Once upon a time, there was a princess who would not wake.

As she slept, terrible battles raged outside. Thousands of soldiers died in her name, and yet the princess was never the wiser, for she had her own war to fight. The Sun medics cooled her fever and calmed her seizures, but the princess was still becoming weaker and weaker. The Council approved of her will to live thus far, but worried for the fading ember of her potential.

"The second princess is also strong," they began to whisper among themselves. "And she is not so timid. Perhaps it is fated."

No one could blame them, for even the Legendary healer herself was not sure of the princess's future. Each night, the renowned medic wondered if the child would survive to feel the new day's sun on her face. And yet, each dawn was greeted by the soft breaths of the little princess. In spite of their doubt and in spite of her frail body, the princess continued to survive throughout the course of the war.

The battles waxed and waned quickly, until what was later called the Amaterasu War ended in bittersweet triumph. The Sky Kingdom ceded nearly all of their land to the victors. Neither the Sun nor the Moon kingdom wanted the harsh, barren stretch of desert and mountainous land that divided their new borders, so some of the remaining Sky clans were allowed to retreat to this unforgiving region. Hatred colored the downcast eyes of those that remained of the fragmented land, but they offered up the guilty kidnappers that had managed to escape the king's brother. One was allowed a more merciful death in exchange for the antidote.

And so, the princess finally opened her eyes.


Prey for the Hunted

By Airyo

Chapter 5


"You are so useless," growled Sasuke.

"Lay off, Sasuke," Sakura said with a frown. "It's not his fault Mozou can't pinpoint the hunter in this crowd of people. The fact that he can give us the general location of the hunter is already very useful." The targeted raven hopped to the medic's extended hand and flicked his tail at Sasuke rudely.

"Yeah, Sasuke," Mozou chimed in. "It's not my fault you're not strong enough to use the full extent of my abilities." Sasuke's fingers twitched. He was the Crown Prince. He was better than some stupid bird. He was a calm and capable leader.

It still took an embarrassing amount of effort to force his features into a neutral slate.

"Can you at least tell me the general area of Sanso that you can sense him in?"

Mozou directed them to the south side of the city. It was late afternoon and the cobbled streets were teeming with people. Sasuke sneered when they were jostled left and right. The hunter was smart to hide in the crowd of people. If he had raced back for the desert, Team 7 would have tracked him down immediately. However, his deepening respect didn't do anything to temper his also deepening frustration.

"There's a bank here. Do you think the hunter kept that bank note you gave him back then?" Sakura asked. She pointed at a building that seemed to sparkle in the sunlight due to the extensive number of armored guards posted at every entrance.

"Worth a shot, isn't it?" Naruto asked. "It's not like Bastard is having much luck doing it his way." Sasuke ignored him and entered the bank.

"Yes, your highness, there was a dirty vagrant here early this morning," the third teller they questioned said. "He was the first one in line when we opened, actually. Redeemed two thousand coins with this note. We couldn't ascertain it as counterfeit, so we gave it to him. " He handed the note back to Sasuke. "But we did give him tagged money. We'd be more than happy to have someone track it for you."

"Yes, your highness, there was a smelly bum here early this morning," the clerk of the first clothing store admitted. "He rushed in and bought everything he could get his hands on. Cloaks, dresses, hats, pants...I can give you the detailed list." She handed Sasuke a list of sundry pieces of clothing. "But we do tag many of our more expensive pieces. We'd be more than happy to have someone track it for you."

"Yes, your highness, there was a scary tramp here this morning," the shopkeeper of the second weapons store remembered. "He traded an enormous bundle of clothing for all the broken weapons in my return bin. I have the inventory of that somewhere..." He handed Sasuke a messy sheet detailing the broken weapons. "But he did purchase a rather expensive set of tanto that we had tagged. We'd be more than happy to have someone to track it for you."

