Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto!

"You are her boyfriend, aren't you? HURRY UP AND SAVE HER ALREADY!" Hanabi screamed into Hinata's phone. She'd snatched it from that idiot Suna grunt's pocket during their scuffle. It had his number in it, after all.

"You've gut guts to be scolding Uchiha Sasuke, little Hyuuga," Karui said, pressing her own phone to her ear. If the younger Hyuuga was telling the truth, then she needed to call for backup. She would process the notion that Uchiha Sasuke was Hinata's boyfriend later.

"You've got guts to be scolding me, little Hyuuga," A low voice said from the other side. "What the hell do you want? Why do you have Hinata's phone?"

"It's Hyuuga Hanabi, not little Hyuuga!" she snapped, white eyes blazing.

The Suna gang didn't want any interference from Kumo's girls' kendo team. They had backed Karui into a corner. It rubbed her the wrong way when they first threatened her team, but now she had a debt to pay. Karui shut her eyes. Most things didn't scare her, but she still had nightmares from that night. Someone grabbing her from behind, someone else swinging a baseball bat at her, seconds away from smashing into her skull. The red hood obscuring her attacker's face. Then he had showed up and took the hits for her. Pushed her out of the way and told her where the police station was. Akimichi Chouji.

"Get here as soon as possible." Karui finished giving the girls directions and hung up.

It was the right thing to do. Karui glanced over at Hyuuga Hinata's younger sister.

"- haul ass, you slow duckbutt head!"

Her younger sister was…spunky.

Sasuke scowled at his phone. He checked the time. His flight left in ten minutes. He didn't want to go. Now he had a reason. A good reason.

His eyebrows pinched together. "They kidnapped Hinata and took them all out?"

Hanabi groaned and said, "Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying!" She shook the phone in a fit of anger and yelled, "Hustle!"

Sasuke turned his head, eyes searching. He spotted a young boy on a bike and shoved him off.

As Sasuke adjusted his travel backpack, the boy glared up at him. "You stole my bike!"

"I'm borrowing it you, you little shit." Sasuke growled, and took off. It was no Amaterasu, but it would do.

His family needed him.

lllllllllllllllllllll

Hinata's feet slid on the slick muddy path. The rain let up, now a prickly drizzle. Her visibility was better, but she was about as lost as the Suna gang now. She shot a look over her shoulder. She was positive she was being followed. It wasn't just paranoia raising the hair on the back of her neck. A quiet hiss, like a change in the wind or the fall of rain, came from behind her. She whipped around. Nothing.

Hinata tried to rationalize. Maybe it was a small woodland critter. Preferably something cute that didn't want to kill her. Wide pearl eyes darted over her shoulder again.

She didn't react in time.

He grabbed a fistful of her collar and slammed her against a tree. She gasped in pain, the breath knocked out of her.

"Thought you could give me the slip?" The boy grinned. "Unlike those Suna brats, I can swim."

The boy's name rushed to her head in a whirlwind of other panicked thoughts - Zaku. He was soaked from head to toe, like her. He flicked the blood off of his split lip, his face hard and twisted in a menacing expression.

"Nice kick, by the way," he said.

Hinata bit the inside of her cheek, her chest heaving with panic. He dropped her and squinted at his surroundings.

"Let's go, Hyuuga," He yanked her up by the arm. "Lead the way. If you go the wrong way, I'll break your fucking arms. Move."

After a sharp prod to her back, Hinata dumbly stumbled ahead. She shook her head as if to physically focus her scattered thoughts. All bodies of water were connected in the forest. Hinata knew that. Every Konoha native knew that. She wasn't sure where Zaku was from, but he wasn't from Suna or Konoha. She had that advantage.

Her mother had told her that the ravines in the forest used to be filled with water too. It was possible that if she followed the reservoir water and noticed where the water got thinner, it would lead her to a ravine. Her mental map sharpened. The ravine Shino was in should be close by. From there, she could figure out where she was.

Hinata lifted her finger, where Banana Milk was resting. She whispered, "I have one more favor. Come find me when help arrives."

In the meantime, Hinata would stall for time. Hanabi would have called for help by now. If she made it out, that is. However, none of the Suna goons had mocked her about capturing Hanabi. She took that as a good sign. Hinata knew it was a risk to assume Sasuke was still in Japan. Hanabi would likely try the others' numbers. Ino would come to her rescue if Hanabi called. If Ino arrived, then she might figure out that Banana Milk was Shino's. The last resort would be telling the clan.

There was a chance that Kiba and Akamaru could help. Kiba knew where Shino was. She knew she couldn't depend on Kiba to defend her against all of Suna's gang, but it was better than going it alone. Once Banana Milk found help, he would come back and guide Hinata there. Zaku wouldn't know any better. Her plan was risky, but she didn't have a choice. All she had were risky options.

