Once upon a time, there was a prince who rebelled.
The Amaterasu War was in full storm, and everyone was far more entranced by the broken princess across the Sky Kingdom rather than the unbroken prince back home. The palace was swept up by the wave of victories of the Crown Prince, who was barely on the cusp of puberty and already widely recognized as a powerful warrior.
Achievements on the battlefield, so far from home, were worlds away from the guided, empty achievements of the Academy classroom. A perfect, gleaming sword was of no more use than a broken one, when both were collecting dust on the weapons rack. While everyone else watched for the scores of enemy deaths, only one young teacher rubbed his scarred nose in wonder as he recorded the perfect scores of the younger prince.
The prince began to develop headaches - horrid, piercing headaches that left him clutching his eyes and barely coherent. The healers scratched their heads, as he was in perfect health. Nevermind that the prince sometimes left bloody scratches around his eye sockets. Nevermind that the prince would inexplicably lock himself in his room for hours, at times days, without touching a crumb of the food left at his door.
But the servants knew it was only a plea for attention, as the mysterious migraines faded like fog in the sunlight of the busy Queen's rare presence. When the King or the Crown Prince returned to the palace, the prince even pretended not to remember the episodes.
"What a needy little prince," his dissenters muttered.
"What a weak little prince," his believers whispered.
The title of "Prince" began to sound like a curse, as all began to watch him with sideway glances. Rather than wither under their scrutiny, the prince sneered and turned up his nose at them, lashing out with more and more ridiculous requests to see how far everyone around him would let him justify their gossip.
And so, the prince learned to disguise his vulnerabilities.
Prey for the Hunted
By Airyo
Chapter 23
Hinata watched the child sneak out of Sasuke's tent, the natural grace of an Uchiha already apparent in her movements. After glancing for witnesses, Nori broke into a run, heading straight for Hinata's tent. She slid to a stop just outside the door, taking the final steps with the pomp and poise that she thought a young lady should have.
"Good afternoon, Mama," Nori greeted as she entered the tent. Hinata surreptitiously deactivated her Byakugan and then turned in her seat to study her daughter. Haphazard black hair struggled out of Nori's ponytail to frame a face that remained pale even with copious exposure to the sun. Baby fat softened most of her features, but the line of her nose and the shape of her silvery-gray eyes already guaranteed that Nori will be blessed (or cursed) with the distinctive Uchiha beauty. To Hinata's consternation, Nori was wearing her favorite red tunic dress again, over the loose pants and shirt that all the children in Seidou wore. Between the crimson of the dress and the white of the rest of her outfit, the color scheme gave a little too much away.
Nori was looking at her curiously, so Hinata brushed away her worries and smiled. "Good afternoon, Nori. Did you do well at your lesson?"
There was a flicker of panic before her liar of a daughter nodded. "Kuri made me practice longer. Look!"
Hinata let herself be distracted from the lie and watched proudly as Nori took a running start straight for the center pole supporting the tent. Rather than crash right into it, the child kept running up the pole, tiny flashes of chakra giving her traction all the way to one of the ceiling rafters. She took her final steps upside-down, and then with a deft kick of her feet, flipped back down to the ground in a nearly silent landing.
Hinata wisely refrained from reacting as she watched Nori pout and declare, "That was bad." Nori immediately executed the move again, this time with a perfect landing. A little smirk of triumph tilted the child's lips and Hinata clapped, trying not to think of just how much she looked like her father.
"Darling, that was wonderful."
"I know," Nori agreed and curtseyed with the skirt of her tunic. "Jo can't even do that."
Hinata suspected that Kurenai's diplomatic son was simply avoiding Nori's competitive streak.
"You both have your strengths," she agreed as she pulled Nori into her lap and hugged her. Fortunately, Nori was still young enough to allow such shows of affection, but quickly became restless and squirmed out of Hinata's hold.
Nori turned to face Hinata, gray eyes determined. It was look of a child that wanted answers. Uh oh.
"Mama, why doesn't Gar like Soso?"
"Soso?" Hinata echoed with a sinking heart. Nori only assigned annoying nicknames to people she liked.
"Sousuke," Nori offered. "The hurt man you brought back." Hinata wondered if she should point out to the child that asking questions about someone one just skipped lessons to visit wasn't very smart. She met her daughter's intelligent eyes and knew that distraction tactic wouldn't work.
"Sousuke and Gaara met before, but their loyalties forced them to fight against each other," Hinata explained lightly.
"Like how you fight the Hyuuga?"
"Yes, but it's a better situation than that. I gained an enemy in the Hyuuga, but Sousuke and Gaara have gained-"
"Friends! They can be best friends now, right Mama?"
