(3d POV) In tsunade's office during hinata and deidara's chat
Tsunade was sitting at her desk, her face hardened and her anger was palpable. It wasn't often that the Lady Hokage had to truly be so stone cold but this situation called for everything but her normal demeanor. It was times like this when people could truly see why she was Hokage. Standing behind her, hidden in the shadows were two ANBU guards and all the attention was focused on who was sitting across from her. Danzo Shimura sat with his arms crossed and his old face scrunched into a menacing glare. He was not appreciative of being called to this office, the one that should have been his. Tsunade was ignorant, she was the student of his old teammate that soft hearted food and Danzo strongly disagreed with her position. He did everything in his power to prevent the council from letting her come to power but it was all for naught.
"Why did you drag me into this office Tsunade-hime? Surely if you have a problem to discuss you would have brought Homura and Koharu as well." His voice was deep, monotone, and like always it was grating to Tsunade's ears. He leaned back in his seat, face still scowling but he felt smug when her fingers gripped the desk, cracking it slightly. To him Tsunade was nothing more than an out of control brat with too much power and he intended to pry on that until she lost it, in turn showing she was incapable as Hokage leaving the spot open for him.
"As of this moment forward, Root is being dissolved and all of your subordinates are going to be assessed and integrate into either my ANBU squads or will be reinstated as regular ninja of Konohagakure." Danzo paused, this was unexpected and a grave setback that he would not allow to happen. Tsunade clasped her hands together and smirked, ruffling Danzo's feathers was something she always took pleasure in and with all the new information on how shitty of a person he is, it was that much more satisfying.
"No. That is unreasonable and I have done nothing but aid the village with my running of Root, the world is a dark place and I keep you from having to do the hard things Tsunade-hime, you should be more appreciative of my work for you and the village. Hiruzen and I made this agreement for a reason but I wouldn't expect a delusional woman like you to understand. Going forward with this is irrational and you will regret it…besides, the council will never agree to this merge." His voice had a sharp edge and Tsunade caught the underlying threat behind his words. She raised one sculpted brow as he spoke but did not interrupt him, even if he was insulting her.
"Perhaps in old age you have forgotten how things work but it will do you well to remember that I am the Hokage and I make all decisions the council is here to aid me in the right direction but I have final say. I am not Hiruzen-Sensei, he was softer on you because you were friends but I however, do not like you and will not allow you to operate however you desire." Tsunade raised her voice but only slightly, her presence was enough to get her point across. She was not playing. Danzo scowled harshly running over plans in his head, this new rule could not be allowed to pass and no way could it be given to the council or public before he has done something about it.
"What is the basis of your reasoning for ridding me of my control over the operations of Root?" Danzo took a deep breath and remained calm, his one eye boring into her brown ones. He need to know as much as possible to end this disastrous event before it can come to pass. There is a reason more than just her dislike of him to disband Root and Danzo needed to know who or what was the cause so he can take care of it. Tsunade's smug look only amplified at the question, he was playing right into her hand.
"Danzo Shimura, you are under suspicion for Treason, inhumane conduct in your workings of root, the cause of the Uchiha Clan Massacre, defaming a prized Shinobi and forcing him to turn rogue, the attempted murder of Shisui Uchiha, and defacing the dead bodies of the Uchiha in order to obtain their Sharingan for your own power. How do you plead?" Each word Tsunade spoke had the war hawk gritting his teeth and his eyes narrowing more and more. He stared as just annoyed and progressed into fury, how dare she. He was confused on how Tsunade could come to those conclusions, granted some of it was true but she should have no way of knowing that and in his mind, everything he has done has been for the benefit of the village.
"I plead not guilty." He spoke cold and harsh. "And I would love to know Tsunade-hime, how you came to the irrational conclusion that I, one of the biggest foundation pieces of our village, one who fights in the shadows for Konohagakure's protection, would be capable of such atrocities." He had the urge to scoff at her. He was beyond angry now, no way in hell should she know of his inner workings. None of his subordinates are able to speak out and none of the know enough to know if this is true or not. All those involved in the Shisui incident are dead now.
"Itachi Uchiha returned to the village as of yesterday and his story aligned with the one Shisui Uchiha gave years ago…the one the council chalked up to a dream while comatose." That was completely unforeseen, Itachi promised to never return to the village in honor of his bother's life being spared. Danzo knows that if it were to slip that Itachi was home, Sasuke might take care of his little Itachi problem for him. Either way, Itachi Uchiha must die tomorrow alongside Tsunade and Shiusi, it would be an unfortunate event, truly.
"And you would believe the tails of a psychopath and his friend? You are more naive than I thought. If this baseless interrogation is over, I would like to know where the Uchiha is being held, if the traitor is ruining my life, I need to be prepared to meet with him."
"That is not possible, nor would I give you that information. All you are at liberty to know is that he is about to undergo a life saving surgery in a few hours. But afterward, I'd love for you two to chat. For now, you are not going to be held in custody but you will be watched and if there are any suspicious actions you take within the next 48 hours, you will be locked and held in prison like the scum I think you are." Tsunade leaned back, the gleam in Danzo's eye was exactly what she and Jiraiya expected to see. Perfect. Both plans were in motion and it was time to see who would come out on top, the war hawk or the village. "Now get out of my office." She shooed him away without a second glance.
Itachi was resting in his hospital bed waiting to go into his procedure. Hinata made sure to give him a chance to get to talk to everyone willing and he's had people in and out saying their good luck's or goodbye's all morning. Sasuke had slept with Itachi that night, the younger brother feeling like he was a child again as he was comforted by the presence of his precious brother. They had spent much of their time together, Sasuke telling his big brother of everything he'd missed out on. Sasuke had grown into everything Itachi wanted for him, he was strong and handsome and had people he wanted to protect. Itachi felt more at peace than he had in a while as he was just able to listen to his precious Sasuke talk. He'd only left this morning when Itachi requested it, wanting to say his farewells to everyone alone. Sasuke protested but finally gave in, promising to be the last one Itachi would see before going under. The Uchiha was most surprised when Deidara came to visit because he knew as well as ay other who had met the blonde that he despised Itachi's mere presence.
"Uchiha un." Deidara scowled at the sickly form of Itachi, his skin was pale and dark hair was limp and lifeless. The blonde couldn't believe this was the person he was defeated by, it was just unbelievable that this sick almost dead man was one who even evoked the slightest bit of awe from the bomber. He scowled in aggressive annoyance.
"Hello Deidara-san." Itachi hid his surprise at the visit with an air of his usual blank and intimidating stare, though it was lessened by the sick form and raspy words.
"Don't die in there yeah? I want to be the one to kill you and show you true art so you better not die hmm." No way did Deidara want Itachi to die like this, even for such a bastard, he believed Itachi deserved a grand death by bombing, to be made into his art in the most fleeting yet beautiful sight, not some sick corpse that was dying for years. He wanted to fight Itachi one last time and not when the Uchiha was weak, he'd been training for this moment and didn't want it to go for naught so Deidara wanted the Uchiha to live. Not only that, he didn't need to see Hinata cry again for being unable to save somebody she cared about, he'd seen enough of it last night.
