Once upon a time, there was a princess who grew stronger.

She asked the green man for help, and he agreed to teach her taijutsu. To counterbalance her weaknesses, the princess decided to use weapons, and the weapons girl was happy to share her expertise. The green boy and her cousin both sparred with her, pushing her past the boundaries she drew in her mind.

It was not a short nor easy process, and it was especially difficult in the beginning. The princess' once-smooth hands were stiff with painful blisters, and pale eyes were bloodshot from perusing endless scrolls on dry theory. Each day ended with an arduous battle to drag her exhausted body to bed. Her cousin's team held her to lofty standards, but these were goals she had the ability to reach.

Since she was released from her duties as Crown Princess, the princess found herself with an excess of time when her cousin's team was away on missions. Alone, it was too easy for her to fall into the slippery spirals of her own thoughts. Because she was no longer a ninja, the princess joined the samurai corps instead. She helped in the patrols, eager to do something to crumble the heavy guilt inside her. The princess discarded her fears, because a safer border meant that the tragedy of Team 8 will not be repeated. She succeeded in that aspect, and the guilt eased. But she still turned her face away in shame whenever she saw the Aburame boy in the castle halls.

Days blurred into weeks that melted into months that bled into years. The princess mastered all the dances of the naginata, and was quickly finishing an encore with the sword dances. Even without chakra, she could hold her own in spars with ninja. The princess wasn't the fastest nor the strongest nor the smartest. But she was the most observant, the most clever, the most enduring. Her useless eyes saw the weaknesses everyone else dismissed, and she was patient enough to wait to exploit them.

She rose quickly through the ranks of samurai soldiers, and with the ascent of her titles followed the swell of her pride. Her timidity peeled away to reveal a young woman that led her troops with quiet confidence.

People began to take notice. The king's brother noticed. The king noticed. The council noticed. Right underneath their upturned noses, the worthless princess had transformed herself a passable candidate for the throne.

The betrothal between the Moon Princess and the Sun Prince was no longer a joke. Though the Sun Prince had been visiting the Moon Kingdom frequently to maintain relations, the council had always made excuses to hide her away. But now, she didn't embarrass them with her mere existence. After fourteen years of shame, the princess was finally worthy.

And so, the princess was allowed to meet the prince.


Prey for the Hunted

By Airyo

Chapter 12


He wouldn't reach her in time. He wasn't Naruto, with the boundless energy to Hiraishin across the distances. The council room was located at opposite end of the castle. Even as one of the fastest ninja in the kingdom, Sasuke knew he would be too late.

He had to do something else.

He elbowed his quill to the ground. Using that as an excuse, Sasuke ducked under his desk, and surreptitiously summoned Mozou. Everyone was too busy arguing anyways to pay much attention to the minor shift in chakra. The raven appeared with a puff of smoke. Sasuke didn't wait for Mozou to open with an insult.

"Get someone, anyone, down to cell D4 right now. I don't care if you have to go yourself. Get it done." Something in his fierce expression made the bird obey. Mozou saluted and then dispelled with a swirl of feathers. Despite Sasuke's first impulse to sprint out of the council room himself, he knew it was a delicate situation right now. He had a larger part to play here. He had to trust in Mozou and his teammates to complete theirs.

The prince sat back up, holding the quill he'd supposedly dropped. Lord Yamanaka gave him a strange look. Making a split second decision, Sasuke turned to the lord.

"Tell me, Lord Yamanaka," he asked quietly, "what has Lady Ino told you of this situation?" A brief glance to the debate in the room made it clear that he was referring to Hinata. Ino's father studied him with sharp eyes before replying.

"Enough, I suppose, to know that Ino is involved in some manner." The slight furrow of the blond lord's brows conveyed his disapproval of his daughter's actions. "Why do you ask?"

"Lady Ino owes the Hyuuga a life debt." Lord Yamanaka shook his head with a chuckle.

"Prince Sasuke, I don't know what you're trying to do, but Lady Ino has never believed in that samurai drivel. I've raised her better than that." Sasuke paused. He hadn't expected the immediate dismissal.

"However, it doesn't change the fact of reality," he managed. Ino had claimed the exact opposite. Sasuke didn't have the time to argue with Lord Yamanaka on how well he knew his daughter. He would have to find support elsewhere.

The council was pushing for forceful interrogation, but Hinata's information was outdated by several years. They would torture her to death. He had to solidify the decision that Hinata was not expendable, in some way that even Danzo couldn't deny her the privilege to live.

The easiest way would be to reveal that she was the lost princess. No one would question her loyalties when she was the murderer of the Moon King. Everything would be solved. But Itachi had explicitly warned him against revealing such information. The king had additional information regarding Hinata's situation that he refused to share. He had made one thing clear, though: while Hinata's identity would solve everything for Sasuke, she would be in even more danger.

So that wasn't an option.

But the vague argument that a Hyuuga was useful was already proving weak. The council was clearly divided on immediate execution and torture. The thought of Hinata in either situation made Sasuke feel oddly queasy to his stomach.