Hinata managed a shaky smile, desperately trying not to burst out laughing (or crying) at the thought of a world where Gaara and Sasuke were best buddies.
"They can be," Hinata hedged, but upon seeing the determined glint in Nori's eyes, quickly added, "but that should be something for them to decide."
Nori pouted. The four-year-old was smart enough to pick up Hinata's gentle warning against any attempts in matchmaking, but both of them knew that it only applied if she got caught.
"Darling, please listen to me. Sousuke and Gaara are both very stubborn people. If you push them, they will only hate each other more." Hinata brushed back a stray lock of hair from Nori's heart-shaped face, and tucked it behind her ear. "You will have to be very sneaky about making them think it was their idea."
Nori's face lit up with what could only be described as an evil, joyous grin.
"I'll be good, Mama," she said. She threw her arms around Hinata's neck in a quick hug and scampered out the tent, all pretenses of being a little lady long out the door before her.
Hinata waited until Nori was out of earshot before she let herself break into soft chuckles. The antics of her daughter never ceased to amuse her, and she could almost imagine Sasuke up to the same harebrained schemes as a child.
As always, the thought of Sasuke sobered her. The fogging herbs weren't working as well anymore, and it won't be long before he started figuring out too much. It was already risky that she didn't do much to curtail Nori's curiosity regarding 'Sousuke', but Hinata didn't have the heart to deny Nori what little access she had to her father, even if neither party were aware of the relationship. Nori had never asked about her father, and Hinata knew that it was because her observant daughter picked up on her pain whenever someone mentioned the topic. But Hinata was far more observant, and she saw the look of longing on her child's face when Nori looked at the other, complete families in Seidou.
The lingering guilt as a mother probably meant that she spoiled Nori far too much, but her time was limited. Every day, Nori grew to look more and more like him. Whether she would inherit the Sharingan or the Byakugan, no one could tell. But the day that Nori activates the Sharingan will be the last day that Hinata could look her own daughter in the eyes.
Selfishly, Hinata half-wished that day will come before she had to reveal the truth of her parentage to Nori. In another era, another time, her daughter would have been the Crown Princess of possibly both the Sun and Moon Kingdoms. And because of Hinata's mistakes, a second generation of princesses suffered.
Hinata shook her head of such depressing thoughts, as there were too many people that she had wronged. The past was the past, and all she could do was ensure the future was a better one.
Despite the steady murmur of voices and her silent entry into the tent housing the council meeting, every head turned when Hinata entered. That was the norm here in the desert; to be anything less than wary was an invitation for death. She nodded politely in greeting, and the hum of resumed conversation.
Hinata scanned the crowd slowly, taking in the sea of pale hair and tanned skin. One rare face had skin just as fair as hers, but as if to compensate for his complexion, the owner's hair was so light it appeared white. While Hinata was regarded warmly in Seidou, she still kept her hood up, or covered her head with a light headdress. Fortunately, despite the hatred of the Byakugan, her eyes were nothing unusual amid the pale greens and blues, and few even noticed until seen in context with her hair.
A set of distinct spiky ponytails caught her eye, and she had been meaning to speak to the owner. Hinata made her way to the empty seat next to her.
"Temari, good morning," she said as she took a seat.
"King Killer," Temari replied with an expression that bordered on pleasant. For the hardened blonde, that was practically a smile. Hinata shrugged off the old nickname with barely a twinge. She suspected it was Temari's way of showing affection, but it was hard to tell.
"How was the scouting mission?"
"Cold. The origins of your mysterious blind man are very interesting indeed. But we have news to share." At this point, Temari smirked, so Hinata knew it was good news.
Kankuro leaned over his sister's shoulder and winked at Hinata.
"Hey Hinata? Desert treating you well or is it hot-"
"If you mention anything other than the temperature of the weather, I will crush you," Gaara said calmly as he approached them. He paused to stare at Kankuro with an unreadable expression, and then nodded at Temari and Hinata in greeting. Then he continued past them to his seat at the front.
Temari gave a soft snort of amusement. "Stop being a dog, Kankuro. You have time for that after the Hyuuga Clan falls." Hinata smiled neutrally, knowing that Temari did not mean personal insult.
Kankuro rolled his eyes and turned away from them, muttering about being the "lone light of sanity in a family of psychopaths". His sister ignored him, turning back to study Hinata.
"Your tent, after the meeting?"
"That would be best."
The other woman nodded and looked away, effectively ending their conversation for now. Hinata rose and headed for the front of the room. When she took her place next to Gaara, respectful silence descended over the room like a blanket.
