Once upon a time, there was a princess who was weak.

Months had passed since she woke, yet the princess was still plagued by spells of dizziness and fatigue. Before, she could have easily kept the Byakugan activated for hours, but now she could only hold the bloodline limit active for a few minutes before she fainted.

And she was always hungry. An awful emptiness gnawed at her from the inside, as if her body rebelled against the lack of something vital. The princess ate as much as she could during mealtimes, but she could only eat so quickly while maintaining her table manners before the food was taken away. And requesting more was frowned upon.

The healers scratched their heads, for she was in perfect health and yet her body was wasting away. The head healer wrote to the Legendary Sannin, but received no response other than a perfunctory note detailing the Sannin's absence.

"I don't understand. She's mentioned the possibility of chakra damage, but the princess's chakra levels are moving properly, and except for the expected amount of atrophy, there is nothing wrong with her," the head healer reported to the king. The king flipped through a thick sheaf of paper, covered with the detailed observations from various experts. "Chakra damage..." A terrible thought occurred to him.

Under the king's orders, the princess's chakra system was monitored while she trained. The unrelenting Byakugan revealed the source of the princess's weakness: a leak in her chakra coils. She was placed on a special diet, and the king was relieved to see the princess's hollow cheeks slowly fill in and dusted with the rosy glow of health.

"But the operation to heal the crack is dangerous. The scar tissue is too deep." The lead medic cowered before his leaders with the truth. The council pushed for it anyways, but the king already knew what the medic meant - she would not survive the surgery.

And so, the princess was told that she could never be strong.


Prey for the Hunted

By Airyo

Chapter 7


"There was another attack," Shikamaru began as soon as they entered the strategy room, a private place where they wouldn't be overheard discussing classified topics. "Forty-five dead, eighty-some injured, several missing. The town of Toshi has a population of a little over three hundred people." The lazy ninja chose a chair and collapsed into it with a groan. "I was up all night analyzing intelligence. The team I sent to investigate came back with the same old shit."

Sasuke studied the map of the Sun Kingdom that was posted on the wall. Small red flags indicated the attacked towns, while yellow tags indicated those at risk. Only one had matched up, purely by accident, but placing yellow flags on a every town in the area seemed a little too much like admitting defeat. With a growl, he located Toshi and jammed another red flag on it. The pin snapped, biting into his thumb. A mental comparison between the pin and the princess tried to distract him, and Sasuke licked away the blood with a growl. He replaced the broken flag as he turned back to Shikamaru.

"Let me guess. Bandits. Somehow they're trained, yet not enough to be able to point us to just who is instigating these attacks." Shikamaru nodded. Sasuke began to pace in front of the map.

"Even worse. Now there are reports of people being crushed to death. There are rumors of a Demon of the Sand again."

"Like the incidents half a decade ago?" The Uchiha stopped, looking at Shikamaru in confusion.

"Those stopped after Naruto's kidnapping. It's troublesome that they've started again."

"But Dead-last defeated that sand monster. He died. I saw it." Sasuke remembered because Naruto had actually cried over the other vessel. And it was his misfortune that his Sharingan was active at the time. In payment for being stuck with such a disgusting memory, Sasuke had punched the blond and Naruto retaliated. They had fought until rage stole away the sorrow.

"I know." Shikamaru rubbed at his face and sighed. "That's the strange part. But I haven't confirmed if these two are even correlated." Sasuke nodded.

"The Demon of the Sand is worrying, but the damage from the attacks are greater. Focus on those."

"Got it. As for the attacks, I've made no progress since our last meeting. The Sun Kingdom has countless enemies. Even with your kidnapping taken into conjunction with these attacks, I can't narrow down anyone. Somehow, you have more enemies than King Itachi does."

"Not my problem," Sasuke snapped back defensively. His ego was still sore from the beating it took from the little upstart of a princess, and Shikamaru's hinted offense was hard to take. The other jounin fiddled with one of his silver earrings in an unconscious act of irritation.

"Whatever. What I want to say is that the person who is planning these attacks is most likely a genius. If these were normal bandits, they'd be trying for the maximal gain when compared with how quickly we can get there to arrest them. However, the pattern of attack is too perfectly random. They're just as likely to hit a nothing town within miles of one of our fortresses as they are to go for a big city with no defenses."

"We're missing one of the pieces," Sasuke muttered, lost in thought as he glared at the map. The room fell into silence as the two of them poured over the maps and thick stacks of intelligence reports. Nothing seemed to make sense when connected with everything else. There was always something that jarred with everything else, no matter the hypothesis. It was like trying to use a glaive for a sword kata, where an essential part was horribly out of place in an otherwise seamless concept.

Unless it was the kata that didn't belong.

"The money they steal isn't the prize here," he suddenly said as he slammed the scroll down on the table. The record of stolen goods unrolled and spilled onto the ground. Sasuke brushed it aside with his foot as Shikamaru just gave him a speculative look.

"They're doing this to confuse us, but they always take everything. Money has to be a factor here - every scenario I've thought of includes it."