He needed to somehow convince the council that the only viable choice was to keep Hinata alive and functional. But how the hell would Sasuke do that? He had no way to convey Danzo's order to Itachi. The few arguments he could voice to the council had already been swatted aside like flies when Itachi tried to present them. He'd already messed up Itachi's original plan to keep her alive by inadvertently bringing so much attention to the matter. From what little his brother had been willing to reveal, the situation should have a been a trap to manipulate Danzo into a weaker position and Hinata would have been brushed aside as a lesser piece of the puzzle. But the prince's involvement meant that Itachi's priority had shifted to insure that Sasuke didn't go down with Hinata. And in public, Danzo had the leverage of an entire council behind him to shame the Uchiha. Because of Sasuke's intervention, the prince would be the reason why Hinata had to be executed. The prospect of such guilt buzzed uncomfortably under his skin. It terrified him and Sasuke hated that.

He was vastly out of his depth here in a meeting room - he fought with fists and jutsu, not pretty words. Sasuke's eyes flickered to the empty seat by Danzo, and he found himself wishing that Kakashi was there to fill it. Then at least he'll have one powerful supporter in this whole mess.

The prince's eyes widened as an idea occurred to him.

Maybe, just maybe, this was his chance to fix everything.

"Your highness, may I have the floor?" Sasuke called as he stood, turning so he faced both the council and Itachi. The room hushed, all eyes snapping to pin him like a bug on a display board. Itachi frowned slightly in confusion, but waved for him to speak. "Thank you. Before you continue your debate on the fate of the Hyuuga, I would like to make you aware of additional information regarding her situation."

Everyone remained perfectly silent, intent on hearing what he would reveal. Sasuke knew it was due to the nature of his information, not his own position, but the attention of the entire council gave him a heady rush of power. He pulled himself up, channeling every ounce of noble breeding in his body.

Sasuke needed to give the performance of a lifetime if this was going to work.


Hinata dodged not a moment too soon.

Sharp teeth brushed by her shoulders, ripping her obi away. She tumbled away with movements made clumsy by cold and fatigue, tripping over the long hem of her gown. The beads hissed against the stone like angry vipers as she banged her knees against the ground. That was going to bruise. The ink-wolf landed on its feet with a twist of its tail, nails screeching against the stone floor where she'd been seconds earlier.

Hinata climbed to her feet, all her hurts and frailties temporarily blocked by a burst of adrenaline. Her chakra was gone, but she still had her body. Weak as she was, she refused to die like this.

The ink-wolf spat out her obi and leaped for her again. Hinata ducked, pivoting on bare, numb feet. She pulled out two tanto and finished spinning, using the momentum to slash out at her attacker. She felt her blades hit, but it was like cutting water, with none of the resistance of actual muscle. Hinata saw the "wounds" part on the ink-wolf's flank as the creature barreled past her, but then as if time reversed itself, the strands of ink rewove themselves back together. By the time it landed, there was no sign of any damage.

The ink-wolf couldn't be hurt.

Hinata had figured as much. But it hadn't escaped her notice that it seemed slower when it had to heal. So it took time for it to change its lines and form. That had to be worth something.

The ink-wolf lunged for her again, claws out for blood. As she rolled out of the way, she cut a long slit down the side of her gown. Hinata winced at the sudden blast of cold at her legs, but the cost was worth the freedom of movement. The room was too small for her to run, but it was an advantage for her because it was harder for the ink-wolf to maneuver. Here, agility was more precious than speed.

Hinata stumbled back from a long swipe of the ink-wolf's paw, landing painfully on her knees and bending backwards to avoid the sharp claws. She felt them snag on the mask still loosely perched on her head and it off with a snap. The mask landed somewhere in the darkness as the ink-wolf charged for her. When she evaded, it leaped on to the wall and rebounded back towards her at an even greater speed. Hinata twisted, blocking with her tiny daggers. Her body was still sluggish from the cold, and she was too slow.

Jaws closed around her left forearm. The ink-wolf's teeth glanced off the cuff around her wrist, redirecting the teeth deep into the soft part of her arm. The dagger she held clattered to the fall by her side. Hinata cried out even as she retaliated by stabbing at the eyes with her other tanto. The ink-wolf jerked away, taking her remaining dagger with it and released her arm in a mess. The jagged wound bled red and black, blood mixing with the ink from the creature that bit her. She felt even colder despite the warmth trickling down her arm. Her short jolt of adrenaline was already running out, and the sudden blood loss only made it worse. Hinata swayed as she forced her swimming vision to the ink-wolf.

The dagger still embedded in its eye was slowly pushed out by little fingers of smokey ink. The creature now watched with healed eyes, crimson dripping bright from dark jaws. But it had stopped attacking and merely stood by the corner where she had huddled all night.

It was waiting for something.

Hinata didn't bother with the reasons as she inched away towards the opposite corner with the bowl and manacles. She kept watch on the terrifying ink-creature as she slowly ripped a strip of silk from her rapidly shortening gown. The material wasn't very absorbent, but made an acceptable tourniquet for the time being. The strange thing was that even as the silver of her dress was stained red, the ink remained in the wound, seeming to -

In a flash, her left hand grabbed the discarded dagger and plunged it to her chest.