"Hn, Thank you for your concern Deidara-san, I will do my best to survive. I have many people hoping for me to live." Itachi thought of
"It's not concern un." He snapped back at what Itachi passed as humorous. "I just want to be the one to kill you and it's not as artistic if you're already weak un." Deidara spoke haughtily like it was completely impossible that he would even care for the Uchiha in the slightest.
"Aa, either way, I appreciate your visit and kind words." Deidara was done, he said what he needed to be said and opened the door, slamming it slightly on his way out missing the amused smirk on Itachi's face. Kisame came in after and the shark man reminisced about the fun they had as partners as well as finally telling Itachi how much he respected the younger shinobi. Kisame and Itachi were both loyal to a fault and because of that, they became more than just forced teammates and considered each other close friends. Kisame considered himself a realist of sorts and though he believed in Hinata, he did not have his hopes up for Itachi's survival so he indulged his friend in everything he could before he had to leave. They were an unlikely pair, one bloodthirsty and wild while the other was a calm pacifist and yet, they were the best of friends as well as a duo that was terrifyingly powerful.
Jūgo gave his good luck as well, telling Itachi he needed him to live and continue as his cage but that if he died, he would accept Sasuke as his replacement. He also spent a bit of time thanking Itachi for rescuing him and becoming his friend as well as a person to look up to. A few of the other Akatauki members gave their goodbyes, keeping it short and sweet, they all had a grudging respect for Itachi and most believed it would be a shame to see such a talented person die by something as stupid as an illness. There were few Konohagakure ninja that knew Itachi was back so he wasn't expecting visitors from them. But when he was resting after his goodbye with Kisame, the door cracked open and a small head of brown hair popped in. Solely by the resemblance to her mother and father, Itachi was able to deduce that it was a much older Hanabi, much bigger than the small toddler he remembered. She stood in the doorway, conflicted of her actions, her hands were pressed together and she had a shy blush on her cheeks, Itachi almost cooed, it was adorable, the same cuteness that Sasuke had as a kid.
"Hello Hanabi-san, you have grown since I last saw you. Please, you are welcome to come in." He kept his tone softer, she was a gentle and loving girl even if she was hardened by the Hyuga clan's strict ways. He felt a sense of warmth knowing that the girl was willing to come visit him even if she could barely remember who he was. The Uchiha really was a sucker for children.
"O-Oh ok, thank you Itachi-san." She scurried silently over to the side of his bed and he could get a clearer look at the girl. She was stone faced but her eyes were sad. Finally, she mustered up her courage and took a deep breath. Hanabi barely remembered Itachi sometimes taking care of her as a child, but by the stories Hinata told, he was a very nice person and it made Hanabi sad to see him so sick. Softly, she cupped his larger hands in hers and made sure to stare him right in the eyes. "P-Please get better Itachi-san, Nee-chan will be very sad if you die and so you h-have to fight. You have to be strong and p-push through to stay alive. For Nee-chan and Sasu-kun and all the other people who love you. O-ok Itachi-san?" Her eyes were burning with flames of passion, Hanabi wanted Itachi to live, she wanted to give him a reason to fight even if his survival seemed so bleak. Hanabi gave Itachi the most encouraging smile she could, pushing all of her will for him to live in that look. The sickly Uchiha found himself enraptured with the sweet little kid and warmth bloomed in his chest, this little girl, a baby that he cradled in his arms was so sweet. He smiled softly at Hanabi and gave her a nod.
"I will do my best to push through Hanabi-san." She could see a bit more light in his eyes, just a glimpse of determination and that was enough, Hanabi thoroughly believed Itachi would push through. She stood swiftly and with a practiced straight face, she bowed at her hips before scurrying out of the room. Itachi had a few minutes to himself in between visitors and he used that to gather his bearings. He had spent so much of the last few years accepting the fact that he was going to die, that he needed to die and now that there was a chance to live, Itachi was struggling to find the will to survive. Having people like Hanabi, Sasuke, and Jūgo come in to fight for him to survive, it was something that helped him, it gave him a reason and desire to want to live. Not for his sake but for theirs.
For Sasuke because Itachi felt as though he had to keep earning his forgiveness. For Hinata because he did not want all of her sacrifice in saving him to go to waste. For Shisui because he was his best friend and knows the guilt of Itachi dying would crush the energetic Uchiha who loved Itachi and would blame his death on himself; he's already blamed himself for Itachi's joining the Akatsuki. For Jūgo, the younger boy didn't deserve the harsh life he was given and if Itachi could lessen that pain, he wanted to. For Kisame, the shark man was loyal to a fault and Itachi did not want to die on Kisame leaving him with nothing and no faith in partners once again, he told Kisame he would live and did not want to leave the shark with a lie.
Naruto also stopped by for a quick visit once he was informed of the situation. The blonde had only met Itachi on a few occasions but Itachi was always kind to him, and knowing that Itachi was his best friends brother and the only immediate family Sasuke had left. Naruto wanted to beg Itachi to fight, telling him to fight for Sasuke because even if Sasuke is a Teme, he needs Itachi in his life and that Naruto would give anything to see one of his family members again so Itachi better not give up that chance. For Itachi, Naruto really had a way with words, the blonde was kind of dense but his heart was more pure and Naruto believed in everything Itachi wanted for the world, he wanted to follow the Uzumaki's orders. He wanted to live for his family. He couldn't be selfish and die, he had to keep living.
The Uchiha's chest throbbed and he shut his eyes, heaving out a wet and bloody cough. It took all of his energy to not pass out from the strain and with a bit of effort, he wiped all the traces of his illness from his face. He felt so frustratingly weak, every movement was taxing and he had to force himself to not let anybody else see how hard this is on him. His eyes were barely working and his body was failing him, it was a payment for his sins. The door opened once more and he strained to see who was coming in, seeing the mop of dark curly hair he was able to determine it was Shisui.
"Hey 'Tachi-chan how're you feeling? Actually, scratch that, I already know." He laughed boisterously, the sound that annoyed Itachi as a kid was now comforting.
"Hello Shisui…Kun." Shisui grinned wider, Itachi was always so headstrong and proper as a kid he refused to call Shisui anything other than Shisui-san even when they were friends so to hear the new honorific, Shisui knew he and Itachi had reached a new level of friendship…they were finally accepting that they were family.
Shisui kept a smile on his face all the time, it started as a mask to keep his clan off his back. If they saw him as a fool that was strong, he wouldn't be considered prodigious, he'd just be strong and a tool, kept out of the clan politics. Then it shifted, he learned how if he kept a smile on he'd be able to help ease the suffering and worries of those around him. It was his mask, it helped others and kept himself from breaking under the harshest of times. Shisui loved people and no matter what it did to him, he would help them. Itachi was one of those at the very top of his list so seeing his best friend so sickly was hard, but like always his smile was unwavering.
Shisui was a very touchy person, he liked people to respond to him, he liked to be able to feel the warmth of a persons skin against his. It all reminded him that somebody was alive, that he was living and not just existing. When he first felt the life flow out of somebody, the first time he touched a comrade and their skin was cold and unresponsive he began to crave that confirmation that those he cared about were living. Shisui struggled with himself sometimes but he couldn't let that show, he loved others too much to spend time dwelling on his own inner turmoil. So, being the eldest Uchiha and best friend to Itachi, he felt like at the least he owed Itachi was to give the younger a reason to live. In the blink of an eye, Shisui was at Itachi's bedside and his smile shifted into one of guilt.
