An unfamiliar look appeared on Hinata's face—ghostly somehow. Lifeless. The dark marks on her hands grew, gradually making their way up to her forearms.

"There is no other way," she said. "That seal—it's made to eliminate traitors and enemies."

Sasuke frowned. Almost laughable how little it took to become Konoha's enemy again. Though, this time, this woman had trusted him and now paid for that poor choice. What baffled him was that Hinata wanted him to leave. Usually, it would have been nothing to him. They had talked about it; the risks were clear. He had done it before. He had stabbed Karin when she had become a burden for his quest for revenge—

But this was different. Sasuke's head pulsed, his fingertips itching under pressure.

What now? He had tried everything he knew on how to disperse a seal. Or at least to make it stop growing.

Sasuke paced the moonlit cave. His chakra ran low, dripping through his veins. The jammer had done its job, leaving him at his weakest. Would the tiny chakra reserve he had left be enough to teleport? He stretched out his hand towards Hinata. "I'm taking us back to Konoha. The Yamanaka should know how to remove the seal."

"No!" Hinata jerked back, turning her head away. "She can't. Ino wouldn't go against orders. It will ruin her life. Please. Just… go."

"Stop it," he snarled. "The Yamanaka might be the only person to know how to help."

"No. This… She'll know it was us."

He scowled. "So?"

"I don't want anyone to pay for my mistakes," Hinata whispered. "It's not right."

"Not right!?" Sasuke clenched his teeth. "We were both aware of the consequences of tonight."

"Yes, we were. This is the only way. You have to go." Her glance sank to the ground. It appeared like she already made peace with the fact that she wouldn't survive this night.

His stomach tied itself into a tight knot. No.

"Please, Sasuke. I don't want that… for you either. You just wanted to help me. I-I'm sorry. Go back to Konoha… wait for your atonement."

Sasuke's thoughts ran wild as he watched the seal's dark ink glowering on her pale skin. A solution was needed. It would require a seal master, but nobody would qualify. Sasuke had learned everything from Orochimaru––the snake wouldn't help them anymore. Sakura or Tsunade were medics without much experience in Fuinjutsu. They could only heal.

"You should go," Hinata said quietly.

Sasuke clenched his jaw. Damn it. But he wouldn't give up like that. He wouldn't accept it.

If only Itachi would have been still alive. The Totsuka blade would have been a possibility—But it had been lost after his brother had removed Orochimaru's cursed mark with it.

However, he possessed something else from Itachi.

"Please, Sasuke. You have to leave. I will make sure to… " Hinata's eyes dodged his. "I will make sure to… hide the evidence."

An invisible hit struck right into his chest. Her mindset to throw her life away so quickly made something inside him rage in fire. Instead, he calmed himself down.

He took some steps towards her and kneeled in front of her. She pulled back until her back bumped against the stony wall of the cave in an attempt to increase the distance.

"I won't leave." When she froze, Sasuke roughly pulled up her sleeve to examine her skin. The seal marked part of it. Precision. Sasuke loathed what he was about to tell her. "You said you trust me?"

"Mh?" Her eyes went wide, lashes fluttering. "I… do."

"I don't have enough chakra for anything else." He had no other ideas anyway. "After that, we will have to wait until my chakra restores to teleport again. Only one attempt to destroy it."

"Destroy?" Hinata asked. "What do you mean?"

"It will burn stronger than anything else. But it should distract the connection to your chakra system." He sighed, finger tracing over the pale soft skin on her arm in between the mark. "You will need to keep going, okay?" She cocked her head, eyebrows drawing together. "Don't pass out."

"Sasuke." Her lips turned into a thin line. "What's your plan?"

"Amaterasu—The most merciless fire." He breathed out and shut his eyes, unable to withstand her gaze any longer. The proposal was brutal, but he wouldn't let her die. The only chance. "I'll burn down the seal."