"No. No. It's not a factor." Sasuke began pacing. He stopped, and pinned the other ninja with a sharp look. "I want to you analyze from a new perspective. Forget about the bandits. If these were enemy soldiers, what would you say about them?"

"I'd say it's a distraction technique. A cover for other movement," Shikamaru replied immediately. The prince looked back at the scatter of red dots encroaching on Sun territory. "But that still wouldn't make sense. We just don' t have the manpower for that kind of analysis anyways."

"I'll have Itachi talk to the Hokage. He'll agree about relegating more resources to you." Sasuke headed for the door. The other jounin stood and gave a slouching bow, recognizing the dismissing tone in the Uchiha's voice.

"Thank you, your highness."

"And get some sleep. You look like a ghoul," The prince ordered in an absentminded reply as he exited, thoughts already straying to other things. Normally, Sasuke prided himself in his tactical abilities when it came to leading the ninja, and he wasn't one to shirk his duties. However, he could not stop thinking about that smug little smile Hinata had on her face even as he had his blade to her throat. It annoyed him to no end that she did annoy him. And it was especially irking that one little ex-princess was more bothersome to him than the distant attacks where hundreds of lives were lost. It was a cold comparison, but Sasuke wasn't someone who berated himself for what he felt. It was what it was. He'd underestimated her, and paid in pride for his prejudice. He won't be making that same mistake again.

Sasuke headed for Itachi's office - he was curious how the king was going to deal with the presence of the lost Moon Princess in their midst. Itachi should already be finished with greeting all the nobles that had arrived for the Winter Festival today.

It took him longer than usual, as Sasuke quickly discovered that most of the kingdom's eligible noblewomen were now here in the castle. He had to stop several times to hide from the hunting packs of noblewomen that prowled the halls. Though they were civilians, somehow fangirls gained superhuman abilities when it came to the Crown Prince. He was using genjutsu, and he still nearly got caught several times. Wide-scale illusions on too many enemies, unfortunately, wasn't a strength that even an Uchiha could boast about.

"Met the fangirls, Prince Charming?" Sasuke spared a dirty look for Crocodile as he fruitlessly tried to make his hair neater in the reflection of his katana. There was nothing he could do about his clothes, and his cloak had suffered a noble death. Itachi was going to tease him mercilessly when he entered looking like he'd just gotten molested. Even if that was what happened.

"I'm not a girl, Croc," he said as he sheathed his sword. "Stop calling me the opposite of what you actually think of me. It sounds like you're trying to sleep with me." Crocodile tilted his head.

"But I have." Sasuke felt his eye twitch. The other Guardian, Cat, muffled a snicker.

"Not funny, Miss Pretty Kitty," Sasuke retaliated dryly. "You know what he means." They shared a tent, once, for a mission.

"You're supposed to call us by our code names," Cat admonished.

"And you're supposed to show some respect for your prince," Sasuke groused, familiar in this bantering script. He pushed past them.

Crocodile turned to Cat curiously. "If the crown prince has a horrible personality, what do you do in this kind of relationship?"

"Depends on if you think this prince is gay or not," Cat mused as he rubbed his chin.

"I'm not sure. Dickless seems to think -" Sasuke pulled the door shut behind him with a roll of his eyes. He was surrounded by idiots.

"Met the fangirls, Prince Charming?"

"Not you too, Itachi." Sasuke groaned as he collapsed into the chair in front of Itachi's desk.

"I am simply asking a question out of my concern for your well-being," the king said. He pushed aside the scroll he was perusing and focused his full attention on Sasuke.

"No need to do it in such a gross way," the younger Uchiha said flatly. Itachi chuckled. "Did you get my message about Kin?"

"Yes I did. I've already taken care of it." Sasuke sat up straight.

"Already? Is she the Moon Princess? What did you do? " A vague thread of worry began to enter the prince's chest and pulled in a way that almost twinged. He hadn't meant to get the girl in any severe amount of trouble, as he had been under the impression that she was just a peripheral character. He'd just wanted to confirm that he was right. Itachi lifted a dark eyebrow curiously.

"Why are you so invested in one measly little hunter? Need I start worrying about other strange fetishes? Perhaps pedophili -"

"She is a grown woman. You know that."

"Just ensuring that you know the difference between little girls and little boys." The prince gave him an unamused glare. "As for what I did, you don't have the clearance to know. "

"Don't have the clearance?" Sasuke repeated incredulously. "I'm the second-in-command of the ninja forces, and third of all the Sun military. Only you and the Hokage of your troops outrank me! How can I not have the clearance?"

"Yes, and as someone who outranks you, I've just decided that you don't have clearance. As of now, you are forbidden from investigating Kin any further."

"So she is the Moon Princess."

"Classified."

"At least tell me if she's Hyuuga." Anything to certify that his conclusion was correct.

"Classified." In a show of casual disinterest, Itachi turned back to his scroll, and then paused, as if he'd just thought of something. He gave Sasuke a side-ways glance. "Unless, you are willing to demonstrate your responsibility and attend the Winter Ball."