Hinata caught her wrist inches before the blade pierced her skin.

She stared at her left hand, shocked by the sudden betrayal of her own body. The ink had invaded her veins, visible in spidery threads along her pale skin. It was animating her arm from the inside. Sai's control was rudimentary at best, but her left arm had suddenly gained a monstrous strength. Her right trembled from the effort of keeping it from impaling the weapon into her heart.

Now it made sense. The ink-wolf wasn't here to maul her to death. Its purpose was to bite her and inject the chakra-infused ink that will control her. Hinata had no doubt that after the deed, all the incriminating ink would slither back to Sai, leaving no trace of an external influence. The wound on her arm could be explained away as self-mutilation. That way, for all purposes, the dangerously unstable Hyuuga had committed suicide and the blame falls to no one. How convenient.

Even as she struggled with her traitorous arm, a detached part of Hinata marveled at the efficiency of such an ability. Sai was the perfect assassin. Probably the best. But why would Danzo go to such lengths when she was already dying? Hinata was just a weak, useless nobody who had the misfortune to be born with Hyuuga eyes she couldn't even use. That part didn't make sense.

Her left arm was still slick with ink and blood. Her defending hand slipped. The other hand shot forward and Hinata twisted abruptly, forcing her left arm at angle that redirected the trajectory. She fell back and the dagger clanged against the wall behind her. In that moment of distraction, Hinata wrestled the blade from her grip.

But Sai wasn't done.

Weaponless, her left hand clamped brutally onto her throat, driving her further into the cold wall. After all, it didn't matter if she was unconscious when she slit her own throat if someone else was doing it for her. Hinata slid down the ground, choking for a breath. Bloodless fingers scratched in vain at the vice constricting her airway.

While she no longer had control of her hand, Hinata could still feel the sensations it felt. Her pulse railed against her left palm, adrenaline and fear and panic pushing her heartbeat into overdrive to compensate for the lack of air. Even that wasn't enough. Slowly, as black began to encroach the edges of her vision, her pulse weakened to a plaintive murmur. By then, Hinata was too weak to fight, and she slumped down into gravity and cold and stone.


Sasuke could feel his blood quicken as he faced the council. Even though no jutsu were allowed, this was still a battle of life or death. Except the danger wasn't his. Nerves and excitement mixed in a heady swirl of emotion in his stomach. Sasuke forced his features to resolute calm and began to speak.

"Currently, Lord Hatake Kakashi is in the infirmary, along with Akimichi Chouji and Umino Ebisu. While that in of itself isn't unusual, what does affect you and I, is the fact that their current injuries will render them unfit to continue as ninja in the service of this kingdom."

Confused frowns decorated their faces as the council began to mutter amongst themselves. Several members raised their hands to curtail his strange divergence from the more urgent matter of the Hyuuga. In a boldly presumptuous move, Sasuke strode away from his seat to stand between Itachi and the council. He raised his hand as if he were the king himself, sharply commanding them to be silent.

Due to pure surprise, they obeyed.

Sasuke knew he was thumbing his nose at every rule regarding hierarchy and tradition. Essentially, he was dismissing Itachi's authority. He was really going to get it from his brother later on, but he'll survive. Logical arguments never served the prince very well - usually he just beat his opponents until they stopped disagreeing. But he couldn't beat an entire council into submission, so he had to rely on other techniques. Even if all Sasuke had on his side was shock value and bullshitting.

Fortunately, he'd grown up around Kakashi, Naruto and Jiraiya, the best bullshitters on the face of the earth.

"I don't think you understand," he said sharply. "Lord Hatake, Lord Umino, and Lord Akimichi's son," - Sasuke gestured to their respective empty seats, ending with a small nod to Chouji's father - "are unfit to continue their service as ninja. For the remainder of their lives." The dire situation finally sunk in. This time, Sasuke let them murmur and whisper in worry, waiting patiently for their voices to die back down.

In all honesty, Sasuke was certain of only Kakashi's prognosis, but he made a gamble on the wilted condition of Lord Akimichi's usually cheerful countenance. If reality was otherwise, Chouji's father thankfully didn't say.

"As unsettling as that is," Danzo interjected, eager to draw the topic back to Hinata, "it still bears no relevance to -"

"It does," Sasuke said flatly. He looked at the Hokage with disdain, making it quite clear what he thought of Danzo's narrow-mindedness. A dark look passed over the old man's face, prompting the prince to add, "Lord Hokage. Please hear me out." If Sasuke's tone made him sound like he was chiding an impatient child, it was intentional.

Sasuke turned back to the council. "Many of you may have heard of my teammate Haruno Sakura, the apprentice of the Legendary Sannin, Lady Senju Tsunade herself [1]. Even at her young age, Sakura is easily one of the most talented medic-nin in the kingdom, truly worthy of being called Lady Tsunade's successor." Several heads nodded in agreement. Sasuke wasn't surprised by their favorable view on his teammate - opinion tended to be positive when said medic repeatedly saved the lives of people they cared about. "However, despite Sakura's skill, even she can't heal a wound that has already formed scar tissue."