It was a quick meeting, as it was just administrative business to keep Seidou working smoothly. The group sent out to set up a puppet government in the Moon city of Shio would be absent for another month, and it was her turn to ensure that they have something to return home to. While it was rewarding, the meetings dragged. Hinata often found herself pitying her late father for the kind of meetings he must have had to sit through.
Afterwards, Gaara and Temari followed Hinata back to her tent, while Kurenai went to greet the new recruits. The other two made themselves comfortable, but Temari didn't bother sitting down. If such an adjective could be applied to the blonde, Hinata would even say she seemed antsy.
"Orochimaru is dead."
Hinata blinked. That was more than just good news. Almost too good. A wide, feral grin pulled at Gaara's lips to match one forming on his sister's, but everyone watched Temari carefully, waiting for the catch.
"His hideout was deserted. There were only two bodies of interest - the Snake-nin's and his lab rat Kabuto. Everyone else that was found were lackeys or failed experiments killed by the collapse of the tunnels. Exact details are included in this scroll." Temari tossed the aforementioned item to Hinata, who caught it and flicked it open with one graceful movement. Pale eyes quickly scanned the contents. She knew instantly that the numbers were too low - someone had already been there, and done something to the surviving people. Hinata looked back up to Temari.
"No idea who," she muttered almost sulkily, answering the silent question in Hinata's eyes. "Doesn't help that the Dogs and the Fleas aren't suited for dry heat. At least that's what they claim."
Hinata sighed, resisting the urge to massage her temples. The blonde's disdain for the Inuzuka and Aburame was borderline legendary, though the aftermath of the Amaterasu war certainly didn't help endear the Moon clans to the ex-princess of the fallen Sky Kingdom. The whole situation was a mass of scarred politics, and it benefited no one to pick at old wounds.
"Would it be any use if I went to take a look?" she asked. Temari shook her head.
"Not worth the time - it was the work of someone who knows the desert."
Hinata nodded, allowing herself to relax marginally. Anyone who resided in the desert was not a priority, as their main target was the residents of the Moon Kingdom. Over the years, she'd kept an ear out for the activities of the Akatsuki, mainly because she kept hearing mention of Sasuke in tandem with the mercenary group, but they seemed to have disappeared recently. Perhaps it was related to Sasuke's present state.
The same idea had occurred to the other occupants of her tent, given by the way they watched her.
"Our guest, Sousuke, would he know?" Gaara asked after a moment. The false name always sounded like a disease when the sand-user said it. Hinata inwardly cringed at her deception - technically, she was harboring a potential enemy, a fugitive of the Sun Kingdom. And Seidou did not want the Sun King's illuminating attention when it was still trying to infiltrate the shadows of the Moon Kingdom.
"He may," she said after a long moment. "He's weaned off pain herbs enough to be coherent. I'll...I'll ask him."
The Other was back again. He pretended to be asleep. Quick but gentle hands readjusted his bandages and dressings, applying cool, soothing salve to his wounds. Not that he would ever admit it, but he preferred the Other to the Woman. There was something soothing and almost familiar about the Other's strong, steady chakra. It was rare that Sasuke could feel at ease so quickly around a total stranger.
He tried not to think about how much the heartbroken part of him wanted to cling to another reminder of Hinata.
"So, do you actually have a name?" he asked. The Other froze, but didn't reply. "Rather rude," Sasuke grumbled, "to just barge in and not introduce yourself."
"I think it's far more impolite to give a false name than to not give one at all, " was the whispered answer.
"Fair enough," Sasuke replied with a shrug. "Just don't complain if you don't like what I call you then."
The Other went back to tying up the final few bandages.
"Servant. I'm thirsty." The Other handed him a cup of water. He drank a few gulps and tossed the rest on the ground. "Servant, get me food." To Sasuke's chagrin, she refused to take the bait. He heard the Other calmly pick up the cup and set it back on the nearby table. She then exited the tent and returned minutes later with a piece of flatbread and some jerky that she pressed into his hands. Sasuke let it drop onto the blankets covering his legs.
"Servant, don't you have anything more appetizing?"
"Grilled scorpions."
Sasuke made a face of disgust. He was already tiring of a game the other participant refused to play. It was far more entertaining when that Nori brat was around. In a flash of cognizance, Sasuke realized that he was probably not the most enjoyable patient to take care of either.
"So how does this place work? You draw the short straw and have to take care of the high security patients?"
"We take in all those that need help," was the answer.
"Not a very smart strategy. Ever heard the story of the snake and the old lady?"
"Yes."
Sasuke decided to summarize the story anyways. He was feeling oddly chatty and his companions in the last five years made for poor conversation. "Synopsis is: a kind old lady found a snake that was nearly frozen to death. She tucked him into her coat to warm him, giving him her meager meals when he was strong enough to eat. She did many more stupid things like that, sacrificing herself for this snake. And in the end, he bit her. As she lay dying, she asked him why he would betray her like that. He answered that he was a snake, and he couldn't betray his nature."