"Yes, your highness, there was a kind traveler here late this afternoon," the mistress of the only Sanso orphanage recalled. "He donated all the money he had and even gave us a lovely set of tanto to auction off. If you're looking for him, please give him this package." She handed Sasuke an envelope full of childish thank-you notes. "But a few of the children did play ninja and tagged his cloak. We'd be more than happy to have them track it for you."

Sasuke's eye twitched. He was following children because his team of jounin couldn't untangle the literal paper trail the hunter left behind. Team 7 had cross referenced everything on the lists, only to discover that every single item was accounted for. Even the coins were scattered all across Sanso. This wasn't tracking. This was a goddamned scavenger hunt.

So the prince was justifiably a little miffed when the children led him to a back alley that held nothing but the hunter's discarded cloak. A dead end, in both the literal and metaphorical sense. Only pride enabled him to wait until the children left before he took the pleasure of grinding the cloak into the nearby puddle with his heel.

"I'm going to kill that Hunter!" Naruto ranted as he joined Sasuke in the game of cloak-stomping. He slammed his foot down especially hard, splashing Sasuke with muddy water. Something in the prince snapped.

"Dead-last I'm going to kill you," he snarled. The blond was all too happy for a fight.

"Guys..." Sakura warned. "This isn't the time." Sasuke vaguely heard her, but neither he nor Naruto felt inclined to stop.

"Children..." she hissed. They ignored her.

Sakura punched them both in the head.

"Shut up and listen, or I will snap off your legs and shove them up so far your asses that you will give the term 'bootlicker' a whole new meaning!" she snarled. Shocked that Sakura of all people actually struck him, both he and Naruto meekly turned to regard the irritable medic. She glared at them and then sighed, all the fire suddenly draining out of her veins and leaving only the venom. "We've just wasted over 24 hrs tracking the hunter. We are all tired and frustrated and out of our depth because Team 7 is a frontal assault team. So we are going to stop humoring Sasuke's little ego trip, give up running in circles like headless chicken, get a nice cup of tea in that teahouse over there, recuperate until we can act like normal human beings, and then escort Ino-pig back to the castle like the professional ninja we are. Do. We. Understand?" She didn't wait for them to answer and crossed the street to the aforementioned teahouse. Mozou, who had been peppering them with mean comments all morning, fluttered down to land on Naruto's shoulder.

"I love her," the raven said with a sigh of awe. Mozou turned to look at Sasuke smugly. "You may be the leader, but I know who really wears the pants on this team." Naruto reached up and slapped the raven hard enough to dispel it. They looked at each other in a grudging camaraderie of 'shit, her time of the month again', and then reluctantly followed Sakura into the teahouse.

The medic was already seated in the upper level, tucked into one of the corner booths with pale green curtains. They joined her. Pipping hot tea was waiting for them. Sasuke didn't realize how cold he'd been from running around outside until he cupped his brittle fingers around his teacup.

"We really suck at tracking. I guess this is why we shouldn't try to beat the hunter at his own game," Sakura muttered with a wince. "You realize if this was an official mission, it'll be B-rank at best, right?" Naruto laid his chin on the table, even his blond spikes looking particularly morose.

"More like B for 'epic failure at ninja-ing'," he groaned.

"Dead-last, that doesn't start..." Sasuke started to correct him and then realized that was the point. "Oh. I see."

The three of them looked at each other and then burst into varying degrees of laughter. Sakura covered her mouth, shaking in mirth. Sasuke pursed his lips in attempt to hold back his chuckles. Naruto pounded the table as he guffawed, making the porcelain tea set clatter noisily. The other patrons glared at them, and several of them got up to leave. One hissed disapprovingly to the passing waitress and then jostled past the others rudely. The waitress bowed in apology and hurried over to the three ninja.

"I'm sorry," she said with another bow. "But I must ask you to be more considerate of the other patrons. Our tea house is a place of serenity and calm..." Sasuke had stopped listening, eyes narrowed on the retreating backs of the patrons. One, in particular, had captured his attention.