"Amaterasu—The most merciless fire." He breathed out and shut his eyes, unable to withstand her gaze any longer. The proposal was brutal, but he wouldn't let her die. The only chance. "I'll burn down the seal."

He didn't want to do that. But there was nothing else he could do to remove it.

It would hurt like hell. Maybe even worse because Amaterasu wasn't a normal fire.

"Amaterasu," she repeated in a hoarse voice. For a moment, he thought she would decline. Instead, Hinata nodded firmly. "O-Okay. Let's do this. I… Thank you."

Sasuke swallowed, his throat drier than any desert. There was nothing to be thankful for. He would need not only to burn the seal down, leaving as much skin intact as possible. The thought of intentionally setting her on fire sent icy shivers down his spine.

Hinata's glance snapped from her own hands to him. "I'm ready."

Sasuke's whole body ached as he concentrated on his task. He had to be precise. Too much would mean more pain, not enough wouldn't disturb the seal.

"Amaterasu." He heard his voice from a distance. Pressure pulsed in his head like it always would as he kept his glance on the black fire raging across Hinata's skin. She whimpered but didn't scream, teeth pressing further into her lower lip with every second that passed.

The fire quickly traveled along the seal. He controlled it by directing it as accurately as possible. The smell of burned skin attacked his nose, making him nauseous. Usually, he wouldn't even register it, but this time…

Torture.

The screams filled the cave, shaking the walls. Even though she took it better than he imagined, her strength wavered after the fire continued to rage on the seal. Sasuke focused on the path the fire took, carefully guiding it with his Sharingan to trace the seal.

Hinata's screams drilled into his brain. But to no avail. He had to continue. The bloody tears ran down his cheek, but this time he didn't even know whether it was blood.

The screaming stopped for a second before picking up again.

Sasuke didn't look up at her face, gaze still on the black fire gnawing on the beautiful pale skin. He needed to make sure he destroyed it all…

"Done." Sasuke instantly put out the fire. The screaming stopped, only to be replaced with pained sobs. The places the mark had been before now oddly white––waxy almost––shone in the moonlight. Was the seal gone? Had it been enough?

He examined it.

No remains of the dark seal.

"It's gone." He finally forced himself to look at her face again, smeared with sweat. Even asking how she felt was useless because he could see the pain in her eyes. "Hinata?"

Thick tears silently ran down her cheeks, full lips trembling. "Thank… you."

Don't. Don't thank me for that.

"It's gone. And doesn't grow anymore," Sasuke mumbled, his hand trembling slightly as he held his gaze on the red marks to make sure they really were gone.

"The pain… is gone." Hinata mustered her hands, shuddering and whimpering. He wasn't sure it was a good thing she didn't feel pain. They need medical consulting as soon as possible. Unfortunately, he had no chakra left for that. All this additional pain he had already caused her… it made him sick. As if a cold wind froze his fingers. Cold indeed.

Sasuke rose from the floor and walked to the other side of the cave. It should be still here. The bag in question lay behind a bigger stone in the corner, dust covering its top. It was untouched, otherwise the trap seals he had installed at the entrance would have reacted to any intruder.

"Sasuke," Hinata said, watching him as he walked back to her with the bag in his hand. "You've been here before."

"I slept here for a few weeks during my training under Orochimaru." There were unspoken questions in her eyes, so he decided to answer the most obvious one. "We're in the land of Tea."

She seemed to sense that he wasn't in the mood to speak about that part of his past. "You left those things here? Why?"

"Because…" His younger self had thought he'd come back one day—after his revenge. "It was a silly thought," Sasuke mumbled. "Those lands are mostly unoccupied by people, mainly because they aren't easy to access. Only some people live here for tea plantations. There is a river nearby, the woods are full of plants and animals."

Hinata nodded. "You… liked this place."

"It's all right."