"Tachi-chan, before you go in. I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I was supposed to be the one to stop the coup but I failed and pushed the task into your and Danzo's hands. I failed to stop Danzo and was comatose so the burden of killing your family…our family was put onto you when it should have been my burden to bare. You had to join a league of killers and leave Sasu-chan because I was weak and cowardly. You are sick and dying and it should have been me to take on all the hardships you did, I'm older and it should have been me. You still have so much life to live Tachi-can so no matter how guilty you feel, you can't give up yet. Do it for me, for Sasu-chan, for Imouto. Live and keep the Uchiha name strong, you are home now and it's my turn to take care of everything but I can't do that if you die." Shisui's eyes glowed with passion and his smile was radiating with a gloomy determination. He gave Itachi's hair a soft tug and flicked his head like he'd always done. "So now I promise, I promise to take the burdens of the clan and the horrors of life onto my shoulders so you can just live and be 'Tachi, a cool best friend, an awesome older brother, and a pacifist down to his very core."
Shisui pounded his fist against his chest, right over his heart, as a proof of his promise. Itachi tried not to jolt in shock and confusion at the words from his goofy friend. He didn't know Shisui felt so burdened by what he assumed as failure, Itachi always looked up to Shisui for being himself, for his speed, and now he can look up to Shisui for truly being a good person through and through.
"None of this was your fault Shisui-kun, Danzo manipulated everything, everyone behind your back. He did things behind my back as well, I was the one to fail to see through the deception and lies. I was the future leader so if anybody was to end the Uchiha clan, it was me. You kept faith in me even after I killed everyone, you waited for my return with open arms, you kept Sasuke-kun safe and gave him the love I could not. I cannot place any blame on you for that, you did everything I wanted to and now you are giving me everything I want so do not hold the guilt of what you did not do and instead look at what you have done for me, for the village and be proud." Itachi was completely sincere with his words, he believed the best in Shisui and wanted the man to see himself as Itachi sees him. Shisui blinked, then tried to pout childishly, a small true smile playing at his lips.
"Dang, even when I'm trying to be all cool you still have to outdo me 'Tachi-chan." Shisui pouted and flicked Itachi on the nose, making the skin sting slightly. Itachi scrunched his nose but did nothing else. He let his weak body relax more into his pillows before giving the faintest of smiles towards his best friend.
"Not this time Shisui-kun, your words were very inspirational." Itachi poked Shisui in his forehead and got another smile out of the man.
"You finally admit it after 20 years!" Shisui stood up and after a bit of fretting over Itachi's condition, looking over the room and his condition like a mother hen, he gave a short wave. "Bye 'tachi-chan, I'm on your guard duty later and you better not die on my watch!" He spoke jovially like he hadn't a care in the world, but Shisui also meant every word and cared extremely for those he loved. Although he was worried about Itachi's sick condition-he never imagined seeing the prodigy look so frail-he was satisfied with how safe the room seemed and decided Itachi would be ok for the time being.
"Same to you Shisui-kun, please stay safe and keep Sasuke-kun safe as well." Itachi was sincere, he did not want Shisui or Sasuke being injured on his accord, and with the threat of Danzo still out there, who knew what would happen if the war hawk knew Itachi had returned.
"What kind of friend would I be if I didn't?" On that, the eldest remaining Uchiha flickered from the room at a speed nobody could hope to match, making his way to the meeting point for the mission briefing. Itachi let out a breath, his mind wandering to who hasn't visited him yet that he was expecting…Hinata but he believed she would be last since she was the one to do his surgery. He also briefly wondered if Kakashi would come but knowing the ex-ANBU, Kakashi did not do well with emotional situations and would avoid this like the plague. Tsunade had come earlier to hook him up to an IV and gave him a brief summary of his surgery, though he felt as though something big was being left out.
As if on cue, the door opened and a familiar navy haired heiress entered the room. Her presence was so familiar to him now. He could tell it was her without even looking. Hinata looked over Itachi, her face frowning as she noticed that even over a day his condition had drastically worsened. She could see the sunken look of his eyes and how they could never fully focus on something because his vision would fade in and out so often, she saw the graying of his normally pale yet healthy looking skin. His hair was limp and his lips were pale and dry and it hurt to see someone she looked up to so much, strived to be as strong as, being so…weak.
"Hey 'tachi, almost ready?" Hinata kept her voice steady and let none of her nerves out. She felt like she had to be calm and perfect to not let her nerves make Itachi nervous.
"Yes, I believe so." Itachi made just enough room to give her access and taking the hint, Hinata slid into the bed next to him, her hands gripping his tightly. She was trembling just slightly, he could feel how her pulse was just a bit faster than normal and he knew she was worried about the procedure. His life was in her hands and she was scared of messing up. He ran his thump over the inside of her palm before bringing her hand up to his lips and pressing a soft kiss to the base of her inner wrist. "Breathe, calm down Hinata-hime." He coaxed quietly in his monotone way of speech, there was only the slightest strain to talking but he covered it well.
"I'm trying but what if I fuck up, what if I miss something, what if it doesn't work, what if you…" Die. The last bit was unspoken but they both knew what she was going to say. She opened her mouth to ramble on more but he cut her off kindly. He noticed how that was a tendency she had when she was nervous. It was cute, he found it endearing except when she would blurt out things she needed to keep secret and it got her into trouble.
"If I die, it is because it is my time to go. It will not be your fault. I know you will have done everything you could to keep me alive and that is more than I can ask." He sighed heavily feeling guilty with all the grief and worry he has caused to those around him. HE continued rubbing ssoft circles into Hinata's palms hoping the action will help calm her mind and give her a sense of peace. It was times like this that he realized how much she had grown from the little girl who ran away from people being too touchy feely with her because it was 'too hot outside to have any type of non-spar contact.'
"Don't-don't talk like you are saying goodbye dammit." Hinata mumbled in annoyance, pressing her forehead into his shoulder softly. He rested his chin atop her head and continued talking, she could the rumble of his chest and it was soothing to her nerves.
"I would not like to believe I am capable of dying yet, I have too many people who will come after me in the beyond for me to go peacefully. I will fight my hardest to stay alive Hinata-hime, I promise this for you, for Sasuke, for Shisui, and for all the rest who came today to give me a reason for living." Hinata looked up and Itachi could almost feel the smile that played on her soft petal lips. She was nervous but what Itachi said was exactly what Hinata needed to hear in order to help ease the apprehension she was feeling. Whoever had talked to Itachi before her finally got it through his thick skull that he didn't need to die yet and knowing that gave her more confidence in her skills to keep him alive.
"Damn straight, no way are you dying yet." She grinned up at him and Itachi felt a sense of pain stir deep within him. He wanted to stay alive but he still doubted he could keep going. To hide the frown threatening his face, he pressed their foreheads together tightly, letting the emotion he was trained to suppress just flow between them. Nothing was said for a minute as they stayed just together and present. For Itachi this was a possibly a final goodbye but for Hinata this was just a way of him showing his confidence in her and a see you later. That all changed and Hinata realized what Itachi was trying to convey the instant he leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers.