She wore a sleeved robe with the hood up. It was all regal violet, edged with simple gold embroidery, and striking in its simplicity against a sea of showy patterns and styles. She turned to pay for her tea, and Sasuke caught a glimpse of a comely hand. She was also carrying a naginata on a thin cord strapped around her back. But it wasn't these things that drew his interest, not in an era where most women carried some form of a weapon.

She moved with an unnatural grace.

The owner of the purple robe slipped around the leaving crowd like an otherworldly shadow. Like someone accustomed to hiding.

"Summoning no Jutsu." Mozou appeared. "Is the hunter here?" Something in Sasuke's voice prompted the raven to answer obediently.

"Yes. He's here. Right..." Sasuke pointed to the departing person. "That's him!"

The prince leaped from his seat, running along the wall amidst the tea house's screams and dropped in front of the cloaked figure. He smiled in a way that didn't reach his dark eyes. He was still rather annoyed with being led in circles like a fool.

"Hello, Lady Hunter. Don't you look pretty?" Who knew that the little brat impersonated a woman so well?

"How rude," the woman sneered. "This is the famed manners of the Uchiha?" Sasuke narrowed his eyes in confusion - the hunter had a more gravelly voice...and was male. This woman was all smooth tones and icy disdain. "You will let me pass." She pushed him away from the doorway.

This was where she overplayed it. Sasuke caught her wrist with a triumphant smirk.

"So you are a girl." That would explain a lot of things. He was beginning to suspect that the hunter - no, huntress now - had an embarrassing habit for cross-dressing. "But that doesn't matter, Huntress." He turned her palm up and tapped the faint patches of hard skin. "No normal naginata user would have such strange calluses except for someone who wears gloves constantly. Thick leather gloves, if I recall." Sasuke let her jerk her hand out of his grip.

"Who are you to touch me?" So she was sticking to her story.

"Then push back your hood. Reveal your face, if you're not who I say you are," he challenged. The huntress stepped back from him, body tense. He could just see her thoughts racing.

"How did they find out? How will I escape?"

"How dare you ask me to strip, you pervert?" Her screech echoed in the suddenly quiet tea house.

Sasuke blinked. That was unexpected.

The effect was immediate. All the women in the tea house suddenly conglomerated together into a horrifying chimeric champion for the huntress's virtue against The Pervert. Sasuke stumbled, pushed back by the roiling mass of affronted estrogen. He thought the Uchiha good looks were supposed to prevent this sort of thing...

He saw the huntress abscond out the door with chaos for cover. The prince glanced back at his teammates in a silent request for help. Sakura gave him the evil eye from across the room as Naruto laughed at him.

"I so freaking TOLD YOU SO," she mouthed. Sasuke rolled his eyes. Why the hell was she still sore that he dismissed her conclusions on the huntress's gender?

With a snarl, he flipped over the crowd of women and chased after her. His teammates can deal with this mess. He was going to capture the damn huntress even if it killed her.

She weaved and ducked down the street, her voluminous robe and sleeves fluttering behind her like a banner. Sasuke followed along the rooftops. Against the gray cobbled stones and dreary winter coats, she stood out as a lone burst of color in his eyes. She was also heading for a dead end. Sasuke dropped down behind her, trapping the huntress in the alley.

"You're really starting to annoy me," he told her. She backed up against the dank brick wall, looking entirely too fearful and harmless for Sasuke's comfort. He could only see the bottom half of her face, and her lips were trembling. Somehow he was even starting to feel vague regret for pushing her off -

She was scaling the wall with chakra!

Sasuke tackled her, bodily slamming her against the alley wall. As she reeled from the blow, he maneuvered her so she was facing him. She struggled valiantly, but he kept a firm hand on both her wrists. She tried to kick at him, forcing him to trap her legs against the wall with his knee. Her hood had fallen off in their struggles, revealing a pale face framed by sweaty bangs and a wide, sheer blindfold. He dodged her attempt to headbutt him. When she took in a breath to scream, he clapped his remaining hand over her mouth.

