A/N: I noticed that in the last chapters, especially chap three, I was forgetting to put the second N in sharingan, my bad, probably cause how fast I type and I typed how I pronounce, my Duh moment. I tried to go back and fix, if I missed any please let me know. Thx! Also, the spelling of Hyuuga, as I've stated in another fic, I looked it up and I've seen it spelled both ways, and since that was the way I had it spelled first and saved in my dictionary, I just use that spelling.
P.S. Yes, a bit more info in this chapter, but it will be some time before everything is revealed, as the summary says, a journey to find the answers. Itachi will be making an appearance very, very, soon. I am currently working on chapter ten, and you will see him before that, a few before. So please review, if you wanna see more. No, I want horde them in exchange for reviews BUT reviews are incentive.
(Oh to answer a review, I forgot before. As I said I'm okay with Sai and Ino, somewhat. But I read that at one point he called her gorgeous (not because he thought it, but because he read that you should say the opposite because it was what they want to hear, more or less.) So that means Sai was actually saying that she was ugly or at least unattractive. With that in mind, it is almost the same as Naruto not really noticing that Hinata is a catch. Neither guy was attracted to them before that, but one day they suddenly are? So even that pairing feels like it was slapped together as an after thought. I would have preferred her with Choji because at least they were close.)
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Chapter Five
"Tell me what?" Sasuke inquired again when both turned to him, one was worried, and the other was frightened. What had they been discussing before he had walked in? What were they doing in his home that they didn't want him to know about?
"Well, w…we found some stuff," Hinata didn't want him to get angry again. She had never been on the receiving end of his wrath before and she didn't want to volunteer for the honor. There was no way the Uchiha would be able to learn about what was in the diary and NOT flip out.
"And?" And he wasn't in the mood for this. The entire way back he had to listen to that captain explain why he needed to patch things up with Naruto. The things like they were friends, they've gone through a lot together, Sakura loved him, and blah blah. Why the hell should he apologize for something he hadn't done? He had no reason to feel guilty and he sure wouldn't let his past direct his future. Just because the dobe had believed in him and had wanted him back didn't mean he owed the blonde shinobi anything.
"I got this, Hinata," Ino pointed to the seat opposite of them and made it clear that she wasn't going to start speaking until he took it. He probably sat because he was weary and not because he felt inclined to do as she wanted. "We discussed it, and don't bother with that yet. I'll explain what this all is in a minute, so please listen."
"Then talk," that page had been a listing of crimes if he wasn't mistaken. Had they broken into the archives? No, the two wouldn't do something illegal or immoral. There were three books on the table and the Hyuuga girl still had the half-sharingan in her eye.
"I'll bring you something to eat and drink," Hinata would let Ino tell him. She opened up the fridge to get something quick for him. He had to be hungry after coming back so quick. Why had he returned so soon?
"Thank you," Sasuke crossed his arms noting that his home was clean. There was also food in the fridge and the cabinets weren't as empty. The two had made themselves at home in that short of time.
"Okay, we had a discussion about her eye and what caused it after you left. We discovered that we were both dreaming of the same man, Mahan Uchiha, a name you know." She saw the positive shake and continued. "Well, to make this short, we figured out what his message meant and we found his tomb."
"His tomb? So the message really was meant to find his resting place?" Sasuke wasn't shocked that he was dead. Yet, why would the man want something to do with these two? Did the man have something to do with the girl's eye changing? "What did you find and why did he leave a message for you two?"
"I think you should already be suspecting half of that answer, Sasuke, you're bright." Ino closed the book, not wanting him to catch a glimpse of what was written. "Hinata has that eye because she is half Uchiha and I was chosen as well because we share the same father."
"Not possible," Sasuke didn't see it. Ino couldn't belong to Hiashi Hyuuga and Hinata sure didn't belong to the Yamanaka clan. She possessed the byakugan and now a partial sharingan, that meant she was half Hyuuga and the other half was of his blood. "The only way that would be possible was if you too were of the Uchiha clan."
"Well, I still consider myself as part of the Yamanaka clan for now but more or less. The easiest way to explain it is the man returned to this village approximately twenty years ago. My horny mother played around in his bed for a bit before he dumped her ass cold for Hinata's real birth mother. I was born and then Hinata while he wasn't in the village, he came back, and remained hidden until he died from a disease of the lungs."
