Chapter 30: Something more

Pale lavender eyes traveled over the lavish garden without seeing much at all. It couldn't be helped...her head had been a mess of emotions and thoughts ever since the end of her fight. And yet, Hyuuga Hinata would say that, for what felt like the first time of her life, she didn't regret a single thing.

It had been a stupid decision.

That was one thing she'd never try to dispute.

That fight had been lost early on; she should have noticed her cousin had been steadily blocking her chakra points. The moment that happened, any chance of winning had gone out of the window. Yet, for some reason, the small girl couldn't bring herself to regret her decision to keep standing up. Not even after the heiress had realized how futile it was. She had hoped he wouldn't go for the last hit, but a part of her had always been resigned to it for a long time. And for this one time, this one and only time, Hinata refused to back down, even if her life was hanging on the line.

Even if after almost a week of recovery, she could still feel her muscles complain every time she moved. Her breathing was still a work in progress, even walking for too long became a harrowing experience. And that was without even adding the way her father's glare had become frigid.

Which didn't compare to the scolding she got from him after getting back to the estate.

"Hinata-chan."

The pain on her side was the only thing that stopped her from jumping when her teacher's voice echoed behind her. Gods, she was far too distracted if she failed to hear the sound of the door sliding open.

"K-Kurenai-sensei..."

"How are you feeling?" As always, the jounin's voice was soft as she looked at her.

"I-i'm okay." Heat rushed to her cheeks, the woman had to train her teammates, yet here she was, worried about the one who failed.

"I see." There was a knowing tone to her words that made her blush harder. "Are you up to a stroll around the village then?"

Confusion swept over her. She was fairly sure her father wouldn't have been fine with her going off the compound. Not after what he'd dubbed as her embarrassing show of incompetence. But the look on her sensei's face was sincere; going out wouldn't land her in any trouble if that was what she decided. And there was something more in there that she couldn't quite catch.

It would hurt, sure, but the girl nodded her head anyway.

"Good, do you need some time to change?"

Pale eyes went down to see her clothing, in place of her usual training clothes, she'd been happy to remain in comfortable clothes. Plain pants and a long-sleeved shirt. It was force of habit that had convinced her to get out of her pajamas that morning, but she supposed it was a good thing she did. Shaking her head the girl sighed in relief at being able to raise without shaking and made a quick trip to her closet. Comforted by the warmth of her regular jacket, the shy Hyuuga followed her jounin sensei out of the compound.

Exactly what it was the woman hoped to achieve by doing this, she wasn't sure. Though, truth to be told, the girl was glad to have any excuse to get as far away as she could from the coldness that enveloped the main family house. Hinata may not regret her actions, but she'd gladly give the extra effort that meant walking away from the place that failed to feel like a home.

It wasn't right of her to think that way; that was something else she knew already.

As the heiress of the clan, the girl was supposed to be better, she was supposed to be stronger...

Even her younger sister showed more promise than the shy Hyuuga had boasted at that age. The weight of the clan was a big responsibility, one Hinata failed to shoulder the proper way. It wasn't like she hadn't tried to do better. Time and time again, the poor girl would try to do her best, but her father's disappointment was still as ever-present as always. The right thing to would've been to give up after her chakra had been blocked. Attempt to preserve the dignity of the main family. Under his gaze...with him looking straight at her, giving her his full attention. It was like her body just moved on its own. With Naruto-kun's loud cheer in the background, there had been no way to stop; for her not to try and reach out to her cousin that continued suffering in silence today.

A part of her had suspected there was more to the cold demeanor the older teen showed in his day to day for a long time. Just like her, he hurt in silence.

Back then, confidence had flooded her system, something that could be directly traced back to the blond prankster's words. For the first time, it felt like she could try to offer, at least, some form of comprehension. As it was, Hinata couldn't begin to imagine how much Neji had to have suffered throughout all these years...the kind of hurt that turned into resentment.

The warmth of the sun almost went unnoticed as the Hyuuga heiress followed her teacher out the compound. Her thoughts went spiraling again and ignoring everything around her. It was only the sound of sparring and metal clashing against metal reaching her ears that shook her out of her reverie.