The Other paused for a moment before answering. "But we take in people, not snakes."
"Same thing."
"If you say so," she seemed to agree, though Sasuke suspected the Other meant that it was up to him whether he was human or snake.
Over the next few days, the Other checked in on him regularly. He stopped pretending to sleep and tried to heckle her instead, but she never reacted. Sasuke quickly gave up that strategy and resigned himself to the most normal conversation he'd had in years. He would ask her probing questions, and even her cryptic answers seemed interesting.
He almost felt human afterwards.
"So what is Seidou? What do you do exactly?"
"Fight our enemies," was the informative answer. "And survive."
"That's what everybody does," Sasuke dismissed.
"Some are better than others at it."
"Appreciate that little nugget of knowledge," he said sarcastically. "That idea of strong vs. weak just never occurred to me before. Life-altering, actually."
To his surprise, Sasuke heard her giggle. It was hauntingly familiar, and he was sad to hear her abruptly cut herself off. In another time, in another place, this same scene could have been played out by two very different people. The familiar, empty fatigue of sorrow overtook him. Sasuke let his good humor fade away with a final thought: this person wasn't Hinata.
"I ask again," he said with a decidedly cooler tone. "What is Seidou for? Am I prisoner or patient?"
There was a pause.
"You refer to your encounter with Gaara of the Sand," the Other said, mirroring his tone. It wasn't a question, but Sasuke still confirmed.
"Correct."
"Gaara's loyalties are his own, unlike five years ago when he was under the service of Orochimaru the Sannin."
Sasuke didn't bother suppressing his flinch at the mention of the Snake nin. Most have heard of him and it was a common enough reaction out in the desert. Orochimaru's sick experiments weren't exactly a secret.
"What happened…?" Sasuke thought quickly. Gaara was not one to be taken lightly, yet for all his time with Orochimaru, Sasuke had never heard even a hint of the sand-user. It was yet another reminder of just how far removed from reality he'd been, deep in that underground lair.
"He decided it was time to decide his own values, rather than blindly follow anyone else's."
Sasuke stiffened, feeling the haunting ring of a creed he once believed in. He'd determined his own worth and disregarded the advice or well-being of anyone else. And what did that leave him?
"Selfish words," he muttered. The full weight of his past made his body heavy and tired. He turned in his cot so his back was to the Other, a clear dismissal.
She refused to take the hint.
"How so?" she asked curiously. "Wouldn't giving in to everyone else just be making it easier on yourself? Aren't you just pushing your responsibilities over the consequences onto everyone else? How is it any less selfish? "
Sasuke shrugged with one shoulder, willing the Other to disappear. She just wouldn't listen.
"Just how is that not selfish?" she pressed quietly, but firmly, as if his answer was something more the dismissal of a sulky patient. Sasuke found himself uncomfortable until the realization that his words carried weight. He almost felt obligated to answer.
"Because...at least someone got what they want out." As he said it, Sasuke found himself wincing at how childish and petty he sounded. Even so, he shouldn't care what an anonymous warrior thought of him. Sasuke shook his head over such inane thoughts. "What does it matter to just a servant?" An unsubtle reminder that she refused him a name.
She gave a soft chuckle to plucked at his heartstrings.
And eventually, she asked her own questions too.
"What were you to Orochimaru?"
"A trophy that doubled as a tool," Sasuke answered after a moment. It wasn't that hard to figure out that he had worked for Orochimaru, which was likely why he'd been subdued with drugs. And then there was what Gaara knew. But why trust him now? "Many were."
"Is he…" she seemed shaky with hope. "Is he really dead? The scout that found you said that the lair was deserted."
"I killed him. So as dead as I could manage," Sasuke said. He briefly contemplated the consequences of revealing such information. He really couldn't bring himself to care either way. If it made the Other more trusting, he'll say it.
"You killed him?" the Other asked in wonder. Sasuke found himself puffing like a male bird during mating season and berated himself for it.
"It was personal," he replied in a tone that closed the conversation. At least she got this hint.
Fortunately, most of their conversations revolved around less tender issues. It was surprisingly easy to relax around her, as much as he warned himself to keep his guard. He found that he had to remind himself of reality with the Other. She wasn't Team 7 or Hinata or anyone he could trust. There was no reason to relax around her and joke around.
But there wasn't any reason not to either.
"Do you have anything that won't break my teeth?" he groused. To illustrate his point, he tried to tear a piece of jerky in two, to no avail.
"The jaw muscles are structurally designed to handle more force than your current action," was the unrepentant response. Sasuke grunted.