"Then where is yours?" Sasuke didn't doubt that Ino's mother had messed around a lot when she was younger. He had passed the woman not even half an hour ago, stumbling home with some man.
"If you mean my fucked up eyes, I don't have it. I'm pretty sure my seal is still intact. Honestly, I hope it does stay that way, I got beautiful eyes, and I'd like to keep them as they are." Ino didn't want freaky black designs ruining her looks. "I feel for her if we can't fix it."
"There is nothing to fix, her eyes are still beautiful, and you shouldn't discount what having it means." Sasuke felt somewhat thrilled at the thought that he wasn't the only one left. They were only half-blood but they still possessed the blood of his clan. "I won't express any false concern for your being discovered but you are saying that the Hyuuga clan leader is not her real father. Is he aware of this fact?"
"Yes, she is actually his niece by marriage. Her birth mother was Mahan's wife and sister to the deceased wife of Hiashi. That is a story left for another time though." Ino didn't want to rehash what Hinata had just discovered about her parents.
"It's okay, you can tell him." Hinata couldn't prevent the hurt from entering her voice. It hurt and once alone she'd probably cry over it. She was still in shock about the truth but having a fit wouldn't change what had happened eighteen years ago. "They killed my real mother when they realized that she was giving birth to Mahan's child."
"That could be speculation, how can you know that for sure?" Sasuke didn't think they would kill the woman for sleeping with the wrong man. That was going a bit far even for the council or another clan.
"We have it in the third's own handwriting." Ino indicated the book beneath her palm. "He wasn't just an exiled and wanted shinobi, he was the third's biggest threat, more so than Madara. After his death was ordered for attacking the Hokage, he started gathering evidence against the five nations. For years he spied, ransacked their archives, and was planning on bringing their crimes out in the open. Unfortunately, he got sick and he chose to remain here to watch over us. Her mother was slain because she was married to a shinobi that was more than a traitor to Konoha."
"So this book here," Sasuke opened the cover, curious just what he would discover if he were to read what was on the many pages. "It is some of his proof that he collected over the years?"
"Yes, the other over there is his personal journal but it mainly states what I just told you." Ino glanced back to her frie… sister that was carefully slicing up the tomatoes. "There was a slip of paper with some coordinates written down on it, I believe everything he stole is there. However, one of the last things he managed to do before he died was obtain a very crucial piece of evidence against the third and the elders. Information that I fear is going to change everything for all three of us."
Something akin to fear gripped Sasuke's stomach seeing how the blonde's knuckles turned white from how tight she was gripping that last book. What was in it? What could their unknown father have gotten his hands on? "Why do I believe this is the information you two were debating on telling me when I entered?"
"Because it is and before I tell you, you have to promise that you will not do anything rash. I know you will be angry, you're going to be right pissed in a few minutes." Ino didn't doubt that he was going to want to lash out at the truth. "Just remember, you are no longer the only Uchiha survivor. Hinata and I now have a stake in this as well."
"Then tell me, I will not do anything rash." What could be worse than the other girl realizing that her real mother had been assassinated and the man that had raised her had kept it from her?
"Before any of us were born, there was another prophecy, more like a warning. It said that a Uchiha would bring an end to the nations and rule as the only Kage. You know, kind of like that crazy ass idea that YOU did kind of get at one time, we know all about it." Ino inwardly cringed at the smirk, "Because of that small warning, the other nations started demanding to know if the clan was a threat. So, after lots of council meetings, lots of coffee, and Uchiha bashing I assume, the council and the third decided on a way to eliminate any threat there may be. The plan was to make the clan revolt, which would give them a reason to put them down, freeing them from having to answer to any of the other clans."
"I can understand that," Hinata finished the sandwiches and brought the plate over to the table. There was little chance of them being eaten, "If they wiped out one clan because they feared them, the other clans might revolt because of it. If they feared that the council didn't trust or saw them as too powerful, they would be nervous if that were to happen."
"Exactly, so they decided to make the Uchiha clan revolt and thus they will look innocent." Ino wasn't saying that they weren't ingenious or that the plan hadn't been sound. "In his own words, the third describes the things they were doing to the clan to push them to that point."
