SURPRISE! Super ultra awesome secret Saturday Itachi Birthday update! XD So, in honor of Itachi kun's birthday, I decided to go ahead and release an extra chapter this week! I hope you guys enjoy!

One shout out to ImAGoofyGoober: Haha, yes, there's still some drama ahead – we still have nine more chapters after this one! Things aren't canon anymore, but that doesn't mean things are going to go smoothly for anyone ;) I'm glad you liked it my lovely, and I hope you continue to read!

Oh...and for anyone who's interested...I did some birthday fanart for Itachi over on my deviantart – I have a link to my page on my page here. You can go check that out if you want ;)

~BlackRoseDragon13

*Disclaimer* I do not own, nor claim to own, any aspect of Naruto in any way, shape, or form. This is merely a fan work, and I receive no profit.

Chapter Ten

Opening the door, Hinata gasped as she nearly bumped into Tsunade's large chest. "Tsunade s-sama!" she stuttered.

"Hinata," the Hokage greeted gruffly. "I take it Itachi has had his time to speak with you?"

Gaping for a moment, Hinata eventually was able to reply, "Uh...y-yes, he has. Hokage sama," she said hurriedly, grabbing at the blonde's sleeve as she moved to push past the younger girl into the room. "Please...I know you don't think he deserves any kindness...but if he tells you the truth, you'll see. So...p-please...don't hurt him any more."

Tsunade's amber eyes looked sternly down into Hinata's pearly orbs. "Until he gives me a reason to, I will not give him any kind of special treatment. You have to understand my position, Hinata. This is a delicate situation, with many variables and unknowns. If I start showing weakness now, things might unravel. I'll do what I have to do."

The girl nodded. She couldn't ask for anything else. "Yes, Hokage sama."

With that, the blonde entered the room, the two ANBU guards accompanying her. Worried for her friend, Hinata folded her hands before her chest. Please, she begged of any listening beings. Please keep him safe.

She had no idea how long Tsunade would take to interrogate Itachi and receive his entire statement, so she decided against waiting for the Hokage to return. Instead, she gathered her frustration once outside the hospital and raced for the training grounds. Once face to face with several logs, she pushed energy from her chakra points and began attacking them with abandon. Chunks of woods flew through the air as the Hyuuga girl grit her teeth, her mind bringing forth all of her anger and sadness to be destroyed with her training.

How could the village make one boy carry such a burden? How could they decide his fate, taking his future from him? Making him live as a criminal to die like a dog? If he had refused, he likely would have died with his kin. There had been no way out – it was kill or be killed. Not a choice, but a sentence: either death or damnation. Hinata couldn't imagine that burden, living her life as a lie, forced into a corner with death all around her. Could she have killed her family? Slaughtered them for a greater good? How could she look into their eyes before their deaths, seeing their fear and last moments? There were few worse fates, of that she was sure.

"It's...not...fair!" she grunted as her open palms struck the upright logs. Blood was staining their rough surface as her skin began to give way, the pain ignored in her turmoil. And now, after she saved his life, he was being held as a criminal by the very village he had sacrificed so much for. Overcome, she launched one last assault, and then collapsed to her knees, forehead leaning against the wood as she cried. All she could do now was hope that Tsunade believed him, and that she would let him go.

"Hinata chan?"

Building up the strength, Hinata sat back and turned her head. "Naruto kun?"

The blonde was giving her a concerned look. Approaching her, he knelt beside her and put a hand on her shoulder. Tsunade had debriefed him and Sakura that morning before Hinata was released, and he knew everything the Hokage knew. In addition, Sakura had told him what the Hyuuga girl had told her. Hinata had taken on a tremendous burden all on her own to keep her friends safe. Naruto respected that, and held nothing but admiration and gratitude for her. "Is everything all right, Hinata chan?"

Without a word, she shook her head slowly back and forth. "Itachi...Itachi san had no choice."

"What do you mean?"

Taking a deep breath, she explained everything the Uchiha had told her that morning. The Uzumaki boy listened without a word, face blank as he took in her words. She did her best to maintain her composure, shoulders quaking with contained emotion. "And now...he's being t-treated like a criminal...but...they did this to him. The council, the elders! They did this to him..."

