." Naruto's eyes darted between the both of them, before continuing. "I plan to have someone watch over you as soon as I can."

With this Sakura bit her lip and looked up at her former teammate, a strong gust of emotion overwhelming her. "Take care of yourself."

He grinned. "Of course."

He pulled Sakura into an easy embrace and Hinata did not miss the tender way that he held her as he gave her a warm kiss on the cheek.

It was humbling for Hinata, to see that much raw emotion from him when he was in Sakura's presence. It was a completely different manner of acting than when he was around anyone else.

She wondered if it just simply comradery between teammates or something stronger that pulled him towards Sakura.

Naruto let Sakura go and turned towards Hinata. There was a small amount of hesitation on his part before he bowed at her.

"Please take care of yourself, Hinata."

Hinata could only nod as she allowed herself to stare into his eyes, her expression steady.

He'd saved her life. He'd given her hope. He'd buried himself into her being all over again, all these years later.

She felt no shame in letting herself engrave into her mind the curves of his face and the way his hair flowed in the night wind.

Without another word Naruto turned around and stepped foot into the waters to return to his ship. Sakura took Hinata by the hand and with their disheveled and wet clothing, they walked towards the capitol.

Hinata did not turn back to search for Naruto, but she saw his ship begin to leave the Kiri waters not much later, its trajectory hidden by the large trees in the area.

It was sometime later, perhaps not quite thirty minutes when a man approached them. Sakura tensed her fist behind Hinata's back as Hinata glared warily at the newcomer, her eyes opened wide and her Byakugan pulsing.

The man stepped into the moonlight allowing both of them to see his face, which despite being half-covered was still recognizable.

"Mr. Zabuza?" Sakura voiced; her face confused. "I don't understand."

"You're safe now, Ms. Sakura." He said, voice low, very deliberately glancing at the Fox's ship in the distance, which was now only barely visible. "It's quite fortunate that I happened to find Lady Hinata and yourself after escaping from those Kiri pirates. I'm certain you both must have been through some awful experiences during these past weeks."

Hinata pursed her lips as Sakura began to nod, following along as she collapsed on the ground and began to sob loudly, making sure to attract as much attention as possible as other footsteps began to run towards them.

Hinata fell to the ground as well and for the first time in her life, her tears were not genuine as they fell down her face.

"Indeed, we have." She murmured, clutching Sakura's hands as the Kiri ninja began to shout words of comfort as their identities became clear.


After their "rescue", both Sakura and Hinata were taken to the nearest hospital to be assessed for their injuries. Sakura had long healed anything that remained from their time with the Kiri pirates and besides a couple of healed scars the only lasting effects were nightmares and bad memories.

Hinata had to choke back tears at seeing Neji. He had a large wound that had been difficult to heal in his chest and so he was wrapped in bandages to promote healing. Sakura had taken a thorough look at him as soon as she was able and she assured Hinata that the Kiri medics had done the best they could.

The words they used to describe Neji's condition were all muffled noises to Hinata, who couldn't stop looking at Neji's unconscious body.

"Lady Hinata?" It was one of the Kiri medics. Hinata turned to look at him with empty eyes as she wordlessly kept staring at Neji's leg.

It was wrapped in bandages and looked oddly swollen. A long, still healing wound trailed from his calf to his thigh.

"He suffered from broken ribs and a harsh wound to his chest, but both are now healing nicely. We are more worried about the severe injury to his left leg. It's healing much slower than we had hoped and we think that the shock of the injury may have caused his comatose state."

Hinata turned towards Sakura as she grasped her hand in solidarity.

"Have you tried healing the wound with medical ninjutsu?" Sakura asked, knowing the answer as she bit her lip in worry.

"We did, but it was only so effective. He spent over two days at sea before we were able to locate them and by then the infection had set in deep. We were worried we would have to amputate, but it is healing slowly-"

"May I look?" Hinata interrupted, gripping Sakura's hand tightly. "With my eyes, may I look?"