Widened lavender eyes rose to see the trees of the training grounds; if she'd been confused before, it didn't come close to what she felt now. Kurenai-sensei had to know her body was in no state to even try to start any kind of rehab. With just the short walk, she could already feel the burn in her lungs as she breathed. Never had the jounin pushed the young girl to the point of getting her hurt...so shy...

"U-uhmm...K-Kurenai-sensei?" she managed to stammer out the question.

"Ah, here we are."

It would've been impossible to contain the small gasp that escaped her lips as they crossed the tree line.

Hinata may not be an experienced medic, but she'd seen the open wounds on Higurashi Kagome, there was no way the other heiress would be back in peak health in less than a week. White bandages still adorned her limbs, and yet the azure-eyed kunoichi was racing in and out of an invisible perimeter as she continued trying to land swift kicks upon the Uchiha heir.

The motions nearly invisible to the naked eyes.

And Sasuke-san was not that far behind either.

"Maa, those two are as stubborn as ever." A lazy drawl complained from her teacher's right. "They still insist on holding back when I've told them I need to see how much they've recovered."

"T-they're holding b-back..."

Because that certainly didn't look like holding back to her. She could see the way the boy flinched as he blocked the Higurashi heiress's kick, as well as how far back Kagome-chan was pushed back after taking a hit herself. This level was definitively above average, way more advanced than what she'd gotten to see from either during the prelims.

"Yep, they're way too stubborn for their own good." The white-haired man replied, clearly unimpressed by what he was seeing. "Alright, you two! Let's stop for now."

"You ok?"

"All healed up, remember? Don't worry too much." Kagome-chan's voice didn't sound strained as she accepted the Uchiha's hand to help her up from where she'd landed. "Thanks."

"Well, then..." The other jounin began to walk to the other side of the field at a slow pace. "Guess we'll leave you, girls, here for a while, we'll be right around the corner if you need anything."

"Don't overdo it." The seriousness in the boy's words took the Hyuuga by surprise.

"Geez, I've told you already, I know what I'm doing." Fond exasperation colored the other girl's voice as she playfully pulled on the Uchiha's hair. "I'll be just fine, really, just trust me."

"H-huh?"

"I'll keep an eye on them," Kurenai-sensei added.

Looking back and forth, Hinata could only watch as the other heiress replied with a vague answer and began to stretch. With just a few steps she'd exchanged places with the white-haired jounin.

"U-umm, are you feeling better, K-Kagome-chan?" It wasn't quite what she'd wanted to ask, honestly.

"Huh?" Surprise filled azure eyes. "Oh, from the prelims, you mean. Yeah, I ended up passing through the hospital, so I had my wounds looked at back then. I'm still a bit stiff and sore here and there, but I should be back in top shape in a couple of days.

"Rather than me...aren't you the one who's still seriously hurting?"

"I-It's not t-that bad..."

It wasn't a lie, perse, but the girl was stretching the truth. There was no need for Kagome-chan to worry. Even if the shy Hyuuga was entirely lost as to what was going on here. A quick glance at her teacher gave her only a smile and a shake of the head.

"Humm..." Her former classmate did not look convinced. "Do you mind if we sit for a while?"

She almost jumped as the girl leaned in for a second before taking hold of her hands and pulled her down to the grass. The question of whether all the care she showed was really just for the lavender-eyed girl lingered in the back of her mind. No matter what the man had said, those hits had not been soft or light at all.

The second both of them were seated, Kagome-chan's hands began to move through a short string of seals. Her confusion only grew further.

"It's a diagnostic technique," the Higurashi offered as an explanation. "Not a regular medical jutsu since the only reason I can use it it's because of my bloodline. It's really effective all the same."

"Kagome-chan approached after your fight. She wanted to know if there was a way I could get you out of the district so she could have a look at you." Kurenai-sensei's words completed the half-done answer.

Heat traveled to her cheeks faster than should be possible as the realization of what this whole thing was about suddenly dawned on her. Warmth quickly pooling inside her at almost the same rate as worry. The other heiress had also been heavily injured, and really, even after going to the hospital, she should take care not to overexert herself. If the lone Higurashi was as well as she said, Sasuke-san wouldn't have given that last comment.

"Hmmm," the azure-eyed genin continued, entirely focused on the jutsu. "I think I know where the damage is; your healing is going really slow, but I'm pretty sure I was right. I should be able to help with things.

