Everything is perception. A hallucination is a perception of a certain reality. It is the perception of a certain state of mind.

-Frederick Lenz


There was silence. Then, a string of curses broke out from behind her, coming undoubtedly from Sasuke.

"Was it forced?" He asked, his voice cracking as he swallowed hard. He couldn't help it. Itachi was a criminal and had been forced to do a lot to keep up his image. The possibility, no matter how slim, was present.

Hinata, unlike others who dreaded the answer, whipped up her head, eyes narrowed into a glare.

"It disgusts me how lowly you think of your brother." She said, venom coating her words.

Shikamaru loosened a breath he didn't even know he was holding, as he felt a burden being lifted off his shoulders. Hinata wasn't the kind to give herself to someone just like that, so if course, it had been a possibility in his mind, ever since he laid eyes on them. So, he couldn't help but be relieved at her answer--even if it only raised more question.

Beside him, others had the same reaction.

"Is this why you left?"

Hinata nodded.

Kakashi was still in shock, but obviously hid it well. He still found it hard to digest that someone like Uchiha Itachi had fathered her child.

"This is classified information." He began, going into Hokage mode. "Anything and everything said in this room must not get out of it."

Then, he turned to Hinata, his head slightly bowed in apology.

"We will have to investigate your case and decide if you are any threat. Kazue, I declare innocent, for he has nothing to do with anything."

Hinata let out a sigh of relief, the said emotion flooding her as she realized that Kazue would be out of danger.

"Hinata, however, will be under ANBU guard, until she is declared either guilty or innocent. Nothing further."

Then, he scanned the room, his eyes analyzing everyone.

"Kazue, meanwhile, will be staying with someone from Konoha, whom Hinata trusts..."

Sasuke zoned out rest of the lecture. Instead, he focused his eyes on Hinata, watching as she leaned forward to place a kiss on his nephew.

His nephew. There was so much wrong with those words. As he watched them, Sasuke felt something tug at his heart, the guilt returning, but now tenfold as he realized that his brother had left behind a son. He suddenly wondered if Itachi had known.

In that moment, Sauske vowed that he would no longer stand at the sidelines and watch his family get hurt. In that moment, Sasuke vowed that, this time, he would protect his family. In that split second, he made a decision.

"He can stay with me."

All eyes turned to him, suddenly realizing his relation with the boy. Then, a voice cut through the silence.

"Absolutely not."

Hinata turned to the Hokage, her gaze hardened with determination.

"He can stay with Kurenai. She took care of me. She'll take care of him too."

Kakashi nodded, contemplating. Kurenai was a good choice. She was a retired shinobi, meaning she could protect him. Her experience with children was a plus point. He'd known her since childhood and had seen how close she was to Hinata.

Unbidden, familiar words came to him.

"Thank you, Kurenai, for not only being the mother I've always wanted, but also the one I've always needed."

Shaking his head, Kakashi focused in the matter at hand. Sasuke, it seemed, was not happy with the idea. He walked, so that he was standing a few steps from the mother of his nephew. He narrowed his eyes.

"Do you not trust me?"

She raised her eyes to meet his. For a moment, they stared at each other. Then, a scream cut through.

The moment he'd laid eyes on her, Sasuke could feel his eyes itching slightly, but he ignored it. There were more important matters that demanded his attention. But as soon as he met her eyes, the itching increased in intensity, until his eyes were downright burning.

Sasuke took no notice of Kakashi as he rushed to his side, asking what was wrong. Instead, he clutched his head. His eyes were hot. To the point, that he had the sudden urge to claw them out. His eyes clenched shut, as he felt something burn at his skin. His head too, began to throb wildly, the heat spreading.

Kakashi clutched his student as he staggered, his mind reeling at the thought of what could've made Sasuke scream like that. Then, he saw them.

There were tears coming out of Sasuke's eyes, leaving burn trails as they fell down his cheek.

Sasuke had a vision. He could faintly hear Kakashi shouting something, but chose to ignore it, as his surroundings changed, the colours blending and separating in an endless cycle. Suddenly, he found himself in a room.

Where was he?

And then, he saw her. It was a younger version of Hinata, her hair pooling around her head, the moonlight falling on her, making her hair glisten and her body glow. Her ample chest rose and fell, the bedsheets tangled around her curvaceous form; an indication that she was sleeping.

Furrowing his eyebrows, he noticed the back of a figure next to her bed, standing in the shadows of the room. It took a step forward, not enough to reveal its face, but enough for the moonlight to reveal the object in its hand: A kunai.

What?

And then, he was back. He felt something cold on his face as he rapidly blinked, confused at what he'd seen.

Naruto was standing infront of him, panic evident on his face.

"Teme?! You ok?!"

Sasuke chose not to answer. He noted that the burning was gone. He felt annoyed, not at all amused at the fact that his hair was wet, from when Naruto had splashed water on his face.

"What happened?" Kakashi inquired, worried at Sasuke's pale face.

"I don't know." He replied shakily, his eyes turning to the woman he'd seen.

Hinata had her eyes wide, disbelief reflected in them. When she'd looked into Sasuke's eyes, for a moment, she'd seen him.

Itachi.

That look of such softness she'd seen only in Itachi's eyes. She could feel all her emotional wounds reopening, as words spoken long ago came back to her.

"I'd do anything for you."

She suddenly remembered Sasuke's question.

"Do you not trust me?"

Her heart skipped a beat, as the realization dawned upon her, her gut twisting in pain and sorrow. Hinata clenched her fists, anger bubbling up in her-- how dare he?--as she tried to calm down, telling herself that Sasuke had no choice.

And yet, despite her trying to compose herself, the room went cold, thick killer intent filling the room.

For a moment, everyone froze, tensing up to see the owner of such intentions. Their breath escaped them, as they realized it was coming from Hinata.

Her head was bowed, her shoulders shaking, as she gritted her teeth.

Gone. He's gone. Gone. Gone. GoneGoneGoneGoneGoneGone--

She slowly raised her head, icily turning to Sasuke, watching as he shivered in response.

She knew the answer to what she was about to ask, and yet asked anyway.

"Pray, tell, Sasuke," Her voice was calm, cold; and yet it held an intensity that could melt glaciers. She cocked her head slightly, looking every bit the Hyuga she was always expected to be.

"Just whose eyes do you have in there?"

She saw him turn green in response, shame flickering in his eyes. At that moment, Sasuke realized something. It suddenly dawned that Itachi might've been dead, but his eyes still followed this woman.

And at that moment, he decided that he would see for himself what had happened. He wanted to see who Itachi truly was and how he'd lived.

But, before he could say anything, there was a knock at the door. Naruto snapped out of the frozen state he was in, glancing at the door, then back at Hinata, his eyes wide. Making up his mind, he walked across the room, standing infront of Hinata, blocking her from view, as the person outside entered without permission.

Hinata's breath caught in her throat, as she took note of who came in.

"You need not stand in front of her, Uzumaki. I can sense her from a mile away."

Hesitantly, Naruto stepped away, though stayed close. Hinata could feel that stare on her again: cold, disappointing.

She clutched at Kazue tightly, trying to shield him from those evil eyes.

There was a single sentence echoing in her mind--Please go away, please. God, please go away--as she trembled slightly beneath the gaze of the one she'd been trying to hide from this whole time:

Hyuga Hiashi.


There it is, my lovelies!!

So, what do you think? Any good?

Plus, what was that vision that Sasuke saw? And, what was Hinata doing there? And, is that 'bad' thing going to happen anytime soon?

*Smirks evilly* Guess you'll have to wait to find out.

-Your frustrating author.