"Oh-oh yes milady of course."

Hinata weaved the signs slowly and she gazed at Neji's broken and fractured body and a lump formed in her throat.

It was hard not to feel guilt for his state when it was because of her that he'd been injured so badly.

She forced herself to look at his chest and saw that the medics were correct, the injuries to his ribs and chest were barely noticeable. His leg however…

Hinata saw the bone mended, indeed it was healing, but it looked weaker. It had been just as the doctor said, the infection had gone away, his leg bone mostly healed, and yet there was something in the muscle then that wasn't quite right.

She slowly released her Byakugan and deeply exhaled.

"His leg…it looks almost normal, but there is something in his muscle?"

"We think the infection damaged much of his leg muscles, perhaps even his bone. We won't know for sure until Lord Neji wakes up."

Hinata grasped one of Neji's barely warm hands in her own. "I see this nightmare isn't over for us yet." She whispered as Sakura continued speaking to the doctor. "But rest easy brother. I'm here for you now."


Hinata had found her cousin Hoheto in another area of the hospital, in the recovery ward and he had thrown himself at her feet while she had crouched down to embrace him, her tears overwhelming her as they both cried in happiness.

"Lady Hinata," he gasped, as he gripped her hands against his chest, "I thought we'd lost you! To have you here again is more than we could have hoped for."

"You mustn't move too much!" she chastised, brushing his hair behind his face, "But I'm glad to see that you're well. I hear that it was you who saved our entire family."

Hoheto grimaced. "If I had been a little quicker, perhaps I would have been able to get Lord Neji to safety quicker-"

"Don't you dare say that!" Hinata interrupted, pulling him back so that he could rest in his bed again, "You did enough. You need to focus now on getting well."

Sai had arrived a couple of days after the women and because of his relatively inoffensive appearance it was easy for him to blend in. He would often greet the women in the mornings and then salute them at night to indicate he was always around them.

It unexpectedly brought both Sakura and Hinata comfort and made them rest easier as the days passed by.

Sakura had reviewed each of her family member's conditions and had conversed with the Kiri doctors. As expected, they had done all that was possible with their conditions and Sakura was unable to do much else. Hoheto, Iroha, and Hiroshi were in stable condition and alert. Only Iroha could walk, but their overall recovery was progressing nicely despite the broken bones.

"Sakura?"

She turned to face Hinata as they redressed Neji's wound. "Yes?"

"Will you be heading to the Land of Fire as originally planned?"

Sakrua looked shocked. "Are you mad? I won't be leaving you alone in this country!"

"But your family has surely heard of our plight by now. You were headed for the land of Fire before all of this happened, were you not? You can't afford to remain with me much longer." Hinata spoke, gathering her thoughts as she took a letter from her belongings and offered it to Sakura.

Sakura twitched. "I was not headed to the Leaf Village originally."

"I realize that and I am terribly ashamed to ask this of you…but would you do me the kindness of going in my stead?" Hinata asked, biting her lip in anxiousness as Sakura's face paled.

"We can all go together once Neji is healed." She protested, her verdant eyes widening.

"That may take a very long time, won't it? I need to let my family in the Leaf know that I am well and healthy."

Sakura was still hesitant. "Could you not entrust this endeavor to one of your kinsmen once they recuperate?"

"The news that we are both well has to reach them soon, Sakura. This cannot wait much longer."

If this had been a request to visit any other Hidden Village Sakura would not have hesitated to accept. But alas, this was Konoha. While the memories of what had happened had dimmed, her emotions towards certain actions and one certain person had not.

Hinata grasped Sakura's hands in her own. "I beg you, Sakura. I want my father to have this message from me."

Sakura was trembling slightly. She did not want to leave Hinata on her own, but really what could she do? Hinata was indeed correct. Word needed to return to Konoha to apprise them of their situation. And she would need to see her own family. By now all of the Leaf probably knew of their kidnapping and no doubt it would be a scandal.