"No." Sasuke should have suspected. It had nothing to do with the sensitivity of the actual information. Itachi was just playing dirty because he had knowledge that Sasuke wanted. "I'm not that curious." He was, but Sasuke wasn't going to let Itachi discover that fact.

"Are you sure? It would only take a few hours -"

"Do you see this?" Sasuke hissed as he pointed to his shirt collar. There was a large rip and several patches of pink lipstick like garish flowers. "Teeth. You're throwing me to the wolves just so it's easier for you to negotiate with their fathers."

Itachi didn't deny the accusation. "You're a jounin."

"I'd rather face enemy shinobi. Or real wolves. At least I can actually fight those."

"It builds character. And you are not entirely vulnerable. You could take a date," Itachi suggested lightly.

"And said date will have already planned out the honeymoon by the first dance."

"Sakura? She knows not to misinterpret."

"She's already attached."

"What about Yamanaka Ino? She seems intelligent enough to understand."

"That's what makes her even scarier."

"Well. I'm sure you'll figure it out. In the end, I can't always make exceptions for you. You may go." Itachi smiled slightly and Sasuke fought the urge to strangle him. Instead, he jumped to his feet and headed for the door.

"Before I forget, I need a few more analysts for my case. Talk to the Hokage for me?"

"Only if -"

"I'll think about the ball. But that's not a promise," he tossed over his shoulder as he left. Itachi got the message. He wouldn't interfere with an actual mission.

"Finally going to the ball, Prince Charming?" Crocodile looked at him as he exited.

"No. And stop calling me that."

He quickly walked out of earshot so the two Guardians couldn't continue their teasing. Itachi wouldn't be above asking his Guardians to also hint at the Winter Ball. Sometimes, he felt that Itachi had entirely too much fun in teasing him, and it grated him that the king refused to view him as anything but a child. Fangirls were particularly problematic because he couldn't fight back, couldn't be completely rude and outright run, since these were the daughters of very important fathers. He loathed being used as the bait to pull those clans into the castle, even if he understood on some small level. But if Sasuke finally relented and attended the ball, no one mentioned anything against a generous application of genjutsu. What was the point of a masquerade ball if he wasn't allowed to hide his identity? Nonetheless, this wasn't the first ball he'd skipped, and certainly won't be the last.

"It's the Prince!" Their cries trumpeted across the halls like a hunting horn.

Sasuke stiffened. He'd been lost in thought and let himself be sighted. With witnesses, he couldn't outright flee. He prepared to switch out with a shadow clone as the mass of petticoats and frills and claws and teeth descended on him.

"Excuse me, ladies, but I would like to borrow my son."

The queen dowager stepped through the throng of young noblewomen. She wore a dress edged with Uchiha colors, and a smile tipped with steel. The girls parted for her, watching with disappointed eyes as Mikoto placed her hand in the crook of Sasuke's elbow and led him away.

"Thank you," Sasuke sighed in relief when they turned the corner. Mikoto reached up to affectionately pat his cheek. Sasuke grimaced, but knew better than to lean away from her touch.

"My poor boy. You are far too popular for your own good."

"I don't understand. Itachi's no worse looking than me, and he's a lot more polite than I ever will be. Nothing I do seems to deter them." He gave her a disgruntled look when Mikoto chuckled behind a graceful hand.

"Unfortunately, the bad boy appeal is a strong one. And Itachi is so busy that they would never find him wandering the halls like you do."

"We're not the last Uchiha. There's an entire clan of us."

"Aah, but you are most powerful and the most accessible. Those two traits will always place you at number one in the hearts of your fans." The prince shuddered.

"Please don't ever talk like that again."

"It's true. And you are too fun to tease," she said with a wicked little smile mirrored that Itachi's. While Sasuke was always told that he looked more like his mother, it was clear that Itachi had inherited her sense of humor. "Anyways, I want you to give something to Itachi for me." She released him to pull an envelope from her sleeve. Sasuke automatically accepted the envelope she handed him.

"But why don't you just send a messenger?" he asked curiously. Mikoto started fixing his ruined collar.

"He's so busy and works so hard," she said with a forlorn sigh. "I don't want to bother him." Sasuke stood stiff, stretched taut between comforting her and dismissing Itachi's workload. He wasn't good at comforting. He was the son that snapped and snarled like threads of lightning, defending but never deferring. Itachi was supposed to be the water who washed away the earth's cracks and hurts with cool and calm.

Nonetheless, he frowned and pulled Mikoto in for a brief hug. After quickly making sure there were no unwanted observers, naturally.

"I'll tell the jerk to visit you sometimes then," he grumbled. Mikoto brightened.

"And don't think you're off the hook just because I never see Itachi. I didn't want to miss a chance to see my adorable little baby either," she added as she thumbed his chin. She could no longer reach his hair, or else that was in danger too.

"Mother..." he protested with a half-hearted glower. She laughed and shooed him away.

"Go change, Sasuke dear. You look like you've just wrestled a she-bear."

"The bear would be preferable," he quipped.

