Unwind
Cycle VII
"The usual?" Ino's mother smiles kindly at the young Hyuuga.
"Yes please." Hanabi's face is as blank as always.
Ino gathers a bundle of their freshest sunflowers and tenderly gives it to Hanabi, whose lips don't even twitch as she places her coins on the counter and completes the transfer.
"Poor girl," says Ino's mother sadly as Hanabi stiffly exits the shop. Ino agrees. The Hyuuga lost her sister only a few days ago, and now, Neji's pulled her into some crazy plot to discover an omnipotent being or something. Genius or no, who does that to a seven-year-old? And why aren't her parents cracking down on her behavior? Did she always have this much freedom when Hinata was still alive?
Ino shakes her head as she goes on her rounds to water the flowers.
Enough of that mess. She has her own problems to think about. Lately, Sai has been straying from the path that will grant him charity from the gods. He's been bouncing atheistic theory after theory when they're hanging out together, and it's driving Ino insane hearing him act so nonchalant about his fate. What if the gods want to teach him a lesson, and his name is pulled out of the veil next time?
And not only that – all of her friends have been sneaking behind the priests' backs, testing this and that, trying to manipulate the manipulator, if there be any, and for what? Why are they risking their lives for something that's probably out of their control? It just doesn't make sense.
Deep in thought, Ino accidentally drowns a chrysanthemum bush in too much water. Her mother hurries over and tuts, reclaiming the watering can with pursed lips.
"Sorry, Mom," mutters Ino.
"It's fine. Go on and play. I'll finish this."
Ino trudges toward the door for a few steps before she becomes conscious of her ungraceful slouch and adjusts her posture accordingly. If she's going to become the wife of a noble, she needs to attract the eyes of one first. Anyone would be fine, though preferably someone good-looking and not too old or too mean. Anyone, as long as her parents don't have to soil their hands for a living anymore, her mother with her garden and her father with their crops.
She meets Sai and Tenten at the usual place. The "training field" – though to be honest, it's more of a muddy ditch than anything – is particularly marshy today. Her tattered sandals sink into the ground. The earth clings to her soles with every step.
"Ino," Sai greets. "I have a new theory to tell you."
"Save it," says Tenten warningly. "She probably doesn't want to hear it."
Ino gives Tenten a grateful look. The latter nods in reply and continues playing with her knives.
"Why would she not want to hear it? I think it is pretty solid this time."
Tenten rolls her eyes and deigns no reply.
"Is Hanabi coming today?" Ino asks, changing the subject. "I saw her earlier at the shop."
"Probably," says Tenten. "Neji says the squirt should be practicing with me every day."
"That Neji," Ino says in a partially resentful voice. "Hanabi looks miserable. Why is he making her do this too?"
"I do not think she is entirely miserable," says Sai as he tries to climb the nearest tree with a thick book under his arm. "To me, she seems… motivated."
"Motivated?" Ino scoffs, scanning the place for a dry spot to sit on. "Hinata just died. We're all still grieving. How can anyone be motivated?"
"Actually, I think Sai is right this time," inputs Tenten. She aims her knives at the trunk of the tree Sai is climbing. "Neji is… well, Neji is special. He can see things a lot of people can't. He must have told Hanabi something that's driving her forward."
Ino crosses her arms. "You're only saying that because you like the long-haired nutcase."
Tenten's aim goes awry, and a knife narrowly misses Sai's calf. The boy turns and says, "Please do not," at the same time Tenten shrieks, "I do not—"
"Hello."
Hanabi stands at the far end of the field, waving half-heartedly.
"Hi," says Tenten in a voice that comes out half an octave higher. "Did you hear…?"
"I'll say I didn't," the Hyuuga responds with a slight mechanical smile. "I came to spar."
"Oh." Tenten blinks, still trying to gauge the girl's reaction. "Um, with or without knives?"
Ino sniggers, and the older girl throws her a dirty look.
"Without," Hanabi responds tonelessly.
Ino has always thought that the characteristic Hyuuga eyes looked soft and innocent on Hinata's face, and stoic and controlled on Neji's. But on Hanabi, the pale irises are like the stillness of the tundra in the mountains that surround their village. They make her look cold and empty, silent and lifeless.
Poor girl, Ino thinks again as she pulls out the knife that nearly embedded itself in Sai's leg.
"Hanabi, I have a new theory to tell you." Sai's voice comes from overhead.
"Shut it," Ino snaps.
Ω
It was getting harder and harder to determine what's real and what's not. Hinata thought she was getting pretty good at it – picking out the hazy threads that indicated this was a dream and that wasn't, this was the mortal world, and that wasn't, this was supposed to be here but that wasn't, and so on – but when she entered the tower with the veil from the balcony window, Naruto's hand securely nestled under her arm, she felt a sudden wave of vertigo pulling her closer to the burgundy tiled floor.
"Whoa, you okay?" Naruto asked, steadying her. Hinata could only shake her head and desperately wish that her nausea would fade before her sick ended up on the blonde's sandaled feet.
"Maybe I should have waited a week," he said guiltily. "Itachi said to, since you're not accustomed to this world, supposed to be something in the air or whatever – do you want to sit down?"
Hinata nodded and hobbled towards the wall, squatting down and holding her head right above her knees.
She's used to the spinning feeling now though. Mostly. She can't approach the pulsing crystal on display in the center of the room, but she can breathe comfortably here; and that's all that matters.
"What is this place?" she asks.