"B-but you'll t-tire yourself out," Hinata managed to stutter.

"It's ok, I won't go overboard. It's not like I'm planning to heal you all in one go. This is going to be more like...gently prodding your body to recover a bit faster, a slight nudge. It won't take too much out of me."

"Y-you have to train for the next p-phase, though..."

"Yeah, but this much is not a big deal." There was a bit of amusement behind her answer that melted into a soft smile as she continued. "Besides, I want to do it."

Again, the Hyuuga heiress felt blood rushing to her face. She had to look glowing red as she nodded to accept the offered help. Guilt winning the war inside of her at the sight of the other kunoichi's dejected face.

"I-f you're s-sure."

"Absolutely." It almost looked like her whole face brightened with a smile. "It won't take too long, doesn't hurt either. I promise.

"Reiki is basically another pool of energy; it has both an offensive and a healing side to it. The Higurashi were known for their focus on their medical techniques, so most of the scrolls I have, pointed in that direction. I'm actually quite decent with basic healing now. This will take a bit longer than the normal medical jutsu since reiki reacts to chakra, and I have to concentrate, make sure it remains on the proper side. whenever I'm treating other people." The girl's explanation was probably an attempt to make the shy Hyuuga more relaxed.

"J-just other people?"

"Yeah, since it's a part of my bloodline, it doesn't react to my chakra, and I can speed up the whole process." Idly, Hinata wondered how often she practiced this to be able to continue to focus even when holding a conversation. "I heal Naruto-kun and Sasuke all the time though, there's nothing to worry about."

With that, the Higurashi heiress flew through another string of seals (come of which, she was sure she'd never seen before). With closed eyes, the other girl pressed her fingers to her temples and her left hand to hover above her chest.

An unexpected warmth flowed through her, starting from the place their skin touched. At once, it felt like the soreness of her body lifted, the aching burns soothed as the foreign energy made its way to the parts that hurt the most. So different from the way normal medical jutsus felt like, so much kinder...

Ever so slowly, she could feel it begin to leave, and yet, some of it seemed to remain behind.

"Your lungs are still in pretty bad condition." Her voice was soft, a stark contrast to the frown on her face. "Kurenai-sensei, would it be possible for you to get her out of the compound again in a couple of days?"

"It will take a bit of work, but I should be able to."

"Thank you so much."

"Shouldn't I be the one saying that for helping my student?" The older woman shook her head, a wry smile on her lips.

"Oh, but you've already agreed to help me with some of my training. Despite having your own students to train." For what felt like the hundredth time, Hinata felt lost as she saw the other girl wave her hand dismissively.

"Huh?"

"Oh, Kakashi-sensei asked me to give some pointers to Kagome-chan, since he has his hands full." It...still didn't quite make sense, if she was being honest.

"I think I have an idea on how to beat Neji-san, but I could use with some help, and it's better for sensei to concentrate on helping Sasuke with the sharingan. Other than taijutsu, there's no way for him to train me without cutting in his regimen."

As someone who was used to being kept on the sidelines, Hinata had learned to do something quite well, despite her young age. She'd learned how to really see others, not just what they presented to the world. It was thanks to that skill that she'd realized Naruto-kun was so much more than what everyone took him for. It was also because of it that she noticed something about the other heiress. There had been something...missing from the girl ever since the time the Uchiha clan had been so cruelly slaughtered by their own heir. Even after Kagome-chan had come back to the academy after mourning and things had gone back to normal, the warmth that the small raven-haired child used to radiate was missing...that had become the new normal...things seemed to have changed once more, though.

Watching now, the smile on Higurashi Kagome's lips as she spoke with her teacher, Hinata wasn't sure if it was real or not anymore.

"T-train." She spoke before she could stop herself. "I-I also want to help you train."

The surprise on both kunoichi's faces was, however, very much the real deal. That she was sure.

"Hinata, I know this is helping you feel better, but it's still..." Kurenai-sensei trailed off.

"N-not with combat." That would only land her back in bed. "B-but the byakugan can see more t-than the sharingan, r-right?"