"They never got around to doing it," Sasuke digested the new twist on the supposed treason. Until this day he didn't understand why they would have wanted to but he had been a boy. "They were going to and that was the reason they had my brother annihilate them."
"No, and that is why you are going to be pissed." Ino hoped he wasn't the type to kill the messenger. "They weren't going to do it. Well, there were some still talking about it but after so many years of nothing coming about from the talk, the third decided to take drastic measures. He knew exactly who to turn to and what to do. They turned your brother into a spy and sent him to the people they knew were still upset about the treatment of the clan, one being your father. Yes, there was still talk of a rebellion but not enough of them wanted it. Most of the older men didn't want to risk their families and were willing to overlook the treatment. Itachi was sent in there to listen to the talks and the third used your brother's emotions against him. They knew what he could do and the third also knew that he'd agree to do it."
"I am well aware of the fact that they used my brother for the task," It still angered him that Itachi had to live with the deaths of so many on his hands. A few voices could turn into many given enough time. "He accepted the mission and did what he thought he had to."
"It still wasn't right," Hinata blushed when both turned at her outburst. "I… I mean that he shouldn't have had to do it. The only reason the clan was talking was because of what the council was doing and they were doing it on purpose. I doubt he would have agreed to do it if he had known that the revolt was exactly what the village wanted from the beginning. You can't keep slapping one child, while favoring all the others, without that child becoming angry and rebelling. They used him, they turned him into a kin-killer because they are cowards."
"I couldn't have said it better myself," Ino was proud of her and saw that the words were sinking in. "Their end goal was always to get rid of all of the Uchiha. I want you to read the part where it says they were going to go back on their word to your brother. They let him take the blame, they labelled him rogue, and the moment it was confirmed that the truth was dead with him, they were going to get rid of the last Uchiha survivor."
"You mean me?" Sasuke grabbed the book that was being pushed towards him. He quickly scanned over the last few pages of the journal. They had meant to kill him as soon as his brother could no longer reveal the truth of that night. They would have made Itachi's sacrifice worthless.
"Before you go rushing off to kill someone, I'm asking you not to." Ino knew she couldn't stop him if he did go on a rampage. If he did decide to do something about the death of his clan. "Honestly, you are lucky that you haven't been assassinated yet."
"And why is that?" Sasuke wanted to hear her reasons for it. Just what was their take on the truth behind the massacre of his clan? The pain his brother had to deal with, the tears he'd been unable to shed because they coerced him into doing their dirty work.
"Because you bragged about fulfilling the prophecy, I think anyways." Hinata fidgeted underneath the table when the dark eyes turned to her. That was the first thing that came to mind when she had read that small part. Naruto had talked to her about it once, laughing at Sasuke's idea of becoming the only Kage. "Naruto thought it was funny when he spoke of it but a lot of people probably won't. If any of the elders that were around back then still are, they might get word of it and see it as you on your way of trying to make it true. If the idea was in your head, you might be the one they have been fearing."
The girl was actually very brilliant for someone that often stuttered while talking. Sasuke hadn't thought of that idea since the end of the battle. It had been a whimsical idea at the time, yet had there really been a prophecy of just that some time before his birth? "And you really think they would try to find a way to get rid of me?"
"I would," Ino shrugged when he glared, "Well, I promise I'm not announcing to anyone that my father was one. You're the last, if anyone is going to do it, it is going to be you. Yeah, you're lucky you haven't gotten an arrow in the ass already. You could walk out of that door in the morning and get a kunai between the temples."
"Or I could slip, or be fed Sakura's cooking." Sasuke wasn't scared of a stray attack. They had a valid reason for the warning, he gave them that, but he wouldn't cower because of it. "I don't know what I am going to do about what I've been told."
"Just don't do anything stupid, please." Ino didn't want to see him die. "Where are you going?"
"I am going to take my plate and sit on the bed. I am tired because I was sent back without any rest. After I eat, I am going to get some rest." Sasuke wondered who had told the girl what he liked. "When I wake, we will discuss this further and try to figure out what to do about her eye. It is enough that my life might be in danger, there is no need of putting hers there also. If you are going to remain, try not to be too loud."
