In which we find out that the authoress is truly lazy about fight scenes. Don't own Naruto or anythign affiliated with it. Broken record syndrome, we know this. Please keep your hands and arms within the constraints, and all rotten fruit, vegetables, animals and minerals to yourself.

They were finally going to go back to Konoha. The Raikage had been teasingly reluctant to let Hinata go. Hinata had not played along well. Sasuke could feel her unease. She wanted to be back in her own village. With her family and her friends. And she wanted to be away from the looming threat of his brother. Away from the reminder that evil could exist without any purpose other than its own existence.

They left quietly, in the bright sun that couldn't warm the cold dread forming in the pit of Sasuke's stomach. That night, she slept next to him, curled protectively around him, as if through intention alone she could keep him safe. As if the warmth of her heart would melt the frost. He could feel the chill within him. Soon… soon he'd see. They'd both see whether or not Sasuke was strong enough to kill, and continue living.

They were traveling through the trees. Neither spoke, but the silence, while not cold, was not comfortable. Suddenly that feeling with Sasuke exploded and sent shockwaves all through him. He was close. Hinata turned to see Sasuke a shade paler than normal, hand resting on a tree trunk, panting like he'd run a hundred laps. She knew what had to happen next. Silently, she watched him move away from the path they'd chosen. He had his own path to follow, and whether or not he came back was not up to her. He had to do this alone…

didn't he? No… no he doesn't. He's not alone, dammit. And I will not lose him to that thought!

"Hello, little brother." Itachi stood from where he'd been kneeling formally. "So nice to see you again."

But Sasuke's eyes were not on his brother. "Hinata!"

Itachi slowly turned to the ninja that had followed Sasuke into the clearing.

"Hinata… Hyuuga?" Itachi's laugh was short and cold. "Oh well done, little brother, well done." Sasuke was paralyzed as he watched his brother back Hinata up against a tree.

"I had heard that you wished to kill me, and then revive the clan. I was going to dismiss them as idle words. However... a Hyuuga... the Hyuuga heiress if I remember correctly... A very... interesting move. Undoubtedly reviving the clan will be a ... pleasure."

Hinata repressed a shudder. His words sent tingles down her spine. But unlike the feathery stroke of nerves she felt with Sasuke, the shivers were more like the carress of a blade. Sensually dangerous, drawing a thin line between pain and pleasure.

Sasuke, much as he wanted to, could not move. He could only stare at his brother, hatred in his red eyes. Itachi was toying with them both. One hand slid behind her head, angling her face into his. His black painted nails tapped the hitae ate over her eyes. Even though she'd blindfolded herself, Itachi had the same effect a snake has on a rabbit. She couldn't move but it put him in the upper hand.

"Did you know," Itachi began conversationally, "that the Sharingan originated from the Byakugan? It became a dominant gene, the numbers increasing till finally the Uchiha separated from the Hyuuga, to create their own clan. Undoubtedly there was a great deal of friendly rivalry. The Hyuuga clan symbol is the flame, is it not?" Itachi's other hand traced the Hyuuga flame lightly on the skin Hinata's shirt didn't cover. "And the Uchiha clan symbol is the marugame-uchiwa… the fan that controls the flames." His fingers skimmed down the unmoving form of the Hyuuga heiress, from the hollow of her throat, down, the valley of her breasts, further, passing over her navel, till finally…they…stopped…

"I wonder how I should paint her into your worst nightmares. Like I did with our...parents so many years ago. Would you prefer to watch her die for three days? Or perhaps tainting her with my touch will be enough…"

"Get your hands off her!" Sasuke had found his tongue, anger and fear driving him to move. He would not watch yet another person close to him suffer. Not because he was too weak to protect them. Not this time.

Sasuke charged, building up the chakra in his hand. Itachi threw him off with the hand he'd had on Hinata, but barely. Surprise flickered in his face before the malice returned.

"So this is how you defeated Kisame. He threatened your woman. Hn, well, I have a wedding gift for you. I've been working on it for months now."

