Whoa, it's been so long since I last updated, but don't worry, I'll definitelyfinish this story someday.Thanks for the support, everyone! I think this chapter will wrap up the abduction, though the reunion between Neji and Hinata is rushed.And you get to see another of my lame fights! Well, I won't delay you any further!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.


As Itachi and Hinata neared his home, he sensed something amiss nearby. There were others within close range of his house giving off nothing but barely detectable life signs. No ordinary civilian could have cloaked himself this well.

The rescue team has finally arrived, Itachi realized as he contemplated the likely possibility of a conflict in the near future. It was just as he had expected.

He was taken aback, however, when he found that there was only one shinobi present. Surely they did not underestimate him to such a degree? It would take them a team, at very least, to give him a scratch. But then he recognized the man, though it had been years since they had last met.

Crouching on the tree branch, completely focused on his surroundings with penetrating white eyes— it could only be Hyuga Neji.

Itachi's heart grew cold.

---

It was after nightfall that Neji's Byakugan picked up the approach of two figures. To his joy and relief, one of them was Hinata. The other, he recognized from memory and description—Itachi. Hiding himself carefully in the bushes, Neji took care not to make a sound. Pakkun had already moved to a safe spot where he could take shelter.

The two shinobi entered the compound wordlessly without so much as glancing at each other. They split up and each went into a room, presumably to rest for the night.

As Pakkun watched nervously, Neji slipped from inside the leaves and made his way to Hinata. They would leave immediately, before Itachi could catch them.

Excitement mounting, Neji opened the door. Hinata was just about to get into bed.

"Hinata-sama!" he said in a hurried whisper.

She spun around in shock. "Neji-niisan," Hinata said, incredulously, not believing her eyes. "How…?"

There was no time for a lengthy reply. "Quickly, let's go." Glancing all around them, he kept a close watch on Itachi's movements. At present, the enemy did not seem aware of what was going on, but there was no time to waste.

For a moment, Hinata did not move. Neji wondered why she hesitated. Was it fear at being caught? She looked down at the floor before facing him directly in the eyes. "Right, let's go," she agreed at last.

Taking hold of her hand, Neji pulled her toward the exit.

Neji stopped short when he saw the man blocking his path. Just the sight of Itachi gave him the chills; the infamous Sharingan seemed to be trying to hypnotize him already.

"Go, Hinata-sama," Neji said softly out of the corner of his mouth. "I won't let anything happen to you." She was wary to obey; perhaps he only thought that she would be a hindrance when he fought Itachi. But Hinata knew that it wasn't so.

She suspected that he was trying hard to redeem himself. As she looked deeper, she saw that his air of confidence had returned, creeping in slowly back into the Neji who had become discouraged by his failure. He wanted to take on a challenge and prove that he was capable of protecting those that he cared for. It was with his prideful gaze that he was saying, "This is my fight."

Recognizing that same look that she had seen inso many of herfriend'seyes before, Hinata stood back slowly.

Neji faced Itachi alone. He had to admit that a less sensible part of him was thrilled to fight. It was not everyday that it was him versus a legend.

"You underestimate me, Hyuga Neji," Itachi said, scornfully. Any attempt to escape would be in vain. "I've known that you were here from the start."

"I see…" Neji said with equal loathing. He stood up straight and tall. Further away at the entrance to the compound, Hinata watched silently. "You used a Kage Bushin to fool my Byakugan while you stayed hidden."

He was correct.Though Itachi revealed nothing to his opponent, he actually felt a small degree of admiration. As Itachi had predicted, Neji had indeed become a fine shinobi. His sight had become remarkably sharp, almost unheard of at his age.

"The Byakugan is an prized asset, and with it, there is little that you cannot see," Itachi said, stating a fact. He paused and considered it. "But your eyes are still no match for mine." In the instant when he looked up, Itachi's gaze had hardened into a glare that could freeze its victim dead in their tracks.

Before Neji could react, he was struck by a blow that sent him reeling. Thrown out into the courtyard, he hurried to recover. When his vision steadied again, Neji saw the face of Uchiha Itachi staring down at him. He backed away ever so slightly. Somehow or other, Itachi had arrived here without detection.

