May you never become so familiar with pain, that you reject any good that tries to find you.

-Seconds Apart


Hinata hadn't slept well for the past week. She had tried, but everytime she closed her eyes, she saw red and black.

Within the confines of her room, her thoughts raged free, her mind scanning her memories of where it all could have began. She conjured up scenarios of what else could've happened in the forest, and of the other ways the night could've ended.

Recently, she found her thoughts leaning more towards the latter.

Therefore, when she received a summons to the Hokage's office, she couldn't be more glad for the distraction. To top it all off, the mission was not a solo mission. Instead, she was going with Naruto and Sakura.

And, Hinata was glad, because it meant that the loudmouths would keep her mind off her thoughts.

It was an escort mission, surprisingly sent by Lady Kyoko's father, Lord Kazuma.

This time, however, they were to escort the Chief's eldest son and heir, Lord Kisuke, along with his sister back to their land. Apparently, they had been in the Leaf to conclude some business.

Naruto and Sakura were already at the village gates with their client. Hinata had been a last minute addition.

It made Hinata wonder if the Hokage had out her on this mission just for the fun of it.

Hiding a grin, Hinata made her presence known, as she suddenly appeared a few metres away from her friends.

Four pairs of eyes turned towards her. Quickly greeting Naruto and Sakura, Hinata turned to Kyoko.

Her lips twitched at the dumbfounded look on Kyoko's face.

"Ah, Lady Kyoko." She smiled, though her eyes were cold.

"What a coincidence." Though Hinata said this, she knew it wasn't.

Kyoko, as pale as a ghost, gulped, then forced a smile on her face.

"A-A Coincidence, i-indeed, Lady Hinata."

Sakura looked between them, her eyebrows raised, obvious confusion on her face. She cleared her throat.

"So, Hinata, you're the new addition to our team?"

Hinata turned towards Sakura, and nodded gently.

"Yes. Lady Hokage wanted to make the journey as secure as possible. She figured that the presence of a member of the," Here she paused, glancing at Kyoko, who paled further, "elite Hyuga Clan would please Lord Kazuma."

Then, she turned to Kyoko, smiling sweetly.

"I do hope you shall not find my appearance and sense of style as... distasteful as before."

All the colour returned to Kyoko's face at once, as it turned red in embarrassment and anger. Her mouth opened and closed as she tried to form words, but nothing came out.

Someone cleared their throat.

All eyes turned to the source. Hinata watched warily as Kisuke stepped forward, amusement twinkling in his eyes as he approached.

"Lady Hinata." He said in acknowledgement, respectfully taking her hand and placing a kiss on it.

"I know not what my sister has said to you, but I assure you. You are much prettier than I imagined you to be. It is a pleasure to meet you."

Hinata raised an eyebrow at the stoic face of the heir. Beside her, Naruto narrowed his eyes.

As far as she had been told, Kisuke was the most level-headed of the family, always respectful and smart. He was like a more approachable and open version of Neji.

Hinata cocked her head slightly.

"Do you happen to find my eyes unusually pretty too?"

Kyoko choked. Kisuke only chuckled slightly.

"Rest assured, Lady Hinata. I have interest in neither your bloodline nor your eyes."

Then, his eyes turned apologetic.

"However, I am aware of the events that took place when you escorted Kyoko. Hence, I would like to apologize for the mishap on her part."

Hinata instantly took a liking to the young heir. He seemed only a few years older her, and far more intelligent and noble than his sibling.

Hinata smiled respectfully, shaking her head.

"There would be no need for that, Lord Kisuke. I was merely teasing Lady Kyoko. I do hope that neither she, nor you are offended."

Kisuke raised an eyebrow, a small smile on his face.

"Your character is not at all what I expected, Lady Hinata."

Right then, Hinata knew that she would get along with him.

Finalizing everything, the five of them started their journey.

Hinata and Kisuke were side-by-side, Kyoko at a distance behind them, and Naruto and Sakura at the end.

Sakura adjusted the strap of her backpack, quickly doing a sweep of the area. As she was doing so, her eyes landed on Naruto.

He was pouting, of all things.

She blinked in surprise.

What in the...

She took a step closer to him.

"Is everything okay, Naruto?"

The guy in question jumped slightly, then turned towards his teammate. The grin he threw her was blinding.

"Are you worried about me, Sakura?!"

Her eyebrow twitched at his loud tone, fist clenching. But, she just flipped her hair over her shoulder.

"As if. You were quiet. It was getting creepy."

The blonde's face fell, but he recovered quickly, grinning slyly.

"Aw, come on, Sakura. You can admit you were worried."

Sakura's lips pulled back into a snarl, as she resisted the urge to punch the blonde.

"I was not!" She screeched.

Naruto simply folded his hands behind his head.

"Whatever you say."

Then, his eyes turned to the person he had been thinking about a while ago.

"Hinata's changed a lot, hasn't she?"

Sakura blinked at the sudden question.

Oh.

Slowly, a sly smile took over her face, which she, immediately, tried to cover up.

"Yeah, she has." She said, trying to act nonchalant about it.

