A few hours later, Akira awoke to the sight of the full moon outside his window. In its light, he saw someone gazing outside at the landscape. He smiled as the bright light illuminated the person's dark blue hair. "Lady Hinata, you're up early. Or late, as the case may be."

Hinata blinked and turned around, blushing slightly. "Akira? Oh no, did I wake you up?"

Akira shook his head. "No, it was the moon that woke me. I miscalculated when I set this up; I thought it'd rise a ways to the west."

Hinata smiled. "So this is why you were so insistent that you would be the one to sleep down here. You knew the moon would wake up anybody sleeping here, so you made sure it was you."

Akira laughed. "I guess nothing escapes those eyes of yours, Lady Hinata. Even our bloodline limit, the Tsukigan, can't compare to the Byakugan."

Hinata blinked. "You have a kekkei genkai as well?"

Akira nodded. "Yes. Didn't I tell you about it before?" He slid one hand between his eyes and focused. Their soft grey color suddenly became icy-blue, the pupils vanished, and a strange starburst pattern emerged. "Go ahead, try to use a genjutsu against me. These eyes can 'see' right through them- depending on relative strengths, a Tsukigan user can break enemy genjutsu. And they cannot be tricked by normal deceit either. No effect on ninjutsu or taijutsu, though. If your friend Naruto were to use that clone attack of his, for example, I wouldn't be able to find the real one."

Hinata smiled. "So even your eyes disdain deception. Interesting."

Akira looked away for a moment. "Deception. Right." He sighed. "Anyway, so why are you awake at this strange hour, Lady Hinata?"

Hinata frowned. "You really don't have to call me 'Lady', Akira. I know it's only out of respect, but even so. We're friends; we should address each other as equals, right?"

Akira smiled bitterly. "Well…" He sat suddenly bolt upright. "Look!"

Hinata's eyes widened as she caught a glimpse of a flash of crimson. "The Great Lights?"

Akira took her hand gently. "Come on, I know a spot where we could see all of it. It's not far!"

Hinata glanced down at her hand and blushed. "R-right. Let me get my coat, though." Akira nodded and let go, blushing a bit himself. Hinata returned a moment later with her coat. "Okay. Let's hurry, then!" she said breathlessly.

Akira took her mittened hand again and nodded, leading her quickly to the back of the house. Outside, the two climbed a steep rise, and found themselves on a high flat top. Akira sat down gently and motioned to Hinata to sit as well. "We call this place the Spire. We have no clue how it formed- our scientists say it can't have done so naturally- but it makes a good watchtower. And it is a good place to see things from." He swept an arm out over the expanse below them.

Hinata looked out towards the peaks and gasped. "It's… beautiful…" she said simply. Akira smiled silently as the Great Lights danced high above them, and the two sat silently watching.

After about twenty minutes, the display faded. Hinata sighed happily. "You were right, Akira. It's even more beautiful than your memories showed. I'm… glad I came up here, even if there's danger."

Akira nodded. "Well, some of the most beautiful things in this world lie in the midst of deadly dangers. You can't let fear keep you from going into it, or you'll miss too much." He smiled over at her. "Keep that in mind, okay?"

Hinata blushed. "Yes… you're right." She looked up at the stars for a while. "Um… Akira?"

Akira looked over. "Mm? What do you need?"

Hinata laughed. "I don't really need anything. What I want, though, is to ask you something."

Akira rolled his eyes. "Ask away, Lady Hinata."

Hinata sighed. "First, could you please drop the 'Lady' thing? Even if you're not the official heir of the Kyoushin clan anymore, that's no reason to suddenly elevate me above you. You are my friend and equal."

Akira nodded. "Okay… Hinata. So what's on your mind?"

Hinata opened her mouth to speak, then yelped as a sudden fork of lightning struck between them, throwing up a burst of flying snow. Something struck Akira, and he fell over. "Hinata!" he yelled. Nothing. "Blast! Filthy Cloud ninja! If they've hurt her…" He took off from the top of the Spire in a puff of wind.

"Put me down!" yelled Hinata as the three ninja carrying her began to slow down. The one nearest her grinned evilly as he let her slip downwards. Suddenly, he dropped her, and she landed face-first in the deep snow. Hinata sat up, spluttering and clearing snow from her face. "What are you doing to me?" she cried out.