Eyes soft, Naruto slowly pulled her to his chest, hugging her. She returned the gesture, sniffling quietly, totally drained of energy to cry. "I'm so sorry, Hinata chan...but I'm sure baa chan will make things right. She'll see the truth, and she'll do the right thing, dattebayo. Promise." Gently, he picked up one of her hands, examining the damage she had done to her own flesh. "But you need to take it easy, okay? I can see you're upset, but you shouldn't be so reckless. I know I'm being a bit hypocritical, since I've done it before...but maybe you can see it as me speaking from experience, huh?"

Hinata stared off past Naruto's shirt. Hadn't she been dreaming of being held like this, wrapped in her hero's arms? But even as she felt the heat radiating from him, his strong hands gripping her, she felt...incomplete. He was comforting her, and she appreciated it, knowing that he cared. But it didn't feel like she imagined. Just like when he thanked her in the hospital, it didn't seem as important anymore. She felt a bond as his friend, the love was still there, but...something was missing.

"You're right. Thank you, Naruto kun," she murmured, slowly breaking from his grip. She smiled, looking into his cerulean eyes. "I...I feel better now. You're right – Tsunade sama will do the right thing."

The blonde smiled widely, glad he had made her smile again. Rubbing the back of his head, he replied, "Ah, it was nothing! I'm glad you're home safe, Hinata chan, and that everything's okay, dattebayo."

She nodded, eyes closed. But she knew things wouldn't be complete until Itachi was free. Already she knew just what she would do when she saw him next: hold him close and never let him go.

.oOo.

Naruto walked her back into the main part of the village, hands in his pockets as they strolled at a relaxed pace. "Who'd have ever thought that Itachi had been through all of that," he mused, gaze lost in the blue sky above them instead of his path. "He's gotta be one hell of a guy."

"I think he is," Hinata murmured beside him, her gaze much lower to the cobblestone of the street. "I have yet to really get to know him, but...I just feel that he is a good person. That he v-values peace, and is willing to do whatever it takes to protect it. Though killing his clan was a terrible deed, he did it only out of necessity...to protect as m-many as he could. Sacrificing a few...to save many."

"Yeah...that had to be a tough choice."

"I think...it wasn't as much a choice...as it was a ultimatum."

"That's true." Glancing over at the female, Naruto asked, "After all he put you through, though...you're not angry?"

"A-angry?"

"I mean sure, he didn't actually mean to hurt anybody...but he still put you through a lot for the sake of upholding his plan," the blonde said wisely, shocking Hinata. Naruto was many things, but a deep thinker was not always one of them. "If he had just dropped it, it would have saved you a lot of trouble dattebayo."

Hinata paused in her strides, Naruto doing the same a few paces later. "I...no, I'm not angry. He had a plan, and he s-stuck to it. Besides...I did what I did out of choice."

Naruto frowned. "But he threatened you. In all reality...it wasn't much different than the 'choice' he had. For all you knew, if you had refused, he would have hurt someone. That isn't much of a choice."

"I g-guess you're right. But now that I'm here, I'm not angry. I may have been f-frustrated during the mission, but...in the end, everything turned out fine. I'm not going to harbor any anger o-or contempt over what's already come to pass."

"I hope Itachi won't either."

"He doesn't seem the type to h-hold a grudge. He just wants his life back..." But Hinata didn't know that for sure. The boy had seemed hesitant about returning to a normal life after so many years living a lie. Would he truly accept his forgiveness, if he received it? What other choice did he have?

Soon, the pair were standing before the Hyuuga home. Gazing at the walls of her compound, Hinata wondered what Itachi was doing. Was his inquisition over? Had Tsunade believed him, or would she continue to place the blame of the Uchiha massacre on his shoulders?

"Well...I have to go," Naruto said, breaking the silence. "I was actually waiting for Sakura and Sai to show up at the training grounds for some sparring when I found you." Rubbing the back of his head with a grin, he added, "They're probably waiting for me."

Hinata gave a start. "Oh! Why didn't you say so earlier?"

"I wanted to make sure you were all right, Hinata chan. You're one of my friends, after all! I wasn't about to leave you alone when you were so upset." He gave her a gentle smile. "My friends are precious to me."

She smiled back. "You're m-my friend too, Naruto kun."

Strange. Saying that didn't hurt like it used to. Perhaps she really was changing, in more ways than she first assumed.

"Well, I'll see you around. If you hear first, let me know what happens with, uh...your 'friend'." he said evasively, noticing other people nearby. Waving, he walked back the way they had came.