Banana Milk zipped away. "What the hell are you mumbling about?" Zaku barked.

"N-Nothing. I was just thinking out loud," Hinata said. "It's this way."

The boy shook the water out of his hair. "Konoha is too damn wet."

Hinata pursed her lips. She wanted to whine too, but this could be an opportunity to glean information. "Um, where are you from?"

"None of your business,"

She winced. Maybe she had been too obvious.

"Dryer places are better. Suna wasn't so bad. You get used to the sand getting everywhere. Orochimaru-sama prefers it," he continued, as if talking to himself.

Hinata nodded, noting the information and storing it.

"May I ask you a question?" she said.

He didn't answer, seeming more interesting in picking his ear.

It wasn't just the question she asked, but the way she phrased the question. Sasuke had shown her how to angle questions to get a rise out the other person.

"Is it true? That - That Sasuke-kun," she paused on his name, her voice faltering, "used to work for Orochimaru? There's no way, right?"

The effect was like blood in the water. Zaku bared his teeth in an ugly grin. "What, he never told you? That he was Orochimaru's little bitch?"

Hinata flinched. Her stomach twisted in dread. She thought he'd talk more if it meant he could mock her and Sasuke, but it still stung to hear about it.

Zaku's grin stretched at her reaction.

"He got his hands dirty doing everything. Extortion, turf fighting, bribery, black market business - you name it," Zaku dragged a wet, muddy hand down her arm. "Did he touch you with those filthy hands?"

Her stomach lurched and twisted in disgust. She slapped his hand off her body. "That's none of your business," she hissed.

Zaku chuckled. "Fair enough. Take my advice and break up with him. Orochimaru-sama is gonna mess up that pretty face of yours if you get in the way."

Hinata didn't want to hear about Sasuke's past from anyone but him. A cold, heavy fist clenched her heart. Maybe she didn't want to hear the truth at all. She didn't want to know about all the bad things he'd done. It reminded her that she was in over her head, joining a gang by accident and deciding to stay because she was lonely, and because they were easy to be friends with. The Rookies acted like a bunch of rowdy boys, so it was easy to ignore Naruto's fight, his wild eyes, and the crunch of the bones he broke. It was easy to ignore Sasuke's combat prowess while unarmed and outnumbered.

Hinata's eyes stayed on the path. The water was starting to thin.

lllllllllllllllllllll

The furious, fast-paced bike ride from the airport to the forest would have fried anyone else's muscles, but Uchiha Sasuke wasn't just anyone. He hopped off the bike and tossed it aside. He'd worked himself into a righteous fury on the ride. His blood had run cold when he finally registered what Hinata's sister told him. His jaw clenched. His lips tightened into a thin, angry line. There was no way – no fucking way those Suna shitheads were going to get away with hurting his gang. Not the friends who had stuck by him and weathered through the painful times in his life with him. Not Hinata, who was gentle and kind to everyone and everything, kinder to him than he deserved. He tightened his fists. Absolutely not Hinata, who didn't want to hurt anyone even if they hurt her. No way. Not fucking permissible.

Hyuuga Hinata had somehow wandered onto his list of people who he would protect within an inch of his life. He compartmentalized her as someone worthy of feelings that were stronger than indifference.

Something like friendship, but not quite. Something that made him covet the soft smiles she sent his way, and her ridiculous mannerisms. Cooing at plants. The shy, careful way she held onto him when she sat behind him on his bike. The fall of her hair as she worked in his office, and the way she pushed it behind her ear and chewed her lip as she concentrated. The ease with which she navigated his kitchen to make him ginger tea. The warmth of her smooth legs when they had slept on the couch.

Something that quickened his pulse, that made him want to touch her, tighten her arms around him when he drove them, and hold her soft, small hand when they walked together. Something that made his blood roar in his ears at the thought of someone hurting her.

Sasuke marched past the muddy footsteps. Too many footsteps. The entrance of the forest was clear. He expected guards, but found none. That only made him more tense.

His instincts were right.

A knife whizzed past his cheek. Sasuke moved in time and shifted into a defensive stance. More projectiles shot at him. They moved so fast that they looked like sharp, silver blurs. He dodged and leapt behind a tree. He heard the metallic thuds of the knives piercing the trunk.

"Come out, Uchiha Sasuke," A low, cold voice said.

Sasuke scoffed. "Not when you're trying to stab me,"

He heard a dry chuckle. "Are you scared of me?"

Sasuke was planning to head in further behind the trees. "I don't have time for you,"

A groaning creak warned him before another silver blur sliced through the tree trunk. Sasuke jumped out of the way of the felled tree. A short, red-haired boy with icy green eyes in front of him. He had a small build and little muscle. He specialized in long-range attacks.

Gaara.

"Fight me," Gaara said, dull jade eyes glowing with a crazed look. A hungry look. Eyes dilated, lips pulled back, baring his teeth like a predator closing in on his prey.

