A/N: Welcome back! Thank you so much to everyone who commented, subscribed or added this fanfic to their favourites. :)

Special thanks go out to my beta, PianoCoat, who did an amazing job to help me through this chapter. If you have time, please check her stuff out and show her some love.

That being said, I hope you will enjoy this second chapter!

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Chapter 2 – Crossroad

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Footsteps echoed. No, more like stomps. It was getting louder. Hanabi groaned and pulled the covers over her ears. She hoped her governess would scold whomever was so rude as to disturb the whole compound, especially the Main House. Did the poor bastard have no preservation instin–

The shōji door of her room flew open so forcefully, that rips were heard in the paper panels and the wooden frame clattered. She found her father staring down at her – Byakugan activated. Before she could stop her body from reacting, she found herself hitting him full force with an uncontrolled flare of chakra to his left leg bone. Generations of breeding for a strong bloodline made her body want to eliminate the threat on its own accord. Cracking was heard and the Hyūga patriarch collapsed screaming like a wounded animal. Hanabi's face fell. Oh no no no.

"Father, I–"

"Silence" he spat his command with venom and cradled his leg to only further groan in pain. She winced. To his credit, he schooled his features. It took him a minute, but he was able to poker face through a broken leg in the end. Impressive. Then he went on, voice thundering down on her. "Did you know about Hinata's plan?"

"Nee-sama? What about her?" Hanabi's palms were sweating. She met her father's stare with worried eyes. He had his answer.

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An hour later, Hanabi was sitting in the study of her father. His leg had been casted. All medic nins were now on the battlefield. He'd have to heal naturally. It felt so mediaeval. Hanabi shuddered at the thought. But at least she had the coolest sister in all Elemental Nations. She had fooled a clan of all-seeing eyes planning her departure months in advance if worse came to be, heck, she even trained in secret. As a woman. Her sister would be a war veteran! She couldn't hold back her grin. Hiashi sighed, being able to see right through Hanabi's chain of thought.

"What's wrong, father? The world will now learn to fear the Hyūga women – as they should!"

Hiashi closed his eyes in defeat. "You don't understand the full extent of the matter, daughter. It'd be bad enough if Hinata would have joined a normal division." He looked like he'd tasted something sour. "But she joined the Elite Division. That's where Neji was supposed to report."

Hanabi's heart started racing in her chest. "But she'll be fine… Right, father?"

"Worse still, the Elite Division has two commanders: Uzumaki Naruto– ."

"Who's that?"

"–and Uchiha Sasuke."

Hanabi's lips pressed together in a thin line, understanding dawning on her. "Maybe he won't notice."

"The Uchiha are many things, but unfortunately, they aren't stupid."

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There was no mistaking it – his fiancé stood just outside his tent. A woman in a military camp. Crossdressing. He had to give it to her – she did a decent job. But he could tell it was her in a heartbeat. He licked his lips. And why did she look shocked to see him? Just what were the Hyūga scheming?

He felt like throwing up, so he retreated to his tent to cool down. Breathe. Think. In theory, he must kill her. His throat tightened. Why him? The word of law demands he executes a conscript who falsely represents a fake identity. The law also dictates the execution of heretic women, who overstep their boundaries and emulate male reserved activities. He clicked his tongue – that's how his mother had died.

He had seen many similarities between the two women over the past few months, but never in his wildest dreams had he thought they ran so deep. But if the death of his mother had taught him something, it was that the law was to be respected to a T. Those who didn't know their place in this world were scum. His father had made sure he learned as much. Hinata's crimes meant a double death sentence in the eyes of the law. He took a seat before his legs gave out.

He tried to talk himself out of killing her. Her defence was solid, right? She is Hiashi's daughter of the Main House and his betrothed. If he'd officially execute her, his action might cause a war between their respective clans. If Hinata was here it meant Neji was at home and that spelled trouble for the Uchiha. Most of their able bodied men were out to fight. No one was there to protect the elderly, women and children. No one was there to protect his terminally ill brother. Sasuke's heart clenched. Why would they want to hurt his clan? If Neji's strength even remotely resembled the reputation he'd gathered as one of the strongest of their generation, the Uchiha were in grave danger.

The rational part of his brain retorted – the law must be upheld even if in secret. He should kill her off the books. She wasn't supposed to be here, after all. The Hyūga won't dare admit to that either. Her father was her guardian and he would have to pay in blood for failing to stop her actions. Her clan would be disgraced if they admitted her presence amongst the conscripts. Maybe he would be doing the Hyūga a service.

Sasuke sighed and closed his eyes, but found no peace. His treacherous mind played his future actions out for him. He let it happen. He deserved it. He approached her unsuspecting form from behind – like the coward he was. She turned around to smile, but lightning pierced her chest before her lips had the time to curl upwards. Burned flesh reeked of the horror he had just committed. He steeled himself to look into her eyes, to grant her this one last dignity. But her lavender eyes morphed to charcoal black and her bangs –like a curtain– parted, revealing her forehead. He had killed his mother. Sasuke stumbled back, but his mother's body anchored him in place. He tried to remove his hand from her bleeding chest, but it seemed like she had clenched the wound shut around him, withholding his permission to remove himself from this atrocious act. He gasped for air. He can't. He won't–

Fugaku's disappointed face popped up. If anyone learned of her true identity, he'd be charged with high treason for not having fulfilled his obligation. He'd be beheaded on the spot. That would be the easy part. But most important of all, he'd disgrace the Uchiha. He had stopped being Sasuke the moment he had been proclaimed heir. His every action should reflect the values of the clan. Uchihas were meant to uphold, not break the law. He felt like throwing up. He would do the right thing. Unlike his mother. He won't leave his dying brother and father alone, like she did.

Mind made up, he exited the tent. It felt so wrong. He closed his eyes and angled his face towards the sun trying to steel himself. What a funny thing life was. He would have to enact the same blasphemous law that had stripped him of his mother. He was a coward and a piece of shit on top of that. But if it was for the sake of the Uchiha, he'd be anything – even the devil himself. The phantom feeling of blood on his hands still lingered.

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His eyes scanned for her amongst the crowd, but stopped upon seeing Naruto. Shit. Freshly arrived at the scene, the blonde must have hurried as soon as he had sensed Sasuke's spike in chakra. But Naruto didn't seem to pay him any mind. He was beaming down at –was that Hinata– while bashfully scratching the back of his neck. Sasuke stopped in his tracks. While she looked away, trying to explain something, sharp blue eyes found obsidian. Don't you dare touch her. The blonde let malicious chakra flare in warning; she had remained painfully oblivious to the exchange. By then, Naruto had turned around to resume the conversation as if nothing had happened.

Sasuke was overwhelmed by a myriad of feelings. But he was able to pinpoint the strongest one – relief. Naruto had saved him from turning into a monster. If worse had come to be, he knew he couldn't have lived with himself.