"I'm not a cow."
She giggled. Sasuke pursed - most definitely not pouted - his lips in displeasure.
"So what do you like to eat?"
"My favorite food is...tomatoes," he found himself revealing to her.
"I know," she murmured. He paused, tilting his head at that revelation.
"Oh?" he mused. "Just how do you know that?"
There was a moment of nervous hesitation. "It was the only kind of flatbread you would eat when you were delirious with fever or pain."
Sasuke didn't push his suspicions - tomatoes were impossible to come by here in the desert, even if they were dried. He'd felt their absence in the past few years, as he never felt justified to spend so much money on a small treat. Just what was Seidou that they could afford tomatoes and so generously give them to strange prisoners?
Or was it only to prisoners such as himself? It was something he would need to think on.
And as his body strengthened, his mood tolerated more inane topics.
"Do you do anything for pleasure around here? Perhaps a gala for the hardened warriors of the dunes?"
"No," was the amused reply. "Dancing on sand...it would be...well...an unwelcome sight."
That was another thing Sasuke found endearing. The Other was a fighter. The silence of her movement, the tight control of her chakra - it all indicated the seasons of violence she'd seen. Yet a direct insult to anyone was still somehow beyond her.
"Such hatred for dancing," he mused. "Perhaps a traumatic experience?" Not that he was much better off, since his date had been arrested at his last ball.
"I don't hate dancing," she admitted. "It's a scripted conversation, but the nuances change with every iteration."
Sasuke knew better than to ask if she had been nobility. This wasn't her. No matter how he wished it.
"I've had the misfortune of being exposed to it," Sasuke offered, "but there are many more things I loathe outside of dancing."
"For example?" the Other challenged softly. "You are the type to dislike something by default. How do I know if you've even tried it before?" The gently teasing tone in her voice was impossible to miss.
A crazy idea took hold of him. They were isolated in this hidden tent, privy to no one else, not even the watchdog Gaara. Sasuke shifted and turned so he sat at the edge of the bed. His feet found the worn boots under his bed. He stood and extended a hand towards the Other.
"What are you doing?"
"What does it look like?"
Self-consciousness made Sasuke sneer and he insistently jutted his hand out more.
"Well?" he demanded. "Don't you want to determine if I've actually tried?"
When there was no reaction, he turned back to his cot.
A small hand slipped into his.
Sasuke hadn't expected it, and he reflexively reached out to detain his assailant . His right hand found a slim arm, covered in the thin material that did nothing to hide the deep scars on her left forearm. They both froze. Sasuke didn't dare move, didn't dare to trace his fingers against a star-shaped scar that seemed to burn into his palm.
He knew that scar.
Then the Other jerked, snatching her arm away from his hands. She maneuvered out of reach, under the guise of helping him back to bed. After making the vague noises as an excuse, she fled.
Sasuke sat on the cot, staring at where his open palm was as if he could see through the bandages around his eyes. Slowly, he closed his hand, feeling his pulse inside his grasp like an animal that struggled to break free.
He knew that scar - dark ink, star-shaped, tattooed forever on her left arm. Thought he did anyways.
Was this all just the hallucinations of a drugged and broken man?
Was Hinata actually alive?
But that was impossible.
Right?
It wasn't until days later, when he felt strong enough to stand on his own that a key piece of the puzzle fell into place. Nori was heckling him to play with her, and the game of Blind Man's Bluff came up.
"You don't even need to pretend!" was the rather blunt suggestion. Sure that he could "bluff" her into thinking she could see with his other senses, Sasuke unwrapped his bandages with a flourish.
"You assume too much, brat," he said as he unraveled the last layer. "I can see and now I -" Sasuke paused.
The world was clear and vivid. Afternoon set the room aglow, the scene clicked into place with the mental map he'd compiled with his shins and knees.
"You're not blind?" Nori asked, affronted by Sasuke's gall to let his eyes heal. He looked at the child. The careful world within the confines of this tent crumbled.
He saw his hair and her nose and their eyes and -
And then, all Sasuke could see was red.
She felt the spike of chakra. The dagger she'd been sharpening fell from her hand to the ground with a dull thump.
He knew.
Hinata rushed to the infirmary where they secluded Sasuke, arriving just in time to intercept Gaara. He looked at her, jade eyes knowing, breaking apart all the flimsy excuses she'd allowed herself the past month with Sasuke. She looked at him pleadingly. Moments later he looked away with a snarl on his face.
"Do you trust him?"
"Yes."
Gaara nodded stiltedly.
"Pulse your chakra if you need me," he said as he turned.
"Thank you," she whispered. He didn't reply.
She took a slow breath, and then stepped into the tent, eyes focused on the ground.