Itachi did everything with a calm, collected intensity and that was proved even as he tired to coax her mouth into molding with his. Hinata was as stiff as a board, her eyes wide open in shock while Itachi's were closed and his body was holding onto her. He softly pressed her body into his more, his hands pressing against her waist to feel her warmth and soft curves. It felt so right, Itachi had only kissed her once before but yet again he took her off guard. Slowly Itachi could feel her relax when one of his hands stoked her soft locks and the other held her against him. Hinata's hand was still pressed against his chest but instead of pushing away, her dainty and scarred fingers curled around the fabric, clenching it tightly in her grip. He gently prodded his tongue through her parted lips, tasting her sweet essence and Hinata would have enjoyed it if it weren't for the faint coppery taste of blood. That finally broke her out of her shock and Hinata pulled away from his lips. When she pulled away, she was crying, her cheeks were flushed, her lips tingled, and her heart was pounding. Hinata was dizzy and Itachi felt like he was floating or drowning, he couldn't decide. His knuckle softly brushed the tears from her cheek, confused on why she was shedding tears.
"You can't-fuck 'tachi- you can't do that. Last time you-we yanno… kissed… you left. You planned on leaving for good. You can't do that if it means goodbye." Hinata choked out the words almost in a growing hysterical whisper. She had flashbacks to years ago when he had kissed her then left with Obito never planning on returning. That was a goodbye kiss and she refused to let him give her another one for goodbye, that made it all too real that there was a huge possibility of him not making it out alive. He pressed a kiss to her temple and poked her in the forehead weakly.
"I don't plan on dying here today but sometimes we can't get what we want and the universe has something else planned. I am sorry it seems like I'm saying goodbye but sometimes we have to be realistic. But like you, I will fight to live until my last breath whether that is today or years from now."
"This is not goodbye, I…I won't let you die." Hinata's eyes were dry and the pale lavender orbs were glowing with a determined glint, she was not going to let Itachi die, not if she could do anything about it.
"If anyone can do it, it would be you." He had no ounce of doubt in the blandly spoken statement, Hinata managed to do things that should be impossible. Though, Itachi couldn't say he hasn't done the same.
"Naru is the one who pulls off miracles." That was also true, Naruto had some kind of magic that just gave him the most unbelievable luck and match that with his uncanny ability to change a person's mind with just talking. But Itachi believed Hinata had the same skills, she just went about it in a different way.
"You're a miracle all on your own, you are the only one I know that can defy all rules and somehow get it to work in your favor." Her mind drifted to Orochimaru but shook the thought away, he believed in her. She had so many people who believed she could do this and that's what she was going to do. Her eyes briefly flickered to the clock and she shot up, she was super late.
"I have to go…." She threw her arms around Itachi, hugging his sickly body tightly to her. In a brief lapse in judgement she pressed another fleeting kiss on his lips and rushed out mumbling about how it was one to nix the last one so it wasn't goodbye anymore. His face was blank but his eyes were dancing with mirth. He was still feeling her lips on his before he rested back against the bed, feeling all strength leave him as another round of coughs racked through his body. His eyes were barely open and he was only awake by sheer willpower. He felt a flood of relief that he got to see those closest to him one more time before going under.
(In Tsunade's office)
Hinata barreled into the office and all eyes looked to the newcomer, Sasori letting out a huff of annoyance at her tardiness. Shisui felt like she even if Hinata had just returned he needed to limit her time around Kakashi so that she didn't pick up his infuriating habit of being late.
"Nice of you to join us Hinata-chan." Tsunade spoke up, glaring down at her pupil. The aforementioned Hyuga flinched. Tsunade was scary. Hinata glanced around the room, it was full of those she had requested. Ino was in the corner standing next to Shisui and Shizune was standing beside Tsunade. Sasuke was also there, being dwarfed by Kisame. Genma, Aoba and two masked ANBU were present as well. Jiraiya was in the windowsill but Hinata made sure to not keep eye contact with the Sanin. Things were still a bit tense after the interrogation and though she had forgiven him and Tsunade, the idea that they trusted her so little still stung and she was slightly worried he would see her as a threat and execute her. Knowing he was a good guy in the Anime was different in real life, she knew he was a good person…same for Tsunade but they also had a job that came before Hinata and that was something that made the girl wary sometimes. Though they knew the truth, she still felt like they didn't always trust her even if Jiraiya and Tsunade thought differently.
"Sorry about being late I had…things…to attend to." Everyone noticed how her cheeks flushed briefly but nobody was in the mood to mention it…yet.
"I'm sure you did brat, now shut up and lets get this briefing over with." Sasori snapped and at the tone Shisui shot him a glare and Sasuke glowered at the redhead. They didn't know who the haughty redhead was but both disliked the way he talked to Hinata. The female was not mad though, she found it highly amusing.
"Who is this guy Imouto? We didn't meet him earlier and I know he is not a from here."
"That's Sasori." Her lips curled into a smirk, fully amused at how confused Shisui and the others were at the unknown ninja who didn't look any older than Hinata herself.
"Wha-wait you're telling me the creepy puppet dude actually looks like…" Shisui gestured up and down at Sasori to emphasize his point. "That?" He couldn't imagine the gravelly voiced creeper actually looked this…innocent?
"As much as I enjoy this pointless conversation, I was not allowed to wear the Hiruko shell thanks to Hokage-dono and it would be a hinderance in dealing with Itachi-san." Sasori spoke dispassionately, his blank eyes staring at Shisui making the Uchiha on edge. Hearing such wording come from such a sweet looking body was disconcerting for all of the Konoha ninja in the office…except Ino who gave Hinata a not-so-subtle wink at how attractive she found Sasori. Tsunade cleared her throat once and garnered the attention of everyone in the room, her temper was not one to play with and it was being pushed with the focus being so warped from the mission at hand.
"You all have been chosen by either Hinata-chan or I for your specific skill set towards this mission. Each of you know more or less that Itachi Uchiha has returned to the village and is now in dire need of a procedure that is sure to take hours if not days. What you do not know is that I have informed Danzo Shimura of this as well. As of last night, his Root Division was disbanded and he did not take it well. This mission is not just a medical job anymore, it is now an A-rank protection mission as well as an A-rank capture mission. I have on good authority to believe Danzo will attempt to assassinate both Itachi and I to prevent his secrets from surfacing as well as keep his control over root so I purposely gave him information to catch him in the act, this will make it so that there will be indisputable evidence to get the right to his execution once and for all." Hinata's eyes bulged out of her head as she glanced between Sasuke and Tsunade. The former didn't look shocked in the slightest so she guessed he was part of the planning. This made her mission in saving Itachi a whole hell of a lot harder and Hinata couldn't help but feel like all hell was going to break loose. She wished she'd been told sooner than now. She briefly wondered if this was how she made everyone else feel when she did plans and only informed them last minute…yeah she'd have to watch that from now on.
"Hinata-chan, Shizune-chan, Ino-chan, Sasori-san and I will all be unable to fight as we are those tasked with healing Itachi. Sasuke-san will also be unable to fight as he is a crucial part of the procedure. Jiraiya-kun will be both a last resort defense and will be aiding in creating the medical seals for the procedure. Kisame-san, Gama-san, Oro-san, and Aoba-san you four are the outside defense, you will be stationed outside the building and prevent any and all root members you come across from entering the building. You are our frontline of defense in keeping Itachi and I alive. If you take a member out, use a sealing scroll, we will need their bodies for evidence. Shisui-kun and Genma-san, you are both going to be stationed right outside our room as the last line of defense. If you encounter Danzo, do not engage, though I don't expect that old fucker to get his hands dirty… And if you can, keep at least one root member alive for Ibiki-san and Inoichi-san to get their hands on." Everyone nodded in acceptance at their roles, Hinata agreed that the formation was solid. Kisame was a frontline fighter and would do well in his position and Shisui was quick and efficient making him a good defense for any who managed to get through the front line of defense. "Dismissed, your mission starts now." Those not going to be in the room with Itachi flickered out of the room quickly going to gather their tools before going to the smaller hospital where Itachi's surgery would take place.