"Everyone is aware of the inverse relationship between time and healing," Danzo said. "Once a wound has scarred over, it no longer responds to medical chakra." Sasuke smirked and nodded. The Hokage was trying to rattle the foundation of his idea, but it was a perfect set-up for the prince.

"Exactly. That is problem with the aforementioned patients. Due to the critical nature of their injuries, medics had to force rapid healing and neglect any wounds that weren't immediately lethal. This leaves the patients in a bind, as now scar tissue has already formed. Even with extensive therapy, they will only be able to progress to normal functionality."

Sasuke paused, allowing the tension to build as he scanned the room. He had a natural charisma that drew attention, though his personality then tended to warp said attention into dislike. But it was to his advantage here, because he needed them to listen, not to like him. Then he spoke in a low voice, forcing everyone to lean in to hear him.

"In other words, for these members of such illustrated clans, these dedicated soldiers of the noble Sun Kingdom, walking is the best they can hope for." Really, he was beating a dead horse with another dead horse, but it was the point of this speech. Like weaving an illusion, Sasuke had to make sure the key element of the genjutsu really stuck before he could present the next layer. "Without any help, some of the Sun Kingdom's best will be lost to us."

To his surprise, Lord Yamanaka gestured his intention to speak. Itachi gave his permission.

"The Sun Kingdom does not abandon its own," the blond lord declared haughtily. "Is there a way to help them? Is that why the Hyuuga is important?" Sasuke smiled. Lord Yamanaka, as a mostly neutral party, was giving Sasuke the perfect jump-off point. With a few words, he had subtly roped the council into a test of pride and dignity. If anyone tried to oppose Sasuke, they now faced the danger of appearing disloyal to the Sun Kingdom troops. The prince made a mental note to be nicer to Ino.

"It is," Sasuke answered. He began pacing, using movement to keep their attention. "Sakura has been researching a way to circumspect the limits of medical chakra. If she succeeds, then, all soldiers forced out of service by old injuries - not just the patients in the infirmary - could have a chance to be healed. Just imagine the possibilities."

"Why were we not told of this earlier?" Danzo actually looked intrigued by the notion of bolstering their military forces as Sasuke had suggested. But the Hokage was still looking for ways to ruin Sasuke's and Itachi's reputations.

"It was classified," Sasuke replied smoothly. So classified that even Sakura wasn't aware of it. "The results we've had until recently have been ambivalent at best." Ambivalent, of course, in the way that they didn't really exist. But the council didn't need to know all that. Even if someone questioned her before Sasuke could warn her and Sakura denied the existence of such a project, they would just think that she was adhering to protocol. And Sakura was smart enough to go along with it. Even if she was going to be incredibly pissed when she learned the full truth.

"Until recently? Then you've found a breakthrough." This time, it was Lord Nara Shikaku who spoke. The man was probably one of the few who could figure out some of the odd holes in Sasuke's story, but he seemed to willingly play along.

"Until we discovered a rogue Hyuuga, who possesses the Byakugan," Sasuke answered. "The Byakugan that can monitor internal chakra movement and see the parts that medics can only blindly feel. That Hyuuga may be our opportunity to save a lot of good soldiers. Is that not worth a try?"

This time, the whispers were more contemplative, instead of immediately dismissing Sasuke as an annoyance. However, Danzo was still dead set against it.

"Yes, the Byakugan is useful. It is why the Moon Kingdom is such a threat to us. But attempting something with such a low success rate is risky, a double-edged sword. Allowing a Hyuuga in Ganpon is allowing an unnecessary weakness in our defences," the Hokage argued. Lord Kurama, amongst many others, was nodding in agreement.

"Who knows if the Hyuuga is telling the truth? It could be an infiltration attempt," one member added.

"This is my son's future on the line here!" Lord Akimichi suddenly bellowed. The giant man stood, towering over everyone around him. The angry expression on his round face was frightening. His usual smile belied the fact that the man could easily crush his enemies to dust, with or without jutsu. "If young Prince Sasuke says there is even the slightest chance of recovery, I support this project."

And that was that. Lord Akimichi was not the talkative type. As he sat down, however, Sasuke saw Lord Nara and Lord Yamanaka exchange a look. Then Shikamaru's father stood, still slouched, with hands in his pockets. But the intelligent glint in his eyes dispelled any notion that he wasn't just as dangerous.

"Personally, I think it is a waste of resources," Shikaku said with a shrug. "It's a logistical problem too. The soldiers of the Sun Kingdom can stop being soldiers, but they can't stop be people. It is the kingdom's duty to make sure they still have a means of survival, and there's only so many cooks and cobblers and whatnot the castle needs. What happens when our old and injured outnumber our soldiers? Are the extra veterans supposed to form a circus for our entertainment? Maybe our enemies will die from laughter instead."

Awkward laughter rippled through the room at Lord Nara's sarcasm, but his bad joke drove home a very real point. Every person in the room knew someone who had lost an entire life's worth of work to one injury. What if there was an alternative?