Silence fell on the clearing, this was more than just not orthodox. It had the potential to become the reason for severe punishment if word of it were to get out. Because while technically, the Hyuuga clan would be acquiring some knowledge about the workings of a kekkei genkai, the shy girl was unlikely to share that knowledge with her family. On the other hand, another clan would get a clear idea of the teachings of her own bloodline techniques, something she'd surely share with the last remaining Uchiha.

"Hinata-chan, that's so kind, but isn't it going too far?" The uncertainty on the words was undeniable.

"I w-want to do it!"

Because she'd been a coward when the closest thing she'd had to a friend had been hurting. Because even now, she was afraid to ask what was wrong...it was thanks to her that the Hyuuga heiress had gained the courage to talk to the boy she admired.

And Kagome was going to fight her cousin, the slight hint of anger that wasn't quite hidden when his name was mentioned was also there mostly on Hinata's behalf. It was the most genuine thing she'd heard of the girl so far.

"Well, if you're ok with waking up early when I go to get you in two days, I can't stop you." The older woman nodded, her gaze softened as she looked at the two genins. "As long as you don't overwork yourself."

"Are you sure about it, Hinata-chan?" Azure eyes peered at her, something undecipherable behind them. "Thank you, I really mean it."

"Oh, it seems like you're done already." The carefree voice of the copy ninja Kakashi broke her musings. "Right on time."

"Hey, guys!" Bright and cheerful and completely unexpected, Naruto-kun's voice echoed through the clearing. "Oh, Hinata-chan, you can go out already."

Flustered didn't begin to describe how she felt as the blond's attention so focused on her. The older woman giving her a slight push towards the boy did not help the matter.

"I-I fell b-better now."

"Oh, yeah." His face lit up with a grin. "Kagome-chan said she wanted to try and see if she could help with the healing stuff."

"And I did," the girl intervened; a bento Hinata missed was being pushed on to the prankster. "But it doesn't mean she's fully recovered yet. You can't push her around too much."

"Eh? Why give me this?"

"We need to get something from home."

"Did you forget something?" Confusion laced Naruto-kun's voice at the Uchiha's grumbled response. "Wait, when have you ever forgotten something?"

"Just now, you moron."

"You can start without us, though." Before the prankster could bite back, the Higurashi heiress spoke. "Ah, there's more than enough food if you want to take a bite as well, Hinata-chan."

The grin she was giving her, made it clear that there was absolutely nothing they had to go and get. And Sasuke-san was going along with it.

"Oh, that's perfect!" the genjutsu specialist exclaimed with an extremely fake tone. "I just wanted to check the schedule for Kagome-chan's training sessions. It's alright if I come and get back to you in half an hour, right? You won't tire yourself out?"

"I'll make sure Hinata-chan rests!" Naruto-kun grinned, probably oblivious.

"We'll be back soon enough!"

Words died on her lips, and the Hyuuga heiress was so sure her face had to be glowing as she watched everyone else leave the little clearing. The smiling blond behind her was already describing what could be found on the bento. Cheerfully placing things on top of a small blanket.

Trying to remind herself of the importance of breathing, the girl gingerly took a seat in front of the prankster, giving a quiet thanks. She could get through this, she could get through this without fainting.

It took more than it should to keep the dread he was feeling from showing on his face. He had to force his breathing to remain steady as the words gain weight on his head. Exactly where did this whole mess fit into Kakashi wasn't sure...but having a chuunin be killed in the middle of the night was far too serious not to be part of a bigger plot.

Around him, not everyone managed to keep their masks in place.

"Hayate was..." His voice trailed off.

"Yes," There was a gravity to the old Hokage's voice that hadn't been heard in years now. "He was found by Kikyo castle this morning."

"Was the opponent Orochimaru?" Mitarashi Anko's question was expected.

"No, we can't make that assumption..." Too many pieces were in motion right now, even if they were most likely interconnected. "Hayate was most likely tailing that Oto spy, Kabuto...well, it's clear Orochimaru's up to something, though."

Because the rogue nin was certainly involved with this whole fiasco. A grim reminder that no matter what, the threat to his kids was as real and as high as it had been back in the Forest of Death. He'd left both clan heirs back in the training grounds when the urgent summons came, and thankfully the hyperactive blond was being watched by one of the few people capable of holding their own against the nuke nin.

