Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto! I do not get any profit from this fiction. I only write for fun and to improve my creativity.

WARNING: Self harm and suicide are themes you will find in this chapter. You will find it after the scene with the hokage. If you don't feel comfortable reading it, please don't! However, if you still want to know what happened you can PM me and I will gladly fill you in.

Chapter Five

But in the end,

Is only a passing thing,

This shadow.

Even darkness must pass.

A new day will come.

J.R.R. Tolkien

...

Me?

Lavender eyes stared back at mismatch eyes. Hinata wasn't sure if she heard him right. Did he say he requested information about her? But why? Nothing made sense. Uchiha Sasuke wasn't making any sense. Why would he want to know about her? No matter how she looked at it, she couldn't find a reason why he would be interested in her.

"Hyūga" He said interrupting her thoughts with the command only Uchiha Sasuke could muster "Breathe or you will faint again."

Did he say again? Oh no!

Realization washed over her. She had fainted before, and that's how she woke up in a cave. He probably had to bring her here, perhaps by carrying her. At the image of Sasuke carrying her around, she blushed profusely. How embarrassing to be carried by the stoic Uchiha, and all because she had been afraid of him and started hyperventilating. She was kunoichi for crying out loud! She was supposed to be brave in the face of danger. Besides, it wasn't like the Uchiha would hurt her. He had been restored in Konoha, and as far as she knew he wasn't in a killing rampage. Yes, it was better to prevent another shameful faint episode in the presence of the former Avenger.

After a few minutes of intense concentration on her part, she began to breathe and exhale slowly, forcing her body to relax.

"W-why?" She asked once she felt more calm. The words came a whisper but he heard her.

"Where were you going?" He retorted.

"Y-you didn't a-answer m-my question."

"Neither did you."

The Uchiha was right. She hadn't been able to answer his question before because she fainted. If she wanted answers from the former avenger, she would have to cooperate.

"T-to a v-village." She said nervously.

"Which one?"

"T-the one e-east west f-from here."

The Uchiha frowned. "Why?"

"I a-already t-told y-you. I am on a m-mission." She said trying to sound more convincing.

"You're lying." He said as he studied her face carefully, which only helped to increase her blush. "What did you do?"

She looked at him quizzically. "I… I d-don't u-understand."

"Hn." He stood up dusting off his pants before walking away from the heiress. "Sleep" He commanded.

She lie down obeying his command. He was a man that imposed respect and fear. Hinata wasn't sure she felt safe to sleep with the Uchiha around. It's not like he was an enemy, and she knew that; Uchiha Sasuke had been granted pardon by the Konoha and neighboring villages thanks to Naruto, Kakashi, and Sakura's testimony during his trial. Hinata had seen his friends stress over his possible fate for months, for they knew he had being an enemy and deserved execution. However, they had managed to get him pardoned and a year of house arrest as punishment. She remembered bringing him food a few times as part of an arrangement with the Sixth Hokage, yet she had never said more than two or three words to the Uchiha.

"S-sasuke-san" She muttered.

"Hn?"

"Y-you d-didn't answer my q-question."

"Sleep." He said with a finality Hinata didn't dare to challenge.

There was no room for argument with the former Avenger, so without another word, Hinata closed her eyes and allowed herself to slip into a restless sleep.

Three Days Later.

Uchiha Sasuke was tired of playing babysitter. They had been staying in the same cave for days now, waiting on Naruto's response. He never told her why he brought her here. When she had asked, he told her she would know soon. He observed that she grew anxious with the days, always expecting, always fearful, always nervous. He knew she was hiding something, but what was it? He had tried asking her the first day, and though she had answered, her responses were vague without much information, so he instantly knew she was lying. He knew he wouldn't get anything from her, so he would wait for Naruto's word. Hopefully, he would then get a better idea of what to do with the Hyuga.

Sasuke looked at the girl across from him eating. She looked restless. He suspected she had been crying at night. The circles under her eyes were a prominent purple, and she had grown even more thin and pale. Of course, the latter could be blamed on him for not letting her out of the cave, but he couldn't risk her running away. Not like she would get too far, he knew very well he could catch up to her with blind eyes, but he didn't want to risk hurting her if it wasn't necessary.