The first ninja smiled evilly at her. "Restoring our rightful place in the Land of Clouds. The last Raikage tried and failed to get your precious Byakugan, with us at his side. When he failed and died, at the hands of your accursed father Hiashi, we were officially disowned by his successor. But if we bring to him the corpse of a main branch Hyuuga member, or even better, the living heir of the clan, he will shower us with praise and restore us; and, more importantly, the prestige and honor of the former Raikage will be restored as well."

"Oh, so that's what you idiots were up to. And here I thought Yukigakure was your main target." There was a puff of smoke, and Akira appeared at the top of a small rise. "You are so pathetic. You've already cost this girl her uncle, and tried to kidnap her once before. Give it up already!"

Hinata lit up. "Akira!"

Akira brought his hands together, and then thrust them forward. "Taishippu no Jutsu! Great Gale Art!" he shouted, as a fierce wind flew forth, whipping the snow into a frenzied storm. Hinata ducked as Akira came flying through it, a wild look in his eyes as he struck one Cloud ninja hard in the stomach. "If any of you so much as harm a hair on Lady Hinata's head, I'll kill you right here and now!" he shouted. He made a hand sign, and drew out his katana. It shimmered along its length with a strange blue energy.

Hinata blinked as her eyes immediately registered the power. "Water chakra?"

Akira scowled at the three ninja before him. "My apologies, Lady Hinata…"

"Stop calling me 'Lady Hinata'!" she shouted back. She blinked, taken aback by her own outburst, and added in a quiet voice, "Um… sorry."

Akira shook his head. "No need. But to speak to you as an equal now, after that colossal failure on the peak… how could I possibly do that?"

Hinata grabbed his arm. "Don't talk like that! It was three on one! Not even someone like Kakashi would have stood a chance!"

Akira laughed harshly. "Kakashi? He would have at least been paying attention. It was the perfect scene for an ambush, and I led you right into it."

Hinata shook him, tears starting in the corner of one eye. "Stop it. Stop it! You can't blame yourself for this. You wanted to show me the beauty of the mountains, and you did. And neither of us would have enjoyed it if you were jumping at shadows the whole time!"

Akira sighed. "Sorry… Hinata. Anyway, let's get you out of here. Even if I failed back there, I'll still protect you with all that I am."

Hinata nodded, wiping her eyes. "And… I'll fight too. It's my fault they're even here, after all."

Akira's eyes widened, and he looked back at her. Then he nodded. "Okay. But be careful. These cowards don't care whether they take you to their leader alive or dead. And if something happened to you, Hinata, I don't know how I'd live with myself."

Hinata nodded. "Right. But first…"

She struck the snow, hard. Chakra flooded from her fist. The resulting blast flung a plume of snow high into the night sky. Akira nodded, and then sheathed his sword. "Good idea. That'll bring the others running. I already woke up Taro throwing a rock at his window. He knows what's going on."

Hinata smiled. "I knew you would. But why…?"

Akira scowled. "They're not worth using my blade against. And besides, they're unarmed." He took up a combat stance. "This ought to be interesting, though. I've never seen a practitioner of the Gentle Fist style in real combat before."

Hinata gulped. "R-right. I'll do my best."

Akira caught one ninja's attack, then flipped him onto the snow and finished with a kick. As the angry ninja leapt to his feet, Hinata struck him hard in the stomach. The man doubled over in the snow. Hinata smiled. Suddenly, she felt something pass right by her ear, and a few strands of her hair suddenly split and fell to the ground. She gasped. Akira spun around. One of the remaining enemy ninja had thrown off his cloak. The green vest underneath was unmistakable. "A chunin squad leader. Just what I needed to see," Akira groaned. "So, how many goons did you cowards bring along, anyway?"

The enemy leader laughed. "Two mistakes, boy. First, I'm no chunin. I'm a jounin elite. And second, no goons. That's a chunin you two just defeated. Impressive. But I have five more where he came from, plus this one. And three more eight-man squads are out there now, attacking your precious village. So forget about any reinforcements. By the way, it's a bit pointless giving my name to someone I'm about to kill, but I'm Kaminari Mizuiro."

Akira slid the shorter of his two blades from its sheath. "Mizuiro. That's a strange name for a lightning ninja. But, it matters not."