Now…before he can…

"Juuken!" One… two… four… eight… sixteen…

Itachi slapped her, before she could finish, but the damage was done. Hinata had modified the order of the targets, closing off as many as she could that would feed his eyes and his hands. His blow sent her to her ground, skidding several feet away, the hitai ate she'd undone skittered to a stop at Sasuke's feet. She had weakened him, but only that.

"So this is the little bird that's been undoing all the damage," he hissed, "well wouldn't it be fitting if she weren't able to do the same for herself…"

Sasuke leapt between Hinata and his brother, trying to attack him again. There was a small storm of fire. Hinata's eyes began to water as she worked furiously to move fast enough, not daring to close her eyes. Finally the flames cleared, and she could see them both, exchanging blows and blocks. She could see neither had taken any more damage than singeing the hems of their clothes.

Sasuke knew if he didn't land a hit soon, Itachi would, with that twisted mind of his, get bored, and possibly use techniques he wouldn't be able to counter. He had to defeat him now. He tried the Chidori. Itachi suppressed a sigh, catching Sasuke's wrist, and slowly began twisting it, the same mocking sneer that had haunted Sasuke years ago.

"Sasuke-kun!"

Sasuke leapt and flipped, twisting like a cat, taking his wrist out of his brother's grasp, and his body out of range. Itachi stared after his brother's fleeing form for a brief eternity with unseeing eyes. The girl's blows had brought on one of the ever increasing momentary bouts of blindness, the price he had to pay for exceeding his limits. The girl. He whirled on her. She was at the other edge of the clearing, massaging her ribs. A slight rustle gave away what had been done. But it was too late.

Itachi was blinded again and in pain. He staggered to his feet, blood trickling from multiple pierces in his flesh. Sasuke came barreling forward.

"Chidori!"

Itachi blocked, but it was a poor attempt. Sasuke simply knocked the offending arm away with his free hand. Itachi could feel something wrong within him; he was weakening faster than he should have been. The surprise on his face was hidden by the cold hatred. Sasuke gave his brother a feral grin.

"Hinata and I thought we'd return your partner's sword to you. And I have something else."

His slammed his other hand into his brother's chest.

In his last moments of consciousness, Itachi saw his brother, and if his blood red eyes allowed it, he might have cried. But his eyes and what the years had left of his heart would not allow for tears. All he could do was close them, into a sweet darkness he had forgotten was possible.

"You cut that extremely close."

"Well the tag exploded when I wanted it to, so I don't see what you're complaining about."

"But you were holding it while it was live. Shouldn't a healer know about unnecessary risks?"

"Uchihas seem to bring out the worst in me."

They laughed until they cried. Her eyes were crying her relief and adrenaline. His heart was crying for his family and his regrets.

"Why did you follow me? You knew I had to fight him."

"But you didn't have to fight him alone, did you?"

He had no answer for that. She continued. "You're strong, I know, but I'm weak enough to be afraid for you. I couldn't go on with out you, and I decided that stopping and waiting was never to be an option if I could be doing something." Like waiting for Naruto held me back from seeing how truly amazing you are…without the bright orange.

"I… I just didn't want you to think that just because it was your fight… that you were alone."

"Thank you, Hinata." Thank you for being the strength I needed. For teaching me true strength, and for helping me to find it. Neither of us expected that I'd find it in you.

"Hinata, do me a favor."

"I can leave you alone, I'll…"

"I want you to mark his tenketsu for me. Juuken is just chakra released through the hand, so I should be able to imitate it."

"H-hai." You're not going to kill him? Sasuke…

Tsunade woke up to her office door slamming. "Shizune?" She blinked blearily, trying to surreptitiously hide the empty bottles on the floor near her feet. "Oh… you're back."
So what do we think? I'm open to fixing it. I just didn't know what else to put into a fight scene that would be new and exciting and lemony fresh. Except no lemons... I haven't got the courage to write hard core citrus. If you have a suggestion, do tell... because telling me "it needs to be longer" doesn't help me decide what to do to make it so. I fully intend to revise these all at some point. But you know, limited creativity over here. I can't even project what a hypersolid would look like.