Gaara threw his knives. Sasuke dodged them, his ears ringing with the metallic screech of knives whirring past him. He lunged forward. Gaara looked like a weak close-combat fighter. Sasuke swung his leg under Gaara, who nimbly dodged him.

Sasuke gritted his teeth. There was little information he could gather about Gaara at all, let alone his fighting style. People who fought him never survived to tell. The little bastard was quick.

Sasuke threw a punch, but Gaara forced him back with an onslaught of knives.

"Listen, Red," Sasuke growled. "I don't have the fucking time to play with you,"

"Why?"

"I have more important people who need me,"

Gaara's grin dropped. His mouth curled in disgust. "You would risk your life for your bonds with others?"

Suddenly, angry green eyes appeared too close to Sasuke's face. He heard the ringing metal before he could react. He was fucking fast.

"Fuck," Sasuke swiped the burning nick on his neck.

Gaara looked Sasuke in the eye and licked his blood off the blade.

"Sasuke!"

He didn't dare turn away from his opponent. Sasuke didn't like that Gaara had gotten the drop on him. Only when Naruto's hand grabbed his shoulder did Sasuke move.

"Let me deal with this little guy," Naruto was panting. "Go ahead and find the others!"

Sasuke gave him a sharp nod. "Don't die,"

Naruto grinned. "Not until I kick your ass once and for all."

lllllllllllllllllllll

The water was thinning and Banana Milk was still not there.

Zaku's jabs to her back to keep her moving grew harder. Her palms sweated as they approached the ravine.

"This doesn't look right," he said, stopping. "We never passed a ravine,"

Hinata swallowed, throat dry. "Th-There are different paths going back,"

Zaku narrowed his eyes. "I don't believe you,"

"It's true! Getting lost doesn't help me either," she said, forcing conviction into her voice. She clasped her shaking hands together.

His fist balled up her collar as he shoved her into a tree. She wheezed, eyes watering.

"You're a shitty liar, Hyuuga," he said. "Maybe you should take lessons from your gang,"

"I-I'm not lying, I swear," she said, voice breaking. "I swear we're going the right way,"

It might have been the genuine tears in her eyes that settled his suspicion. He dropped her. Hinata winced. She didn't want to think about the number of bruises on her body.

"Keep walking. Eyes forward. I'll push you in if you're trying to fuck with me."

Hinata nodded and picked herself up with her hand, balancing herself on the tree trunk. She felt the pain in her back the longer they walked along the edge. She hoped no one had moved Shino.

Zaku stopped. He stared into the ravine.

Shino was sprawled out in the same position as when she'd last saw him. She reached out on instinct, moving closer to the edge of the ravine. "Shino-kun!"

She gasped when Zaku's arm tightened around her neck in chokehold. She scratched at his arm, her back pressed to his chest. He barked out a laugh. "Did you lead me here thinking I'd help your friend?"

Her vision swam, heart sinking. Black consumed her line of sight.

She closed her eyes. When he pushed her in, she didn't want to see the ground closing in on her.

Something crawled on her hand. Banana Milk shuffled his wings.

"Hinata!"

Zaku whipped around, holding Hinata in front of him. Ino, Karui, Senju girl's kendo team, and girls wearing Kumo's kendo uniform charged towards them like angry Amazons. Hinata's eyes teared up in relief. Zaku threw her on the ground.

"Ino-chan!" she cried.

"You fucking ambushed me!" Zaku said.

"You're damn right she did!" Ino said.

From besides Ino, Kiba carried Lee. "Yo, Hina-chan. Sorry for the wait. Shino's bug led me to the girls and I led them here,"

Strong hands lifted her up by the arm. Sakura pressed a bokken into her hand.

Hinata rolled the familiar wooden weight, but she didn't have time to reminisce. Zaku struck. The Senju girls swung back, Ino front and center. They attacked in a swarm.

"Watch Lee for me," Kiba set the unconscious boy down next to her. "I'm going down to get Shino."

Hinata nodded. She tried to steady her hands, sweat making her grip slippery.

A blur of black jetted by. Zaku's teammate Kin spun a kick at Ino, throwing her bokken out of her hands.

Hinata moved into an offensive position. Sakura was quicker. She blocked Kin's fist with a sharp thrust of her bokken. Ino recovered hers.

Ino and Sakura moved out of the way in time as something heavy hit the ground, heavy enough to cause tremors in the ground. When the dust cleared, Dosu stood defensively in front of Zaku.

Sakura fought Kin. Ino faced Dosu. The other girls circled them. In the ravine, Kiba had Shino on his back. Hinata extended her bokken to him. He gritted his teeth and climbed up. Kiba dropped some of Shino's weight on her lap.

"My quota for carrying the guys is officially filled," he said, panting.