"A fair argument, even if your example is...exaggerated," Danzo said disdainfully. "Yes, the possibilities are endless, but those dreams seem to have made you forget that the Hyuuga is still a Hyuuga. The risks of such a project are not worth the small probability of success."

"This is just the sort of selfish thing Prince Sasuke would do," Lord Kurama grumbled. "We've accepted our losses, but he can't. Instead, he is willing to risk the security of an entire kingdom to fix something that displeases him."

To Sasuke, it was an obvious tactic to lessen his stance before the council. However, many in the room were leaning towards Danzo's plant like they agreed. After only a brief moment of their support, he was losing them. Their body language was all too telling.

In the end, one good idea wasn't enough to combat the years of being viewed as a child. The experienced Hokage still had more sway than a young, reckless Crown Prince. Some of the lords had tried to help, and Itachi couldn't step in without endangering his position. He was alone in this.

If Danzo didn't retract the assassination order to his lackey soon, Hinata wouldn't have a chance. But Sasuke didn't have the time to convince the council to believe him.


Really, it was easier to just stop fighting. If Hinata lived, she would only cause more trouble for her friends. Sakura, Naruto, Ino, and Sasuke: they had accepted her so easily, despite her inability to use chakra. Especially Ino and Sasuke, who've risked so much for her. It was just better for her to disappear, so Danzo wouldn't cause further problems for them.

Maybe the Moon Kingdom would be so grateful that the Sun Kingdom finally got rid of her that they could even begin to reconcile their differences. Her life would be worth that. A princess that gives her life for peace - Hinata liked the sound of that more than the traitor ex-princess who committed patricide. Maybe her friends might even think of her now and then.

"She was a kind girl," Sasuke would say with a fond expression. "She killed herself to save two kingdoms."

No...that wasn't right.

That wasn't Sasuke.

"What a stupid way to die, choking yourself to death. You managed the impossible there. What the hell were you thinking?" Her mental image of Sasuke looked at her with an accusing glare.

What the hell was she thinking?

The two kingdoms would never forgive each other over the death of a silly ex-princess. If she died, Danzo would win. Above all, she had to survive. Even if it was the only thing she could do, she had to survive because her life was all that Hinata could call her own. At rock bottom, she had nothing to gain, and so by comparison, she had everything to lose.

You don't fuck with someone like that.

Hinata opened her eyes, hatred and anger searing her with new determination. She grabbed the dropped tanto and slashed deep into the tendon by her elbow, severing it with ruthless efficiency. Her left hand flopped uselessly away. Hinata gasped and coughed at the influx of precious air. Everything from the left elbow down was numb and immobile. Distantly, she noticed that the chakra cuff on her left arm had shattered from the bite, which would explain why she still had the energy to move.

Hinata climbed to her feet, crouching in her favorite scorpion stance with her good arm angled back. She held her dagger pointed back, ready to strike. Even without her stinger, she still had her claws. The ink-wolf was already lunging at her.

She waited until it was nearly upon her. Then Hinata darted in, frozen feet still light, and dug a deep furrow into the shoulder of the beast. The full momentum of her body carried the blade from shoulder to flank, and the ink-wolf spasmed. Its back leg shot out in a powerful kick and Hinata blocked it with her left forearm. Any ink there wouldn't affect her.

Nonetheless, the power behind the kick sent her flying. When she tried to land, she slipped on the damp hay and skid to an ungraceful stop against the wall.

"KIN! What the hell is going on?" She was back in her original corner, and within earshot of Dango.

"Excuse my rudeness, I'm trying to survive," Hinata gritted out. The ink-wolf was already re-knitting itself back together, but it was moving slowly. She ran to the side, grabbed the dirty bowl of water and splashed it on the ink-wolf's face. When it tried to snap at her, Hinata hit it with the iron bowl. The vibration of the metal hummed in the cold air and traveled uncomfortably up along her bones.

The ink-wolf had turned towards her, but was frozen as the lines of its face began to melt. Water had some effect, but within seconds, all her efforts would be futile. She was running out of time. Her mind grasped for strategies.

Then Hinata's eyes landed on the rusty chain and manacles built into the wall.

Her strength was waning. Sheer will could only carry her so far. She had to act first if she wanted it to work.

Hinata threw herself towards the ink-wolf, moments before it was ready to attack her. She grabbed one chain, and swiftly tangled it around its still-healing head. Then she closed the manacle around one of the bars in the middle of the line. The rusted hinge screeched in protest and then the manacle slid down the bar to the ground with a flat thud.

A blink of an eye later, Hinata stumbled away, out of reach of angry teeth. The speed of her movements left her dizzy and faint - she hoped she was right about the properties of the ink-wolf. The tiny moment of delay between this ink-creature and its master was all she needed.

The creature writhed against its bonds, trying to forcefully break them by jerking at the chains. She could hear the metal creaking, straining from an unnatural power. The links rattled loudly, echoing against the empty halls of the dungeons. Hinata could hear the faraway voices guards as the awful racket drew their attention.

She dug her feet in the stone, hand tightening around her single dagger. If the timing was right...if everything went perfectly...if for once, she wasn't so unlucky...