"Don't worry Imouto, if anyone tries to get close to any of you I'll shove 'em out a window." Shisui gave a comforting smile, the words were a joke but it gave Hinata a sense of relief knowing he would be there to protect them all. Even without his Sharingan, Shisui was considered the fastest ninja in Konohagakure and he had the skills to boot.
"Hn. I wouldn't put it past you." Sasuke responded dryly. Shisui gave him a wink and a salute before flickering out of the room as well.
"Hinata-chan, I name you leader of this procedure, you direct everyone as needed." Tsunade spoke calmly, Hinata gripped a fist and nodded. She had everything planned out to the T…as long as nobody attacked them in surgery that is.
"Sasori will be aiding me in the blood transfusion aspect, he is the one who helped me come up with this idea and I trust him the most with helping me. Tsunade-sama you will be doing the transplant between Sasuke and Itachi, if I'm right, the Eternal Mangekyo comes from switching the eyes of your brother or clan mate so if Itachi and Sasuke were to switch, they would both gain the Eternal so the damage to both Itachi and Sasuke's eyes and chakra system would be reversed on that front." Sasuke was impressed with her insight, that did seem like a loophole, one that was so crazy it seemed like it would actually work. Shisui had been completely awe struck by the realization and he laughed heartily after learning of the almost stupidly simple Hinata and to fix…better…Itachi and Sasuke's eye problem.
"Ino, you are going to be in charge of monitoring the blood of Sasuke, you have to make sure he doesn't lose it too slow or too fast. You will also give him plasma pills every time he loses more than a pint." Hinata tossed a bottle of plasma pills made for Sasuke's specific blood type at the blonde.
"Got it. I won't let you down." Ino was blazing with a determination she didn't have as an academy student. No longer solely focused on boys she was a talented kunoichi, an extremely successful apprentice in T&I, and her medical skills were top notch, it helped that she was a highly chakra sensitive person.
"Shizune you will monitor their vitals as well as making sure that no toxins can enter Sasuke's blood as it is transferred into Itachi."
"Yes Hinata-hime." Shizune nodded and left right after to go prepare the supplies they would need. Sasori was mildly impressed, Hinata gave directions that were simple and could not be misunderstood. She was quick and efficient at giving them as well. It was less of a wonder to him on why she was a Jonin so young after seeing this. Her skills didn't just carry her, she had the makings of a good captain or head doctor.
"Jiraiya-sama, you will be applying seals to the room to detoxify and prevent even the slightest not sterile thing to enter the threshold. You will also need to apply seals to both Sasuke and Itachi to completely stop their chakra flow in a non-fatal manner. Those cannot be broken not even in the slightest…no matter what. If they are, the surgery will be a failure." She was dead serious, Itachi's chakra system was weak and so connected with his failing organs that if they could connect it was a possibility the disease would spread to his chakra as soon as it was being tampered with in his blood. So if the flow of chakra was stopped, it could not spread anywhere.
"You got it kid." He wanted to make a comment…something mildly inappropriate about her bosom but decided against it. Today was not the day and he could see the tense way Hinata was around him. It was obvious she respected him from the start but she now also feared him. But he hoped he could patch that up with helping her with Itachi. Naruto wouldn't rest if he knew Hinata was afraid of Jiraiya and the Sanin did not want to deal with the blonde trying to fix the situation himself.
"Sasuke…you know what you are doing already." He nodded, it was in the letter she gave him and Shisui.
"Hn." He was amazed, Hinata was normally so…wild. Even in the most tense situations she seemed to just spew out shit but now she truly looked like a commander. She had complete control and directed everyone with confidence and made it so that nobody dared to talk back…it was pretty damn amazing. He hoped with every fiber of his being that this would work out, he wanted to save his brother and if giving up his eyes and some blood was the way to do it, Sasuke was completely in. It was an added bonus they were finally gathering the nail in the coffin for the bastard Danzo. He couldn't wait to plunge his blade right into Danzo's chest, not before ripping his arm off to gain the eyes back of his fallen family.
"All right…lets do this shit." They left the room and some branched off to go to the awaiting hospital room while others went to gather the patient on his deathbed. Out somewhere else there were many masked ninja being given their mission by an old war hawk. It was going to be a bloodbath one way or another and it was all up to fate on which side was going to win out over the other. There was an intense feeling in the air all around Konoha and it was weighing the most on Hinata.
(First person)
Everyone who was apart of the surgery, except Sasuke, was in the room Itachi was going to have his transfusion in. Sasuke was not allowed in the room until Itachi was under anesthesia because there is no way Itachi would accept taking Sasuke's blood or his eyes, so he is still relatively in the dark on what is happening. Itachi lay in the center of the room, sanitization and healing medical seals were surrounding him. I was kneeling beside him, his hand gripped tightly in mine. His eyes were more gray than ever and his breathing was coming out if puffs, it was now or never.
"So Shizune-san is going to give you a shot that will knock you out and then right after Jiraiya-sama will seal off your chakra flow. Then Sasori and I will start by slitting through your ulnar artery and let your blood flow out to have the disease extracted before the transfusion." Itachi squeezed my hand as I went over everything I could to ease his mind, more so easing my mind as I went through everything for what was probably the thousandth time this week. Shizune directed the needle right into his bicep, quickly forcing the light blue drug into his system.
"Relax Hinata-hime, everything will be ok." Itachi spoke softly, his fingers still delicately tracing over my palm. He had that damned smile on his face, he was at death's door and still smiled just to make everyone else at ease. His eyes closed, he couldn't keep them open any longer. His hand squeezed mine one more time before it went limp.
"He's out, his heart is weak but it is steady." Shizune informed and I motioned to Ino. She opened the door and escorted Sasuke to his place near Itachi. His dark eyes looked over Itachi in worry, his tense body only relaxing slightly when he saw his chest rise and fall.
"Ready duckbutt?" I had Sasuke lay down flat and his eyes met with mine, they were filled with worry but they also held confidence, he believed I could do it too. The rest of his face was deceivingly blank until his lips barely shifted into a half smirk.
"Hn. Lets just get this over with." He looked at the needle and I could see his muscles flex and tense as Shizune gave him the shot.
"Pussy." (A/N: I really hate this word for some reason but it fit so well I had to do it) I muttered low enough that only he could hear, his face twisted slightly with annoyance at how I noticed his discomfort with needles, that was definitely new and something he'll never live down.
"Freak." He slurred out, fighting the urge to succumb to sleep. I smiled down at him before flicking him in the head and he finally went limp, the tense muscles in his face relaxing to the point he looked peaceful. His hair splayed out behind him, the spiky-ness of the back of his hair was flattened by the ground. I brushed his bangs out of his face and took a deep breath, calming my mind to do this properly. As Jiraiya painted Itachi and Sasuke with their chakra suppressant seals, I washed my hands and slid on latex gloves. My hair was pulled back into a french braid to keep everything out of my face and work area and I was dressed in basic medical scrubs.