They were, momentarily, safe.

Truthfully, he'd never been so relieved as he'd been when Naruto came to boas about what had happened to Ebisu-san and just who was the perverted man who took over the training. And apparently, the old man also fixed whatever it was done to the Kyuubi seal on their very first meeting.

Naruto, at least, was in no danger.

"Then we must cancel the chuunin exam." A voice rose from the momentary chaos. 'With Orochimaru..."

"No, he revealed himself to Anko..." It wasn't hard to notice how much it pained Sandaime-sama to say it out loud. "...and urge us not to cancel it...this chuunin exam has to go on."

"What are you saying?" For the first time since the meeting began, old man Homura spoke.

"Orochimaru has the power to destroy a small country himself." One of the reasons why nobody had been sent after him. "Since escaping this village many countries must have set their eyes on him. Plus, he coincidentally has a grudge against us...

"Any country would want him."

"Then...no way..." Someone else spoke from the crowd, disbelief coloring his words. "One of our allies has joined Orochimaru to betray Konoha?"

Cynically, Kakashi wondered just how long had this guy been on the field. Clearly not as long as the copy ninja had been if the poor sod was this shocked at the mere idea of being betrayed by one of their so-called allies. Sandaime himself mentioned it during the explanation of the third phase of the exam, how this whole thing was nothing more than a substitute for their old wars. A way to make sure there was a balance of power between the villages.

"Well, the alliance agreements are nothing more than verbal promises," the former ANBU said. "It hasn't prevented great wars from exploding in the past."

"Either way, we don't have enough information right now." Hokage-sama stopped him before he could continue. "Let's not worry needlessly."

"We already have ANBU gathering information in other countries." From Sandaime's left, Koharu spoke with confidence the young man wasn't sure she felt. "We shouldn't be too focused on this. The enemy may use that against us."

"Plus...I trust you guys." A smile broke through the serious mask of their leader. "If the time comes, we will assemble our strength...and fight!"

Feeling the mood of the room lift slightly; Kakashi pretended to follow suit before leaving on his own. It may be right that they would all rise up to the fight, but having to do so in the first place would put his students in a position that he'd really rather they could avoid for some time. Most of these people had been too young and not talented enough to be pushed forward to the battlefield when the last war was still raging. Kakashi had been...

Right there, in the front lines.

The memories of it never fading, never too far away from his consciousness.

The majority of the shinobis in that room weren't aware of the difference between being sent on a high-ranking mission (with at least some half-decent info and some solid support) and the confusing mess that was an active battlefield. Where you weren't sure if the next step contained a trap, or if you were being watched by some unknown jutsu, or if your whole team was about to be attacked by someone so out of your league that you knew you had no hope of surviving.

No, they had no idea at all.

How much luck came into play once you were in that position, how little talent or promise mattered in the worst terrible circumstances.

His kids didn't need that sort of experience; all of them were damaged enough as they were. None of them needed that kind of knowledge. They shouldn't have to pass through what he did. The gods knew he himself had barely managed to get up in the mornings after that damnable war.

If a part of him felt anxiety spike at the idea of what the council would try to do to Naruto, the boy who housed what had to be the biggest powerhouse at Konoha's disposal, he pushed it to the back of his mind. They were not at war yet, and if things were handled carefully, there was still a chance they could nip this in the bud. They could still be spared all the trauma that came with fighting a war.

It would be better not to focus too much on how if the ANBU were only mobilizing now to try and find out which of their allies were the ones on Orochimaru's side meant that, to a degree, they'd already failed.

He almost stopped as long silver caught his eye.

The Taisho head was walking alongside his wife, strolling around like they not only belonged but commanded the village. Apparently careless and unbothered. Like hell he bought that, the only question in his mind was how much about the situation did they actually know. He wouldn't' be surprised if some others were questioning the convenient timing of both the team and both rulers coming to the village precisely when Orochimaru had chosen to make his move.

As if a clan with such fame needed to team up with someone like Orochimaru to attain more power.

Those guys lived off hunting high-ranking rogue ninjas, not restrained by the territories of the countries around them. As it was, they pretty much had power over all hidden villages already, no matter how much they all liked to pretend not to notice...

Which did not mean they were trustworthy...