Sasuke returned to his room with no further mishaps. His suite was cold and quiet, slightly musty after days of being abandoned. The curtains hung askew, with a single valiant little beam of sunlight bursting through to splash across the ground. Sasuke sat down on his bed with a sigh.

He still held the envelope in his hand, and he stared at it in an internal debate. It was tempting to peek. Though he'd made peace long ago with being the less-favored second son, it was still difficult to be reminded. Like an old wound when it rained, something inside him almost throbbed. Not quite painful, but not quite comfortable either. He wondered what was so secretive that Mikoto wouldn't trust a palace messenger and would ask him instead. And then he wondered what was so important that her mother wouldn't trust even him and would lock it with her seal on red wax . The prince fingered the soft blot thoughtfully. His thumb was still sore from the pin prick, but a small push was all it would take - wax gives so easily - and Mikoto's seal would be too simple to replicate.

No. He wasn't that pathetic. He'd fought his way to a rank where anything of importance would always trickle back to him. And then he can demand answers. The sun did not need to hide in shadows, and he did not need to sink to petty tricks.

Sasuke's mouth twisted into a sneer and he shoved the letter into his belt pouch. He paused when his knuckles brushed another stack of paper. Perplexed, he pulled out a thick envelope. He's forgotten about the thank-you notes from the orphanage. Part of him wanted to toss it in the trash, as his pride still prickled over the foolish hunt, but it was childish to take his frustration out on a stack of thank-you letters.

Mozou appeared with a caw, pulling Sasuke away from his thoughts.

"Kid, Hibiki told me to tell you that Itachi wanted to tell you something because you told - MRWK!" Sasuke plugged the beak with a dried piece of bacon he kept in the nightstand by his bed for such purposes.

"Just give me the message," Sasuke sighed. Mozou glared at him, and mashed the treat in his beak as if he were imagining Sasuke's face on it.

"Your turn to clean the Red training room," the raven muttered after he swallowed.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. It wasn't his turn - he's cleaned that damn dojo last week. It was just another one of Itachi's sideways reminders that he wasn't above the law that governed all the soldiers. It was a rotating schedule, though for some reason it kept spiraling back to him. That sadistic jerk.

"Got it. Now go away." He snapped his hand out of the way when Mozou tried to peck him.

"And you're not allowed to demand for any help."

"I'd expected as much," he said. There was no point in trying, as there was a Guardian watching his every action, waiting for one error to report back to Itachi. It's not like he wanted to ask the fangirls or his team - both inevitably pissed him off and the training room ended up even more of a mess. Sasuke let himself flop back on the bed with a huff. Commanding any of the other soldiers to help him would defeat the whole purpose of the exercise, but he was rather averse to the thought of scrubbing the floor of the entire dojo by himself. Sasuke clenched his fist, and the paper of the package crinkled.

No-name Hinata. She was the little loophole. Everyone else already knew that he wasn't supposed to have help, but she didn't.

If he didn't ask for help but she just so happened to be at the right place and time to insist that she relieve his workload...

Sasuke sat up with a smirk. It's not help. It's payback.

The letters would serve a far more useful purpose, after all.


"So King Itachi's not going to do anything?" Ino asked, eyes wide in amazement. Hinata shook her head slowly. They were alone in Ino's suite, so there was little risk of being overheard.

"Not at the moment. He said he wouldn't." The blond gave her a doubtful look.

"Why do you trust him so easily? You're still acting like I might stab you in the face." To illustrate her point, Ino snapped out a hand for her nose. Instinctively, Hinata caught her wrist in a harsh grip, and then immediately released Ino with an apologetic wince. That was going to bruise. "See? Jumpy."

"We used to be betrothed," Hinata admitted. It was old information, a dusty fairytale of another era, so she thought little of sharing it.

"Wait - woah - what?" Ino stood up in surprise. "Betrothed?" Hinata nodded.

"It was...before the split between the Sun and Moon Kingdoms occurred. Back when the..." she trailed off at the strange look that crossed Ino's face. The blond looked pained.

"Can't believe I forgot. It wasn't exactly a secret," the noble grumbled. She absently twisted at her earrings in agitation.

"It's a matter of the past," Hinata said quietly. "The point is, I know that Itachi doesn't need to lie."

"You're right." Ino cheered significantly and blew out a great sigh of relief. "Thank kami. I thought my neck was in a noose when the king ordered me out. His face is going to give me nightmares for weeks." She shivered, and then paused with a growing smirk. "Although he is very attractive, so even the nightmares won't be too bad."

Despite her flippant facade, Hinata had recognized the real fear on Ino's face when she met her outside the throne room. What was bewildering was that Ino's expression had been two parts worry for Hinata and only one part for herself. For someone as intelligent as Ino, she could easily turn the situation so Hinata carried the blame. Even Itachi had seemed impressed by the blond noblewoman's guile, so clearly Ino's illusion of a stupid, flighty girl was a solid one. It amazed Hinata that she seemed willing to throw all that security away just to help her. There was no point in asking the blond herself, as Ino would just mutter something about life debts again.

Hinata just shook her head in mild exasperation. It was likely something she will never quite understand. Ino misinterpreted her gesture as one of disagreement.