Hinata waved back, standing and staring after him until his disappeared from sight. Part of her wanted to go back to the hospital and see if she could find anything out about Itachi, but another part told her that she should wait for Tsunade to come to her. Itachi's capture was highly classified information, and the Hokage was likely to keep anything related to the man under tight surveillance. Still, the girl was worried for the Uchiha, and not knowing his fate was going to grate at her. And she had something she wished to ask him – something that had been bothering her since his revelation of his mission. If it was true that Itachi had been assigned the killing of his clan – which Hinata didn't doubt for a moment – then why had he attempted to kill her, only to back out? Itachi isn't a killer...but...how can he explain what happened eight years ago?

It was mid afternoon by then, too late for lunch, so Hinata skipped the meal and ventured out into the gardens, gathering flowers to press. During her endeavor, a branch member informed her that her father would be out until late, and to expect to dine alone as Hanabi was on another mission. She accepted the news with a sigh, but later decided it wasn't such a bad thing.

After pressing several beautiful flowers, she ventured into the kitchen and made cinnamon buns, the smell filling the house and drawing several branch members to her. Whenever her stern father was out, Hinata always made a habit of baking and sharing her treats with anyone who cared for some, as the branch family usually had little time to make their own. Unlike Hiashi, Hinata cared for the branch members equally to her main family. The man tended to treat them like servants, which Hinata silently despaired. Though she was still technically heiress, she had little power until her father formally stepped down. And even if he did, Hinata was unsure if she wished to take the position at all. Being clan head was a full time job, meaning she would have to give up her shinobi career. And though she didn't care for violence, Hinata took pride in protecting those she cared for, and completing missions for her leader.

As far as she was concerned, she would turn the title over to her sister, though the stubborn younger girl would likely not want it either, being even more dedicated to her shinobi career than Hinata. After that, Hinata had no idea where the title would fall. Perhaps to Neji. But these were all thoughts for a later time.

Finishing the last bite of her dessert, Hinata sighed. Though she had tried desperately to distract herself from her worries concerning Itachi, even her favorite hobbies seemed unable to hold her mind completely. Instead, they merely served as work to do subconsciously as she contemplated the man's situation. Surely the interview had been finished that day, and Tsunade would have a good idea of what to do by morning. So, Hinata made up her mind to ask the Hokage the next day what she planned to do. Though it may be brash to question the woman of her plans, especially since she was merely a chuunin, Hinata was deeply involved in Itachi's case whether she liked it or not, so anything concerning the man was her business. At least, that was how she was going to justify her inquiry the next morning.

.oOo.

"But...I-I have something I need to speak with her about..." Poking her forefingers together, Hinata pleaded with Shizune. "Are you sure she's unavailable?"

The older woman pursed her lips. "I'm afraid so, Hinata. This whole ordeal is taking more time and effort than she really wants to spend on it, but...it's necessary. Until she's finished, I'm afraid it's unlikely she'll -"

"Shizune!" a voice barked from behind a door. "I need more sake!"

Cringing, Shizune muttered, "See? It's only ten in the morning and she's drinking like a fish! This entire situation is wearing Tsunade sama down enough. I don't think she has time to discuss it with you – I'm sorry." With that, she pushed past the younger female down the stairs to fetch her leader's drink.

I don't want to bother Tsunade sama...but... Glancing at the door, she frowned. But I need to know! With a sudden burst of courage, she walked up to the door and opened it, stepping inside.

"That was fast," Tsunade mumbled, not glancing up from several papers on her desk. "Did you have a bottle in your pocket, or what?" Finally looking up, Tsunade's face turned to one of surprise as she beheld Hinata instead of her assistant. "Hinata!"

"I'm sorry to b-bother you, Tsunade sama," Hinata began, stepping forward. "But...I was wondering if you had made any progress concerning Itachi?"

The blonde stared for a moment before sitting back in her chair with a sigh. "I thought that's what you were here for. Go on, sit down. I need a break anyway."

Elated, Hinata did as she was told, folding her hands politely.

"I assume he told you the truth behind the massacre, as he did me?"

Hinata nodded.

"Good. Then there won't be any holes in our conversation. As of yet, I have no proof beyond Itachi's statement marking his tale the actual sequence of events...but that will soon change. According to Itachi, the council – Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu – and Shimura Danzo are the only ones alive who know the truth behind the massacre besides himself and a man who claims to be Uchiha Madara, the other participant in the killing. When I have all of my cards in play, I will be confronting them and demanding the truth. Itachi doubts the existence of any documents, which I fear is true. The council is sneaky and cunning – they wouldn't leave anything tangible about such a thing lying around. So, this will all be a game of words. However, we have Itachi on our side, so it's highly doubtful we'll lose."