Especially when it came to his students.

"Rough day?"

"Asuma." The smell of smoke was undeniable behind him. "Not training Shikamaru?"

The older man shrugged indifferently, not like the copy ninja could say he was all that surprised. Kakashi hadn't cared enough to pay attention to anyone else other than the brats he'd been assigned. But it didn't take too much to realize the boy under Asuma's care was not the kind of person to get too enthusiastic about...pretty much anything.

"He can train what really matters on his own," the other jounin laughed as he tapped his head.

"Aiming for a strategist?"

"He was like that from the start." Huh, so he was not trying to take credit for it. "That clan is full of them. The gods know how they raise their children. That doesn't really answer my question, though."

"I think we all knew from the moment they showed up," the copy ninja waved towards the strolling silver-haired couple. "It was guaranteed something had to happen. They seem to have a knack for sniffing out trouble."

"Great. Guess I'll see what all the fuss is about then." The other man sighed heavily.

The former ANBU captain nodded, letting his gaze move without really seeing anything. This whole mess was currently being considered classified information. The significance and urgency of finding a dead shinobi, though, meant anyone on jounin level or above needed to be debriefed. In an effort not to leave the village defenseless, this was being done in batches. One group of jounins came in only to switch with the ones left out. ANBUs were keeping an eye out, but a decent number of them had also been left out.

Maybe they should have brought more people in.

They wanted to avoid panic, however. And while definitely capable, chuunins could still make mistakes and let things slip.

"Well," Kakashi shook his head as he began to make his way back to the training grounds. "I'll go back to my brats. Oh yeah, by the way...when do you think you'll have that ready?

Wan amusement managed to make its way to his face as he saw Asuma pale. The memory of the final amount of money that had been betted probably overtaking his curiosity for the situation. It was amusing, he figured, that his fellow elites really thought he'd send his team to the exam if he thought for a single second that one of them was likely to fail.

Well, his wallet certainly wasn't complaining about it.

A tired sigh left her lips as she felt some of the tension on her body fade with the warmth of the hot springs. It took them a fair bit of money to keep the place functioning. But considering it was one of Kagome's preferred activities, Sasuke had insisted on paying the fee instead of having to conform with going to public houses.

Not that she was about to complain.

Far from it, really. At first, the constant silence had been unnerving however, living in the abandoned district made it so she'd grown used to it. To a degree, at least. That she knew Sasuke was on the other side of the bamboo wall also helped to soothe her nerves.

Azure eyes closed, willing her body to heal up just a bit faster. Most of the day's training had been more to speed up her taijutsu since the Uchiha's training also included some extenuating physical techniques; having them spar was becoming a bit of a default. The private sessions they would each need was a bit trickier to schedule, but the lessons with Kurenai-sensei should help. One hour sessions as early as possible. Letting out another sigh, the girl tried to push the already crawling anxiety y, trying to focus on the things she'd accomplished during the day.

It was more than she thought she could get.

Offering to heal Hyuuga Hinata had been mostly done as a way of atonement, but she'd also been aware from her reactions that the girl's teacher cared for her. Considering who ended up as her next opponent, there was little doubt in her mind that the older woman would probably feel indebted to offer some help if she helped the other heiress.

What she never expected was for the shy girl to speak up and offer to help herself.

She had hesitated then. It would be unfair to take her up on the offer because sweet, kind, naive Hinata would never betray her trust. Yet, Kagome would leave the village, and she knew she'd use whatever information she could get if another member of the Hyuuga clan were to be sent after them. And while she'd realized there was no way for her to actually hate the girl for the pain her loved ones had suffered...she also knew that when the girl came back, aiming towards the government that had screwed over and sacrificed her few precious people…she would not stop. Hate it as she may, she'd face the girl if the Hyuuga heiress were to try and stop her. In the end, she couldn't bring herself to not agree, though, and she would take what she could.

They were being targeted.

Literally targeted.

Any information she could get on her own bloodline that would help her feel even a little bit less defenseless against someone like Orochimaru, was something she would get. Gaining more info could also help with her control, meaning the time until she could get rid of that damnable seal would shorten, even if only for a little.