"Don't tell me you're unimpressed by the king's looks as well? I thought you favored sincerity. If what you say is true, isn't he your type?"

"Absent lies doesn't spin a certainty of truth," Hinata replied evenly. She looked down at her hands, folded elegantly in her lap in a parody of indifference. And those that don't lean on falsehoods often wield the truth far more destructively.

"You're not talking about Itachi," Ino commented lightly. The dark-haired girl shook her head.

"No. Someone like him. He is not the only person who can skirt the shadows and yet wear it like armor." Then Hinata turned and smiled slightly at the vacant expression on Ino's face. "And that is all I am willing to say on the subject, Lady Ino. Your mien as an airhead is surprisingly effective in drawing information out of me, but I am aware of what you are doing."

Much like a cat that had miscalculated a jump, Ino pretended she didn't hear Hinata and grinned innocently instead.

"Kin, you are far too gloomy." Her sky eyes suddenly lit with a thought. "That's it. I'm going to show you something that's sure to brighten your mood. Always makes me happy." The noblewoman started herding Hinata out the door with surprising strength.

"What? Where are you taking me?"

"As your patron, I cannot let you continue living in such unenlightened state." She really seemed to think she was doing Hinata a favor.

Hinata protested. "If you must show me, we can do it tomorrow. Don't you need your beauty sleep or rest?" It wasn't even dinner time yet, but she had a bad feeling about this.

"I'm always beautiful. What is unacceptable is your ignorance. I will use a mind-jutsu on you if I have to."

She wasn't all that surprised when Ino led her to a long hallway lined with portraits of Uchiha Sasuke. Only Ino could pair a deep understanding of human psychology with an equally unfathomable frivolity. And they weren't the only girls there. Apparently, Sasuke-gazing was the equivalent of moon-gazing back in the Moon Kingdom. Hinata wondered who managed to bully the prince in to allowing such an exhibit to exist - she highly doubted he would condone anything that would only encourage people like Ino.

"And this one was painted when Prince Sasuke was three years old. Isn't he just so precious?" Hinata had to agree that the childish scowl on baby Sasuke's face was adorable. He was trussed up in what appeared to be a very uncomfortable navy waistcoat with bright red shoulder decorations. She could guess his thoughts on exactly how he wanted to use the little sword he was holding.

"Now this one was painted when he was five. This was when he decided he was going to be a ninja, so he refused to wear anything else but his version of the jounin uniform until he was allowed to fight. This was the closest they could get to a compromise." Again, the subject of the picture was frowning. Admittedly, it would just look strange if Sasuke was smiling, especially in the austere formal robes he wore. The hakama was so crisply starched it could probably stand up on its own.

"This one is one of my favorites. He's twelve, and just joined Team 7. He just hit his first growth spurt them. Only Prince Sasuke could even make puberty look attractive. There were rumors that he got acne but..."

Just smile and nod. While Hinata was far too polite to not listen, even she wasn't above letting the words slide uselessly across the surface of her wandering mind. Hinata hummed in agreement as Ino also gave her a detailed biography of every single portrait. Her memory astounded her.

Eventually, they approached the end of the hallway, away from the other girls crowded around the prince's baby pictures. The last portrait was painted recently - last year, according to Ino. Compared with the other paintings of tortured indignation and tired poses, this one was decidedly boring. Sasuke simply stood, looking at the artist with a neutral expression. He wore an uniform of black shirt, black pants, black boots, and the deep red of his forehead protector bright against his hair. His hands in his pockets. Eyes alert. It was Hinata's favorite. Captured thus in a picture, she was safe from him and he from her, and with the lines of Sasuke's face unbroken by a sneer or a snarl, she had to admit that -

"Yamanaka, Kin," a distant voice called. They leaned around a corner to see Uchiha Sasuke himself pressed up against the wall in an attempt to keep himself hidden. He'd lost his cloak since the last time they saw him, and his collar was ripped and covered with...rouge? Sasuke-gazing and Sasuke-groping apparently went hand in hand.

He gestured for them to follow him quietly, as to not alert the other girls. Sasuke led them to an isolated part of the castle Hinata didn't recognize. Two Guardians were down the hall, outside a door that she assumed was Itachi's office.

"Speak of the devilishly handsome!" Ino said coyly. "I knew you missed me." Hinata caught a barely discernible twitch in his jaw before Sasuke brushed it off with a smirk.

"Yamanaka, I need to borrow your bodyguard for a moment. She and I need to have a little chat." Sasuke smiled down at Hinata, though the edges were razor sharp. Lady Ino looked as confused as Hinata felt. Hadn't Itachi allowed her to remain under cover?

"But, she's my guard," Ino insisted, a pout playing at her lips. "King Itachi met her and approved of my choice." She was rather unsubtly telling Sasuke that Hinata's identity was no longer any of his business. Hinata appreciated the effort, given how much Ino seemed to strive for Sasuke's affection.

"I know. That isn't why I need to talk to Kin." Sasuke held up a package and brandished it like a decree. "I have something for her."