"Lose?"

"Itachi insists that he wants no compensation for his trouble – which is amazingly noble – but I want justice. If this really is true...and I must admit I believe him...then the council had much to pay for. Whether or not Itachi wants it doesn't matter to me – I want them to face consequences for what they put the poor boy through."

"I see...I agree."

"I thought you would. Once we get the charges cleared, he will be pardoned and free to do as he wishes."

"Does...does Sasuke san know the truth yet?"

"He, like his brother, is still in the hospital. He isn't very happy, but he's safe. Once I concrete Itachi's story, he will be told the truth. For now, though, the less people involved, the better."

Hinata nodded. The Hokage was obviously putting much thought into this. "I hope things are resolved soon, for b-both their sakes."

"I hope so too."

"Am I allowed to visit Itachi san again?"

Tsunade grinned. "If you want. You sure are involved with this man, Hinata..."

A light blush powdered her nose. "I...I'm worried for him."

"Of course you are. And yes, you can see him whenever you want, as long as you give him time to heal. The surgery on his eyes has a long recovery time, and he is weak from his illness. He's going to need a lot of time to rest."

"I understand."

"Then I see no problem in it."

"Okay. Thank you, Tsunade sama."

"You're welcome."

Having nothing else to ask, Hinata stood and bowed, leaving the Hokage alone just as Shizune reentered behind her. Feeling much better now that she knew Tsunade was on Itachi's side, she made her way to the hospital to visit him.

The ANBU guards were still there, but let her in without question. She took a seat beside him, his face turned toward her.

"Hello Hinata san."

She paused. "How did you know it was me?"

"Besides the fact that you will likely be the only one to visit me, I have grown accustomed to your chakra signature."

"O-oh." Smiling, she asked, "How are you feeling today?"

"Better. Tsunade sama, as far as I know, has accepted my tale as truth. Hopefully things will soon be finished, and I will be free."

"So...you're open to being released?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well...before, you seemed upset at the prospect...that your plan had failed." Hinata looked down in sadness. "It was as though you wished...y-you had died."

"Hinata san...I thanked you for saving my life, and for your help. Don't think for a moment that I did not appreciate your actions. True, it was my plan to die at my brother's hand, and I had no intention of surviving our fight...but things have changed. My plan was foiled, my truth revealed, and my body healed. Now, the wise thing to do would be to accept this turn of fate, and whatever path has opened before me."

At this, the Hyuuga girl looked hopeful. "That's wonderful! I'm so glad things have gotten better for you."

"It will be a long and difficult path, but I believe it will be worth it in the end." His lips turned up into a small smile. "And again, I have you to thank. I fear I will never be released of my debt to you."

"No...w-we're even. You don't owe me anything."

"My honor insists otherwise. I will make it up to you, even if you think it unnecessary." His smile grew slightly.

"Well then...I g-guess there's no stopping you." She giggled lightly.

Silence reigned for a while, both caught in their thoughts. But Hinata's lingering question soon surfaced in her mind, and she hesitated. "Itachi san...there's...something I w-wanted to ask you."

"Of course."

"You've given reasons as to why you acted the way you did that night...killing your clan." She spoke softly, realizing he must be tired of hearing of his past. "But...you haven't revealed why you tried to kill m-me..."

Itachi didn't move. "That...is a difficult question to answer...and I am not sure I am the one to do so."

"But...who else would I ask? The council?"

"In part. I'll make you a promise. Once my trial is over, and I am freed...that is, assuming that I am...I will tell you who to ask that question. For now, try not to let it trouble you. I know that is probably easier said than done, but now is not the time for it. I hope you will have patience."

Itachi's evasion to her inquiry made Hinata frown. Why couldn't he tell her now? But she realized his mind was set, and she nodded. "I understand."

"I'm glad. Forgive me, but I tire...will you return tomorrow?"

"If I am able, I will – I p-promise."

"Good. Until later, then."

She left him alone once more, giving her quiet goodbyes. The summer sun had set, the village bathed in darkness save for businesses and homes up late, lights escaping through windows and doors. Mind full of more questions than answers, Hinata decided to take a walk before heading home. She knew that returning late would likely result in her seeing her father, but she didn't care. At that moment, she wanted nothing more than to wander the streets for a while, listening to laughter and talking and just enjoying the evening, trying to distract herself.