Though he could have easily seized the opportunity to attack, Itachi allowed Neji time to pick himself off the ground. His point was made. He did not need to lower himself to striking when the enemy was down.

Neji saw now that there was no chance of stealthy escape. The only way out was through Itachi. He tensed as he prepared to attack.

Itachi seized up his enemy, analyzing his strengths and weakness.

This was Neji, the one for whom the Hyuga clan had bowed. He was strong, yes, but Itachi was stronger. He did not deserve everything he had; he did not deserve to be allowed to change his fate. As his resentment mounted, so did his strength.

Without warning, Itachi performed a jutsu that caused the air around Neji to lift and bind him with invisible ropes. Struggling in the tightening trap, the jounin tried technique after technique but to no avail. As he continued to slash at his bonds with a determination to break free, Neji reminded Itachi again of the sullen child that he had seen years ago.

---

"He's training really hard, isn't he?" Sasuke commented, tugging his brother's sleeve to catch his attention.

"Hmm? Who?" Itachi asked, having been jerked out of his thoughts.

"That one." Sasuke indicated the boy training in the clearing.

Itachi recognized Hyuga Neji. Other than the Uchiha, the Hyuga was one of the most illustrious clans in Konoha. This boy was one of its members. He was always seen practicing his shinobi skills feverishly, desperately. And his efforts were paying off. Although only a year older than Sasuke, Neji was steadily becoming stronger as each day passed.

"Suffering is what makes a shinobi strong…" Itachi murmured and his expression clouded.

"Niisan?" Sasuke asked curiously.

"Nothing," Itachi said, smiling hastily to cover his thoughts. How naive of Sasuke to trust that false smile. He turned his back on the Hyuga and gestured to his younger brother. "Let's go, Sasuke."

---

Since both opponents were highly skillful, the battle was long and cautious. Neji was careful not to look into the Uchiha's eyes for it would be a mistake that he would not live to regret.

Even so, Itachi's speed at performing his attacks was inhuman. He seemed to have an endless supply of jutsu at his disposal; suited for combat at any field.

"I'm disappointed," Itachi remarked. He seemed not to have broken a sweat. "I was sure you would amount to something more than this. But now you've made the same mistake as my brother—you've lost your hate. It was what could have given you power."

Neji ignored him. He was concentrating too hard on the fight.

"It was foolish of you to come here," Itachi said, moving so swiftly that he became a blur, even to the Byakugan. "It's a pity to waste your potential, but you must be made to disappear." He caught Neji's right arm in an iron grip. As he twisted it effortlessly, the bone inside snapped.

Neji panted as he crouched on his knees. His arm was all but useless. Even with his enhanced vision, Itachi remained impossible to read. He didn't seem to move at all, only when he struck. And when he did, he struck decisively.

Frustrated, Neji realized that all he had managed to do was to perhaps scratch Itachi several times.

I… just can't give up! With a ferocious effort, Neji threw himself at Itachi, left hand prepared for a jyuuken attack. The thrust missed his heart, but still scraped the side of the rib cage. Before Neji had time to register what had happened, he had already been stabbed with the sharp blade of a kunai.

Thrown off balance, Neji stumbled and fell, cursing as the wound in his arm started to bleed. Now that both arms were crippled for the duration of the fight, he did not foresee how he was supposed to win in this state.

At the same time, on the other end of the courtyard, Itachi flinched slightly as the pain grew in his side. It was not a fatal wound, but if the battle wore on, it would prove to be troublesome. Itachi understood now that a Hyuga was not to be trifled with, particularly not one who had inherited the bloodline limit as much as Neji had. It was getting to be too dangerous a game.

The pattern in his eyes merged to form a single wheel.

Hinata saw it and recognized the attack. A muted scream caught in a throat, as she realized that one of her loved ones was going to be killed right in front of her eyes. Fearful of fighting Itachi as she was, Hinata could never leave Neji to suffer the torture. Running into the middle of the battle, Hinata rushed to where Neji lay, beaten, but certainly not broken. His eyes were defiant, intensified by the activated Byakugan.