"Jiraiya-sama, please activate the seals." With a burst of chakra flow into the seals around the room, the white light was replaced with a blue glow from each seal activating and purifying the room continuously. Jiraiya has to keep adding chakra to the seals so they can't shut down. I could immediately feel the difference, the air was slightly colder and each breath was like breathing in for the first time. "Sasori, begin your the bloodletting, only do his right arm. I'll start extracting Sasuke's blood. Ino be ready with a plasma pill and don't miss his vitals even for a second. Tsunade-sama, as soon as Sasori and I officially start removing Itachi's toxins, do the transplant."
Everyone got into position, I carefully I put myself in the space between Itachi and Sasuke as Sasori made his first incision with his chakra scalpel. Blood slowly began to pour out of the wound, one of the seals surrounding him was to slow the flow of blood so Itachi wouldn't bleed out too quickly. I activated my Byakugan and stuck the needle in Sasuke's right arm, hitting the vein on the first try. The other end of the needle went into Itachi's left arm but I kept the flow switched off, if I let Sasuke's blood into Itachi's system now it would become infected. I looked over at Sasori's incision, the cut was long but shallow and just barely cut open the artery, it was perfectly done. Tsunade began her extraction of the eyes but I was too focused on my task to pay attention.
"Ino when I tell you, switch the flow to on."
"Got it." I placed a hand on the center of Itachi's chest and forced my chakra into his bloodstream. It was difficult, his body itself was fighting my chakra invading his system and even worse was the virus, it was attacking my chakra to try and force me out so it could continue living it was fighting me so hard I lost concentration and I was forced out with a burst and my hand burned from the attack.
"Brat, relax, breathe, get out of your head. Stop being idiotic, you're chakra is stronger than the virus, if you want Itachi to live you have to fight it. We've been over this." Sasori's cold voice broke me out of my panic, he was right. I took another breath and relaxed, focusing my vision solely onto the veins running through his body. Once again I let my chakra forcefully push it's way into Itachi's bloodstream and fought against the cells trying to destroy my chakra. I had to weave my chakra into the tiniest of net's to capture the virus, my hands were shaking and it hurt to breathe but I focused, netting the fibers of my chakra in his veins, making sure as I forced it through his bloodstream, the infected cells were getting caught and forced through his veins out through the bleeding artery. Sasori used his chakra as a block between each time I forced more of the virus out in the open, doing that prevented the infection to spread back through his open wound. He also kept his chakra flowing to Itachi's organs to keep them from shutting down while they had no blood flowing to them.
I started at his left hand and worked my way from there, clearing just the veins and arteries in his hand took over 15 minutes. It was like a tug of war, every time I would pull, the toxins would pull against me, trying to stay in his body. Once his hand was completely clear, the harder part came. My body was shaking, my eyes burned from focusing the Byakugan on something so small for so long.
"Hinata, he needs the blood now, block his blood flow with one hand, nothing can be allowed through or this will all have been a waste of my time."
"Ok…Shizune-san tell me if Sasuke or Itachi's vitals fluctuate too much."
"I will, everything is ok now, Itachi's heart rate is slightly slower but nothing to worry about." I nodded and focused on Itachi's hand. I used my free hand to make a barrier, forcing every drop of blood from the area and making a dam, no blood could come through my chakra wall. Once I was sure it was steady I started forcing the net through the rest of his still flowing blood, pushing out the toxins. focusing on doing both at the same time was more difficult than any other healing I'd ever done. it was like looking left and right at the same time, forcing my chakra in each hand to do something different was always a struggle and I could feel it in the way my body felt like it was straining so painfully.
"Ino, start letting Sasuke's blood flow." My voice was tense, strained but Ino nodded and turned the nob. The clear tube was suddenly filled with a deep red, slowly flowing its way into Itachi. Where we were removing Itachi's blood, Sasuke's was going to fill instead. It was not quite a transfusion, more like draining a water balloon of hose water and fulling it up with distilled water, they couldn't mix or the water wouldn't be distilled anymore. Completely draining somebody of their blood would kill them, but since Itahci and Sasuke share such similar blood and we are simultaneously draining Itachi and filling him at the same time, it is the only way to remove the disease from him and keep him alive. Though it is untested and might not actually work. Sasuke's blood slowly filled the veins of Itachi's hand, bringing it back from its graying state. As I worked, the barrier between their blood was slowly moving up his arm, forcing the blood from there so Sasuke's blood could take its place.
"Hinata go slower, Itachi's body had to get used to the blood, his heart rate is spiking." Shizune spoke calm but I almost panicked, right before I lost control of my chakra, I stopped forcing the toxins out and focused my full attention on the block, making sure nothing got through. The blood was like two forces, one a raging ball of fire trying to burn it's way through my chakra and the other a giant wave, slamming against the rocks. I had to make sure one force couldn't overpower the other and break through all while attacking the disease and keeping it from forming or spreading to anywhere else. Ino force fed Sasuke a plasma pill, replenishing some of the blood lost, it was a short term fix, plasma pills cannot be used often because they will be ineffective but using them once for this surgery would have the desired effects. Tsunade was carefully placing Itachi's eyes in Sasuke's sockets, her chakra mending the detached optic nerves so that they would connect to Sasuke's brain function and work properly. Sasori and I was a little over half way done when all hell broke loose.
The door to the room was slammed open and a masked Shinobi was thrown across the room, slamming into the wall and slumping over. I glanced at the entrance for a brief second, the amount of chakra being flared and the massive number of masked ninja fighting against Shisui and Genma was astounding. I didn't have time to focus on them, one slip up would be fatal for Itachi so I had to stay focused, that didn't stop my entire body to go rigid. The only consolation was that Shisui and Genma seemed to be doing ok…I just wondered how they got past someone like Kisame. They came, I feel like Tsunade picked the worst time to tell Danzo, what the fuck was she thinking.
Glass shattered and I flinched, Shisui was shoved out the window with Genma, their bodies crashing into one another. Tsunade finished wrapping around Itachi's eyes and shot up, hitting one of the Root members and sending him crashing through a wall. If Shisui and Genma were forced outside at least we have Tsunade to fight now. One second Jiraiya's chakra was being pumped into the sterilization seals and the next, like some knock off kitty pride a Root member grabbed onto Jiraiya and phased through the floor. His chakra in the seals stopped and I cursed…loudly. This is bad, really bad. The seals keeping things clean and away from invading and harsh environmental factors like unwanted chakra are down, that makes the risk of the transfusion that much more risky.
While Tsunade was stuck fighting, and not being able to break the walls since it was a hospital, other members tried to attack Itachi but with ease, Sasori was able to produce chakra threads from his chest container and stopped them, sending them right back at the attachers without even blinking.
"Hinata focus." Sasori snapped.
For the first time, my 360 degree vision was more of a hinderance than anything else, there was just so much going on around me, too many things to focus on. With a brief flare of chakra, I forced my Byakugan to zone in only on Itachi's body. I didn't like feeling so at a loss, it was horrible to have my senses restricted when there is such a threat looming. Sasori was immensely calm, his chakra didn't waver in the slightest. He didn't even look slightly exhausted for using his chakra continuously for so long. I on the other hand was shaking, using mystic palm usually I only get a bit of fight before their body allows me in but Itachi's is continuously fighting me back making me use a lot more chakra in a healing than I'm used to, combining that with all the other added stress, I was struggling.