As if in a dream, Hinata watched the bottom of the rusted bar snap and bend out, leaving just enough space for a tiny girl to fit. Hope gave Hinata's feet wings. She leaped over the ink-wolf, using it as a jump off point as she dived down for the opening. She hit the damp hay on her side and slid forward. Sharp teeth brushed by the skin of her ankles, narrowly missing her. The rough ground lacerated her skin, but it was only a dull hurt against numb nerves.

And then she realized she was in the hallway, looking back at the cell. Hinata shakily crawled to her hands and knees, unable to believe she'd actually made it. The opening looked even smaller from out here. The side she'd landed on throbbed as if in agreement. If Hinata had miscalculated her desperate dive by even a hair, she'd have impaled herself on the bar and finish Sai's job for him.

Instead, she was free.

The ink-wolf had already broken its collar. It raged, jaws open in silent wrath, and slammed itself against the door of the cell. But it remained on the other side of the bars. It'll take time before it could reform itself to slip through the bars and get to her.

Hinata gave a half-laugh of relief. Her executioner was defeated and caged. The guards were still far away. And she was somehow still alive. Hope renewed her failing limbs. She dragged herself to the far wall of the corridor and pulled herself to her feet.

It was then that she noticed the black lacing one of her legs, stark and evil like a disease against her white skin. She couldn't move it. It was tethering her to the ground like a leash.

The ink-wolf hadn't missed.


As Lord Kurama had accused him, he was arrogant enough to believe that he can bend reality to his own views. Yes, he was the Crown Prince of the Sun Kingdom, the heir of both the Uchiha Clan and the Sun Kingdom. But those were empty, powerless titles, more chains than weapons. A silly crown was useless when the memory of Hinata being dragged away like an old rag doll came to mind and left the taste of ashes on his tongue. Yes, he was selfish, and that was why he refused to fail. He had everything to gain, and so by comparison, nothing left to lose.

You don't fuck with someone like that.

"No wonder I don't attend these meetings," Sasuke sneered, pitching his voice so everyone could hear his disgusted tone. "It's like children squabbling, except nothing gets accomplished."

The energy in the room stilled, sharpening to an indignant focus on the prince.

Sasuke was done mimicking his logical and diplomatic brother. It was a ruse that clearly no one in the council believed, given the amount of respect they gave him during the entire process. Which was none.

At least, when he insulted them, they listened.

"What are you saying, Prince Sasuke?" Danzo looked oddly gleeful and incensed at the same time. Probably because the old man thought the appearance of Sasuke's temper spelled his victory.

"I said: 'You're all wasting my time'." Sasuke spoke slowly as if Danzo was going deaf. "In the time it has taken you all to figure out what is even happening around you, I could have already figured out a way for Sakura to learn how to heal scar tissue." The prince chuckled ironically. "It's a wonder anything gets done with this democratic meetings - you'll probably dither around for a full year before more important projects like mine even get approved."

"King Itachi! Please control the prince's blatant misbehavior!" Danzo snapped. "His lack of respect to the council is a black mark on the Sun Kingdom's reputation."

Sasuke took several aggressive steps forward and spoke before Itachi could.

"So anything that doesn't follow your outdated views is misbehavior?" he asked. Sasuke shook his head and began pacing again, as if he were the exasperated adult in this situation. "How we've managed to defeat our enemies is a wonder. I've kept my mouth shut long enough. Next thing you know, you'll be accusing me of treason if Sakura manages to cure Kakashi in a few months. Simply because you can't wrap your mind around what is possible." The cause-and-effect scenario sounded absurd out loud, just as Sasuke had intended it to.

Sasuke had heard that the Hokage had been a hot-headed man in his youth, so that unflappable calm was a facade. Danzo was keeping a surprisingly firm hold of his emotions, given how flippantly Sasuke was ignoring his authority. The Hokage had always seemed to dislike Sasuke for his arrogant manner, but that was when the prince was actually trying to be civil. Now that Sasuke was outright disregarding Danzo's status like a discarded dishrag, the old man's face should be turning all sorts of colors.

The council members were exchanging worried looks with each other, as if they were unsure how to handle the escalating situation.

"Didn't you yourself declare that sacrifice is the true form of a soldier of the Sun Kingdom? That above all, we must dedicate ourselves to preserving the future this noble land?" Sasuke leaned against Danzo's desk in a languid posture of nonchalance. "Why does that suddenly change when it comes to the soldiers who've already demonstrated their dedication? Why can't those soldiers be healed so they sacrifice for the kingdom once again?"

Danzo's nostrils flared at the twisted meaning of his own words. "You are forgetting the risks. Above all, there must exist a kingdom to protect before you get carried away with such fancy dreams."

The prince sighed, as if it pained him to be explaining such simple concepts. "Assign a guard. Place a seal. Quarantine her so she sees nothing. Sign a contract. There are thousands of things you could do to prevent the destruction of the most powerful kingdom in the world by the hands of a little girl. Even if you are unsure of your abilities, I'm certain that I would have no problem keeping her in line on top of finding a cure." Taking a leaf from Sakura's book of passive-aggressive techniques, Sasuke decided to add the final push. "After I present my success to the kingdom, no thanks to you and the council, I'd be more than happy to teach you a few of my tips for such things."