"The veil," says Naruto unhelpfully. At the tiny pucker of her eyebrows, he laughs and continues, "That crystal, over there, is like a looking glass into the mortal world. Whenever we want to see what they're up to, we use it.
"I brought you here because you seemed really - uh, sad, so I thought, maybe if you were able to see your family, you'd be, you know, more motivated."
Hinata smiles, surprised and flattered. It's the kindest thing anyone has done for her since she arrived here.
"Thank you," she says genuinely.
"It's no problem." Naruto looks sheepish. "But since you can't really see them right now, I'll take you back in a week."
"I'd like that," she says quietly, averting her eyes to her shoes. "Could we stay here a little longer? I… I don't want to go back to the Uchiha Palace."
"Eh? I'm fine with that, but why don't you like it there? From what Sakura tells me, it's considered a privilege to live there."
"Perhaps it's me being ungrateful," says Hinata, "but everything is so cold."
"Hm. Maybe it's just not homey enough."
"Yeah." Hinata smiles again. "It's just that."
"So then, what place do you miss the most?" Naruto asks. When Hinata peeks at his face, he looks genuinely curious.
Hinata thinks. She misses plenty of places, like her bedroom or her mother's garden or the villager kids' training field. She misses the quiet streets at night, when she and Neji took their walks. There are memories of quiet, dusty corners in libraries and tea shops that make her want to cry a little out of longing. She misses even the dark damp attic that the Hyuugas try to avoid, even the elders, because of an old legend about a widower's ghost with a temper and a penchant for knocking over heavy stacks of things.
But when it comes down to it…
"The outskirts of the village," Hinata says, staring at her hands in her lap as she explains. "My village is nestled in a valley. No one except for the hermit lives beyond the upward slope of the mountains because it is difficult to survive up there.
"My friends and I used to play there all the time. Sometimes, my little sister would come and watch. She always seemed like she wanted to join us, but she would hold back, even when we invited her." Hinata's eyes soften. "Hanabi's such a contradictory girl. She wants one thing, but says the opposite, and is just as stubborn as my father and my cousin Neji."
"You must really miss her."
"I do." Hinata just barely hides the telltale gleam in her eyes. "Thank you – again, for trying to help me see her and the rest of my village."
"Really, it's not a big deal." The blonde looks embarrassed again. "We should get back soon though. I think Itachi has an announcement tonight."
"Yeah." Hinata sighs. "I suppose we should."
The flight back passes much more quickly than Hinata would have liked. The shadows cast by the Uchiha Palace in the backdrop of a lavender twilight sky are regal and magnificent, but she finds it difficult to enjoy the beauty as the familiar feeling of dread and guilt pools into Hinata's stomach as she steps into the main halls. She wonders if Sasuke has woken up yet. Does everyone still hate her? Fear her?
"Welcome back." Itachi's voice is inflectionless; his face, impassive. "Did you finish reading your assigned load?"
He sounds like one of my strict tutors, Hinata thinks sourly.
"I – I couldn't finish."
"Hm. That's disappointing." He doesn't look disappointed, but there's a tension in the air that sets both Hinata and Naruto, beside her, on edge.
"I'll cut to the chase." Itachi steeples his fingers. "Deidara offered a deal. He'll tell us all the information we need. And in return—" He makes a sweeping gesture to his surroundings.
"He wants the palace?" Naruto asks incredulously.
"Immortality. In other words, my throne." An almost bitter smile creeps to his face. "And Sasuke's as well. It will be the end of the reign of the Uchihas."
Naruto's jaw drops. "Will be? So you've accepted it, then?"
"Yes." Itachi raises a thumb to the corner of his lips, as if to dab at imaginary spittle. Naruto's eyes narrow at the gesture. "The exchange is set for the following week, the night of the full moon."
Hinata glances at the changing expressions on the blonde's face as it goes from confusion to understanding to triumph. Itachi's, on the other hand, remains icy, though his eyes seem to glitter when Naruto takes a shaky breath and says, "What do you want us to do?"
"Hinata and Sasuke will greet Deidara and escort him here. Naruto, you will stay here and continue with performing the Uzumaki clan's duties. Sakura will help me prepare the palace for the ceremony."
Naruto speaks the question hanging on Hinata's lips. "How can Sasuke help if he's still—"
"He awoke this afternoon and is currently resting in his chambers. He and Sakura both know what must be done." They trade significant looks, more expressions that Hinata can barely interpret. She chews her lip worriedly. Itachi wants her to work with Sasuke again? How can he trust her after what just happened? It's only been a day, and even if Itachi wouldn't hold a grudge, Sasuke most definitely would…
Enough. Enough of the secrecy and the lies. All it's done is hurt everyone involved. Why can't they be more straight-forward? If the world is going to end in seventeen days, they might as well try to speak honestly, right?
Hinata takes a hesitant step forward and clears her throat.
"P – please tell me what's going on."
"I don't know if you were paying attention, but that's what I'm doing," Itachi deadpans. "Would you like me to repeat what I've said?"
She winces. Okay, she could have worded that better.
She tries again. "Please tell me what you're not telling me."
Naruto puts a hand on her shoulder. "Hinata—"
"Let her continue," Itachi says, the ghost of an amused smirk playing in the corners of his lips. For some reason, it irks Hinata more than anything in the past few days has irked her before – more than her death, her circumstances, her fate, anything.
"Tell me, or I'm not going to follow your orders." Never mind that she told Naruto back at the Archives that she didn't have a choice. Right now, she's making one; as she catches the darkening glint in Itachi's eyes, she hopes it's not going to bite her back in the future.
chapter seven fin