"I'm not loud!" Ino shouted at the departing back. She wasn't loud and she had a few things she needed to do anyways. "I actually have a shift in six hours, so I'm going to head home and get a few hours of sleep. I'll stop back by after I get off of work."
"Okay, I guess I'll stay here and find something to do." Hinata didn't mind hanging around. The male occupant had already taken a seat and was eating the food she had fixed. There was some laundry that could be done, or she could read the other journal for herself. There was also the possibility of getting some sleep as well.
"Alright, don't go out, send him if you need anything." Ino gave her a tight hug. "And if any assassins come in while I'm gone, close your eyes, and let them know that you aren't with him."
"I'll tell them their attempt is futile because you're already carrying my seed." Sasuke ignored the hand gesture to return to his meal. The bread was actually fresh, not like the kind he always seemed to end up with whenever he went shopping. The door slammed announcing the departure of the blonde kuniochi, leaving him alone with the other one. Was she nervous? "Where is the cushion?"
"Oh, I removed it in order to get the smell out, it is in the laundry area drying on top of the washer. The smell should be gone," Hinata walked towards the door, recalling how they had been interrupted once before. She just didn't want Naruto or someone else to accidently overhear what they had to say. "Did you complete your mission?"
"No, I was told to return because it was two against one." Sasuke placed the plate on the bedside table. "When there is discord in the ranks it the best course of action to remove the cause and seeing as I was the problem, because I am not on good terms with the mission leader, I was sent home."
"But what was the problem?" Hinata wasn't even sure who he'd gone on a mission with. She knew Naruto had been the one to come fetch. Why would he be sent back during a mission? As a shinobi, he should be required to complete his mission. "I do…do not mean to pry but what kind of discord would get you sent home?"
Sasuke got comfortable against the pillow, "On the account that the mission really didn't call for so many high ranking shinobi and one less wouldn't make much of a difference. Captain Yamato decided that since Naruto and Sakura felt irritable in my presence, my being there would disrupt the mission. It doesn't bode well for Konoha's reputation when their shinobi's squabble like children in the middle of the mission."
"Oh, but why was he angry at you? Was he upset because you made him leave because of me?" Maybe he thought Sasuke might listen to her side of the breakup. She couldn't see any other reason why he would be angry enough to start an argument in the middle of the mission. He couldn't be upset because Sasuke had been touching her. No one would be stupid enough to believe that there was something going on between them.
"He is under the impression that there is something going on between us. He also seems to have assumed that he interrupted a rather intimate moment between us when he barged in, and I am now the reason you decided to end things with him." Sasuke didn't think anyone else would be stupid enough to believe the foolishness. Anyone with a brain would understand why the girl had gotten tired of the treatment. It was because neither of those two saw fault in their own actions that there just had to be another reason things weren't going the way they wanted. Hinata had dumped the dobe, so it was because HE had made the moves on her. HE didn't want Sakura, so Hinata had somehow caught his attention and had stolen him from Sakura.
"Did you try to explain what he walked in on? I didn't mean to cause you problems with your team." Hinata wasn't sure why he would assume they had been kissing, their faces hadn't been close enough. Besides, they weren't interested in each other that way.
"And tell them what? I was inspecting something in your eye that greatly resembles the sharingan?" Sasuke saw the color drain further from her face. They both knew the consequences of that action. Naruto would find it 'cool' and would end up running his mouth and saying something about it in front of the wrong person, because Naruto truly believed that the village could do no wrong. The person namely being the new Hokage, then word might get back to her clan, or even the elders. People would learn that there was another Uchiha, albeit only a half-blood, but a threat was still a threat. For now, until he knew whether or not they saw him as a threat, he didn't want anyone else to learn about the other two. He wasn't sure why, perhaps because they were still a part of his clan, in some way. "I would rather they believe we have been fucking behind their backs for months than to allow anyone else to realize what is going on."
How embarrassing! The heat rushed to her face at the suggestion. No, no one else would dare think that of them. Not even her relationship with Naruto had advanced to that stage so no one could possibly think that she would lower herself to not only cheat but to go all the way with someone that wasn't her boyfriend. "No one would believe that and I still apologize."