Neji struggled against her hold at first, but Hinata pulled him close to her. He was in no condition to go on.

Hinata calculated everything, and she had no illusions about a victory. No matter how far she had come in her training, she could never reach Itachi's level. She could not hope to win with only a barely developed Sharingan; it was way too soon. And unlike him, she was not a genius.

However, as many "lesser" shinobi did, she made up in perseverance what she lacked in strength. If I have to fight, I will, she thought, determined.

Their eyes met directly, each equally unwavering.

Then it happened. Itachi let his Mangekyou Sharingan dissipate. All of a sudden, his unceasing mental and physical attacks had stopped all together. The pain crept in as his predatory streak ended. He desired Neji's blood no longer, and his silence was the grudging permission for him to leave.

But this invitation was issued only to Neji.

Neji felt Hinata's arms around him tremble. She bent her head, whispering in a fearful voice, "Neji-niisan, please go while you can." It was no point them dying together. Life was the greatest gift that she could give him.

"But…" Neji said, already turning his attention back to Itachi. But her hold on him did not loosen. "Hinata-sama, I can't—" As he spoke, he stared directly into her face, and she quickly ducked away, ashamed of what he might think. But Neji had already seen.

"Your eyes!" he gasped, unable to hold back his horror. Red had bled into the whites of her eyes. He felt her grief at the loss, and his stricken expression mirrored hers. "Hinata-sama, what happened?"

Hinata smiled sadly for a moment; it was too long a story to tell. Her gaze grew firm. "Go!" Neji had never seen Hinata like that. She had changed much more than he realized, more than just in her skills. It was not she who needed protecting.

"I'll come back," Neji said finally, his mind still spinning from the recent revelations. "I'll come back for you."

"Yes. Just go." Hinata feared that Itachi's patience would not last. At long last, Neji left, disappearing into the night. Now that he was gone, Hinata was both relieved and fearful. She was truly alone to face him.

The calm was over, and the storm had begun.

Hinata felt herself dragged to her feet as Itachi grabbed her collar and pulled her up. Her courage was gone as she felt the fury that emanated from his being.

---

Itachi had let Hyuga Neji go because of her.

He had never done something as foolish as risking exposure before; now all of Konoha would be coming for him … But when Hinata had looked at him without fear, he had become unbalanced. He had been unable to snatch his target from her arms and kill him before her eyes.

He could not deny it anymore. Grabbing hold of her, Itachi did not know what to do. Should he kill her here and now to end his problems? Should he kill her because she had planned to flee?

Should he kill her because she loved Neji?

To have come so far, only to be consumed by jealously! Bottled frustration broke loose. Itachi threw Hinata down to the ground but did not lunge to strike her as expected. Without thinking, he grabbed a kunai and flung it from him, throwing his overpowering hate far away where it would do no damage.

The kunai flew faster than the eye could see. It stuck awkwardly in the cold stone of the wall past Hinata; some of the brick had crumbled and fallen from the force of the strike. She shivered, knowing that she could very well have been the victim.

With this display, Itachi turned his back on the kunoichi and stalked away, fists tightly clenched at his sides. In the end, Hinata had succeeded in making his convictions waver. It was true that it had been a test he had set for himself...

But Itachi never thought that he would fail.

He could hardly believe it himself, but there had been a time where he actually thought of selfishly keeping her with him forever, even if she hated him. Then perhaps her presence could fill a little of the emptiness that he held.

He thought that maybe if they shared the same fate, the same blood, they could share the blessings and curses of possessing the Sharingan. When he was racked with pain, he wanted someone to be there. He wanted someone to know how he felt and not try to change him, to control him.

Itachi was guilty. He had wanted to keep her with him as they both walked the same dismal path.

As soon as he had turned the corner and was out of Hinata's sight, Itachi let his back hit the stone wall. He had gotten trapped in his own game. Shutting his eyes, he raised his face to the sky.