"If we can't kill Itachi directly, kill the Hyuga, if she dies he will too." A deep husky voice ordered and almost immediately after there was a searing pain spreading through my right side. I cried out in pain but couldn't do anything else, my chakra wavered for a second but I kept it intact just enough to keep the blood from merging. My eyes watered and my hands shook. There was a Kunai sticking out of my back, just above my kidney and to the right of my spine, any lower and it would have been a lot more problematic, but this spot was just painful as long as I don't start bleeding too much.
Ino put another plasma pill in Sasuke's system before pressing her hands into a series of seals.
"Mind Distruction Jutsu." She cried out and 5 of the Root attacked one another to the death. Sasori's threads stuck to one of the dead bodies, using it as a puppet and having it take the barrage of Kunai aimed at us before sending the zombie to attack, keeping his eyes on Itachi's bleeding artery all the while.
"Sasori keep some of them alive." Tsunade called out, dodging a Tantō swiped at her head and sending the woman flying with a kick to the sternum.
"They are trying to kill us, I will kill anyone who gets in the way of this surgery." He replied with annoyance laced in his monotone voice. Tsunade huffed but relented, she kept some alive for this reason. Jiraiya was gone but she had no doubt he was still alive, Root were strong but most of them couldn't hold a candle to the likes of Shisui, let alone Jiraiya.
"Ino stop the valve." I grit my teeth through the pain as a stray kunai found it's way into my tricep. I couldn't give up now, not for anything. Sasuke's blood flow stopped for a second. I was on the hardest part, the heart. The entire system had to be stopped and drained of every last drop of blood before Sasuke's can go through it, but it had to be quick because having his heart stopped for so long, especially now after receiving such minimal blood flow, will kill him. Plus afterward, I have to get the heart started again and prevent any blood to mix with any of the still tainted pathway of veins. With a powerful shock to Itachi's chest, his heart beat once erratically before stopping.
"His heart is stopped, work quickly." Shizune informed me. My chakra instantly flooded the chambers and I infused my chakra with his blood, forcing the thick liquid to manipulate the same way I would with water. I had my chakra overwhelm the diseased blood and forced it out of the chambers of the heart with one powerful burst, directing it all into his ulnar artery and then blocking off three chambers, letting Sasuke's blood flow into the left atrium to be pumped through the heart and into his body. I shocked his heart, waiting for the confirmation from Shizune.
"Nothing, do it again." I sent another burst of chakra to start his heart and waited.
"Nothing, do it again." Three more and nothing. I glared down at his heart.
"Dammit Itachi, stop being difficult." With as much force as I could muster, I wrapped my chakra around his heart and pumped it manually, the blood circulating but not because of his heart wanting to work.
"Hinata, I…"
"No stop, don't say anything." Sasori was focused on making sure Itachi didn't bleed out while fighting necromancer style but I was only focused on Itachi's lifeless body. I didn't see the fire jutsu's or weapons slashing, I didn't see the bodies going down or the styles I've never seen be used by the masked root. I didn't see the final member be struck down by Tsunade. I didn't see Shisui return, bloodied but alive. Nothing, I could only see Itachi. The only thing I could hear was the flatlining of the monitor, the only time a beat would start was when I forced it to. I was crying but I didn't stop. Even with the blood dripping down my body, I was numb to everything. "Dammit Itachi. Fight. You hear me you idiot. Fight. Please, Please don't do this! You can't give up! fuck, fuck, fight Itachi. Just make your stupid heart work. PLEASE!" I screamed at him, my voice cracking. Ino was crying, Shizune looked sorrowful, Sasori just stayed still. I slowly let my chakra release the organ and the heart started pumping blood.
I smiled, he did it. Finally, after making sure his heart was good enough, I finished pushing out his toxic blood and Sasuke's filled Itachi's entire system, Sasori sealed up the wound and made sure no blood got back in. I did a once over, there was no disease left. Sasuek's blood was being pumped through his veins and I waited. His body had to accept the blood before anything else. When finally, there was a homeostasis and his body accepted the blood willingly, letting it be his own.
I cried tears of happiness, it worked. Itachi just has to wake up, he will be under supervision but his body seems to be doing fine. His heat pumped on his own but then his body started shaking, blood came out of his mouth, Sasori held him down. It was like the world slowed, my chakra was low, my body hurt, we'd been at this for over 12 hours, and this was just getting worse and worse.
"He's seizing, the overload of healthy blood is making his body freak out, it's not used to this after being sick for so long. He'll die if this continues."
"Fuck fuck fuck fuck." I did the last thing I could think of. I released the seal on my forehead, letting the added chakra flood my system, I pulled the Kunai from my arm and back, the skin stitching itself back together like nothing happened. Black markings covered my skin and before they could stop, I stretched them, pressing my hands to Itachi's shaking body and letting them cover him too, wrapping around his body, intricate designs forcing my chakra into his cells, forcing them to heal and accept the new blood. I coughed, blood dripping down my lip, I could feel my life force amplified yet draining at the same time. Itachi was going to live, fucking hell, there was no way I was going to let the hardheaded asshole die after making it this far. Danzo wasn't going to get his way, Sasuke was going to have a brother, Shisui would have a best friend, I was going to get to spend more time with Itachi, no fucking way. His body stopped seizing, the heart monitor slowed to a steady rhythm and only when I was sure, I stopped the seal, the leftover chakra moving back to store on my forehead.
Everything hurt, my chakra coils were grating against one another, dry. My hands were cold and trembling, my vision was fading in and out and I slumped over, Sasori catching me and letting me lean against his body.
"Brat."
"Hmm" I murmured, letting the darkness overtake me so I could rest and not feel like a truck hit me. As my eyes fluttered closed, my heart soaring at the fact that Itachi made it through the worst part of it, I was hopeful he would push through the rest and make it through rehabilitation.
I woke up exhausted, my head felt like there was a construction sight going on inside my skull, rattling around painfully. My limbs felt like they were heavy, a lot heavier than normal. At least my chakra coils weren't dryer than Suna anymore, it was no longer painful to live. God, chakra exhaustion is like the worst hangover combined with the feeling of dehydration. It was all worth it, even landing myself in this godforsaken place. I was in the hospital, the smell of antiseptic burned my nose unpleasantly.
Hanabi shifted slightly and I moved my arm to help keep her on the bed. She must have come to sleep beside me, I smiled and brushed a hand through her hair. I slid down onto the bed and rested my cheek atop Hanabi's head. She smelled like Jasmine and honeydew, the same as mom. Her arms tightened their hold around me and I laughed lightly. Dad was in a chair beside my bed. His head was lolled to the side, his eyes shut and the deep frown lines on his face were softer than usual.
There was a murmur and a muffled shout and I sat up once more, finally realizing the extra bed in my room. It was occupied by a shirtless blonde, thrashing around in his sleep. One second he was on the bed and the next, he swung a kick and thumped to the floor. One cerulean eye opened barely, looking around in confusion. His fist rubbed the sleep from his eyes and he finally settled on looking at my amused expression. He shot up from the floor, completely uncaring of his lack of clothing, and opened his mouth. I put a finger to my lips, pointing between Hanabi and my dad, he got the message and didn't yell out like he was prepared to. He rushed to the foot of my bed, eyes eager to hear more.