"You wanted to come back here one day." Her attentive eyes focused on him, making him suddenly feel naked under her glance. He didn't even say much, but she read him. It irritated the hell out of him. Hinata finished her train of thought out loud, "You never wanted to go back to Konoha."

Konoha.

Leave.

"No, I didn't." Sasuke's fist tightened around the bag in his hand. "Do you think I'd planned to return to the village where my family was murdered?"

Hinata shook her head. "I… I can't even imagine."

Sasuke stopped. Usually, everybody tried to emphasize even though nobody could really imagine what it was like to be him. Hinata was the first to say it. To acknowledge his pain. The burning rage inside his chest faded, leaving behind a realization. "One day… I'll leave the village behind. And never come back."

"Mmm. I'm sure that day will come." Hinata leaned back, closing her eyes. "And you'll be free."

Me—free?

First, this urge to retort bubbled up inside of him only to disappear when he saw her calm breathing and a hint of a smile. A hopeful smile. Sasuke sighed as he sat down next to her, quickly going through the contents of the bag. "Here's a blanket." He quickly put it around her shoulders, careful not to touch her wounds.

"Uh? T-Thank you," Hinata said.

"Stop doing that."

"Hm?"

"Thanking me for nothing."

"It's… it's not nothing," Hinata said as she shifted under the blanket. The faintest blush tinted her cheeks. "You helped me."

Snorting at her gentle protest, Sasuke leaned his head back against the stone, completely exhausted from the chakra drain. He had sat close enough for their shoulders to touch, but it didn't bother him right now to readjust. She didn't back away either, so it wouldn't matter anyway.

"Sasuke. You're tired," Hinata whispered. She must be in pain greater than he could imagine and still––"You need to rest."

How? How could she be concerned for him when he had just burned her?

"Not. Tired." He almost scoffed at himself for not being able to lie.

"Sasuke…"

"Save it."

A small pout rose on her lips, her pearlescent eyes turning to slits as if she was about to burst out laughing.

"What is it?" Sasuke asked, irritated by the amused look on her face. Was she going crazy now?

"Ah. It's just… somehow, it reminded me of Neji," Hinata said quietly.

"Why?"

"Hmm. I don't know. Every time he'd be in pain or tired, he just wouldn't acknowledge it." Hinata cocked her head, knitting her eyebrows together. "He trained me and encouraged me to develop a new technique, something just for me… and one time, we both got hurt. When I woke up, he stood by my bed, shirt still torn where I hit him. Neji said he already saw the doctor and that I should concentrate on myself and healing. Later I thanked the medic for helping us, and he told me I had been his only patient for that day. Neji didn't say anything. He just… endured. But I knew it hurt, and I didn't want him to be hurt again."

"Hm." Sasuke's jaw clenched.

"What makes me sad is I saw through it."

"Saw through what?"

"His pain. It was so carefully hidden underneath a stoic expression." Hinata bit her lower lip. "So I went along. I thought this was what he wanted… But later, I realized it wasn't right. I can sense that you're exhausted."

Sasuke observed her, feeling her glance at him. Maybe she really could read between the obvious. He had heard that the Hyuga clan possessed their own form of dojutsu that enabled them to see far beyond the visible.

"A couple of hours until the chakra is restored," he said. "That's all."

She didn't even try to hide her cheeky laughter. "I know."

Sasuke scoffed. "You're a real Hyuga, after all."

"Huh?" Hinata blinked. "Why?"

"The Hyuga arrogance is endless. That's what my father used to say as well."

"Well…" Hinata shrugged, smile not fading but only growing at his remark. "I agree that sometimes we might appear––"

"Stuck-up?" The corner of his lip curled up slightly.

"Cold," she said, giggling a bit. "But that's just the way we're taught to act. Never show any weakness. Most aren't like that. There is still… love."

Not that different from the Uchiha, then. And before he could even question it, it left his mouth. "Obviously, there's love. Your cousin didn't jump to protect you for anything else."