She looked up at him expectantly. Sasuke knew she hoped he'd free her any minute, and he would, if Naruto's word did not implicate she was guilty of anything. As for now, he would keep her hostage. It was the least he could do to assure the village's safety.

I'm only doing this for you, Itachi.

He didn't care if this woman had done something to that corrupted village. Konoha deserved to be punished. If it wasn't for his brother's plea, and the love he held for that village, Sasuke wouldn't have done anything to stop the Hyūga. Hell! He wouldn't have helped save the village.

"I'm going outside." He informed her. She nodded slightly, but unlike other occasions she did not ask him if she could go out with him. She knew he wouldn't let her.

Sasuke walked outside and sat by a tree not too far from the cave. He began to consider his options. He knew he could be overreacting to this situation, but something in her eyes told him she had done something. It was the fear he saw in them, the desperation, as if she was hiding something crucial. But what was it?

It was then that he saw it. As if the Kamis had heard him, a toad with a note around his neck came close to him and sat only inches away from him. Sasuke wrinkled his nose in disgust.

"From Naruto" The toad had said.

He picked up the note with a curt nod and began to unfold it. Whatever information this note contained, it would decide the future of the Hyūga.

Rubbing his temples in an attempt to prevent a headache, Hatake Kakashi waited for the search team to arrive at his office after coming back from their "failed" mission. He knew a headache was due. Team 8, along with Shikamaru, wouldn't be happy to learn Hinata wasn't back yet. After all, the Hokage had said they had found her. And they did find her, but she wasn't in the village… At least not yet.

"Hokage-sama, the search team is here" informed an ANBU.

"Thank you, tell them to come in."

A few seconds later, the doors opened and three ninjas came inside the Hokage's office.

"Kiba. Shino. Shikamaru" The Hokage greeted.

"Hokage-sama" The three shinobis said in acknowledgement.

"Report"

"We had successfully uncovered Hinata's tracks, and we were tracking her until you called for the mission to be cancelled." Shikamaru informed.

"Very well Shikamaru, you all did well." The Hokage said smiling under his mask.

"Where is Hinata?" Kiba asked anxiously "And when can we see her?"

"About that… She is not here yet."

"What?" Kiba tensed.

"She is on her way to the village."

"Who is bringing her back?" Shino inquired

"That's not important."

"It is to me!" Kiba growled.

"I can understand that, Kiba." Kakashi said staring at the Inuzuka with disapproving eyes. "However, there is no need to worry."

For a moment, Kiba wanted to scream at the man before him. He was hurt and frustrated. Did the Sixth Hokage doubt they could bring Hinata back? Had he sent another search team to track her down? Did that mean he considered them failures? His pride was bruised, but instead of lashing out like he had wanted to he nodded his head.

"Hai, Hokage-sama." Kiba said leaving the office before he did or said something he'd regret later.

"You're dismissed" Kakashi said to the other two and they too left.

Kakashi sighed wondering if he had made the right decision.

"Hyūga"

"Y-yes?" She looked up at the Uchiha.

"We leave tomorrow morning."

"W-where t-to?" She asked sitting up straight by the sudden news.

"Konoha"

She gasped. No, no, no!

"There is nothing you can do to stop me from taking you back."

"W-why?" She said weakly. "I… I t-thought w-we were w-waiting on N-Naruto-kun's word."

"I was" He said crossing to the other side of the cave to start packing. "I got it today."

"W-what did h-he say?" She asked nervously.

"I have decided to take you back." He said ignoring her question.

What would she do? Hinata couldn't go back to Konoha. Not now that she was so close to be free from her past; not now that she was so far away from the hurt she felt every time she looked into those deep blue eyes; not now that she had abandoned and hurt those close to her heart; not now that she no longer had to worry with impressing a clan that never loved her; not now that she had rebelled against her clan.

Hinata knew what happened to those who betrayed the Hyūga clan. She had seen what they had done to Neji when he had rebelled against them and tried to kill her. She was only a child, but the memories were still fresh. The pain of seeing her nii-san in so much pain had hunted her for years. If she returned to Konoha, they would brand her with the seal. No, she couldn't go back to the village of the Hidden Leaf.

She would beg the former Avenger. She would kneel down in submission if it meant she wouldn't go back to Konoha.