"Hina-chan! I came as soon as Iruka-sensei told me both you and Teme were in the hospital. What the heck happened dattebayo? Neither of you woke up for a full day." He whispered loudly, fluffing his hair as he tried to piece together the limited information he was given by Iruka. I explained everything start to finish, some parts were blank, I remember freaking out when Itachi's heart was failing but I kind of glossed over some of those details. Once I put everything together, I was angry, extremely so and when I was finished explaining to Naruto, he was fuming as well. "How could Grandma Tsunade do that! Is she crazy, she almost got all of you killed." Naruto growled in frustration, struggling to keep his voice low. "Dammit, I'm going to go to talk to her right now!" He was dead serious
"Don't. I'm the one whose going to say something, she put my entire surgery at risk for no reason. Besides, you showing up naked won't help anyone take you serious." He looked down at his bare chest and spluttered, crossing his hands over himself to hide his exposed abs. Naruto shot up from his seat and ran out of the room, before the door could shut, a pale hand gripped the wood and kept it open.
Sasuke slipped into the room silently, he looked terrible. His eyes had deep dark circles under them and his skin was the palest I had ever seen it…losing that much blood even if replenished was taxing on his body for sure. He walked slowly, like any movement would give him a headache. Even as a walking zombie, he didn't look sad or angry so I was hopeful that Itachi was ok. Clad in black sweats and a gray shirt, he drank from a can of tomato juice, the straw never leaving his lips as he sat on Naruto's bed. Everything I was going to say flew out the window as I stared at him in disbelief.
"You know when I told you to drink juice after you woke up…this is not what I meant."
"Hn. It has sugar in it." Sasuke shrugged bored, like my questioning was stupid. Sure having a sugary drink like juice was good but adding sugar to tomato juice is not at all what I meant. His weirdness knows no bounds. Oh my gosh, what even is he. I grimaced as he took another sip, seeming pleased with the flavor.
"That' disgusting. Drinking the equivalent of ketchup is not at all similar to drinking a juice just because 'it has sugar in it'. Go get normal fruit juice dumbass."
"Hn." Whatever, let him heal slower. I paused with bated breath, Sasuke had something to say and I was waiting for him to formulate the best way to word things. "The two ANBU on the mission died, Raido is out of commission, Shisui has a concussion, and Genma has a broken arm."
"Kisame?" I questioned, I had faith he was ok but if somebody like Danzo actually showed up to fight and Kisa didn't back down, the outcome would be catastrophic.
"Hn, he took no damage, the guys a monster." Sasuke was both impressed and weary of Kisame, his eyes shining at the though of the shark man. I took in a breath, other than the soft sound of Hanabi and dad's breathing there was no sound. The air was tense and with a soft whisper I asked the most pressing one.
"And 'tachi?" Sasuke's eyes were distant, I wanted to see the sliver of hope but he'd always been a pessimist.
"He is stable, though he's in a coma and they don't know if he'll wake up. Everything is functioning but he won't wake up." He composed himself, dark eyes cold and calculating. "They say its up to him now." His fingers tightened their hold on the cup, his pale skin turning more white from the grip. Sasuke was clearly the most worried, though he hid it, he was distraught at the thought of Itachi not waking up, to come so close yet be so far. Sasuke didn't want to lose his brother again.
"He'll wake up. He said he was going to fight so believe in him." Sasuke barely spared me a glance as he got up, his mind whirling as much as mine was. He was spiraling again, Itachi needed to get up and fix his brother.
As soon as Hanabi left to go to school and father left for work, I jumped out the window of the hospital. If there is one thing Team 7 taught me over all else, it was how to escape a hospital. That and how much time I spent there learning and healing others, I knew all the escape routes. Perfect for when I needed to keep hardheaded ninja in the hospital when they believed they were fine to return to duty. The glee I got when escaping the hospital was almost nonexistent. I was worried and even more than that, I was pissed.
I stormed into Tsunade's office, slamming the door open almost tearing it off it's hinges. She was conversing with a group of Chunin but as soon as she got a look at my face she dismissed them. She crossed her fingers together in front of her and leaned back, watching and waiting.
"What can I help you with Hinata-chan." I stalked forward, my hands gripping onto the back of a chair, splintering it under my touch. Her eyes hardened just slightly, understanding I was mad at her.
"I am grateful for everything you did for me yesterday but if you ever put a patient of mine at risk like that while I am treating them again, those shitty root members will be the least of your worries." Threatening the Hokage and someone I care highly for was stupid but I was mad and I was lashing out at the person who caused me so much problem yesterday. Tsunade met my furious eyes, her were stony yet understanding.
"Do not talk to me like that. I am your Hokage above all else, my word is law and you have no room to question it." Her voice was firm, commanding and any other time I would have backed down from her.
"You put not only Itachi at risk, you put the lives of Ino, Sasori, Sasuke, Sasori, Jiraiya, Shisui, Kisame, yourself, and me at risk all for some stupid idea on getting evidence to catch Danzo. There is enough evidence to put him away already. What the fuck were you thinking!"
"He has more sway than even me over the council on matters like this…we needed absolute proof of his misdoings. The word of Sasuke and Shisui would't be enough. Danza isn't stupid, he would only attack when he felt it would be most beneficial and end in his favor so that is why we picked now, it was the best chance of getting him to strike. As Hokage I do not want to put the lives of my people on the line, but this is not just about you, this was for the misdoings he caused the Uchiha clan as well as the safety of the village. I have to make the hard decisions and sometimes they are not the most favorable but you have no right to question what I have done when everything ended up in our favor. You were the one to want to catch Danzo in the first place so you should not be in my office creating such a ruckus." I was ready to fire back at her harsh yelling but she raised a hand, gaining perfect composure once more.
"Before you say anything else, just know this wasn't my plan. Your beloved Sasuke came up with it, I went along with it on his request." I was speechless, Sasuke really was willing to risk so much just to catch Danzo, joining root should have gotten enough to take him down. Actually, no, that is exactly something Sasuke would do. No matter how much he has changed, he is still himself and will go to wild lengths for revenge.
"You still authorized it, you were the final say." Tsunade stood up out of her chair, gripping my shoulder and pulling us so we were eye level, barely any space between us. "Stand down Hinata or I will put you on probation until you are older than Kakashi." She released the tight grip on my shoulder and sat back down, her fingers pinching the bridge of her nose. She reached under her desk and pulled out a bottle of sake, taking a swig from the bottle. "Just get out. Now." I turned on my heel and left, thinking of so many ways I was going to shove my foot up Sasuke's ass. The first step out of the room, Ino was there smiling brightly. She grabbed my hand and squeezed it, I felt more calm already.
"Itachi is awake. I can't believe it Hinata! You did it, you really did it." I breathed out, feeling like I hadn't really been breathing since the start of yesterday. No way, he was awake. Time to see if everything really worked, hopefully he would have new eyes and after a long recovery, maybe he'd go back to being a shinobi again.
"I couldn't have done it without you." I was grinning, my impending kicking of Sasuke's ass had to wait. I rested my head on her shoulder and we walked to the hospital together.