"No. More. Tricks," he growled. "I'm done with chasing you around like a loon. Shut up and come with me." For some reason, a faint blush colored her pale cheeks. It took him a beat to process.

"Who's the pervert now?" he muttered. She kept struggling. He activated his Sharingan. Sasuke didn't have a free hand to remove her half-veil so he stared into approximately where her eyes were. "Sleep."

Finally, she stopped wriggling around like a fish and slumped over into his arms. It surprised him how heavy she weighed. Just how much weaponry was she carrying? He lowered her to the ground, propping her upper body against his bent knee.

Her lips were a little on the thin side, and her jawline a little too rounded, but the straight line of her nose made her more than just pretty. A lifetime of training with Kakashi instilled in Sasuke a hatred for masks, so he thought nothing to tugging off her half-veil. Even with her asleep, he could tell that the huntress's eyes dominated her face. Sooty lashes curved against the faint bruising under her eyes. Out of curiosity, he slightly pulled back one eyelid. Her eyes were rolled back, so he only saw white. But he did see the bloodless color of the inner lid. Anemic. To think the huntress was already functioning at a high level despite her illness.

Grudgingly, Sasuke found himself impressed.

That didn't stop him from tossing her over his shoulder like a sack. He headed back to the tea house.


Hinata woke up tied. Again.

It was starting to be an irritating pattern.

This time she was in a bedroom, with her hands tied behind her to the leg of a table. She tried throwing her weight around, but the table was firmly nailed down to the wooden floorboards. They'd stripped her of everything except her tunic and pants. Sasuke probably remembered how she'd escaped her bonds last time, because even her boots were missing. Her wrists were raw from the rough rope and what felt like a chakra disrupter, vulnerable without her thick leather gloves to protect the tender skin. Strands of her dark hair escaped her long braid and tickled her neck insistently. Hinata hung her head. She struggled to keep her clamoring heart calm.

What's going to happen to her?

They'd captured the exiled Moon Princess. They wouldn't simply just let her rot in a dungeon cell somewhere. They could collect the hefty bounty on her head. They could torture her for political secrets. They could steal her Byakugan. They could even use her as a political hostage, not that her life was worth very much to the Moon Kingdom. There were too many things they could do to hurt her.

Voices started arguing outside the door. It sounded like a young man and woman, both nobles by the way neither yelled yet conveyed veiled frustration. The door was thrown open. Hinata let her body fall lax, feigning unconsciousness. Her long hair fell as a curtain over her face and she let herself peek through it.

"...because I am not just any noblewoman, Prince Sasuke. I'm Lady Yamanaka Ino, the heir of my family techniques." The woman she saved before glided into the room, the edges of her robes brushing the floor with a whisper of silk. Her slippered feet stopped in front of Hinata. Sasuke's boots followed. He'd shed his winter cloak at some point, leaving simple trousers and a loose white long-sleeve tunic with the collar undone. His dark hair looked mussed, as if he'd run his hand through it in irritation a few too many times. "I assure you that I can defend myself from a criminal who's stripped of all her weapons, and still woozy from genjutsu. Untie her." There were more angry protests from the prince. Then he was crouched at her side, rough warm hands on her sore wrists as he loosened her bonds. Hinata couldn't help but tense at the sudden sensation.

"She's faking," he said. One hand gripped the back of her head by her hair and began to force her to face up. Ino clasped her hands.

"Doesn't matter, since I can-"

Suddenly, she was speaking with Hinata's voice.

"- do this." The noblewoman toppled over. Sasuke jumped over, barely managing to catch her before she hit the ground. It was the Yamanaka possession jutsu.

"What are you doing to me?" Hinata's chakra roiled useless against the mental cage that the Yamanaka had erected around her. It was terrifying to be so detached from her own body.