An inner voice mocked him. Itachi… You are truly the biggest fool of all.

---

He stayed in his room for the longest time. Staring out the window, Itachi observed the dark, stormy skies with an equally stormy heart. It had been unfrozen after years of being in deep freeze, and as desperately as he wanted to, there was no way to stop it from becoming a human heart.

What was he to do now?

Itachi felt that he was no longer alone. His senses sharpened as the new presence entered. With narrowed eyes, he addressed the intruder, "Why are you here, Kisame?"

His fellow Akatsuki laughed loudly. "What's wrong, Itachi? Not your usual self, eh?" Kisame looked at Itachi's pale face and could tell from the slight stiffness of his body that he had been in a fight.

No surprise there. Akatsuki members were frequently challenged by the wannabes. No, what was shocking was that Itachi had sustained wounds.

"What happened?" Kisame asked, alarmed, finally noticing the injuries.

There was a long pause. Silently, Itachi drew his arm back into its sleeve to hide the bruising. "A small conflict," he replied without much elaboration, in a disinterested monotone. "My opponent was strong."

Kisame was skeptical. Itachi was being more vague than usual which was not a good sign. Plus, it was completely unlike him to engage in reckless fights with other shinobi, especially not those that could land him with anything more than a bruise.

"It may be an off time for you, Itachi, but don't forget that you're still part of Akatsuki," Kisame said meaningfully. He looked pointedly at Itachi's cloak; it did not bear the symbol of their group. He was not wearing the Akatsuki ring either. "Your individual 'training' doesn't seem to be going too well, does it?" Itachi's glare would have wilted a lesser person.

"Besides," Kisame added thoughtfully, continuing as though he was ignorant to Itachi's displeasure. "Everyone wants to know when you'll be done with this game." It was a great concern, so large that even the mostly non-gossipy Akatsuki had began to discuss if Itachi had become weak. Unsure, Kisame had to come personally to see if what he heard was the truth. But it just couldn't be, could it?

"What game?" Itachi asked sharply. He faced his colleague squarely.

"The Hyuga girl," Kisame said, surprised that his partner was acting so oddly. The Itachi he had known was on top of everything, calm and collected. "You're going to kill her soon, right?"

Silence again.

"Tell the others that I will end it when I want to," Itachi replied coldly. Though it is none of their concern, he added silently with contempt.

"You don't have that long," Kisame commented. "The other Hyuga rat—you should've killed him— will be back soon for the girl. It'll be trouble. Besides, Akatsuki can't wait while you're brooding over—"

"That's enough, Kisame," Itachi said harshly. His tone signified that the conversation was over. He could not stand to hear more, knowing that it was exactly the truth.

Kisame seemed to be disappointed and genuinely surprised at the same time. "You're going the wrong way, Itachi," he warned. "You're sure to regret this."

"That is for me to judge."

With an indignant 'humph', Kisame left immediately, leaving Itachi laden with more troubles. So, the Akatsuki leader had gotten wind of what was going on and was not pleased. Did he fear that Itachi would betray them just as he had betrayed his clan?

But it could not be; that all-knowing man knew that Itachi could not leave Akatsuki, not when his ambitions were at stake.

Too many decisions had to be made quickly. Time was all too short.

Itachi became conscious to the soft scuffling soft outside his room. The kunoichi had dared venture so close after the open display of his strength? He opened the door only to find a small jar lying at his feet. She had probably run off after leaving it there.

Examining the salve that was inside the container, Itachi assumed that it was meant for his wounds—the ones that Neji had given him. With a flick of his wrist, Itachi tossed it away from him. Was he so pathetic now that she felt that he needed her medicine?

They had become more than a kidnapper and his victim.

Itachi bent slowly to pick up the little jar. He set it on the windowsill, unsure of what to do with it. There was another vial in his pocket that contained a potent liquid. He had made it with the ingredients obtained from the city, carefully crafting it just in case he would need to use it. But would it end his problems?

He could not be sure.