"That…" Tears welled up again, and Sasuke could have punched himself for his remark. "You're right. It's true… That's… love."

"I guess," he said, feeling his eyelids drooping when she chuckled softly. Love. That unconditional care for somebody, way past their own life. He knew that kind of love himself, that love within the family. And she could relate. Maybe she really could see through it all.

Warm darkness surrounded him as he thought about it, dozing off.

Strange.

When he woke up, he found the blanket on his shoulders. "What?"

Hinata turned to him slowly, a tired look on her face. "Oh. You're awake."

Anger filled his gut as he tried to imagine how she must have put the blanket around him. "Are you insane? You can't use your hands now that––"

"I-I didn't." She waved at him. "I… used my teeth."

Sasuke halted, mouth opening upon the realization. She really was stubborn. But also kind and caring. A kindness he wasn't familiar with. Usually, people always wanted something else from him. "Right. Sorry."

Hinata's eyes widened. "No, no, please don't apologize. It's not your fault, it's my––"

"No." The reason for their failure was him. Just like with his brother, his emotions had gotten the best of him. With Itachi, it was anger and hurt. With Hinata, it was different. "I should have known. That whole plan was… foolish."

"M-Maybe." The corner of her lips curled up. "Maybe it was…a little bit foolish."

"The Hyuga always try to cover up their real feelings… So it was damn foolish, wasn't it?"

She nodded. "And a bit arrogant too… perhaps."

"Don't push it." Her giggle got louder, making a warm feeling rising in his chest. "I'm working on it. I tend to be like that sometimes. Rash."

"I didn't stop you…"

"You tried." Sasuke shrugged.

She smiled weakly. "I could have been more… determined."

"You mean as stubborn as before when you wanted to experiment on your mind without my help."

There was a silence as she shifted slightly from side to side. "Yes."

He lifted a brow. "That's all you have to say?"

"It was…" Hinata closed her eyes. "F-Foolish."

At least they agreed on that. Sasuke released a breath but knew they didn't have any time left. Hinata appeared paler than usual, her burns severe enough. "My chakra recharged. I'll teleport us back. Sakura will help you and heal your wounds." He crouched down in front of her. "Put your arms around my neck."

"I-I-I can walk."

He quirked a brow. "And die of exhaustion? You're being stubborn again, Hyuga."

Hinata blushed, shifting around to put her feet on the ground in a useless attempt to stand up. Sasuke quickly interrupted her motion by placing a hand on her head. "Umm? But you said you didn't want to go back—"

"I said one day."

"Oh."

"Until then, come," Sasuke said, knitting his eyebrows when she hesitated. "You want your arrogance to kill you?"

"Umm… no?" She slowly put her arms around his neck, embracing him and hanging on to him, pressing her warm body against his chest and slinging her legs around his hip. His hand instinctively propped her bottom so she wouldn't fall. He hoped it wouldn't be discomforting for her and tried to keep it as clinical as possible. He relaxed when she leaned her head against his shoulder. That subtle scent he caught reminded him once again of water, sea, and… tea? "Thank you, Sasuke."

There was no more time left to linger on those weird thoughts.

Sasuke opened a portal and stepped through it. They landed in front of a door. For a fraction of a second, Sasuke wondered whether there was a way for the story to go without drama. Still, he instantly knocked.

It took a few minutes until the door swung open, revealing a topless man with messy brown hair.

"Hey ya, didn't we agree on––You," Kiba growled. "What do you––Hinata?!"

"Where is Sakura?"

Sommer: Thank you for reading. Hope this wasn't too distressing or boring. I had to research different degrees of burns and ah... I don't want to dive into too much detail here. It was a bit of a quiet chapter, but it was necessary. I'm excited about future events. Hehe.
Somehow I wrote a lot about Sasuke and Hinata just talking, I feel like they would have a lot to talk about. I even had to cut down some things––for now.
I'd be grateful to read your thoughts in the comments. Have a great day. :)