"It wasn't your doing and I'm still getting paid, so don't worry about it. I would prefer to be here to help Ino figure out what to do." Sasuke glanced between the girl and the table. Had they both been up all night? She had to be tired, but she wouldn't be able to return home. The couch was missing one of the cushions and in order for her to sleep, she would have to take the floor. "The bed is large enough for us both without fear of bumping into each other. You may use the covers, I will stay above."
"Okay," she was tired and she didn't want to sleep on the floor. It would also be rude to ask him to take the floor after he had travelled so far to return back. He was correct, there was enough space for both of them. During missions she had often shared a tent with her teammates, this wouldn't be any different. She was safe from any advances and perhaps sleeping would get rid of her problem so she could go home.
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The strong hands were gentle, nothing like what she'd come to expect from the man holding her. The touch caressing the length of her spine, acknowledging the naked flesh she had on display. Ino didn't dare open her eyes, for as long as she could remember, this was the feeling she had been searching for. Her body was cradled in the embrace, making her feel cherished and safe.
"Do not fret," the voice ghosted against her ear. Hearing the words brought comfort but also fear.
Her mind focused on the hard chest that held her. The man was tall, slender, but not lanky, there was enough muscle to indicate someone that was active or even a shinobi. The hands were calloused in places, the fingers long and graceful. The lips that placed a chaste kiss to the earlobe were thin, smooth, but very soft. The urge to lift her chin was strong, to initiate the kiss she longed for.
"I couldn't have chosen any better myself," Mahan plopped down on the hard stone as the girl jumped back and the figure disappeared into smoke. What was it about Yamanaka females?
"Egh, couldn't you bother me on a night when I haven't been up for over forty hours?" Ino glared when the figure appeared in her dream, completely ruining it. "Or when I didn't have company? That was the most action I've ever gotten and you ruined it, thanks a lot."
"Then you are nothing like your mother and I have no choice when I disturb you. I was to come before you again after you learned the truth and when your seal is going to break."
"Forget it, I don't want it to break." Ino crossed her arms and took in her environment. The volcano was in the distance but they weren't near the village this time. The clearing was scattered with weeds, wild flowers, and decaying logs. "It's enough to know that my mother liked to fool around and that I got my taste for Uchiha males from her. I won't be like poor Hinata and be forced to walk around wearing eye gear. Don't you dare think of unsealing anything on me. I'm a med-nin, I don't need something like the sharingan to fight."
"I don't have to do anything to you. Whatever made you think you could stop it?" Mahan smiled at the outcry of fury, "there is your mother."
"Go to hell, and I know that Hinata said you touched her forehead or somewhere to undo the seal. Come near me and your soul will be missing what made you so amiable to my mother." Ino tossed the empty threat, knowing she probably couldn't stop him if she wanted to.
"I don't need to touch you, I designed yours to break after this meeting. Once my presence leaves your subconscious, it leaves with me. I did not need to touch her either, I did so because I wished to."
"Right, you loved her mother, not mine." It was no wonder she was a loser when it came to men, she got it from her mother.
"Wrong, I loved your mother in my own way but what I felt for my wife surpassed that. Your mother did possess a fierce nature that I will always miss and she did me the honor of loving the child I blessed her with. She could have easily gotten rid of you, even then they had something to rid kunoichi of unwanted pregnancies, but instead she kept the baby and did what she thought she had to do to protect it."
"Great, but why tell us the truth? Hinata and I were doing fine without learning about any of this." Ino wanted answers before he disappeared on her. How could they figure anything out when they had no idea why it had all come about?
"I cannot access the living world from here. My soul is gone and I fear the worse. How many of my clan survive? You fantasize about a Uchiha, but is it due to expectations or is there one alive that you fancy?"
"I don't fancy any Uchiha, just my interpretation of what I want. As for your question, there is only one survivor, if you don't count us. It is one of my friends," Ino wondered why he thought it was a Uchiha she had been getting cozy with.
"Does he know the truth?"
"Yes, Hinata went to him when she woke up with a half-sharingan in her eye. Which by the way, is all your fault. He knows the entire story about the massacre." Ino had gone right back home after her shift, unable to keep her eyes open any longer.
"And the one that was ordered to massacre the clan?"