She glanced at him.

"What about it?"

But, the blonde only shook his head.

"Nothing. Just wondering something."

Sakura raised an eyebrow at his cryptic answer, following his gaze to the pair in front.

Kisuke seemed a calm and collected sort of person. A lot was expected of him, considering his traits as an amazing leader, and everyone hoped he would nurse the land his father had led to ruin.

In addition, his looks were nothing to sneer at. There was a nobleness and elegance to those amber eyes and brown hair, that made him quite desirable.

Sakura blushed at the last two thoughts, eyes lingering at the young heir.

Then, she shook her head, eyes sliding from him to her friend.

It was true, what Naruto had said. Hinata had changed a lot in the last month.

She was more confident, more open. It was refreshing to see her talk normally without the comfort of her baggy clothes and ever-present blush.

But the thing is, sometimes that could be frustrating too.

Hinata had been the wallflower of the group, content to blend in the background and not be noticed. When walking with herself and Ino, Hinata was barely given any attention.

But, now, with Hinata being her new self, she and Ino got noticed first.

It made Sakura slightly envious.

To add to it, Naruto had always told Sakura that he had loved her. And she, though not feeling the same, had enjoyed the attention he had given her.

It had been her own way of mending her pride after being continuously rejected by Sasuke. She had wanted someone to tell her that she was worth something too.

In addition, watching Naruto completely oblivious of Hinata had given Sakura comfort.

As twisted as it was, she had felt glad that she wasn't the only one good enough.

But now, even Naruto--the dense of the densest idiots--was paying attention to Hinata. She could see him trailing her eyes over her, eyebrows furrowed, as if trying to figure something out.

Hinata had effortlessly caught the attention of the guy she had a crush on, while Sakura couldn't remember sparing even a praise from Sasuke.

Biting her lips, Sakura looked at Hinata, as she spoke in quiet tones with Kisuke.

She sighed, her eyes determined. She might not have Hinata's beauty or her personality, but what she did have was her strength.

She was the student of the Legendary Sannin, Lady Tsunade. And that, Sakura believed, was something Hinata could never compare with.

Only a few minutes after their departure, Hinata decided to continue her conversation with Kisuke.

She inclined her head to her partner. Sensing another conversation, Kisuke have her his attention.

"You said my character was quite unexpected."

Hinata cocked her head slightly, a small in her face.

"What kind of a woman were you expecting me to be, Lord Kisuke?"

He seemed to think for a moment.

"I expected coldness and indifference, much like the rest of the Hyuga Clan. But now, seeing the extent of different between expectations and reality, I am quite embarrassed at the sort of woman I had in mind."

A moment of silence passed, as Hinata suddenly remembered something he had said a while ago.

"If it may not be too bold of me to inquire, what was your business with the Leaf village?"

His lips twitched as his eyes turned towards her.

"You have a suspicion, I assume?"

Hinata nodded.

"Would it happen to have anything to do with the escort mission with Lady Kyoko?"

Kisuke smiled, inclining his head.

"You have hit the nail right on the head, Lady Hinata. After that mission, relations were at a low ebb."

Then, he turned to her.

"I assume you already know of my father's obsession with the Hyuga eyes?"

Hinata nodded, taking note of the way the heir's face twisted in disgust as he spoke of his father's so-called obsession.

"So, of course, the Leaf Village is an important ally. To bring us back to the good side of the village, Father proposed a marriage between and Hyuga Heiress and myself."

Hinata could help it. She snorted, rather unladylike. Kisuke grinned slightly at her reaction.

"My thoughts exactly. He sent a letter to the Hokage with the proposal, a clear sign of his arrogance and obsession. It was a pathetic attempt to gain the Hyuga eyes, if not downright disrespectful."

Hinata hummed in response.

"When I heard of what he had done, I immediately set on the journey to the Leaf. In our meeting, I cleared up all the misunderstanding and apologized with the Hokage. Then, I requested her to only consider the letters sent by me, and ignore anything my father sends."

Hinata bit her lips in thought.

"I see."

Kisuke focused his eyes on the road ahead.

"I shall be taking his place soon. I look forward to reorganizing our priorities and making sure that we prosper more than ever."

Hinata cocked her head, slightly confused.

"And your father? Does he approve the difference in philosophies you both have?"

"He does not. But, he has no other choice but me."

Hinata raised her eyebrows.

"What of Lady Kyoko? She seems to see things the way your father does."

Kisuke furrowed his eyebrows.

"Kyoko," He began slowly, "is like any other child who is born after the heir. She is always trying to please Father, and in doing so, considers everything he says as right."

He frowned slightly.

"However, she is entirely unsuited to being the Village Chief."

He thoughtfully looked up at the sky.

"Truthfully, I worry about her sometimes. I fear she might end up like Father, and I do not know what I shall do."

Hinata saw herself and Hanabi in Kisuke and Kyoko. One always trying to catch up, while the other went ahead and ahead. Both always trying to please their father.

"Talk to her." Hinata explained quietly.

She watched as Kisuke's eyes widened slightly, caught off guard.

"Its as simply as that." Hinata held his gaze, "Talk to her."

