Fallen Sparrow

A/N So I know that it's been a while since I've updated this story… hopefully there won't be anymore lengthy breaks between chapters like that anymore but that all depends on you guys and what you think of this chapter. Leave a reply and let me know!

Chapter Five: If It Was A Dream… Why does it feel so real?

Two Years Ago…

Knocking on Hinata's door the servant waited a moment before calling out. "Ms. Hinata… dinner has been prepared." When there was no response the older woman frowned. It was unlike Hinata to be unresponsive. She only hesitated a moment before reaching for the knob and giving the door a gentle push. "Ms…" Her voice trailed off at the sight before her. Spread across the thick pristine white comforter was the Hyugga heiress looking very much as though all life had left her. There was a huge difference between the world of slumber and the afterlife and right here in this moment she could have sworn that the young girl had left this world. Her fingers pressed against her lips she took shaky steps across the room until she was leaning over her still form. It wasn't until she placed her ear to the girl's chest that she heard the faintest of heartbeats. She could feel the heat of a fever rolling off her in waves. And despite the heat that should have flushed her skin she was paler than she had ever seen her. Her hair stuck to her flesh as she simply lye there, limp, eyes closed, as though she really were dead.

"Ms… Hinata." It was pointless to call for her. She knew that. Somehow she knew that.

Racing to the door she yelled for help and in a moment there were three additional servants and Hinabi all in the young girl's room. Her father was the last to come.

"What is the meaning of this? What's going on?" His voice was stern as always.

A young man who had trained briefly in medicine looked at his employer after briefly examining the man's daughter and sighed. "We need a doctor here at once. I believe Ms. Hinata has gone into some kind of coma."

The words seemed to still the room. There was a thick silence that enveloped them as no one moved waiting for Hiashi to say something… to do something. His eyes went to his youngest before they settled on Hinata once again. Turning away from the scene he left uttering only four words. "Do what you must."

There was only a beat before action was taken. If anyone was surprised by Hiashi's careless demeanor there was no time to voice an opinion. One of the servants took the opportunity to volunteer his services of finding a trained medic, while the other two went to making preparations to keeping Hinata as comfortable as possible. It seemed that it was only Hinabi that had yet to move, still staring after the long lost image of her father.

It was the gentle hand of a servant on her shoulder that brought her out of her shock and back to the present. "Come Ms. Hinabi… this is no place for you." She allowed herself to be ushered out of the room with no protests taking a quick glance at the pale sight that was her older sister.

Meanwhile…

She could hear voices although it was pitch black. There was something like walls completely encompassing her, trapping her… protecting her? She wasn't sure. All she knew was that she was moving… being carried away… carried away from her friends, from her village… her family… her humanity.

She squinted her eyes attempting to activate her power only to find that it failed her as though it was no longer available to her. She didn't understand what was happening… she didn't understand how she ended up in this place… if this was a place at all.

Reaching out she tried to push on some invisible force that refused to budge. She could feel the chakra that surrounded her. It was powerful, red, and somehow more dangerous than she had ever known. It was changing her… no it was changing him and he was allowing it to happen!

"Why?" Her voice sounded so far away and yet it echoed inside the small space. There came no response but she knew that she wasn't alone. She could hear his breathing. She knew that he was there, with her, beside her… inside her. Or perhaps she was inside him. She wasn't sure of anything.

Reaching out again she pushed against the barrier and felt something like heat meet her flesh… forcing her to pull back holding her hand within the other.

"Make it stop." She pleaded. She thought she heard him scoff and felt tears of anguish come to her eyes.

"Weak… of all of the ones that it could have been… it had to be you!" The voice was soft, cold almost inhumane.

"I… I am n-n-not weak." The stutter couldn't be helped and she heard the snicker as though it came from her very lips.

"P-p-pathetic!" He mocked her.

She felt her body recoil in on itself at his sarcasm. "Will you cry now? Why don't you just go away?! Why don't you just… die?!"

Suddenly the movement came to a stop, there was the sound of an explosion as their carrier was knocked into by some kind of force and then she heard his voice.

"I WON'T LET YOU TAKE MY FRIEND AWAY! I WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU!"

It was Naruto! She would know him from anywhere and it brought something like a smile to her features despite whatever predicament she might be in.

"Naruto!" She yelled for him but once again her voice sounded so soft… so far away.

"He won't save you! He can't save what has already been conquered."

"He will… he will save me. He will save the both of us." She stated with surprising calm but felt the chill run down her spine as she heard his soft laughter echo in her ears.

"It's too late to be saved… I will be stronger… I will be better than… better than him! I will not be stopped now! Not by Naruto… not by you. I have already promised to give my life to being an Avenger." He stated resolutely.

She swallowed hard feeling something deep within her chest. Placing her palm across her midsection she exhaled. "But you have promised everything else that is yours… to me!" Her voice was soft but clear and she surprised herself with what her own words.. "Your heart, your humanity, your sanity… belongs to me Sasuke-sama."

"Those things mean nothing." He remarked bitterly.

She didn't agree with him and they both knew it. Humanity was everything. She listened for Naruto but found that she could no longer hear his voice. Not that it mattered at this point. Closing her eyes she felt the importance of what he had given her that hot summer day beat within her. Sasuke's heart… his very core of humanity beat within her… "Itachi may have your vengeance but I have your soul… and you have… you have taken mine. Naruto will save you… perhaps not today… but he will… we will!" She promised just as the dark was engulfed with light and she lost consciousness within her own dream.

Meanwhile…

It had been three days since her fever had spiked. Three days since Hinabi found Kakashi and asked him to come and look in on her sister. Three days since the older man had banned anyone from the room while he sat with the young girl listening to what seemed like nonsensical ramblings of a one-sided conversation. Hearing her plead with his former student as she begged for him to come back to them…

He had listened intently from the corner never offering anything but his silent presence. There wasn't much more that could be done. He had taken all the steps that he could. He had foreseen this coming. Both he and the Third had seen this exact thing happening and although they hoped that what they had done would save one of their own they really could not be sure. So he simply watched the young girl as she fought for what seemed like her own sanity and well being as Sasuke pushed and pulled at her very core through their own mental telepathy.

Finally just when he thought she wouldn't be able to take anymore… the fever broke and Hinata sat bolt upright in bed. Her pale lavender eyes stared blindly at nothing and everything. Her byakugun activated she turned her eyes on the man standing in the corner. Her breathing was heavy. "Sasuke!" Her voice strained against her own will.

Kakashi emerged from the shadow of the corner and stared at her… the disappointment in her eyes was all that he needed to see to know that his student would not return to them at the moment.

"Hinata…"

She blinked once, twice and then all at once her energy left her and she fell back onto her pillows as her breathing returned to normal and her eyes closed once again.

She would not remember this… placing his hands together he did several movements before placing the invisible seal across her forehead. There was no need to trouble her with this right now… the time would come that she would need to remember but for now… while Sasuke was lost from their village there would be no need.

A/N Okay so if anyone is confused this moment happened two years ago when Sasuke was originally taken by Orochimaru's team and placed in that barrel. During that time while Sasuke was going through his transformation, Hinata went through a form of mental collapse as she was linked to Sasuke and that's where the conversation takes place. Sorry if it was confusing. Hope you enjoy the chapter anyway. Leave a reply and tell me what you think!