"And nothing for me?" Ino asked sadly. Hinata could already tell it was a losing battle, as the stubborn set of Sasuke's jaw had not shifted. If he was no longer trying to peel back the layers of Hinata's past, then he's swept past the carrot and the stick and every backup plan they had because now they didn't know what motivated him anymore.

Sasuke responded by guiding Ino towards the king's office with a hand at the small of her back. He cut off the Guardian's greetings with a jerk of his chin that had Cat's and Crocodile's replacements opening the door, and then he marched Ino into Itachi's personal aquarium of paperwork.

"Itachi, watch her for me for while, will you?" Sasuke said as he tossed a different letter onto the king's desk. He turned and shut the door before Itachi could reply, trapping Ino in there where she wouldn't dare protest and Hinata out here where she couldn't protest. Divide and conquer. So simple, yet effective. The prince smiled.

"Now, Kin," he said silkily. He put an arm around her shoulders in a false show of friendship and guided her away from the earshot of the Guardians. She tensed, but couldn't do much. She was well aware of the fact that the prince had his own Guardian lurking somewhere watching them. "Care to tell me how you managed to rope even Itachi into protecting you?"

"I didn't rope him into doing anything," she disagreed politely, careful of every word. She preferred the boring portrait to this unpredictable, live model. She wondered if he knew exactly who she was, or was it only a baseless wash of curiosity? Regardless, her secret was no longer a tightening noose around her neck, and the new freedom hardened her armor and armed her with assurance. Hinata extended a hand. "The package?"

"Not yet." He held it high enough so that she knew if she jumped for it, he would only shift it out of her reach. It would require a great deal of effort if she wanted to overcome the fact that the top of her head barely cleared Sasuke's shoulder. She didn't even want the package. His arm was heavy and long fingers tightened warningly on her shoulder when Hinata tried to duck away. "Come with me."

"Where are you taking me?" Wariness was only a small knot tangled in the mess of her confusion. "I told you..." Her voice became almost pleading. "I am not a threat to you."

Please just leave me alone. That was all she wanted of anyone. Let her remain harmless and hidden and unheeded. He lifted a brow and glanced down at her.

"I know that. Whatever Itachi needs you for, it's none of my business. I refuse to play his stupid game. But you forced undue merit on me. We need to rectify that." Hinata paused, surprised that he could so straightforwardly admit such a thing. She had categorized him as the spoiled prince, defensive of his tender pride, someone who would silence the source - in this case, her - of his grievances. Then she looked up and realized that she wasn't entirely wrong in her diagnosis of his personality, just in the determination of his process on how he mean to deal with the insult. His dark eyes and smile crackled of anticipation for vengeance.

While it wasn't quite to the point of fearing for her life, dread still tugged on her stomach as he herded her away.


Their destination turned out to be an empty dojo.

"A rematch?"

"Not exactly." He went for the supply closet to the side. "Take off your cloak and weapons." Hinata's face flamed as she started to back away. He gave her a knowing look over his shoulder.

"And you call me the pervert." Sasuke pulled out a bucket. "Don't worry, I'm not interested. If I wanted that, I'd just have to walk down the hall without a shirt or something." He held out a large cloth towards her.

"Cleaning?" she murmured faintly. Her baffled mind suggested the saying "wipe the floor with...", but that had to be the wrong interpretation.

"Yes. Since you've been trained in the samurai arts, I assume you understand this concept?"

Of course Hinata understood. The equalizing activity of maintaining a sacred space, where a person's strength and skills didn't matter, where she could run alongside a commander and a genin in the same movement. Where rank was useless and only the faint gleam of a smooth wooden floor was the only measure. A sanctuary, where the chaos of the outside world is bent into straight lines and neat angles. How could someone like her not understand?

But that didn't mean she was willing to let herself become a maid and chase after another's mess.

Her face crinkled with confusion.

"How does this pertain to our spar?" he asked for her. Sasuke shrugged and answered his own question. "It doesn't. But it's the least you can do. Because of you, I was stuck with cleaning duty. Again." It was a rather obvious attempt to manipulate her into helping, but a quick glance around the enormous dojo picked at the the loose thread of her compassion. Maintaining the training hall was supposed to be a task for a full team, not a single person. Hinata glanced back at the prince, with his ripped shirt and mussed hair and defensive expression. The light filtering through the windows backlit his tall figure, and somehow, all Hinata could think of was how lonely his silhouette looked against the background of barren, buff floor panels.

It was only a tiny shift in perception, minute and unaffected by any great epiphany or dramatic gesture...but Hinata's contempt began to unravel. He didn't even have the time to change since returning back to the castle. It wasn't like he was demanding for her to do everything herself, and cleaning wasn't going to endanger her position by any degree. She'll play along.

"And, I'm willing to forgive you of your earlier offense even though..." The prince trailed off when Hinata shrugged off her cloak and began to strip herself of her weapons. She placed the bundle by the door. Her boots and gloves were lined neatly next to the folded pile. She turned back to him and extended a hand for the rag he was still holding. He didn't react, so Hinata plucked the cloth from his fingers. Sasuke blinked and continued with a slight sneer. "...even though it is a small comparison."