"Give me warning before you do that, Yamanaka!" he snapped. "It's creepy when you're suddenly someone else." He dragged Ino's body to the bed and dumped it on there like a ragdoll. Hinata/Ino stood with a sniff, closing her eyes disdainfully as the prince turned back around.

"You really should treat me better, Prince Sasuke." Ino rubbed her/Hinata's eyes. "Ah, it's so bright. Her eyes are so sensitive!" Hinata inwardly frowned. Her eyes were not sensitive at all. What was the blond planning? "Do you still have that gauze veil? Could you please put it on for me?" Ino pouted Hinata's lips even as she kept her eyes closed. Sasuke huffed and then there was a rustle as he dug for it in his pockets. Cool fabric touched her face and then tightened into place. Her eyes opened again.

"Thank you, my prince," Ino purred in a low tone that Hinata didn't know her voice could go. Sasuke stared at her, disconcerted by the sultry tone.

"You have ten minutes, Yamanaka," he said tersely. He exited and shut the door behind him.

"Aw, he was almost blushing," Ino said with a giggle. She directed Hinata's legs to walk to the bed, and sat next to her original shell. "So Hyuuga Hinata, you're probably wondering why I'm here. And don't worry, my darling prince isn't listening in - he doesn't expect me to know anything important."

"So you can hear me." Ino nodded her head.

"Indeed. How else would I be able to talk with you without you trying to take me hostage? I am but a fragile little blossom in a cruel, harsh world." Somehow Hinata didn't quite believe her.

"I've noticed you've kept my eyes hidden from him the entire time," she said warily. It was really strange to essentially have a conversation with herself. "You want something of me."

"So suspicious of the person who's going to save your life," Ino said in a hurt tone as she studied Hinata's nails. "I'm going to offer you something invaluable."

"Sorry if fearing for my future makes me a little paranoid," Hinata said in a clipped voice. "You have me incapacitated in every sense of the word, yet you're pretending to negotiate with me." Ino laughed in a fluttery trill like a flute. She slipped Hinata's hand into her original body's robes and pulled out a file. She began to smooth out Hinata's chipped nails.

"Despite your appalling grooming habits, you really are a princess. You've already analyzed every angle of this little exchange, haven't you?"

"I am not a princess anymore, nor a Hyuuga," Hinata reminded her. Any chance to minimizing her importance would be in her favor. Ino sighed as she switched to the other hand and continued filing.

"You can't just stop being a princess, no more than you can stop having the Byakugan. But I'm not here to play name games with you. You weren't supposed to get caught, you know." The petulant lilt confused Hinata.

"I don't understand."

"You saved my life, so I kept quiet about you being the fugitive Moon Princess and all. I knew they would send a team, so I even requested a team that should have been utterly incapable of tracking you. Who knew you'd still get caught?"

"I apologize for not running away better," Hinata said, unamused by the flippant tone of the blond. Then realizing that she wasn't doing much to improve her situation, she changed her tone to a pleading one. "If you acknowledge that you owe me a life debt, could you please release me? I won't let them catch me this time."

"Again, you saved my life. But life debts don't make me your fairy godmother with magic powers. Prince Sasuke apparently had you marked with his ravens. He'll always know where you are, even if it takes him a bit to find you." Hinata was speechless. That time his summons pecked her...it wasn't an accident of his inability to control them. Sasuke was sneakier than she gave him credit for. "However, what I can do is help you keep your identity a secret."

"Don't they already know? And in exchange for what? You have no reason to harbor a criminal like me." Ino chuckled again as she pulled a brush out of her robe pocket and started untangling Hinata's hair. It was soothing, but so perturbing to feel her body act without her permission.

"Do I need to tell you that I honor the samurai values on life debts? So distrusting. Kami, what kind of political environment is the Hyuuga court for you to turn out like this? "

"A vulture's nest, waiting to strike at the slightest hint of weakness," Hinata replied immediately. She was justified for her bitterness, given her current state. Ino made a sympathetic noise.