She needed to go back, even if that was the last thing she truly wanted to do.

Sakura sighed and gripped the letter in her hand before placing it in her small bag. "Fine. I'll do this for you."

"Thank you, Sakura-"

"But you must come back home as soon as you're able. As soon as Neji is stable enough to move. I do not want you here on your own for too much longer-"

"Mr. Uzumaki will send someone to accompany her." Sai spoke up, his presence having been all but forgotten to the two women he startled. "You needn't worry Sakura."

Hinata could only smile softly at Sakura and embraced her one last time before she began preparations to depart with Sai.


It was days later when someone came to see Neji.

Hinata was resting against the wall, barely asleep when the sudden pull of the curtain startled her awake, the new figure appearing blurred in her vision.

The newcomer gave her a soft smile and she felt her breathing stop. She had resigned herself to not seeing him again. To see him before her now felt like a cruel twist or a malevolent joke.

But his image did not fade when she blinked.

He was dressed differently, she noted. He wore a white linen shirt that was fully buttoned, with a ruffle collar, and long sleeveless vest on top. It was simple. It was comfortable. He blended in like any other common man who roamed the town.

He looked nothing like his identity as the Fox who had been shrouded in black.

"I'm sorry. Did I wake you?"

"Yes, but that's alright." Hinata immediately winced at her reply. How very rude of her.

He didn't seem to notice and Naruto smiled at her before sitting down next to Neji, his eyes softening considerably as he looked him over.

"Sai told me of the situation. There's been no change?"

"None," she sighed. "The medics aren't sure of when he'll wake up."

There was a short pause between them and Hinata shifted uncomfortably.

"I did not expect you to be the one to come here. Sai only mentioned that you would send someone…" she trailed off, embarrassed.

Naruto shrugged. "Only a handful of my crew members could step foot in this country. I decided not to risk them and besides, I wanted to come myself."

Hinata could only nod. This was a pending obligation then, nothing personal. It was to be expected and yet it still stung.

Naruto looked up at her. "How is the rest of your family?"

"All of them survived thankfully. They are still recovering and so I take turns between seeing them throughout the day."

Naruto glanced down at her figure and noticed that she was still very thin, her tiny wrists clutching the blanket that was on top of Neji with a death grip, and the bags under her eyes were visibly darker.

"I'm happy to look over Neji for a bit while you take some an hour or two to yourself." He offered.

Hinata immediately shook her head. "No. I could not impose-"

"It's not imposing, Hinata. You need to rest as well."

She hesitated for a moment and smoothed out the blanket nicely before standing. "Thank you."


Hinata thought that Naruto would at best just visit her for one day or perhaps just two days, but she was surprised when she saw him there for several days, assisting with changing Neji's bandages. He could not remain the whole day with her as he had things to take care of, but Hinata was so grateful for his presence she did not mind it.

She had only been there a week when he once again approached the curtain and pulled it back.

Hinata greeted him with a small smile as Naruto nodded at her in greeting. "Any change?"

"None so far. Truly you don't have to come here so often."

"Is my presence that awful?" Naruto asked, lifting an eyebrow, a mischievous smile spreading across his face.

Her face flamed. "N-No, nothing of the sort! You must be very busy, and this is something that I can handle."

"Hinata, you must realize that you cannot remain here at all hours. You have to take some time to rest. I'm here to ensure that you don't get ill as well."

She bit the inside of her cheeks and she turned back to Neji's sleeping form. "I'll rest more when my brother is awake."

There were no words between them for an instant until they noticed that a sudden commotion was forming beyond their privacy curtain.

Naruto instantly stood up with Hinata at his back as someone pulled back the privacy curtain and both him and Hinata blanched.

Lord Mizukage had come to visit them in person.

Instantly Hinata pulled herself to Naruto's side and wordlessly bowed deeply as Naruto stood rigidly, unblinking. She panicked for a slight instant that he wouldn't do anything before he gave a small bow as well.