Danzo's lip curled in a sneer.

"Big claims, Prince Sasuke. Why don't you prove them to us before attempting such foolishness?"

That was the challenge Sasuke had been waiting for.


Her awareness shrunk into her, narrowing in on herself, and the other person in the hallway. She could sense Sai standing several feet behind her.

He'd been watching the entire time she fought for her life. And now he was here to take it. The same hope that fueled her was also a cruel mistress that stole all the power of her spirit. She saw freedom, and it made her future all the more bleak by comparison.

Try as Hinata might, she couldn't find any way to escape. She couldn't run, because her leg was no longer her own to control. She couldn't escape, because there was no point once her leg was disabled. He would only dodge her little dagger. She had no other weapons. Pleading would fall on deaf ears, because she already knew that Sai was trained to be heartless. Her body was broken and breaking further. A cold resignation settled over her. Hinata didn't bother turning around to face him.

She heard Sai remove a scroll and then draw something. Tiny wings fluttered towards her. A tiny ink-sparrow landed on her shoulder with delicate feet. It hopped about, and then pecked her on the shoulder. Her overtaxed body didn't even feel it. A bead of red welled against her skin, and fell to gravity, drawing a red line down her arm. Black followed. The ink traced the map of her veins, spanning her entire arm in seconds.

Hinata watched as she lifted the tanto to her throat. Her skin prickled in anticipation as the blade neared her skin. Would death hurt? Or would this be another wound that she simply ceased to be aware of? Her torso was still her own, and Hinata leaned away from the tanto. Then out of the corner of her eye, she saw him.

His mask was bone white like a normal Guardian mask, but it didn't depict an animal. Instead, black lines feathered along the cheek in an elegant design that couldn't be described - but somehow still recognizable because of the silver hair. They rushed to their favorite guardian, calling -

"Shin...?" The name slipped out, more air than sound.

Her hand paused, the tip of the blade just pressing against the hollow of her neck.

"Shin..." Sai repeated. He lifted his hand to his eyes hesitantly, as if he wanted to cry but didn't know how. "Why do my eyes hurt...why do I know that name?" The mask turned to her, and Hinata could feel the Guardian trying to puzzle her out. "How do you know that name?"

Hinata swallowed, muscles straining to hold her awkward position away from the dagger threatening her life.

"I don't know," she replied. She honestly didn't. The name felt oddly familiar on her lips, but Hinata never knew anyone by that name.

"What did this 'Shin' look like?" Sai questioned. He grabbed her shoulder roughly, desperately, but his voice remained flat and monotonous. "What did he do? Who is he?"

Hinata shook her head, still painfully aware of the dagger digging into her neck. Her mind was too focused on her life to think of other things.

"I don't know, I don't know!" she muttered, almost pleadingly. This was crueler than the simple act of making her kill herself. From behind the mask's creepy eyeholes, Sai stared at her.

"You do know," he hissed with more emotion than Hinata thought possible for the Guardian. "I can't remember, but I know this 'Shin' is important. Tell-"

"KIN! I'm coming! Don't you dare die on me, you stupid, stupid bodyguard. You'd better be alive!" Ino's voice echoed along the hall. "If my bodyguard isn't alive, I'm going to be really really ANGRY!" Her running steps were approaching, fast. The noble would be there in a few more seconds. If Sai was to complete his mission, he had to kill her now. Hinata looked at him and prepared herself.

Sai glanced at where Ino would be coming from and turned back to Hinata, hesitating as if in the throes of an internal debate. Her heart sank when he shook himself of such vulnerabilities. His ink forced her to move again. Hinata felt her skin break under the sharp edge of the blade.


"You want me to prove my claims?" Sasuke asked, so the council could hear exactly what was said.

"Yes. Show the council that the reality behind your words." Danzo clearly meant something else, but Sasuke seized his change with the ambiguous wording and turned to the council.

"But I require the conditions to do so," Sasuke said brusquely. "If the Hyuuga is harmed before that time, that would be a sign of foul play."

Danzo's face darkened as many in the council nodded. Both the prince and the Hokage knew that Danzo had lost his support. After so blatantly stomping all over their egos, there was no way the council would allow Sasuke to back out. Given the seeming impossibility of his proposal, they were practically salivating for a chance to watch him fail. In order to keep his influence, Danzo had to agree to Hinata's survival.

Yes, he'd won. Hinata was allowed to live.

But the danger wasn't over. At this moment, one of Danzo's lackeys was still trying to assassinate her and make it untraceable back to him. He had to retract the order for her to be safe. Sasuke had to make it so the prospect of his failure was more desirable than her death.

"Very well. But given the risks of such an endeavor, there should be a consequence." Danzo swept his hand over the entire room. "Otherwise, how will the Crown Prince learn and grow? Can we really make him an exception when the stakes are very real?"