Mizuiro laughed. "You had better not be thinking of fighting me with that child's toy, boy. You know you can't stop a wind blade."

Akira chuckled darkly. "Don't mock my kodachi, you ignorant cretin. If you underestimate me, I'll crush you." A tic appeared in Mizuiro's forehead, and he swung his hand at Akira, two fingers outstretched. A shimmering green blade of pure chakra trailed from them and struck hard into Akira's blade. Akira grinned, forced it back, and put a scratch into Mizuiro's headband. Green wind chakra shimmered down the length of the blade. "Oh, and by the way, I'm Akira. Kyoushin Akira, the boy who should be the heir to the great clan that defends these mountains."
Mizuiro grinned. "Oh, is that so? Well, this is a boon. If I present Lord Raikage with the corpses of members of both the Hyuuga clan and the Kyoushin clan, my future will be set."

Akira gave him a cold glare. "Pathetic. Even now, all you're thinking about is how to turn this to your advantage." He hiked a thumb over his shoulder at Hinata, as she traded blows with the other attacker. Even from that distance, it was clear who was winning. "When it's your own skin you should be concerned about, it is not the time to plan for the future." He raised the blade. "Come. I don't have all night to play with you."

Behind them, Hinata dodged blow after blow from her opponent. Come on, be patient, she thought. I have to keep my cool and wait for just the right moment, like Sensei always says. She ducked one wild uppercut. Her eye twitched as her Byakugan activated. There! She spun, kicking his legs out from under him, and then planted her fist directly in the center of his chest. The man coughed, a trickle of blood running from his lip. Hinata smiled happily. "Look! Akira, I did it!"

Akira turned a little from his battle and grinned. "Good work, Hinata. Keep an eye out, though. I doubt these three were alone." He spun back in time to parry a vicious slash from Mizuiro.

The stricken man laughed tightly, struggling to form a hand sign. "Actually, little Hyuuga brat, I've done it." Hinata gasped and leapt back, but the enemy shifted his aim, and a lance of lightning chakra struck hard into her belly. She groaned and slumped to the ground, blood trickling from the wound. Her assailant smiled, then coughed violently. Blood spurted from his mouth as he began to feel the effects of Hinata's strike on his heart, and he collapsed to the snow beside her.

Mizuiro grinned as his blade ground along Akira's. "Looks like your little girlfriend is in trouble, kid. And so are you!" He jabbed one thumb over his shoulder. Five flying figures were appearing over the rise. "Looks like you called my reinforcements instead with that little trick of yours. Your move, little man."

Akira looked back and saw Hinata's wound. A look of terror gripped his face. "Hinata!" he yelled. He growled and swore loudly at the laughing Cloud elite. Then he grinned harshly. "Impressive. It's not everybody who can so thoroughly wreck my composure that I actually swear at somebody. We'll meet again, Mizuiro of the Land of Clouds, of that you may be sure." He leapt back to Hinata's side. Gently lifting her, he thrust one hand in front of his face. A cloud of whirling petals swirled around him for a moment, and when it cleared, Mizuiro stared straight through them, as if the two ninja had vanished. Akira grimaced. "I hate it when I have to do this, but it's the only way." He turned and sped off deep into the mountains.

Several miles off, at the bottom of a bowl-shaped valley, he finally came to a stop. "Alone. Finally." Hinata stirred in his arms. His attention was immediately fixed on her. "Hinata! Are you all right?"

She laughed weakly. "That's the first time… you've called me that… without me having to yell at you. But… that was a genjutsu, wasn't it? I thought your bushido prohibited them?"

Akira laid her on the snow, running through a long series of hand signs. "Yes. This is the reason my father is angry with me. Against his wishes, I learned a single genjutsu, so that if my comrades' lives were ever in danger, I could help them escape." His hands began to shimmer with chakra as he finished the last sign.

Hinata smiled as he laid his hands gently on her wound. "A healing jutsu. Your specialty. I'm in good hands, then." She closed her eyes. As the jutsu began to take effect, and she began slowly to slide off to sleep, she giggled softly. "I knew it. You really do like me, don't you?" Her breathing slowed as sleep claimed her, leaving the jutsu to do its work.

Akira smiled, for once without a hint of a blush. "So you did guess it, after all."