The man was dangerous, and even after all the digging they tried to make during their recovery week had given them almost nothing. Most of what they were looking for clearly classified information and the frustration she felt from it was painfully familiar as the one she felt when they were looking for information related to the Uchiha or even just Itachi.

"Hmm, the outside is a bit scruffy, but it's really well cared for." The voice was playful and silky and almost directly in front of her.

Somehow, Kagome managed to keep the scream on her throat to slip by. Azure orbs falling on silver and gold as the woman she'd observed the day she arrived carelessly made her way towards the water.

For all that the woman had looked like nothing more than some elegant noble lady, it only took one glance at the woman's body (who felt really at home carrying a towel in her hand instead of wrapping it around her) to know it wasn't so. It was evident that as slim as the older kunoichi was, there was firmness in her body that could only be achieved through training.

How…how did she fail to sense her?

Even distracted as she'd been she should still have been able to feel it…right?

"Yes, with just the two of us keeping the facade clean is a bit too much" smile, she reminded herself, smile and keep polite because the Taisho matriarch was the last person she could allow herself to be sloppy with. "I fear it doesn't reach the standards of the public house."

"Indeed, but that place is just so crowded." the older woman drawled something that was closer to a smirk than a smile on her lips.

"Yes, I fear that's what happens when the village has no real touristic places to visit, onsens just get overly crowded." What the hell was this about? What was she supposed to do now? "I'll try to make sure to clean up a bit more for your next visits if you wish."

"So nice of you, darling." Not waiting for an invitation, the kunoichi entered the water. "You can never relax in just a regular tub, after all."

Breathe in, and breathe out, she remembered herself. It was unnerving, being in the same room as the experienced shinobi. Because for the first time, instead of being the cat laying with her prey, her situation had switched. Even when talking to the monk wanna be she'd still felt like they'd been on a level playing field, since for as much as she had little to no information on them, they didn't have a thing on her.

When talking to the Taisho matriarch, though, she felt completely out of her depth. The older woman knew something, something about her that Kagome herself didn't. And the Higurashi heiress had absolutely nothing on her.

"Ah, but this is just perfect after meeting with the old coot." With the Hokage? She was sure that meeting had to have happened the very first day they'd arrived, not two days later. "Have you considered planting some flowers around?"

"Not particularly, though I suppose it would make for quite a nice view." The girl smiled once more. In all ways, the woman was several steps higher than her in the social hierarchy, but if she insisted on treating the girl like a long-time acquaintance despite the fact that they were literal strangers, she'd play along. "I wonder, what would fit."

"What about shiragiku?"

"It would certainly paint a pretty picture." She managed to keep her reaction under control, barely.

"Don't you think so?" The woman laughed, the amused sound ringing in the silence. "Oh, well. Up we go, we shouldn't let ourselves shrivel like prunes in here."

The girl agreed, managing to keep her brow from furrowing, it felt a bit too hurried…and then she felt it, Sasuke making his way to this side of the onsen. As expected, the rumors about the excellence of the clan were not exaggerated. This woman had managed to completely hide her aura and keep searching for chakra.

"What's taking so lo…" Blood was rushing to the Uchiha's face as he froze on the entrance. "Wha..."

Thankfully, her frantically motioned hand gestures from behind the Taisho matriarch were visible enough. The boy managed to bite his tongue and hold back whatever reaction he'd have lashed out to the stranger in their onsen.

"There should be a hairbrush over there, right?" Seriously, the Taisho matriarch was far too comfy in their hot springs. At least this time the towel was properly covering her private parts as she spoke to Sasuke.

"A-ah…right."

There was a feeling of slipping a little from reality as she followed them both to the inside of the bathing house. Only to see the Uchiha take a glance at her before giving up her hairbrush to the Taisho matriarch. Considering Miroku-san had clearly broken their orders when he said they'd been watching her, the girl hadn't expected them to approach her so directly…or in the bath.

"So, what are you waiting for darling" Golden eyes locked into hers.

Thankfully, it only took her a sliver of a second to understand what was being asked of her. How she'd managed to reply without stuttering or trip as she made her way to sit at the stool, she was sure she'd never know.

"You braid your hair, don't you?" Was she trying to throw her off with all these non sequiturs? "It's not as tangled as it would be if you trained with it lose."

