(A/N: I'm listening to Liquid by Jars Of Clay right now. I love that song. I'm not entirely sure why. *shrugs* I wonder…how many people actually read my authors notes? I don't think many people read them. Oh well, it doesn't matter. I can ramble all I want and only the select few who read this will ever know *laughs manically* Gomen nasai! Onegai forgive me, but today the chapter is just going to be a sort of filler/connecter chapter. Again, sorry, but if I let this go into the next chapter, it'll get way too long for me. Anywayz, on with the story!)
Chapter 9: Toward Home
"Demo, are you really Hinata?" Sasuke asked the unmasked Snake.
"Hai. Do you have a problem with that?"
"Iie. It's just, I thought you were dead. So does Hikari and the rest of the village."
"Your point?"
"How could you fake your death like that? You've caused everyone so much pain!"
"It was very simple. Not hard at all. No one ever expected that a weakling heiress like me could be an ANBU leader. Nor did they expect I'd be a match for Uchiha Itachi." Snake almost growled.
"But what about Hikari? She's your daughter, for goodness' sake."
"She's taken care of, ne? Before you ask, Hokage-sama is the only one who knows who I am and why." Before Sasuke could respond, she turned and walked to where Hikari had dropped their bags earlier. She reached into the bag that was hers and pulled out another mask. "I can't believe I let him catch me off guard like that." She muttered as she put on her mask and turned back to Sasuke. "Come on Sasuke. We need to go find Snake-chan and Keigo-kun, then make our way back home." Hinata turned and leapt off into the woods in the direction that Hikari had taken.
Sasuke took off after her, wondering what could have happened to Hinata to make her the way she was.
Hinata and Sasuke caught up to Hikari and Keigo quickly. "Snake-chan, mission successful. We need to make our way back to Konoha." She said, acting as though nothing had changed. Although, for her, nothing was different other than that Sasuke had seen her face. She took the lead and began to leap through the trees back towards Konoha, after swinging Keigo onto her hip.
Sasuke fleetingly wondered whether she cared that he knew who she was or not. He barely had time to think that before Hinata turned around and signaled that he needed to move or be left behind.
They had traveled a few minutes in silence when suddenly, Hinata froze, signaling for the other three to do the same.
Hikari gasped and pulled out a kunai. She threw it toward her left and pulled out her katana, getting ready to swipe at the bushes. Something caught her by the wrist and she quickly turned her head to see Hinata holding it. "What are you doing?" She hissed at her apprentice.
"There's an enemy ninja in the woods over there. Why shouldn't I attack them?"
"Because it's not an enemy ninja over there. It's-"
"But they are masking their presence and they have weapons with them!"
"They are Inuzuka-san and Aburame-sama, and I don't think they appreciate it when you attack them during a tiring mission. Especially when we are from the same village."
"Arigatou, Snake-chan." Kiba said, coming out of the bushes with Shino and handing Hikari her kunai back. Sasuke studied both men and noticed that they were both jounin.
Hikari started laughing nervously. "Sumimasen. You were masking your presence so I thought you were enemies."
"Ah, our ever vigilant little ANBU. One day, you're going to kill us all, thinking we're enemies. That or mistake an enemy for us." Kiba joked. Both he and Hikari laughed, Hinata and Shino remained emotionless, and Sasuke smirked. "Anyway, Snake-chan, what are you doing out here with these two?" Kiba pointed to Hikari and Sasuke.
"Track and kill mission. Hoshigake Kisame of the Akatsuki. Mission successful. We're on our way to report to Hokage-sama. Are you on your way back to Konoha or leaving for a mission?"
"We've just finished our mission, so we're on our way back." Kiba said.
"Why do you call Snake-sama 'Snake-chan'?" Sasuke asked Kiba.
"Because she reminds me of Hinata when she's with the little kids of the village." Kiba said, not knowing that it really was Hinata he was talking to a few seconds prior.
"Do you know who she is?"
"Iie. No one but Naruto does. Why?"
"I was just curious. Naruto called her Snake-chan earlier."
"Snake-sama, I think we need to get back to Konoha before we're attacked by rouges or someone like them. Keigo-kun needs to get to the village soon so he can rest. He looks exhausted." Hikari pointed out.
"Hai. Aburame-sama, would you and Inuzuka-san like to travel back with us?" Hinata asked.
The two glanced at each other, nodded, and Kiba answered. "Sure." The group, now two people and a dog larger, headed on their way back home. "So, who is this?" he asked, for the first time acknowledging Keigo.
"This is Keigo-kun. He comes from one of the larger villages at the edge of Fire Country. I was searching for Kisame and found a village that had been destroyed recently. That's where I found Keigo-kun. But I also found Hidan. I fought him, but underestimated him, and he cut me with his scythe. I would have bled to death if not for this little guy." Hinata said, ruffling his hair gently. She got closer to Kiba and Shino. "He was the only survivor. I've been to that village before. They were all kind and I promised to come back, but I had no idea it would be when they had all passed on."
Hinata jumped back to her original spot at the head of the group, with Shino slightly behind her on the right, Sasuke level with him on her left, Kiba behind Shino, and Hikari behind Sasuke.
Soon, they stopped to make camp and set up their separate tents, sharing the watch this time with Shino and Kiba.
They continued this pattern until they were only a little ways from Konoha. Then, Sasuke decided to ask the other team some questions, because he knew he would get no answers from Hinata or Hikari. "How well do you know Snake-sama?" He asked Shino.
"Not well."
"What do you know about her?"
Shino was silent. However, Kiba replied solemnly. "He hasn't talked as much since Hinata disappeared. Seeing as he never talked that much before, it's almost like talking to a wall." He joked weakly.
Sasuke was about to press for a little more information on what they knew when Hikari fell back a bit and asked Kiba a question. "So what was your mission?"
"We went to Naruto and requested another mission to search for Hina-chan, even though we know that there isn't much of a chance of finding her any more. I think Naruto was just humoring us this time. He said this was the last time we could do this." He replied, bowing his head slightly.
"We're here." Hinata said from the front of the group.
"What?" Sasuke and Hikari said at the same time.
"We're back at the village. Snake-chan, take Keigo back to the Uchiha Mansion. Sasuke: you and I will go deliver the mission report to Hokage-sama. Aburame-sama, Inuzuka-san, ja ne."
"Same to you Snake-chans." Kiba said, speaking apparently for the both of them. The two of them walked through the towering gates ahead of Hinata's group, more than just a little disappointed. Hikari and Keigo followed close behind, taking the path to the Uchiha Mansion instead of following Kiba and Shino.
Finally, Hinata and Sasuke walked through the gates of Konoha, towards the Hokage Tower. The two climbed the stairs to the floor with Naruto's office on it.
Hinata walked up to his office door and knocked. "Enter." Naruto's voice sounded from behind. She opened the door and walked inside, Sasuke following her and shutting the door.
"Snake-sama! How did your mission go?"
"It was a success. Though I may need to go to the hospital to get Uzumaki-sama to check a few of my wounds."
"You may let Sasuke stay here while you do that. Come back when you're through."
"Hai, Hokage-sama." Hinata said as she disappeared from the office.
(A/N: Hahahah! I finally finished! Despite the fact that this chapter is kinda short, it took a long time for me to write. -.-' Anywayz this chapter made me think too much. I'm having a sort of writer's block. I couldn't figure out how to pull two important events together. That's why it took so long to write I guess. Hehe heh. Oh, I've decided to extend the voting until tomorrow, which is Saturday. You can also vote on how it ends via review. Here's the question: How do you think Snake's Legacy should end? Happy, Sad, or Dramatic Happy? R&R please.)