"Sounds terrible. I say you should just defect to the Sun Kingdom and be done with it."

"I don't think it's quite as simple as that," Hinata corrected tiredly. "You Sun people hate me as well." The blond waved dismissively with her hairbrush.

"Psh. Details. They can't hate you if they don't know who you are. No one here, except me, knows that you're Hyuuga Hinata. You were lucky that you were already asleep when Prince Sasuke removed your blindfold. His team just thinks you're some runaway from a lower Moon samurai clan." A tension that Hinata didn't even know she was holding seeped out of her.

"So they don't know...thank Kami. But how can I trust what you're saying?" A tremulous, dangerous hope was starting to bloom in her.

"You can't," Ino answered honestly. She shook out Hinata's hair and began rebraiding it neatly. "But I'm the best option you have. And everything indicates that you should believe me until I give you a reason to doubt. I owe you a life debt. I face disgrace and even death if you do get discovered. And worst of all, Prince Sasuke will hate me for hiding you from him."

Hinata thought carefully. Ino's logic was sound, even if her priorities needed some reorganizing. Everything did indicate Ino could be trusted. Hinata was trained in the samurai arts, but had still grown up in a ninja family, so she'd never paid too much mind to the samurai values. But maybe she could trust in Ino's adherence to these values.

"Thank you for helping me up until now. I will cooperate with you for now. But I will have to warn you that if you trick me, I will do my best to take you down with me. And I am capable of falling further than most."

Ino tied off Hinata's hair with a thin indigo ribbon.

"Good." Hinata reeled, suddenly regaining control of her body as the mindwalker left. Ino sat up and rubbed her head.

"But you'll need to listen to me and follow my cues," the blond continued. Hinata nodded slowly. She remained cautious, waiting for more information before she decided on Ino's trustworthiness either way. At least this would buy her some time to figure out a new escape strategy even if whatever Ino planned failed. "I'm going to tell them you were my bodyguard all along. The chase was just a test of Prince Sasuke's unquestionable skill. They would believe that I set up the whole thing with you just to lure my beloved to my side."

"But they already know that I was a bounty hunter for a long while," Hinata countered. She couldn't decide if she was more impressed with the noblewoman's obvious brilliance in manipulation or saddened that she acted in such a way that people would believe such a lie. Ino just grinned like a smug feline.

"So I must have hired you after they met you. You're my servant, so you'll do whatever crazy stunt that I tell you to," the blond replied. "Even if you can't trust in me, you should trust in the fact that politics is my game. I was born to play this in court, you could say." Ino jumped up to her feet and fixed her appearance. "I think 'Hinata' is kind of obvious, so I'm calling you 'Kin' from now on."

Speaking with Ino also gave her the repeated sense of whiplash. Hinata stood up, brow wrinkled in confusion yet again. There was nothing 'gold' about her, so the name didn't make sense.

"Why 'Kin', you wonder? Because it matches my hair. Come on, let's go introduce you, Bodyguard Kin."

At least it wasn't something demeaning like Fluffy. And it did fit in with the frivolous personality Ino seemed to cultivate.

"After that, I'm giving you a make-over. You're a fright."

If she stretched common wisdom, it could make sense that a noblewoman like Ino would need to present a good image through her guard.

"And later on, I want you to make friends with Prince Sasuke as a guard and see if you can bring me a pair of his underwear."

Hinata steamed red as the blond sauntered out of the room.

She gave up. Ino had to be joking.

If not, she didn't want to know.


Sasuke and his team were having a hard time believing their ears.

"Ino-pig...so you're saying that the hunter - I mean, Kin - was your bodyguard all along?" Sakura's voice escalated in pitch.

"That you ordered her to run around in Sanso to give a sense of authenticity for fun?" Naruto added, somehow matching his teammate's high tone.

"That this was just one big game because Mizuki made you realize that you were bored?" The medic continued.