She saw Kisuke glance back at his sister, saw the way his eyes softened ever so slightly. Then, he turned towards her, and nodded, smiling genuinely.

"Thank you, Lady Hinata."

Hinata shook her head.

"Just Hinata."

Kisuke raised an eyebrow in question.

"I am neither a Hyuga, nor the Heiress. I have not been either for quite a while."

Then, she glanced back at him, taking in in surprised expression.

"You may simply call me Hinata."

There was a moment of silence.

"It all makes sense now."

Hinata furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, silently asking for an explanation.

Kisuke turned to her.

"When I went to the Hokage, she told me that the Hyuga Heiress was only fourteen, and hence, not open to suitors. I thought that maybe I had been ill-informed about her age. When you showed up, I was--again--confused."

Facing the front, he glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes.

"The heiress, I assume, is your sister?"

"She is."

"Then, there was no chance of the proposal being accepted."

Hinata concealed a grin.

"Had I been the heiress, would the arrangement have sounded reasonable?"

As Hinata had expected, Kisuke's eyebrows shot up in surprise, clearly not expecting her to tease him like that.

Hinata openly laughed.

After composing himself, Kisuke cleared his throat.

"No, it would still not be reasonable."

Any other girl would have been offended. Hinata wasn't. Instead, she raised an eyebrow and leaned forward, curious.

"Why not? I have all my limbs and am 'much prettier that you imagined me to be'. What faults do you find with me then?"

He closed his eyes, and for a moment said nothing. Then, he looked at Hinata.

"I do not love you." He said smoothly, "Is that not reason enough?"

Hinata smiled softly in response, nodding.

"It is."

There as a moment of silence.

"Besides," Kisuke broke the silence, a tint of amusement in his tone, "I fear if I make move to get any closer to you, the Uzumaki might just attack me."

Hinata blinked in surprise, cocking her head.

"Naruto? Why would he attack you?"

The amusement in Kisuke's time only increased.

"He seems to be pretty...protective of you. In fact, he has been staring at the back of my head for the better part of the journey."

Hinata blinked slowly, trying to comprehend what he was trying to say. Then, her eyes widened.

"T-that's not!-I mean--N-Naruto and I-"

Then, she stopped as Kisuke chuckled and took a deep breath.

"Naruto and I are just friends."

The determination and conviction with which she admitted to the fact, made Kisuke raise his eyebrows.

"Ah, then I assume there is someone else?"

Hinata opened her mouth to deny, but the words died in her throat. Images, unbidden, came to her.

She could picture him, crimson eyes half-open, one hand resting on his knee, the other going to move his black tresses away from his features. She could imagine the moon illuminating his face, his lips stretched in a half-smile.

Her face turned red.

Kisuke seemed pleased at her reaction.

"So, there is."

Hinata said nothing, instead opting to cover her face with her hands, willing her face to cool down.

She hadn't thought of the Uchiha in quite a while, and now that he was back in her thoughts, she was willing to bet that he was going to stay for sometime.

Their conversation ended after that.

Just as the sun was going down the horizon, they found a clearing and decided to make camp.

"I'll do a sweep of the area." Hinata told Naruto and Sakura.

They both nodded and started to set up the camp.

Hinata knew that after that last conversation, she wouldn't be able to sleep. So, she decided to take the first watch.

Bidding everyone goodnight, she stood at the edge of the camp, sharp eyes scanning the area.

She spent the time in her thoughts, thinking of everything that had happened so far in her life. And before she knew it, the better part of the watch had gone by.

Everything was going normal, up until the last thirty minutes of her watch.

Then, she felt a chakra signature. It was barely noticeable, a clear indication of the skill of the person to have concealed it so completely.

Leaving her Dove on the lookout at the camp, she followed the signature.

As she got closer, her heart pounded, body tensing for battle. When she was within hearing range, she heard a series of coughs, followed by someone taking deep, shaky breaths.

Though she felt worry at the condition of the person, her mission was her first priority. Slowly, she took out a Kunai, walking closer to the sound.

Then, quickly, she jumped infront of the figure, Kunai extended in offensive position.

In the darkness, she made out the outline of a figure slouched at the base of a tree. It coughed again, groaning in pain.

At the same time, the clouds cleared, the moon revealing the face.

Her heart stopped when she saw who it was.

Uchiha Itachi.

And, he was crying blood.


SO SORRY FOR THE LATE UPDATE. Like I said before, I was sick and couldn't do anything without wanting to cut my head off.

BUT, I feel so much better now. Thank you for all those who had prayed for me, and sent all those reviews!! THANK YOUUU!!

Kyoko was originally going to be a one-time character, but then I was stuck at the ending a little bit. Then, I suddenly had this idea and it was just SO PERFECT FOR EVERYTHING.

So, yeah, they're back!!!

I'm pretty sure you guys might end up guessing why they came back soon, and the idea I had. There will be many signs in the next few chapters!!

Other than that, how was the chapter?? Any guesses on what would happen next??

Gotta wait to find out!!

Until then, ENJOY!!

-Your happy author.