Nevertheless, his mind was made up. Normally, Itachi would simply send Hinata's food to her room, but today, he emptied the contents of the vial into the soup that was to be given to her. The liquid sizzled before settling, colorless and odorless.

But she would still know his intentions. Hinata understood him better than anyone else ever had. And she would accept it without a struggle.

Itachi's face was like an image carved into weather-worn stone.

---

Hinata was grateful to Itachi. Whatever she felt about his past actions, he had not been cruel to her for a while. In a way, his trials had succeeded in making her stronger than ever before. The fact that he had let Neji go was enough to make her feel kinder toward him. Hinata had known that he hated her now, but she had given him the salve all the same.

Would he accept it as a small token of her appreciation? It did not matter. Itachi would not forgive her.

At this point, death seemed inevitable. Even if she tried to fight, she would lose. And the truth was, she did not want to fight him at all.

It was not cowardice or fear of defeat; it was simply a feeling. Standing on the opposite of a field from Itachi, preparing to have a fight to the death was something that she just could not visualize. All she could picture was them standing there, locked in a deadly stare. And then everything would fade away…

At least, Hinata was glad that Neji had been able to escape. Although she knew that he would try to return, she prayed that Neji would stay far away from Itachi. Another battle would surely be fatal.

Itachi.

When Hinata looked behind her, she saw that he was indeed there. His icy exterior had returned. In his hands he held a bowl of clear liquid. Without a word, he held it out for her to receive.

There was no question as to what it was.

She did not feel the need to run. She knew that running would not solve anything.Wasn't thisonly repayment for the life that he spared on her account? Wasn't thisas she would have chosen anyway?Now, as she found herself willing to go, Hinata realized how far she had come since she had met Itachi.

Hinata smiled. "Thank you for sparing Neji," she said, tired of fighting. Hinata took the bowl with both hands. Her eyes were dry even as she contemplated the end. Raising it to her lips, she drank deeply.

Almost instantly, Hinata felt her blood freeze before beginning to boil. Each time she coughed, it brought more blood. Trying to staunch the flow, her hands went to cover her mouth, until another pair drew them firmly away.

Itachi was beside her now. Clutching her wrists, he let his own palms be smeared with the dark red liquid. When he lifted his eyes to hers, Hinata was surprised to see that they were no longer red, but black. While no longer unnaturally hypnotic, his irises were still mesmerizing.

Hinata could not tell of knowing Itachi before he had left Konoha, but she felt as though she was just recognizing someone from long ago. The glaring intensity had prevented her from ever truly knowing him. But now, the velvet black reminded her simply of silence, calm, and distance.

She was not quite sure which emotion had brought the tears to her eyes.

---

They were fleeting thoughts that passed before him.

Ever since he was a child, Itachi could not feel love for those around him. He knew that his abnormality destined him to walk a path different from others. But he did not know how to find it or who to ask since he was the first.

Trusting his sight, Itachi chose a path and never looked back. It was a selfish one; narrow, made only for one person. But what could one possibly expect from a demon? Such was its nature.

But even as he went further, Konoha did not fade from his past. It never would. So now he was simply stuck, stagnant, in the middle of the road. Caught in a dream where time—and many other things—had little meaning. He had changed little in a span of ten years.

Drifting… Drifting…

In the smallest portion of his heart, Itachi had wanted, perhaps, to find a new goal. One that he could have pursued with all the strength and time that he had left. But this, as many others were, was something that was not meant to be.

He was too deeply rooted in his murderous ways, his hands too stained. And this thought quickly brought him back to the present.

Itachi's movements were stiff as he released Hinata's arms. Without his support, the rest of her body fell forward into his hold. As she remained, unresisting in his half-embrace, he saw her blank eyes searching for him.

It did not suit her, the color red. It pained him, to see her like that, but he resisted the temptation to turn a blind eye. Turning away from what he did not want to see was not the way he chose to live life. He thrived in pain.

Slowly, Itachi mouthed the words, knowing that she could not hear his voice:

You are free.


Don't you just hate how I keep doing this? (Hurries to do the next chapter...) Please leave me a review!