"For fun?" The two squeaked together, somehow seeming that much more intimidating given the twitches in their eyes.

"Pretty much," Ino replied, unaffected by the killer intent aimed at her person. She patted Kin's shoulder fondly. All three ninja tensed, waiting for a hostage situation. So did all the surrounding guards and servants.

"If that was the case, then why is your staff just as suspicious as us?" Sasuke glared at her, hand hovering over his kunai.

"I hired her in secret. It's more fun that way," the blond replied without missing a beat. Sasuke glanced at Kin. Peeled of the voluminous cloak, clunky armor, and bulky weaponry, she vaguely reminded him of a turtle that had lost its shell - a sad, naked little thing. Her light-colored tunic was cut for a much larger man. Delicate feet peeked out from baggy pants. She seemed even paler than before and her braid trailed over one shoulder like a sharp swipe of ink on paper. The 'bodyguard' had replaced her blindfold, though it did little to hide the nerves strung through her too-perfect posture. Her mouth was pinched in worry. She looked nothing of the graceful huntress nor the elegant noblewoman. She just looked lost. Out of place.

"I don't believe you," he told Ino bluntly. She gave a silvery laugh like a bell. Sasuke distantly wondered if she practiced imitating random objects.

"I heard a funny story once, about three very powerful ninja who chased one little kitten all over the city." Sasuke glared at her.

"So Kin has the skills to disappear," he admitted reluctantly. "That doesn't exonerate her of her crimes." Ino reached out and grabbed Sasuke's arm. Normally he shook her off, but the alternative was let her remain next to a criminal who could kill Ino. And then Itachi would kill him. He settled for a forbiddingly quizzical look instead.

"Oh, Prince Sasuke," she cooed. "You do care about every little danger to me. I knew you really did lo-" Sasuke shook her off. Okay, so she wasn't budging on her lie. That didn't mean Ino needed to pull that...disgusting routine. Rather than face the monstrosity of fangirlism, Sasuke just crossed his arms and huffed.

"Fine, do what you will. Team 7 has fulfilled mission parameters."

Of course, that didn't keep him from maintaining a watchful eye on Kin's every little action. The newly minted 'bodyguard' was still hiding something. Something so large that even Ino was somehow dragged in to help. He inwardly cursed himself for not looking more closely when he had the chance. Sasuke had the feeling that the blindfold had something to do with it, but he couldn't just march up and attack the bodyguard for it in front of Ino. (Yet again, damn politics to hell.) The possibility of Kin being Hyuuga occurred to him, but he was done jumping to conclusions when it came to the huntress-turned-bodyguard. He will find proof of whatever secret they were trying to bury.

They had a two day journey back to the castle, during which they will be in close quarters. While it would be difficult to interrogate Kin with Ino around, Sasuke was sure the two couldn't possibly remain joined at the hip for the entire time.

He got his chance the very next morning. Ino's entourage, Kin, and Team 7 were packing up for a full day on the road. When Ino wanted to have Kin ride with her in the coach, Sasuke pointed out to her that it was very strange for servants to ride with the lady. Reluctantly, Kin was relegated to standing on the foothold at the back of the coach.

Sasuke didn't bother trying to even hide his intentions. He rejected Ino's offer to ride with her inside the coach, opting instead to walk beside it. It also conveniently put him next to the huntress.

Her gear had been grudgingly returned to her, so once again, she was concealed in mystery. The edges of her winter robe fluttered in the icy breeze, sharp against the faded background of winter scenery. Thin wisps of dark hair escaped her braid, framing what little of her face he could see between the half-veil and the hood. Though her eyes were hidden, it was obvious to Sasuke that Kin was keeping her gaze forward and away from him.

"I want to ask you a few questions, as a concerned sovereign, if you will."

At first, Sasuke didn't think she heard him over the ambling creak of the wheels.

"Yes, Prince Uchiha."

"So when did Yamanaka hire you, Kin?" A pause. She was still resolutely avoiding his eyes.