"At my level, letting it down wouldn't be such a wise decision." Take a deep breath and keep up, she reminded herself.

"I'm sure you won't have to wait long not to have to bother."

"You're too kind, Taisho-sama."

"Kimi, dear" The older woman laughed, keeping up with the facade of being friendly. "Taisho-sama is my fool of a husband, I swear, that man could spend an hour walking through a maze when he could very well jump over its walls."

Soft…the feeling of the brush going through her hair followed by the light touch of fingers choked her. The memory of a different woman quietly humming as she brushed her hair was suddenly enveloping her, how she'd use to wave her short legs while waiting for the raven-haired woman to finish, the emotions of it overwhelming.

Her breath caught on her throat.

Nails dug on her palm as Kagome tried to focus on the pain. Tried to drive away the half-remembered days that had been filled with something that had never been real. The other woman hadn't cared, not enough to fight Uchiha Fugaku for her, for her own children…those memories contained nothing but illusions…pretty, hollow lies, nothing more.

And she couldn't have a meltdown.

Not here.

Not now.

Forcing as deep of a breath as she dared without drawing attention, the girl managed to hear the light praises the silver-haired woman was giving her hair…or was it her skin?

"There you go, all done now."

She blinked at the brush being offered to her after a couple of stray hairs were taken out before her mind managed to catch up and the girl forced her limbs to move and close her grip around the handle.

Not daring to look back at Sasuke, not willing to let him see how close she'd been to having a breakdown, she turned to face the lady. Thankfully blood-free fingers moved to let the long silver tresses off the intricate up-do. She had to put herself back together. This was not the kind of scenario she'd expected to have happened when encountering the leaders of the clan that had her watched but wasting her chances was something she wouldn't forgive herself.

It would be a little more direct than she liked, but then again, she was very much not the bigger predator in this room.

"Ah, I almost forgot, Kimi-sama" Her voice was steady, airy almost as she allowed the comb to pass through the long silver tresses. "I wished to express our gratitude. It was thanks to your decision to have your clan participate in this exam that we managed to get out of the second phase as we did."

"Oh, it was nothing dear," the woman said, apparently unconcerned about the subtle implication. "But tell me, have you been back home recently?"

This time, she couldn't quite contain the slight hesitation on her movements before she managed to recover and looked back at the mirror, smile firmly in place despite Sasuke's visible frown behind her.

"We spend most of our time in the compound. Better to err in the side of safety" They had to know about Orochimaru, as well as their confrontation. Did they know more, though? "After all these times are quite…interesting."

"Interesting indeed." Again, the matriarch laughed. Completely unbothered once more. "I should say though, maybe giving it a look might show something that's even more interesting, enlightening even…do you think they liked kikus?

"Ah, that was just perfect dear, but I fear I should probably leave, Toga always worries so much…but I'm sure we'll see each other soon enough, Kagome, Sasuke."

"What…" As the woman casually slipped one layer of a silk kimono on and disappeared from their sight, Sasuke seemed to have found his voice again. "What the hell was that?"As

Chrysanthemums…white ones…

At first, she thought it was more a comment about the deserted state of the place. Planting grief flowers in the desolated district.

A never-ending funeral…

But there was one more meaning to it wasn't there?

Truth…

Taisho Kimi knew something about her that Kagome herself didn't, she'd assumed that from the beginning…now she was sure of it though…

"I think…" she trailed off slightly, as the girl tried to find her words. "It means we have to go to the Higurashi compound…the sooner the better."

A/N: So we're officially over the 200 k words, god, that's hard to believe (specially since my draft doc is still barely at 190, guess that just goes to show the difference editing makes). Also, so sorry about the late hour, but grammarly was giving me trouble today and wel...yeah editting is important.

I'd love to tell you guys I could upload twice a week but with the size of these chapters that's well, kinda impossible hahaha. I love my major, but psychology needs lots of reading, like way too much sometimes...

But well, things are moving ,and changing, and since the time for them to leave is coming closer that means I'm going to need some more character's POV's from those who remain in the village. Outside perspective can sometimes give more insight than those directly involved after all. And yep, Inukimi is definitely having her fun as well.

As always, thank you guys so much for reading this story, and any and all review/comment/criticism is greatly, greatly appreciated.