"Name your conditions," Itachi said. It was a bad sign that he felt the need to step in and moderate the coming conversation. Sasuke remained calm even as he inwardly winced. He knew that Danzo wouldn't back down so easily, and now that the Hokage had lost that argument, he was making sure to take Sasuke down with him. "The council will vote on them."


There was a sharp prick of pain -

The Guardian startled. Her blade paused as Sai removed a different scroll secured at his hip. He flicked it open and read the contents. He exhaled.

Then Sai deliberately took a step back. The ink-wolf and the ink-sparrow unraveled, and floated back to the scroll he held. Hinata stared as the lines marring her limbs faded, leaving only the signs of her attempts at 'suicide'. Her arm dropped back to her side, tanto falling and bouncing on the stones below. Her body was her own again.

Just as Ino turned the corner into the corridor, Sai disappeared. Even the scent of ink was became distinctly absent.

"Kin!"

The sudden rush of relief was too much. Hinata finally felt safe enough to give in to the darkness that played at the edge of her vision.


"Abort."

Sasuke read the Hokage's new order to his Root operative, but the tight knot of tension in his chest couldn't unravel. What if it was too late? What if she was already dead? Her lying like a broken doll, lovely moon eyes staring into an eternity he couldn't break and nightshade hair splayed out around her like a shroud was an image he couldn't shake.

What if it was all his fault?

Sasuke wasn't the type of person who worried needlessly - especially about other people - but he found himself nervous as he waited for a chance to summon Mozou. He couldn't rush out of the room like a madman, not when the meeting had just adjourned and Itachi had asked to see him afterwards. The council members were filing out of the room with uncharacteristic solemnity, probably all pondering the odd events of the past hour.

As soon as Itachi had dismissed them, Danzo left, trailed by Lord Kurama and most of the other council members. However, Lord Yamanaka, Lord Nara and Lord Akimichi meandered after them at a slower pace, reuniting the famous Ino-Shika-Cho combination. Sasuke watched them as they chatted. Lord Akimichi leaned over and said something to Lord Yamanaka, and then the blond lord looked over at Sasuke appraisingly. Cognizant of their support, the prince bowed his head just enough in polite thanks. The three lords returned his gesture with surprising respect and exited with the last of the council members.

And finally, he and Itachi were alone.

Sasuke immediately summoned Mozou and told him to check in on Hinata. The bird grumbled about payment in bacon, but obeyed. The king sighed as he rose from his throne and approached Sasuke's seat.

"I know I was reckless," Sasuke said defensively. "But-"

"It was effective." The prince stared up at his brother. Itachi gave him a reluctant, tired smile. "There is no point to admonish you, foolish, foolish little brother. I will admit that you've ameliorated my greatest worries in this situation. While I do not approve of essentially wagering your crown to buy her some time," - here a strange look passed over the king's face, as if he were caught in some sort of internal debate- "your method was effective. However, the council would not fall for such a trick again."

Sasuke nodded smugly. "Of course. I wasn't sure if making them so angry was even going to work the first time."

"I am praising you, but I am also warning you," Itachi said darkly. "You've solved this problem, but you've also put yourself in the forefront of our enemies' focus. The next time will require even more of you." Then his brother chuckled and a sly glint appeared in his black eyes. "Your little show has invalidated every claim you've ever made about your inability to participate in politics and your lack of manipulation skills. I will expect to see you at every future council meeting."

The bastard outright smirked at the look of horror on the prince's face.

"Wait, what?" Sasuke sputtered. "There were extenuating circumstances! I'll definitely ruin -"

Mozou reappeared with a squawk.

"Hey, Prince Charming," the bird groused. "Your lady love is in the infirmary. Lady Sakura said to," - here Mozou adopted a gravelly falsetto - "'Get your damn ass down here instead of sending Mozou to do everything for you.'" Then Mozou pretended to flutter his eyelashes.

"Go," Itachi said dismissively. "Do give me a report as soon as possible though."

He didn't need to tell Sasuke a second time.


[1] No idea what Tsunade's family name is, but she comes from the Senju clan, so that's a better choice than some random name I made up.

AN:

-Gracias to the beta, Rhinst!

-WHEW! That Hinata fight scene was the longest I've ever written. I died a little there. X_X

-I took some extensive liberties with Sai's abilities. A little Hidan-esque body control sounded like fun.

-I'm playing a bit with narrative style. Your thoughts on pacing and structure and such would be much appreciated - suggestions for improvement are very much loved and taken into consideration. I remember wanting to punch a wall when I read the action parts of the Redwall series (probably one of the best children's series EVER), and that kind of tension is the kind I want to emulate. Any wall-punching feelings out there? XD

-My chapters are so long that Rhinst and I are bound to miss things. Feel free to point to them out. As per usual, I'm happy to answer any questions and clear up confusions (of course, praise is always welcome XD). But just leave me a way to actually answer - anon and pm functions turned off make it impossible for me to respond.

-And woot! 300 review marker! This is SPARTA! Actually, it's still fanficdotnet but I wanted to make an overused movie reference. :) But seriously, you guys are awesome for supporting me thus far. Thank you!