"Lord Mizukage. It's a pleasure to meet you. What brings the honor of your presence?" Hinata's response was trained and poised. Naruto did not think he would have been able to do better. Situations like these which required delicacy and tactfulness were lost on him.

Learning etiquette and societal customs were beyond the scope of what Jiraiya had taught him. Better to keep silent and let an expert like Hinata handle any conversation.

Lord Ao glared warily at Naruto, before nodding at Hinata. "Lady Hinata. My wife mentioned the horrid ordeal your family had gone through. I came to apologize in person for your unpleasant time in our country's borders."

"Oh please, there's no need-"

"Ah, but there is. After all it was Kiri pirates who took your fortune and left your kinsmen in such a sad state," he remarked looking over Neji's body. "A noble lady such as yourself should never have to lower herself to posing as a scoundrel in order to escape. It speaks to your family's bravery that you and Ms. Haruno were able to free yourselves. The least I could do to ensure you safety while you remain in our country."

Hinata tried not to wince at his words. She had worried if the fake story was good enough, but since Zabuza had spread the story to his superiors there was little she could do now. It appeared to have fooled the Mizukage and his wife, at least for now.

"It's much appreciated, Lord Mizukage. I thank you and your wife for the treatment my family has been given."

"If you require anything during your extended stay do not hesitate to reach out to my men. They will ensure you have everything you need."

Hinata instantly knew this was a lie. The apology was superficial at best and the remarks to have his men do anything to please her were insincere. In any case it would benefit him to have her kinsmen pass in this country, for then the bodies would have to remain in this land.

And their Hyuuga eyes would belong to Kiri. That was the law in this country.

"Of course." She answered, bowing again, keeping her lips pressed shut in a thin line.

Lord Ao moved to depart before glowering at Naruto who had still not uttered a single word, his fists rigid at his sides.

"Who might you be?" he asked, the age lines of his eyes settling deeper and for a horrid moment she wondered if he was suspected something wrong with him.

Naruto's jaw tightened. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki." He responded. A feeling of unease overcame him.

He did not like speaking with this man. Utakata and others had commented that while generally moderately liked by his homeland, the Mizukage could be ruthless and unforgiving. He ordered covert assassinations of potential opponents that were disguised as with accidents and "mishaps". Ironically enough, since he had killed everyone that had a possibility of becoming Mizukage, his own wife had become one of the strongest nin remaining in his village. He had left her as his most suitable successor despite the fact that he would never allow her to take office.

He was also strongly suspected to have collected his prized spoil from war, the Hyuuga eye that he so deeply treasured, from after the treaty had been signed. When the Hyuuga had voiced concern, they were told that it was done prior to the treaty going into effect. Without a way to prove it, the Hyuuga were left with nothing but bitterness.

His country also had the distinction of having the highest number of pirates and rogue nin of any of the five major villages. According to the rest of the world, that made his country a little more than a devil's paradise.

Lord Ao stared at Naruto, clearly expecting more of an introduction than just a name and Hinata pushed her way in front of Naruto, almost shielding him in a way and drawing attention back to herself.

"This is Mr. Uzumaki, a former classmate of mine from Konoha. He heard about my plight and has been a great support for me while I handle the care for my kinsmen."

There was a long pause as Lord Ao regarded Naruto with something eerily similar to disdain. "Well, it seems like you are in good hands, Lady Hyuuga. Have a pleasant rest of the day."

"You as well, Lord Mizukage." Hinata bowed again.

Naruto remained silent and Lord Ao departed without another word.


Author's Note: Thanks to all for the support on the previous chapter. We're heading into some pretty detailed flashbacks and memories in the next couple of chapters as I'm playing more and more with other characters. Also, I'm sure some of you are wondering why the fic is rated M. It was never rated M for violence, but for other mature situations. It is meant to be a love story after all.

Please remember to fave, follow, and review! See you all next week!