"Where's Akamaru?"

"Finding Naruto or Sasuke," he said. "Let's go. I'm taking you, Lee, and Shino back. Naruto and Sasuke can take care of the rest,"

"What about the girls?"

Zaku smashed into a tree.

Team Dosu sank in defeat.

"I'm not worried about them," Kiba's face suddenly paled. "Oh shit."

Suna goons surged from behind the girls. They outnumbered the girls.

Hinata's hands shook so hard her bokken almost fell. One of the girls fell back with a cry. Ino and Sakura fought at the frontline, hair and sweat slick on their foreheads. They gritted their teeth, muscles tensed. They maintained flawless form with every clean, smooth movement.

Hinata clenched her fists. Back when she still trained, she never managed to perfect her form, much to her family's disappointment. She lacked stamina. Endurance. Strength. Spirit.

The Suna goons scattered. The crowd parted as Shikamaru knocked them down. His face was pinched with tension, eyes hard and searching.

"Sorry for the wait." he said, approaching Hinata. "Sasuke leaves us alone on the weekends."

Kiba helped put Lee on Shikamaru's back, while he carried Shino. "Let's go, Hina."

Hinata opened her mouth to protest, but froze. She had a bokken, but it didn't put her at the same level as the Senju girls. She'd be useless here. Yet she didn't even think. She wanted to fight.

Ino crashed to the ground. Temari loomed over her.

Temari smirked. "Even Shikamaru's here? I think we've outdone ourselves."

Shikamaru glared. It was the first time she'd seen genuine anger - not resigned annoyance - on his face. He squared his jaw. "What the hell do you want, Temari?"

"Everything," she said. She reached into her pocket and took a handheld fan out. "But nothing that you can give me,"

Hinata scrambled over to help Ino to her feet. Sakura stood in front of them.

"I knew it was you!" Sakura shouted, her face red with rage.

Temari had a baseball bat in the other hand. She wore a red hoody.

Karui blanched, frozen, save for her trembling hands. "It's you," she whispered.

Temari fixed her eyes on Karui and sneered.

"Just let us through. Lee and Shino aren't a threat to you right now," Shikamaru said.

Temari ignored him, turning to Sakura instead. "Don't tire yourself out, Vice Captain. Save some of that spunk for the tournament,"

Sakura pointed her bokken at Temari, her expression dark. "Oh, you mean the tournament where you eliminate the competition before we can even have a fair fight?"

Temari scoffed. "All you have are accusations, not evidence,"

The girls looked Temari up and down.

She sighed. "Is it a crime in Konoha to wear a red sweater? It's my favorite color. And this?" She waved the dented bat. "It's a common weapon for delinquents and gang members. That hardly counts as proof."

Sakura growled and raised her bokken. Temari smashed her bokken down on Sakura's.

"Let's go," Shikamaru said, taking advantage of Sakura's distraction.

Shikamaru and Kiba made their way through as the Senju girls fought off the goons. Hinata lingered behind Ino.

A figure in a black cloak shot towards Sakura. Recognition flickered. She'd seen the boy in the flower shop with Temari. Kankuro.

Temari clashed with Sakura. The boy with the purple face paint lunged at Sakura from behind. Temari aimed at Sakura's right wrist.

Hinata tackled him.

She clung to his back. She forced her weight on him, grunting as she covered his eyes with one hand and wrapped her arm around his neck with the other.

"Get the fuck off me!" he howled.

Ino rushed to Sakura's aid and deflected Temari.

Kankuro swung his body to shake her off. He clawed at her arms and hands. Hinata held on for dear life.

He grabbed a handful of the back of her dress and flung her down. She smashed into the wet dirt, face-first. Her entire body throbbed with pain. His scratches on her arms burned. The cut on her temple reopened, hot blood dripping down her cheek.

She didn't have the energy to move a muscle. She couldn't turn her face away from the ground. Heavy drops of rain began to fall again. She groaned. She heard Ino call out her name in the distance.

Warm hands wrapped around her waist and pulled her up. The voice calling out to her sounded deeper, with an undercurrent of panic she'd never heard in it before. She leaned against a hard, broad chest and slumped against it. The hands shook her by the shoulders.

Hinata turned her face up. Sasuke looked down at her, rage twisting his face. He tightened his jaw. Hard black eyes flared as they locked onto Kankuro.

A/N: YES I RETCONNED BANANA MILK LOL I didn't know he would play such a big role, so I did go back to chapter 10 and wrote that in! I didn't think it would be good writing (LOL) to just assume that Shino put Banana Milk there because I should have mentioned the lil guy before using him so heavily. You can go back and read or just take my word for it haha

Anyway, it's been a while. All I have is the whole school/work/life excuse so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I do have 25% of the next chapter written so hopefully I can get that finished and fixed up for next week! Hopefully!

Thank you for reading and sticking with me!