"Not long after we parted ways."

"And how did you two meet?" Again, an overly long silence. Perhaps she was trying to make sure she wasn't giving herself away?

"In a situation not unlike that night's."

"That's rather vague," he commented. She nodded once.

"The world would be a different place if everyone knew everything," Kin said softly. She was still revealing nothing. It was like trying to get personal details out of Kakashi.

"Indeed. But I can try," he dismissed. "So?" She finally turned her head to look at him.

"It's not my story to tell, your highness." Sasuke narrowed his eyes.

"I think that is for me to decide. You forget that I outrank Yamanaka." Kin didn't say anything to disagree, but she bit her lip in a way that clearly indicated her doubt.

"But she out-maneuvers you."

"Not for long," he said with a sneer. "You are hiding something important, Kin - if that is even your name - and I will find out eventually. It would be more advantageous for you to confess before that." Sasuke knew he wasn't one for subtle manipulation, but sometimes outright intimidation worked just as well. She had already shown herself to be incredibly compassionate at times. He could use that. "Before you hurt any innocents with your deception."

"The world would also be a different place if everyone kept to their own business," she said shortly. Kin seemed almost distressed by his upfront interrogation, which only made her more guilty in Sasuke's eyes. "I will not hurt anyone. That is all you need to know about my situation." She was cracking. He leaped up next to her on the foothold, so he could lean over the bodyguard menacingly. Sasuke was close enough to see that her lips were chapped from her worrying at them so much.

"Haven't you heard the old saying? Good intentions pave the road to hell. You could be endangering the people of this kingdom. Is that what you did back at the Moon Kingdom? Are you willing to risk hundred - maybe thousands - of lives just to live your little lie?" He was exaggerating, but the sentiment was the same.

Suddenly, fury crackled alone every line of her body, searing away any weakness in her composure.

"Then it's a road I will walk alone," she snapped, "I will make sure of that." She turned her face away from him. Silence hung heavy on the numbing cold between them. "I think your teammates are calling for you. Your highness."

"So they are," he allowed, even though they both knew it was a lie. Sasuke smirked as he leaped easily off the coach and joined his team. Kin was too wary to let anything slip in conversation, but her excessive reaction was very interesting. She didn't even remember to deny the Moon Kingdom dig.

That only further convinced the prince that he was right.


In Japanese:

"Kin" = gold/sound of metal clashing (yes, also the name of another character, I know...but it fits so well!)

Notes (important relevant info bolded and starred)

*Once again, thank you to my stupendous beta, Rhinst. You are awesome!

*Minor detail. When I say Sasuke is the crown prince, this means he's next in line if (in a blue moon) something happens to Itachi. I assume that if Itachi has a kid that wants to take over, then the title would go to Itachi's kid.

-While Team 7 is the epitome of professional and teamwork (ish) when on duty, unfortunately, that is the exact opposite when they're off duty/not on an official mission. Come on, Team 7? I sometimes think the Sandaime purposely built the team for dysfunction just for kicks and giggles. Team 7 could have their own sitcom.

- Poor Sasuke. He came off so greasy in the chapter. He doesn't realize what he's doing, I promise! ( I hope...XD)

-I was actually trying really hard to keep this serious and relatively unsnarky... I blame the dysfunctional Team 7. Somehow when the characters start interacting, things have a tendency to blow up. Let me know if the balance of the story tone really flies away.

-Yes, it was a nod to the reunion scene in Shippuden where Naruto says something very innocent and Pervy Hinata twists into something very naughty. Maybe Pervy Hinata is her version of Inner Sakura.

- Did I mention that I love Ino? She's the fairy god mother of all plot devices, yes, but it means more SasuHina, more quickly for you.

- Thank you thank you thank you for all you who've been supporting me through reviews and favorites and alerts. I'm on a cloud of swoonage.

- Which reminds me...review! Tell me your thoughts or Ino might pay you a visit!