If she ignored his bluster, it sounded like he really needed the help.

Hinata bent down so her hands pressed the cloth against the smooth wood. She tested her weight against her hands, and was satisfied to find that her ribs didn't hurt from the motion.

She took off, pushing the rag along the floorboards. Moments later, she heard the staccato of another pair of feet - Sasuke had started on the other side of the dojo. She reached the end of her lane before he did, and smoothly turned to run back down the next segment of her side. The sound of his feet sped up, matching hers. Hinata caught Sasuke's eye and he gave her a challenging glare as he paralleled her progress. Then he was past her, feet flying. He was turning even a menial chore like cleaning floors into a competition. She couldn't help a small giggle.

But Hinata deliberately kept her easy pace, preferring not to be caught in another one of Sasuke's ego contests. They worked without speaking, his sharp dashes of running punctuating her softer, steadier footsteps. Sasuke finished his half of the dojo before she did, and to Hinata's surprise, kept going. It didn't sit well that she would do less than she'd agreed to do. She sped up, her light heel taps melding with his harsher strikes, echoing along the warm-toned wood.

They turned to the final lane, and their eyes met across the room. He lifted a disdainful eyebrow. She crinkled her nose stubbornly. Hinata had agreed to help, but now he was mocking her inability to clean as quickly as he could. How rude.

Sasuke tensed, posed like a sprinter at the start of a race, and Hinata crouched, softening her stance and ready to pounce.

"What are you two doing?" Sakura gave them a bemused look from the door way. Naruto and Ino peered at them from behind her, twin blond heads tilted as three matching blue eyes blinked owlishly. It would have been four, but Naruto was also sporting a black eye for some reason. Hinata jumped to her feet as Sasuke unfolded his limbs smoothly into a standing position.

"Cleaning," Sasuke said coolly from the far side of the room. "How generous of you to show up after the hard work is completed." Hinata was closer to the door, and hid her rag behind her, feeling quite foolish. She had let herself become too relaxed in a familiar place, and had almost let herself become involved in a bad game of chicken. Thankfully, Sakura had spoken before they ended up in a pile of limbs of burning humiliation and injury.

"Oy, Bastard, we wouldn't even be here if your brother didn't send us!" Naruto didn't bother to remove his shoes and entered. Hinata twitched. She'd just cleaned this floor. His foot never made it onto the sparring area, however, and remained hovering an inch above the shining floorboards. Hinata was crouched on the ground, holding his ankle held with a deceptively delicate hand.

"Naruto, we just cleaned the dojo." She smiled up at him politely, but the edges of her smile strained the border of 'not-quite-right'. "I would appreciate it if you removed your shoes." It was a threat only loosely wrapped in suggestion.

"Woahshitsorry!" Surprise garbled his words into one exhalation. To his credit, he didn't lose his balance and neatly pulled his foot back after she released him. Ino and Sakura shared a sly look that was mildly worrying, but Hinata returned her focus back to the sheepishly grinning blond ninja.

"I didn't mean to scare you," she said sincerely as she stood. Her ribs twinged. She shouldn't have moved that quickly. "I just didn't want you to dirty the floor." Her words came out with only small hiccup, but the medic immediately locked on with sharp eyes.

"Since when were you injured?" All three kicked off their shoes and invaded the quiet of the room. Sasuke sighed and joined them.

"A while back," Hinata admitted. "Nothing to worry about."

"Just say it already," Sasuke snapped. "It was when I pushed you, was it?" Everyone turned to Sasuke, startled by the sudden venom in his voice. He hadn't know she was still mildly injured. Such a revelation must have only rubbed salt further into the wound. She bit her lip, unsure how to sooth the situation. Her hesitation was all the others needed for an answer.

"Bastard/Sasuke," Naruto and Sakura began together. "I told you -"

"I will not apologize." The prince cut them off with a sneer. He glanced at Ino quickly, and then tailored his words cleanly for the audience. "At that moment, it was the best decision for maximizing the chances of our survival. I did not have the luxury of splitting my attention. And you're all alive, aren't you?" He lifted an eyebrow questioningly. It made him look haughty and smug, though his body language read as almost guilty. Hinata was beginning to suspect that an unfortunate combination of Uchiha genes had left the prince with a default expression that unconsciously oozed arrogance. Hinata thought back to that portrait exhibit. Perhaps Sasuke simply had a face that didn't lend itself very well to painting. The artist of the last picture must have been someone who knew Sasuke personally to have painted him so truthfully. The Sasuke in that portrait was someone she could understand. Even if he was having a temper tantrum to hide whatever the real problem was.

"I am alive," she said amiably. "And I agree with your reasoning." The others looked shocked that the victim joined sides with the perpetrator so easily. "I just wish...you had communicated it better. I would have jumped."

The other eyebrow lifted to level with the first. His tense shoulders relax minutely. "Really." Surprised, but still condescending. Then he smirked and crossed his arms. "Hn. Then next time you will jump when I say 'jump'."