Nori and Sasuke looked up. Sasuke was seated on his cot, his uncovered eyes dark and focused. She kept her eyes focused on her daughter, unable to meet his gaze.
"Mama?"
"Darling, I need to talk to Sa-Sousuke alone." Nori picked up on the gravity of the situation and obediently headed for the door.
"Bye, Soso," she whispered. Sasuke nodded slightly in response and Nori made herself scarce.
Hinata stayed by the door, eyes trained to the far side of the tent. The phantom pain of Amaterasu still haunted her. Sasuke remained calmly seated, but she knew his anger.
"Long time no see, Hinata," he greeted after a long moment, voice thick with sarcasm. "How nice of you to visit from the beyond."
"Sasuke," she whispered. I can explain. Please forgive me. I love you. There was so much she wanted to communicate, but all she managed was, "I've missed you."
He snorted derisively. "Good of you to show it."
There wasn't really anything she could say. Hinata fought back the tears pooling in her eyes. Though she'd accepted that Sasuke and her were over long ago, it was still a fresh wound when she had to stand before him for judgement.
The air was suffocating between the twin weights of her guilt and fear. Five years was enough to warp a person into something unrecognizable, and if she no longer knew this Sasuke, it was her doing. What would he do if he found all her secrets?
"Were you ever going to tell me anything?" he demanded, voice raw with agony. She flinched at the sharp sound of his voice and felt her heart break all over again. She had no answer for him.
"Hinata. I thought you died."
"I'm sorry," she whispered to the ground. What really could she say? Everything sounded like excuses or wheedling attempts to endear herself and nothing could justify her betrayal. She'd made her choice the day she'd walked away from Sasuke.
She heard him stand, slowly, and make his way to her. His footsteps seemed to echo inside her skull.
"Look at me," he whispered. He gripped her jaw and forced her face up. Hinata automatically squeezed her eyes shut. His fingers tightened painfully. "So you won't even look me in the eye anymore. What is that? Guilt? Shame? Or am I no longer worthy of eye contact?"
"No, never…" Hinata murmured.
"Then look at me."
She shook her head. "I can't."
"Very well. I see that I had misjudged our relationship. Shame on me, for twice I have fallen for this act." He removed his hand. The flat chill in his voice hurt her, but Hinata kept her gaze averted. She felt the weight of his perusal, until the air was heavy and it was difficult to even breathe. But what worried her was his silence. Sasuke wasn't one for silence, for restraint. He was a storm, a force of nature charged with all the bright, blinding trappings of emotion. He'd laughed wholly. He'd raged wholly.
He'd loved wholly. And she'd broken him for it.
The enormity of her betrayal, her loss, shook her.
"No, you didn't," Hinata disagreed, even as her mind screamed at her that it was better, easier, for him to believe it. She'd made her choice. She must keep to it. "What we had was…" she struggled for words, for something that could convey the depth of her heart. "What we had between us was…"
"Just a good fuck?" he finished helpfully, contempt lacing every syllable. "I hope I was satisfacto-."
"No! That wasn't how it was!" Her head snapped up. "What we -"
Sasuke's dark, slanted eyes regarded her. Too late, Hinata realized she'd been tricked into looking up.
She saw the first flames of Amaterasu in the corner of her vision. She braced herself for the agony, but the heat abruptly vanished, leaving only the reek of burnt hair and fabric. Her upper arms were beginning to blister, even from the moment of being near the chakra fire, but the painful tightness of her skin was hardly a priority in her mind.
Tentatively, Hinata opened her eyes to stare at the ground. In the back of her mind, she realized that Sasuke must have gained the Mangekyou sometime in the past five years. Though she wasn't aware exactly how one gained such a frightful technique, a part of her was still proud that Sasuke had grown strong enough to combat even Itachi's techniques.
She saw his feet shift and he walked behind her. He leaned down and growled into her ear.
"Explain. Now."
She suppressed a shiver. "When I revealed myself to the Moon Kingdom soldiers, it would have been inevitable war. Itachi gave me the choice, and I chose to fake my death."
"To save the Sun and Moon Kingdoms," Sasuke added. He kept walking, circling. "How...noble of you."
"I will not be the cause of another war. Never again," she snapped back. "Enough lives have been lost because of Hyuuga Hinata."
"One for the many, always for the greater good. Never a selfish one, are you?" he mocked. "The Nameless King Killer, the Saint, the Martyr. What pretty, empty names you've made for yourself. Isn't Seidou just a front for a rebellion against the Moon Kingdom? Are you really so naive to think that lives won't be lost in that?"
"I am anything but naive," she countered softly. "And while lives are lost, those are far fewer than the mindless slaughter of a war. I could have overtaken the Hyuuga by force years ago. But we will do it peacefully. Slowly, but peacefully."