She was happy that things looked positive for her friend. Hopefully the elders would cooperate and let Itachi have his freedom. With a giggle to herself, Hinata realized that Tsunade would likely allow for nothing else. The stubborn blonde would likely force the confessions from the elders regardless. Taking comfort in that thought, Hinata continued to wander as another thought came to mind.

She had been referring to Itachi as her friend, but was that what he was to her? In reality, they didn't really know one another that well. They had spoken a few times, and been through much together. Each had saved the others life at least once, and Hinata had held him when he was balancing on the brink of death. Few people could claim such bonds, but Hinata was conflicted. Did their circumstances make them companions, or acquaintances? Some of the situations they had been through together were indeed severe, things that people of close relationships usually did, but by time and exchanged words, they really had little to go on. She was currently the only one he called friend, and one of the few people who believed the reasons behind his past. He had spared her life more than once, and saved her multiple times in teaching her lessons and in acts of defense.

And then there was that moment.

She had never been so close to a man before, unless you counted her family, teammates, or Naruto's oblivious affections in years past. Never before had she had such an intense feeling of...well, she wasn't quite sure what it was. Yoko had called it a physical attraction, like lust, but Hinata felt there was more to it than that. Sure, she thought Itachi was handsome, but she was also attracted to Naruto! She had had little bouts of that sort of thing with the blonde when they were kids, but never that severe...never that strong.

Naruto had given her someone to look up to, to model herself after, to chase. She admired him and cared for him, and thought he was an amazing person. But why did she claim to love him? When she really thought about it, nothing else came up. Was that what love was? Or was there really a solid definition for love? She loved her sister, and her teammates, and claimed to love Naruto, but none of those loves seemed the same. Family, friends, crush. But what was a love that made one want to spend a lifetime with them as more than friends? It was a large and complicated question, and Hinata knew she didn't have the answer. She doubted there really was one. You don't need to justify loving someone, or give reasons. It was just something that happened. It was a mixture of feelings, attraction, devotion, and luck – circumstance.

Did she...love Itachi?

She cared for him. That she knew. She thought he was handsome, brave, and loyal. He had proven he was wise, that he put his heart into what he did, and that he cared for her in return. He had saved her life, taught her to defend herself, believed in her and made her smile. She had in turn saved him, and felt joy when he smiled. She admired him and cared for him...just like Naruto. She was attracted to him, just like Naruto. But something...something was different.

She knew parts of him, but she didn't know all of him. She also knew there were things about Naruto she didn't know. It took time and effort to know a person well enough to know who they really were. She had had lots of time and effort put into her relationship with Naruto, but...she really had little to show for it. Maybe all she needed with Itachi was the same. And if he gained his freedom, perhaps she would have the opportunity to really get to know him.

After that, she supposed it was up to them.

The possibility of her falling for him – and even more so, of him falling for her – made Hinata's spine tingle. It just seemed unreal. A little over a month ago, she didn't even give the man any thought, hardly even realizing he existed. Now...things had changed so much, there were parts of her life she barely recognized. And Itachi was a part of her life that was completely different.

When she finally began paying attention to her surroundings again after such deep thinking, she realized she was standing atop the Hokage monument, gazing at the stars. Amazed at her autopilot, she blinked a few times before really looking. Up there, there were no lights to make the stars seem dimmer. There, they were bright and brilliant. Thousands of them looked back at her, blinking and shimmering across distances she could barely begin to comprehend. It was such a sobering thought, being so small. Despite all of her recent drama, she took comfort in the fact that she existed at all beneath that inky sky. Her worried muscles relaxed, and she laid back on the ground to just take the heavens in for a while.

For the first time in a while, thoughts of her mother entered her mind. She wondered if the woman was watching her from up there – if she was proud of the person she had become. It had been so long since her mother's death, and it still weighed down on her. What should I do, Mother? she asked the stars. They, of course, were silent, but Hinata kept looking, as though hoping to find answers hidden among them.

It grew quite late before she finally stood up, beginning the trek back down into the village and back home. Surely her father would already be in bed, and she hoped he wouldn't question her absence in the morning. But though she would normally be quite worried about his reaction, she found she wasn't too concerned. After all, she had much bigger problems to deal with. When she did finally crash into bed, she fell asleep quickly, having already sorted out her thoughts with the stars.

^_^ Hinata is giving more and more thought to Itachi, and now even contemplating what he means to her. Things are beginning to shape up a bit between them! And there's more to come Monday – including the return of Sasuke! All sorts of trouble is bound to break loose!

I'll see you all then, my lovelies!

~BlackRoseDragon13