"That's going way too far, Sasuke," Sakura admonished. There was a clear feeling of relief that Hinata had defused the situation. The medic turned to Hinata and smiled kindly. "Even if it's old, let me check on how it's healing." Before she could give permission, the medic's glowing hands were on her, slowly probing the leftover damage. Hinata stood still, uneasy with the touchy girl so near.

"Sakura's never understood the concept of personal space," Sasuke commented generously, "even before she went and got a certificate to justify the hole in her knowledge." The words were jagged, but the rough edges were smoothed in pride. The pink-haired girl knew as well, because she only stuck her tongue out at the prince and returned her focus to Hinata's ribs.

"He's doing that weird mind-talk thing with Kin again," Naruto stage whispered to Ino. "Did you teach him your family techniques or something?" The blond noblewoman gave her fellow blond a mean look.

"I'm still not talking to you," she said frostily.

"Shit, I already said I was sorry! And you just talked to me." Ino decided to execute her declaration and ignored him with a sniff.

Sakura retracted her hands with a sigh.

"Your ribs are pretty much healed, though you really should have had someone look at it rather than toughing it out. I can't do much for you, since it's an old injury, but if they still bother you, I can give you some tea for the pain."

"Thank you," Hinata said, because it was the polite thing to do. Naruto sidled up next to the medic with a winning grin.

"You could help my eye along. It's fresh." The bruise was already fading into the green and yellow patchwork that looked like a week-old injury.

"You deserved it," Sakura said flatly. To illustrate her point, she walked over to Ino's side.

"Mind telling me what's going on?" Sasuke asked, somehow shoved into the role of harried father of this strange group. They all started speaking at once in a chorus of indignation sung by tattletales.

"He called me 'stupid', Prince Sasuke!"

"I didn't mean it! I already apologized. And you were being stupid."

"Naruto over here tried to chat up Kin by insulting Ino-pig."

"Didn't mean you get to punch me!"

"I can punch you if I damn well want to!"

They must be referring to the short conversation she had with Naruto earlier. Sasuke gave Hinata a puzzled glance but she shook her head and backed away. She didn't want any part of this spat. Any side she took would immediately force her into the status of "enemy" with the other. Melee she could do. Verbal juggling was another matter. Sasuke looked like he regretted even asking, and rubbed at the bridge of his nose with eyes closed.

"I don't have the patience for this," he said. "It's not my job as team leader to put you in opposite corners like bickering children. Apologize. Punch each other. Hug. Kiss and make up. Whatever. As long as it's quick. I'm going to eat dinner." He stepped past them to the doorway and pulled on his boots. Hinata yearned for a reason to follow him - otherwise she would be caught in a rather uncomfortable quarrel.

"Surrounded by idiots," he muttered. He glanced at Hinata with a cocked eyebrow. "You coming or not?" She debated with herself, as she was technically supposed to be with Ino. However, Sasuke had already set a precedent by separating them the first time, and Hinata always preferred the scenario with less confrontation. At the moment, leaving with Sasuke was the more peaceful solution. She abandoned the squabbling trio and followed the prince.


In Japanese:

Toshi = "town" (nothing really important, but it'd be stupid to keep referring to a town as "that one town that got attacked")

Notes (Again, important stuff is bolded/starred.)

***SuperBeta Rhinst to the rescue! Thank you for beta-ing so quickly!

***Some q and a: Hinata is 19. I'm aiming for weekly updates, and failing every time since five days is not a true week. This is what happens when you make me swoon with all those lovely reviews. XD

***(edit) Dojo cleaning is considered part of the education in many martial arts - for teaching humility and responsibility and all that fun stuff. Everyone has to take part, whether you're an expert or a beginner. Hinata is someone "weak", so the equalizing factor of dojo cleaning is very special to her.

-Geez, Sasuke is one tough cookie to write. Any suggestions/insight into Sasuke's character is much appreciated.

-Clarification on why Sasuke seems "weak": in the third data book, post-timejump, Hinata's taijutsu and intelligence matches Sasuke's. In a pure taijutsu fight (no chakra muscle enhancements and such), she would beat him occasionally if she manages to surprise him. Sure, he's a helluva lot faster, but I attribute some of that to the Sharingan. Also, note that he went into that spar last chapter with very low expectations, and therefore it bit him in the ass. Additionally, please also note that he only does this in a spar, not in the actual battles before. In the battle against Deidara, Team 7's chakra was already sapped quite low (possibly except Naruto's) by the chakra binders, and Sasuke's primary goal was to make sure his team escapes alive because he knows that Deidara's partner is already waiting.

- For all my explanations, I have no excuses for his personality. Hinata will fix him, however. Character growth, yo.

- Some people have those crazy default faces. I know I have been accused of "looking incredibly hardcore studying"...turns out I was watching Naruto. XD Maybe it's just my Narutard face.

-Definitely leave a signed review if you can so I can actually reply to any questions/mess with your mind. Anonymous reviews are just as awesome and appreciated...but I can't reply until the next chapter. Whatcha like, whatcha don't. Clicky clicky on the button below. XD

-And finally...BOO! Happy Halloween!