"A bloodless war," he murmured, impressed. "You haven't changed at all." He almost sounded like his former self, and recklessly, Hinata let herself hope.
"Sasuke," she said as she turned to him. "It's -"
He covered her eyes with a rough hand, grip overtaking most of her face, and pushed her back against center pillar of the tent. While Sasuke could have used much more force, the back of Hinata's head still knocked against the wood hard enough for her to see stars.
"Shut it. You have no right to speak when you made the choice not to even ask my opinion five years ago." He leaned forward in a parody of an embrace, so close that Hinata could feel his breath brush her cheek. The loss of her vision heightened all her other senses, and she could feel his body heat pressing so close to her. Could feel him shaking even though his voice was a chilling monotone. "Didn't even consider my take, my part. I was just another pawn in the big scheme of things for you and Itachi and every other fucking person in the world. Not good for much else, am I?"
Hinata tried to shake her head. "No, please don't a-" He pressed her head firmly into the wood, stilling her actions with his hand still cupped over her eyes.
"Your words are meaningless when your actions tell me everything. You led me on, abandoned me, allowed to believe that you died and let me mourn you for so long. While you went on gallivanting about the desert with that Sand monster." He paused to chuckle, as if someone had told a bad joke. "Funny thing is...I would have gone with you. If you'd even trusted me a little, I would have helped you."
There was pause.
"Once, I would have done anything for you," he said forcibly lightly, as if he were commenting on the weather. His hand tightened until it felt as if her skull would crack. A panicked thought passed through her mind - was this end? She still had to protect Nori!
Before she could do anything, he pressed a harsh kiss to the corner of her mouth, more punishment than a show of affection. "Goodbye, my love," he hissed, with all the venom he'd held back until now.
Then he released her.
When Hinata opened her eyes, he was gone. Her knees gave out and she leaned back against the pillar, sliding listlessly to the ground.
Silent tears burned down her face.
He didn't immediately leave Seidou behind, even though he felt dizzy from listless rage and heartbreak. It was almost addicting. He'd spent the last five years subsiding on the lukewarm apathy of something less than human, and the searing heat of this anger in his veins was like a rush of new life. And he wasn't even sure where to direct it. Who was to blame? Itachi? The Moon Kingdom? Hinata?
Himself?
He didn't even recognize her voice, even if he was drugged and believed that Hinata was no longer of this world. The possibility of her survival, her fortitude, didn't even occur to him. Funny how five years could feel so long, yet fall away to nothing so quickly. The faded colors of her flowing robes and veil made her look ethereal in the dim lighting of the infirmary tent. She'd looked so beautiful, even when crying. Even when he wanted to hate her. She'd left him in the dark all this time, like a dulled kunai pushed to the back of the weapon's cache.
He'd been so close to lashing out. He had felt the dark chakra of the Mangekyou roiling in his eyes, even before he'd seen black fire rise around her.
And the curse - purely Itachi's work. But was it against all Sharingan, all Uchiha, or just him? Old embers of rebellion burned his veins and Sasuke forced away the idea of running back to the Sun Kingdom simply just to punch his brother in the face.
He still needed to heal, and he'd already learned his lesson about acting on hot-headed impulse. He needed to think, to rebuild the world that had unraveled around him.
Sasuke waited after night fell, when the chill cooled his rage. There was one last thing he needed to do.
It was too easy to find Nori. Hinata was occupied with Seidou business or whatever, and the child was sleeping alone. Sasuke stood by the cot, single eye burning a half-activated Sharingan to see in the dim lighting. What a beautiful child.
Hinata's child.
His child.
Sasuke shook his head in wonder, but he knew how he was as a kid. Nori couldn't be anyone else's but his. Even if he hadn't dared to ask, to confirm and ruin the last good thing between him and Hinata.
Flashes of memories of his own family came to mind. Mother smiling as she rescued him from another legion of fangirls. Itachi poking him on the forehead. Father nodding approval in the background.
And then came other memories. Sakura healing him as she scolded him for being reckless. Naruto's shit-eating grin after doing something stupid. Kakashi crying over his damn porn. Sai insulting Ino yet again and being beaten to a pulp for it.
And Hinata, so many cold, gray-tinged memories of her that left him feeling like he was asphyxiating. Maybe this was what drowning felt like.
All these memories had become faded and old these past few years, but Nori's existence was somehow the final piece that clicked into place to fix a broken light, forcing the world back into burning, overwhelming color.
Sasuke considered taking Nori from Hinata, making her feel the same loss that he had experienced. It would be so easy to be selfish, to take revenge. Nori was young enough to be fooled by a Mangekyou, and then it would be as if Hinata never existed in her life. Like he was in Nori's. What better way to make up for lost time?