"No… P-please S-Sasuke-san…" She begged kneeling down and bowing her head down till it touch the ground. Her eyes stung with tears. "D-don't t-t-take m-me back."

Hinata reached for his pants clutching to the fabric with strong hands. She forced herself to look at him with pleading eyes.

"P-please…" She sobbed unable to hold back her tears.

Her reaction took the former Avenger by surprise. He stiffen, but he didn't move.

"Why are you so afraid to go back, Hyūga?" He asked, holding back the desire to kick her off his leg.

She kept silent, unable to look him in the eyes. What was she supposed to tell him?

"You betrayed the village."

Wide lavender eyes stared back at him. It wasn't a question. This was a statement that indicated he was certain she had betrayed the village. This was it. She was sure the Uchiha wouldn't believe her if she denied his claim. How did she get into this situation? Why did he have to find her?

He was wrong. Hinata had never betrayed the village, but she had betrayed her clan. By running away from Konoha she had risked exposing the secrets of the Byakugan. If someone came for her eyes and succeeded, the secret would be out, putting in danger her clan. She had known this, but she was so desperate to get away from everything that caused her pain that she hadn't given it much thought. When she analyzed her situation before leaving the village of the Hidden Leaf, she didn't give the notion of betrayal a lot of thought. Yet again, she had never expected to get caught by the former Avenger. Therefore, if she went back to Konoha, she would be branded with the seal. After all, she had done the very thing she wasn't supposed to. She rebelled against the Hyūga clan by abandoning the village, and in essence the clan.

"Y-you w-won't b-b-believe me if I… if I d-denied it?"

He didn't answer, but he didn't have to. Hinata knew he would never believe her.

"Then so be it." She said with determined eyes.

If she couldn't escape the Uchiha by means of fighting him, she would do it by other means. Even if her only option was, perhaps, dishonorable.

In a moment of courage, Hinata stood up and took her kunai; giving a few deliberate steps back she sliced the kunai through her right wrist with force, and without any hesitation, she then sliced her left wrist as well.

Forgive me Neji-niisan, I know you would have wanted better for me. I have failed you… I tried.

With tears running down her cheeks, she reached for her neck ready to slice her jugular vein with the kunai. She wouldn't be sealed. She would end this now. She only hoped that the Avenger had enough common sense to burn her body so no one else took her eyes.

Everything happened so fast. She was fast. Sasuke hadn't expected that the frail heiress of the Hyūga clan would have such speed. He remembered her as a child. Weak and insecure; she wasn't particularly talented, unlike her cousin, Hyūga Neji. No, not this woman in front of him. And yet, she had managed to surprise him.

With eyes as wide as saucers, Sasuke had barely any time to understand what was happening. But once he saw her slice her left wrist and continue to her neck, he knew exactly what she was planning to do, and he was not going to allow her finish it. With the speed of lightning, Sasuke pinned her body to a wall, pressing his knee to her abdomen, and with his left shoulder he pinned her right arm, as he grabbed her right wrist forcefully with his only arm. Preventing her from using the kunai.

"Are you insane?" He seethed, crimson and purple eyes looking back at lavender eyes; his face barely inches away from hers.

"Let go of me!" She yelled trying to free herself from his hold but it was futile.

Sasuke didn't budge, he continued to keep his hold on her until her knees buckled in exhaustion, or perhaps, in defeat.

Lowering his arm, Sasuke wrapped it around her waist propping her up and forcing her to lay her head on his shoulder. He knew he had to do something to stop the bleeding before she lost any more blood and became weaker. He was not about to let this woman die, not until he found out what she had done. If he had any doubts before about her innocence, he had absolutely no doubts now. She was guilty of something, and he was going to find out.

Author's Note: Hey guys! Once more, thank you for your kind reviews an follows. I'm happy you guys are liking this fic!

In case you guys are wondering, I based this fic after chapter 699 of the Manga.

From now on, I will be updating this fic on Friday at 12AM. I changed the date because I feel like it is a lot easier for me, and more convenient for you guys. Now you get something to read during the weekend!

Also, I want to credit the amazing RiseDarkMoon (Deviantart account) for allowing me to use one of her sasuhina drawings as the cover for this story.

See you guys next Friday!