"Dead, I don't know all the details but he died a little over a year ago." Ino took a step back when he stood.
"Such a grim responsibility to put on one so young. Did this survivor forgive his brother for his part in the massacre?" Mahan asked without taking a step forward.
"Yes, I think he understood his brother's reasons behind it, it almost made him insane." Or maybe that entire thing about the Uchiha madness had some truth behind it. "He doesn't hate his brother for doing it and he still mourns the loss of his sibling."
"I see," he looked around before the dark gaze landed back on her. "You will wake soon so I shall part with some advice. You three will be in danger soon, don't be a fool and think that there will not be some wishing to terminate the threat the prophecy once posed to the Five Nations. They will strike when you least expect and they will wipe out anyone with clan blood. As I am I cannot assist you or your sister with what you must face."
"Yeah, your body looked about done for." Ino didn't think it would be any safer for the mummified dead son of Madara to be walking around the streets of Konoha. "No one knows about us anyways."
"Yet they know of the boy. Would you really stand aside and allow them to slaughter the last to save your own skin? I thought not, not if you truly call him friend. Also, soon enough what I left behind will become known. Yours may not activate because you specialize in medical techniques but Hinata's fighting style requires her eyes. Eyes that now possess the ability of two kekkai genkia. How long before the sharingan activates and is seen by others? Then it will not be just the boy in danger, but her as well."
"So what do you want me to do? I assume you are reminding me of what can happen for a reason. Do you expect us to hide or run?" Ino didn't know what she could do to help. The only way to ensure that Hinata remained safe would be to run and hide away. How long would that last?
"I tell you this because you have what it takes to see it done, Hinata is most likely too gentle like her mother. With the three, I left a scroll, did you retrieve it?"
"I did," Ino had left it on the table but it was still there. Hinata and Sasuke were at his place so no one should be able to get their hands on it without them knowing.
"First, I left coordinates for you to locate. In that place, you will find all the proof you need to expose each nation. I dared not leave them all in a place that may one day be discovered. I wish for you to take the other two there, see what I have left, and then decide if you should still follow the Leaf. If not, I have left further instructions there."
"Okay, I can do that but what is in the scroll?" Ino wasn't sure if Hinata would want to skip out on the village to go check out this place.
"A choice," the sound was echoing around them. It resembled feminine yelling, "a forbidden jutsu that I left in your hands. You decide on who will help guide you to fulfill my legacy; a father, or a brother."
"Wait!" Ino screamed seeing the vision begin to distort as the noise became louder.
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"WAIT!" Ino bolted upright, her hand reaching out towards the darkness. Her temples throbbed painfully and she jumped as the noise alerted her to what had caused her dream to be cut short. Someone wasn't being killed, so someone was going to be. The slap against her wall made her glare to the people on the other side. All that noise really wasn't necessary, and to pray one needed to be on their knees, not their back.
Ino assumed that the one in there was the new 'boyfriend' she had caught onto through gossip. She had the mind to go in there and tell them to get a room, elsewhere. Old people having sex, it was gross. She didn't expect her mother to remain single forever, but did they have to be so noisy?
They couldn't have waited another few moments until she got more answers? Like, was the seal really going to break? Ino scrambled off of the mattress, maneuvering through the dark. She found the light switch and quickly went over to the mirror, her vision was blurry, and she feared it wasn't because of unwanted eye boogers. She prayed they would be the same blue as always.
Relief washed through her seeing that there was nothing out of the ordinary, nothing besides the headache and the blurriness. Did that mean it was broken or was it still there? No shades for her, not yet. Still, if it was meant to be unsealed this time, it put her in the same boat as poor Hinata.
There was still a few hours before dawn but she knew sleep wouldn't return tonight. Ignoring the cries to their maker, she slipped on a fresh pair of pants and a sweater. Not like her mother would notice her slipping out or that she had been woken up. Uncaring of who might spot her, or what they might think, she headed out of the house. The wind was blowing, bringing in a storm, and causing her loose hair to whip wildly about.
By the time she reached her destination her face was stinging from being whipped and her hands felt numb from the cold. She barely felt it when they rapped against the door. It was done very gently but within a minute, it was cracking open to reveal a partially dressed Sasuke.
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