As if sensing his thoughts, the child sighed and shifted.
"Look at me, Mama," she muttered. "I beat Jo again."
Even the competitiveness was his. Sasuke found himself smirking and he shook his head. No, he would not take little Nori away from her rival.
He would never forgive Hinata, but an innocent child did not deserve to be punished for her parents' mistakes. It was the first time he saw Nori, yet he felt his protectiveness with the wordless certainty that one would acknowledge a limb. It was there. It was a part of him.
Finally, he felt like he could begin to understand Itachi.
With a sigh, Sasuke tucked the blanket around Nori's thin shoulders more securely, as the desert got cold at night. He laid a large hand over her forehead for a moment, a silent farewell. Then he turned to leave.
"…I need to be strong, Jo..." she whispered. Sasuke froze, back still to Nori. "Strong to find Papa and then Mama won't be sad."
Her chakra patterns indicated it was only sleep-talk, but her words trapped his feet like heavy manacles. He needed to get out of here - he'd already overtaxed his newly healed Sharingan.
Sasuke ruthlessly wiped away the tears and slipped out the door.
"I'm worried about Nori," Kurenai said over lunch some days later. "She's been acting strange. Earlier today, Oushou did better than her in a chakra exercise and she didn't even seem to notice." Hinata absentmindedly played with her chopsticks, barely listening. "It's been like this ever since 'Sousuke' left," her teacher pushed on. Hinata jerked out of her thoughts.
"I'm sorry," she murmured. The aftermath of Sasuke's departure had left her in a daze. Even Gaara's furious scoldings had done little to shake her out of her gloom. She closed her eyes, fatigue from lost sleep warring with the searing memory of Sasuke's eyes dark with disgust for her.
"Hinata. Let me help you." Kurenai's voice was firm. "Please."
She opened her eyes again. She took a sip of her water, taking a moment to gather her courage.
"His name is Uchiha Sasuke. Crown Prince Sasuke," Hinata whispered after a beat. Kurenai's eyes widened, understanding all the implications. "Nori misses him. And she knows I'm the reason Sasuke is gone," Hinata admitted. She rubbed at her eyes, bloodshot from the lack of sleep. Her body was wrung dry, but her heart was still heavy and tender, swollen with all the tears she still would cry. "She got too attached." Hinata wasn't sure if she was referring to herself or her daughter.
"Nori's father," Kurenai confirmed softly. "The same prince who defected from the Sun Kingdom."
"Yes."
A pause.
"We seem to have a problem with men from the Sun Kingdom, don't we?" Hinata let herself huff in amusement at Kurenai's sardonic comment.
"It's their devious plot to take over the Moon Kingdom," she muttered.
It was a paltry attempt at humor, at best. Her teacher sighed after it was clear they couldn't take their joke further.
"You won't be able to hide it for long. Now that I know, she looks more and more like him everyday."
Hinata nodded, tilting her head down so her hair hid her face.
"I know." She gripped her cup tightly, feeling it strain under the pressure of her fingers. "Sasuke has too many enemies. I have too many enemies. And even if they didn't target us individually, a child born of both the Byakugan and the Sharingan is…" Hinata swallowed, hating even the idea. Experimentation, or harvested, or just turned into a cold soldier. The old reports she'd read swam into her imagination. The idea of Nori being subjected to such horrors made her sick.
"Orochimaru is dead," Kurenai reminded her gently. And Hinata thanked Kami for that much.
They sat in comfortable silence until Gaara poked his head into Kurenai's tent. Hinata could hear the agitated hiss of his sand. She tensed, wary of his news.
"Have you seen Nori?" he asked.
The two women shook their heads. Hinata fought down the rising worry - her daughter was a free spirit and her caretakers misplaced her on a daily basis. But usually between Hinata's Byakugan and Gaara's sand eye, it was never for long.
Hinata activated her Byakugan. Her vision rushed outwards, speeding through all of Nori's favorite haunts. Then finally, the least likely option, the tent that had housed Sasuke at the far edge of the camp.
She dropped her cup. Liquid seeped into the dirt like blood.
Someone was sitting on the abandoned cot, face and body hidden by a hooded cloak that had voluminous sleeves. One arm was draped around the unconscious Nori's shoulders, in a parody of affection, but the exposed hand fiddled with a dagger that glinted bone-white in the dim light.
It was a gesture of waiting. Waiting for Hinata to come rushing to save her baby.
And she could do nothing else but take the bait.
"Intruder has her," Hinata choked out. She never ran so fast for the door.
Edit: Boom. Betaed. Thank you so much, Rhinst!
